Why are certain cuisines more popular than others?

[Monello]

In the US, I'd say the big 3 are Chinese, Italian and Mexican. Not sure of the order.

Then you have the 2nd tier as far as popularity. Irish, German, Greek, Thai, Japanese, French. I remember back in the day where all the French places were fine dining. Korean places seem to be gaining in popularity.

3rd tier might include British, Indian and Jamaican.

Then you have the obscure cuisines. Israeli, Nepalese, Bosnian, Afghani.

There are some regional explanations for restaurant popularity. We saw several Bosnian restaurants in Des Moines, IA of all places.

What's your favorite 3 ethnic foods to eat?

 

[Kyle]

I can't imaging a restaurant being in business long serving bangers and mash, spotted dick and kidney pie.

 

[RoseRed]

I can't imaging a restaurant being in business long serving bangers and mash, spotted dick and kidney pie.

And haggis.

 

[Merlin99]

German / Viennese
Irish
British
...
...
...
...
French

French food is just something no one wants covered in sauce

 

[Merlin99]

What ever happened to the Japanese restaurants of the 50's, private rooms, sitting on the floor being served by geishas

 

[spr1975wshs]

I look at the above and think of them as American, I hyphenate.
I do not think at least some of what is cooked here is exactly the same as what is prepared in the home countries.

Much of what I cook is American-Italian. My wife prepares American-Greek.

 

[UglyBear]

People tend to eat “safe” foreign cuisines. Ones that they recognize, but get to feel “sophisticated” for eating.
Mexican just hits all the right boxes — fried salty carbs with cheese. A little bit of spice to feel adventurous. Same as Italian, and Chinese (minus cheese).
In my house, Italian is not even “ethnic”, as Mrs is of Italian heritage, Mexican is standard because we lived in the West Coast for a long time. Slavic is standard, but gets voted down for blandness (meat and potatoes with garlic and mayonnaise).
When we eat out, it’s Thai and Indian.

 

[GURPS]

(meat and potatoes with garlic and mayonnaise).

Mayo ?

 

[UglyBear]

Mayo ?

It’s both a food group and a seasoning. My parents go through a Costco jar every month.

 

[gemma_rae]

British food gets a bad rap because it's not prepared with enough detail and quality ingredients.

Sausage and fennel roll, Fish and chips, Shepherds Pie, and Cornish Pasty.

Jolly Good!

 

[gemma_rae]

Mayo ?

Mayonnaise is oil and raw eggs with a touch of acidity, usually a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice, whipped together until enough air is incorporated that it becomes a yellowish white and forms peaks.

 

[lucky_bee]

People tend to eat “safe” foreign cuisines. Ones that they recognize, but get to feel “sophisticated” for eating.
Mexican just hits all the right boxes — fried salty carbs with cheese. A little bit of spice to feel adventurous. Same as Italian, and Chinese (minus cheese).

I agree about the safeness regarding these specific cuisines. They appeal to the masses, easily identifiable, usually pleasant-enough looking, easy to replicate.

I consider myself somewhat well-traveled and adventurous with food - I know a majority of what's served in the states is a little Americanized. I wish it wasn't so, I'd love to try real curry - not what every American Indian restaurant thinks that's what I want. I love me some butter chicken, but I bet there's something more authentic I'd love even more. Same goes for Japanese/Sushi, Greek, and a few others I really love.

I actually really enjoyed British food - it's just all very ugly. Their idea of desserts leave something to be desired with my sweet tooth, but I love a good sausage roll no but seriously, they've really got the market on pastry-covered savory foods down.

A lot of these countries come with a whole slue of cuisine CUSTOMS too. Siestas, 7-course meals, utensil-free eating with your hands - all mostly foreign concepts to Americans. I told my teenage stepson you have to eat fish and chips out of real newspaper and he acted like you're supposed to eat the newspaper along with the chips

It’s both a good group and a seasoning. My parents go through a Costco jar every month.

you know, my neighbor is Slavic and usually has mayo in a lot of her foods but I'll eat anything she brings us. Don't ask me to repeat it, no idea what I'm eating but it's always good.

 

[gemma_rae]

you know, my neighbor is Slavic and usually has mayo in a lot of her foods but I'll eat anything she brings us. Don't ask me to repeat it, no idea what I'm eating but it's always good.

Didn't Anthony Bourdain say "Don't ask what it is, just eat it."

 

[GURPS]

Shepherds Pie

Cottage Pie is good eating

 

[RoseRed]

A friend of mine has never had Beef Wellington. So she made it herself and it looked delicious!

 

[Lump]

I LOVE LOVE all food. But at my house, due to my husband, it's mainly basic American, Italian and Mexican.

I think my choices would be a combo of Spanish/Mexican/Mediterranean and Chinese.

I find it fascinating that all cultures pretty much use the same core ingredient, but the spicing is so totally different.

 

[lucky_bee]

Didn't Anthony Bourdain say "Don't ask what it is, just eat it."

Most likely he was an ass but I appreciated his message with trying new cultural cuisines.

Honestly, that's another cultural aspect most Americans probably aren't ready for too - stop questioning everything We're not ready for the amount of "strange" ingredients that go into true authentic food. We seem to like a lot of control over what and how we eat - these foreign countries have been churning out traditional dishes for generations based on what was available, and now it's just tradition . Yes Gurps, mayo sounds disgusting on it's own, or an odd food "group" lol, but I bet it's used in everything because of its shelf-stable life and easy-to-come-by ingredients. The peasant-lands in Eastern-European countries had little access to dairy products regularly so they had to get creative. The idea of that is weird to us - we've always had access, and we're nosey. We want to know what's in everything, generally speaking.

Plus we're a melting pot - we get the watered down versions of everything.

 

[stgislander]

My wife loves Mexican. I on the other hand think this bland Tex-Mex fare served in the US is not worth the effort. Let's take the same 5-6 ingreadients and spin them to look like 50 different dishes.

 

[RoseRed]

You guys are making me hungry!

 

[Monello]

You guys are making me hungry!

Mission Accomplished.