Author Topic: The random etymology of the day (Read 238125 times)

Brinestone · « **Reply #1600 on:** August 29, 2012, 07:09:41 PM »

Then why are there Italian restaurants with food distinct from traditional American fare?

Porter · « **Reply #1601 on:** August 30, 2012, 11:13:39 AM »

Everywhere that I've lived, Italian is just as much a category of restaurant food as are Chinese or Mexican.

I'd put Mexican or Tex/Mex as the #1 ethnic food in the US.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1602 on:** August 30, 2012, 09:16:17 PM »

But that still doesn't answer my question of what ethnic food is most popular in China.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #1603 on:** August 30, 2012, 09:23:39 PM »

Quote from: Tante Shvester on August 30, 2012, 09:16:17 PM

But that still doesn't answer my question of what ethnic food is most popular in China.

I'd say American hands down.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #1604 on:** September 01, 2012, 06:04:22 AM »

Quote from: Tante Shvester on August 30, 2012, 09:16:17 PM

But that still doesn't answer my question of what ethnic food is most popular in China.

I don't want to count KFC as ethnic food so I'll pretend it's not and avoid saying "American."

Probably Japanese, Thai and Korean. But there are other ethnicities in China and their cuisines are really popular as well. So maybe that counts as ethnic food - like lamb noodles from the Muslims in West China.

You can find Italian, Mexican, French, etc., but only in areas where a lot of Americans eat and it's typically pretty terrible. I had "Mexican" food the other day and everything was on flour tortillas and the refried beans had something rotten in them. I told the waitress to tell the kitchen about it and she came back to say there was nothing wrong with them, it was just a "sour" flavor I wasn't used to. I told her I recognized the taste and it was the taste of spoiled food and she recommended then that I not eat them.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #1605 on:** September 01, 2012, 07:51:17 AM »

I laughed when you mentioned KFC as that's basically what put American over the top for me as well. I completely agree that Western foods are pretty terrible in China. If some guy could accurately replicate the wings and ranch sauce you get at Wingers, I think you'd make a killing in China.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #1606 on:** September 02, 2012, 07:18:21 AM »

I don't know. It seems the most delicious things we make, they don't like. They think everything is too "sour" and "salty" and so they add a bunch of sugar and mayonnaise.

How can you reason with an entire nation of people who don't like cheese?

BlackBlade · « **Reply #1607 on:** September 02, 2012, 07:51:19 AM »

Quote from: Annie Subjunctive on September 02, 2012, 07:18:21 AM

I don't know. It seems the most delicious things we make, they don't like. They think everything is too "sour" and "salty" and so they add a bunch of sugar and mayonnaise.

How can you reason with an entire nation of people who don't like cheese?

They are liars when it comes to cheese. Pizza does quite well over there. The problem is they just can't bring themselves to like anything *they* didn't already have in China. It's degrading.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #1608 on:** September 02, 2012, 06:27:57 PM »

I asked my friend in Taiwan once, "How can you like stinky tofu and not like cheese?"

She countered with, "How can you like cheese and not like stinky tofu?"

It ended in a stalemate.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #1609 on:** September 02, 2012, 07:34:51 PM »

Quote from: Annie Subjunctive on September 02, 2012, 06:27:57 PM

I asked my friend in Taiwan once, "How can you like stinky tofu and not like cheese?"

She countered with, "How can you like cheese and not like stinky tofu?"

It ended in a stalemate.

I think the right response would be, "If it's so tasty, why didn't you name it 'tasty tofu?'"

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #1610 on:** September 02, 2012, 07:35:51 PM »

Buuurn!

rivka · « **Reply #1611 on:** September 02, 2012, 10:20:26 PM »

I like cheese and tofu. In fact, I have some good recipes that include both.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #1612 on:** September 03, 2012, 05:48:31 AM »

Ah, but tofu is very, very different from stinky tofu.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #1613 on:** September 03, 2012, 07:20:24 AM »

Quote from: Annie Subjunctive on September 03, 2012, 05:48:31 AM

Ah, but tofu is very, very different from stinky tofu.

It sure is.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1614 on:** September 03, 2012, 01:43:30 PM »

Is it akin to the difference between cream cheese and bleu cheese? I don't know anything about stinky tofu.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #1615 on:** September 03, 2012, 05:25:52 PM »

Quote from: Tante Shvester on September 03, 2012, 01:43:30 PM

Is it akin to the difference between cream cheese and bleu cheese? I don't know anything about stinky tofu.

It's not a bad analogy.

pooka · « **Reply #1616 on:** September 04, 2012, 12:34:11 PM »

I don't know that I've ever had Traditional American Fare. At least, not in a restaurant. Is that like hamburgers?

I was way more entertained by that aspect of the Steve Martin Pink Panther movie than I probably should have been.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1617 on:** September 04, 2012, 11:51:52 PM »

I feel the same way, pooka, about traditional American food. All I can think of is fast food. And maybe meatloaf, which I never ever eat. But I don't think of things like pizza, spaghetti, lasagna and the like as particularly ethnic.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #1618 on:** September 05, 2012, 12:31:26 AM »

Stinky tofu is fermented. The varieties in Taiwan are at worst a little sour and have a strong undertaste but I've seen some for sale here in China that have a black crust.

Brinestone · « **Reply #1619 on:** September 05, 2012, 08:24:36 AM »

America food would include steak, mashed potatoes, roast beef, turkey, biscuits, grilled chicken breast, fried anything, pork chops, sandwiches, and burgers. Oh, and soup of the day.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #1620 on:** September 05, 2012, 08:28:39 AM »

When I think of American food, I think of southern food. Like fried catfish, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, hush puppies. Or gumbo. Or red beans and rice.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #1621 on:** September 05, 2012, 08:28:59 AM »

And barbecue.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1622 on:** September 05, 2012, 01:54:32 PM »

Other than soup, that's pretty much a list of food I either don't eat or rarely eat.

SteveRogers · « **Reply #1623 on:** September 05, 2012, 01:59:30 PM »

Fried chicken and waffles with mashed potatoes, white pepper gravy, cole slaw, green beans, corn on the cob, grits, and biscuits.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #1624 on:** September 05, 2012, 06:21:01 PM »

A lot of sandwiches I would call American food. Philly cheesesteak, Reuben, etc.