Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Authenticity in American Food


I am a stereotypical Canadian living in America.  I grew up on a maple syrup farm in eastern Canada, playing hockey on our backyard rink.  My favourite treat is bacon. Other than these stereotypical traits, my main food influences come from around the world.  Like Americans our food is adopted or brought here from around the world.  Italian food, Chinese food, Mexican food are all seemingly common in our lives.  
52% of the American food demand is for ethnic foods.  But do these cultural restaurants stand up to their origins? Would the native people appreciate it or take it as an American knock off of their favourite dish.  After never visiting many foreign countries, consumers demand ‘real’ ethnic foods.  Restaurants and other food marketers attempt to create an ‘authentic’ experience for all diners yet will fall to give consumers what they expect by creating or reinforcing stereotypes which may or may not be true.  Food is an extremely personal experience as each persons tastes vary even within a culture or family.  At the same time food and culture are interrelated.  What is authentic can vary but the marketing is focused towards the common aspects mixed with the current culture.  
After dining at Jason’s Thai restaurant near the University of Denver Campus, I was interested in the fusion of Asian food served at a seemingly authentic Thai restaurant. While the Thai food was delicious they also offered sushi, common salads and other cuisine not found in Thailand.  Instead of only offering the native foods, restaurants have an opportunity to offer new and exciting foods. This novelty seeking human characteristic leads to the menu offerings being adapted to what the consumers preferences are. (Ryu & Zhong, pg 852-871) In addition, a friend offered the insight that reading the English version and the Chinese version of the menu, different meal or meal options were offered. Similarly what is referred to as ‘Canadian bacon’ in America is called back bacon in Canada.  What people decide is stereotypical from the outside is different than what is considered normal from the insider.  
Perhaps non natives are not knowingly eating non authentic food.  An Americanized version is all that is available to them.  The idea is that ethnic restaurants are ‘culinary tourism’. (Macmillan, Palgrave. pg 242-255) When visiting a foreign land one visits ‘important’ landmarks or touristy places. One does not often do the boring daily life things that citizens of the country would.  When eating at an ethnic restaurant one eats what the natives have deemed ‘important’, something one should try in order to assume a positive reaction. They though might look for something simpler that is a daily meal, not the special meals one would show someone from out of town. 
The ‘authenticity’ of the food comes from the eaters opinion, and more than the food plays into that. It really becomes the authenticity of the experience. If native eaters are eating there is a sign that the food is ‘authentic’. Like when traveling one looks for where the ‘locals’ dine.  Such an idea seems intuitive until one reaches the concept that the ‘local’ is being served a different menu.  The same is common for Americans. Take the renowned fast food joint In n Out Burger for instance.  Many of the favourites are not on the actual menu such as ‘Animal Style Fries’, yet frequent customers know to order them.  
The goal of many ethnic restaurants is to create a distinctively exotic yet recognizable culture (MacMillan, Palgrave. pg 242-255). Native servers music and chefs play a large role in convincing the consumer that they are dining in a place that gives them a real taste of the culture they are exploring.  Going too far into the ethnic realm may create a divide in America between the native eater and the American eater.  There becomes a ‘risk’ factor. (Lee et al. pg 531-538) Many ethnic restaurants are deemed to be ‘dirty’ or unsanitary in appearance or food preparation.  People often falsely associate contracting food poisoning or other illnesses at a Mexican or Asian food restaurant as more likely.  These ideas are often backed up by inspections which do not take into account the cultural differences in food preparation and knowledge of such foods.  The ‘authentic’ ethnic food is often prepared at home in ways Americans are not accustomed to, making it seem unhealthy.  A Chinese classmate for instance asked me why we do not eat chicken feet.  My answer was because it is gross.  He looked a little confused before replying; how are chicken feet any different than chicken wings.  It is our socialization that changes our perspective on life and in that our perspective on food.   The fact that preparers and servers at ethnic restaurants often do not use English as their primary language can lead to confusion and inefficiency between native and non-native eaters.  Again this might draw a more ethnic crowd but alienate the American customer.  
Taste, appearance, risk and service are all perceived by the individual therefore ethnic restaurants looking to appeal to both native and non-native eaters must incorporate aspects that are familiar to both so as not to leave one crowd ostracized. Wherever one goes one will find different adaptations of food, different attempts at a similar recipe.  It is not where the restaurant is located but how the customer feels about it.  The perception of each customer will be different. The authentic food experience is available only with an open mind, regardless of ones cultural background. 

Works Cited
Lee, Louise et al. “Consumer Perceptions on Food Safety in Asian and Mexican Restaurants” Food Control. Vol 26, Issue 2. 2012. Accessed April 15 2013. <http://0-www.sciencedirect.com.bianca.penlib.du.edu/science/article/pii/S0956713512000849>

Macmillan, Palgrave. “The Role of Themed Restaurants as Cultural Ambassadors” Tourism and Hospitality Research. Specail Issue. Sept 2007. Accessed April 15 2013. <http://0-search.proquest.com.bianca.penlib.du.edu/docview/237207864>

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1 comment:

  1. Connor MerwinApril 17, 2013 at 1:35 PM

    1. The essay focuses on Jason's Thai, and how the restaurant works to create an authentic environment by the food, music, service, etc.
    2. The outside sources help add much creativity to the paper, in both terms and concepts. For example, the term "culinary tourism" comes from an outside source, and exemplifies what these foreign and authentic restaurants are doing.
    3. The author draws the conclusion that restaurants work to bring authentic food from foreign countries to people who have never traveled to those countries. I suggest refining this my focusing a little bit more on Jason Thai rather than the big picture the entire time.
    4. You didn't give an in text citation for a statistic in the first paragraph, but that's about it.

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