Do foreign countries and cultures have superior cuisine and food culture than the US?

[Anonymous]

Why does it have to be a contest, OP? There are good and bad aspects to every culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Easy to take pride of your food if you can get several crops a year, grow almost any spice, and don't have to spend time keeping warm.
I'm an immigrant and we take pride in drinking. Alcohol cheers us up and keeps us warm.
Our food may suck, but everyone else's food is easy to get nowadays and quite cheap.
American food needs to be fast, easy to eat on feet if needed, and nowadays suitable for office. I had 20 minutes a break/lunch when I worked 8-4.
By the way, poverty means trauma. Many immigrants try to keep something good like food from their home and go on and on how great it is.
My home is just as lovely to me, but I have no need to go on and on about it. I was not traumatized growing up; no gangs, no poverty.
I noticed it when my friends kept asking me to come to their country even though the place is straight up dangerous. They completely fail to mention the dangers.
Didn't mean to get off topic, but something to notice when immigrants talk about their home.
Comes out that mine is great with no danger in sight. I just have no need to talk about it or insist friends come with me next time. My friends has asked me to visit their country for years now. I'd be hiding from my frineds if my country had the dangers they have, not inviting people over.

I'm sure you tell your foreign friends in other countries to not come to the US because of all the shootings. Your friends might get shot, as some tourists have been here. Some countries have put a travel warning on the US due to all the gun violence, and I can't say I blame them.

I'm from a country that is very safe, btw.

[Anonymous]

Yes, almost every countries cuisine is superior to anything you will find in America. America does not have its own cuisine or even culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, almost every countries cuisine is superior to anything you will find in America. America does not have its own cuisine or even culture.

This is untrue. Navajo tacos, succotash, corn bread, southwest cuisine, pecan pie, ice cream sundaes, jambalaya, clam chowder...And there absolutely is American culture!!! I'm not from the US and it's so odd to me when Americans belittle themselves that way.

[Anonymous]

No. Im from the south. We eat.

[Anonymous]

I think there are numerous reasons why the food culture in the US isn't great:
1) Poor ingredient quality - most places in the world have outdoor year-round produce markets where fresh, in-season, local ingredients can be purchased inexpensively. In the US, farmer's markets are typically obscenely expensive. The produce in grocery stores is not very fresh and hauled in from all over the globe.
2) Not enough time to dedicate to food prep - Prepping fresh meals takes more time than many people feel they can spare. Work hours are long, commutes are long, and food prep is something that gets sacrificed.
3) Lack of knowledge - Many parents and grandparents of today's GenZ's and Millenials never really learned to cook. Post-war convenience foods, processed foods, fast foods became ubiquitous. I have heard SO many women proudly proclaim, "I don't cook", as though cooking is a burden and and not a basic life skill that ALL people should learn to ensure good health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there are numerous reasons why the food culture in the US isn't great:
1) Poor ingredient quality - most places in the world have outdoor year-round produce markets where fresh, in-season, local ingredients can be purchased inexpensively. In the US, farmer's markets are typically obscenely expensive. The produce in grocery stores is not very fresh and hauled in from all over the globe.
2) Not enough time to dedicate to food prep - Prepping fresh meals takes more time than many people feel they can spare. Work hours are long, commutes are long, and food prep is something that gets sacrificed.
3) Lack of knowledge - Many parents and grandparents of today's GenZ's and Millenials never really learned to cook. Post-war convenience foods, processed foods, fast foods became ubiquitous. I have heard SO many women proudly proclaim, "I don't cook", as though cooking is a burden and and not a basic life skill that ALL people should learn to ensure good health.

I agree completely. It’s beyond just food, it’s the culture.

[Anonymous]

Yes, and that's OK. The US is a very young country. It's still in the wild west stage, to all intents and purposes. One day, it will be considered culturally rich, with original cuisine.

Be patient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw a random Twitter (X) thread about some alt-right troll making fun of immigrants for claiming to have better food rituals than the U.S. He said that yes, we have family dinner in the U.S too and implied that immigrants' claims about a special food culture is laughable.

I was curious about this. As an immigrant, I do find my home country places a lot more emphasis on food as a part of our daily culture. We spend a lot more time in the kitchen preparing food, from scratch and fresh. We also have more meals together with family and friends as opposed to this to-go and drive through culture here. We also have a warm hospitality culture where a guest is showered with tea and drinks and appetizers and whole buffets.

I'd like to hear other perspectives.

I like American culture. I like American food culture. My family has no roots in any other country. We are staying in this country to make it better, not leaving to take advantage of what other people have built.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, and that's OK. The US is a very young country. It's still in the wild west stage, to all intents and purposes. One day, it will be considered culturally rich, with original cuisine.

Be patient.

The U.S. is not in the Wild West stage. So those of us who's families have been here for 300 years plush, have not established culture, tradition, legacies, that other countries see and have followed in part? The U.S. did not "start" when your people group immigrated here, as if were hapless and souless before.

[Anonymous]

The US has a generally low level of "food culture" in terms of much people are into slow cooking scratch meals on a regular basis. The US (especially US cities) is also probably the best place in the world if you're into food you don't make yourself. Compared to Europe and most of Latin America (two places I know pretty well), the variety and quality of food available in the US just blows those place out of the water. It's not even close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, and that's OK. The US is a very young country. It's still in the wild west stage, to all intents and purposes. One day, it will be considered culturally rich, with original cuisine.

Be patient.

The U.S. is not in the Wild West stage. So those of us who's families have been here for 300 years plush, have not established culture, tradition, legacies, that other countries see and have followed in part? The U.S. did not "start" when your people group immigrated here, as if were hapless and souless before.

PP you replied to. Sorry, I'm an aristocrat whose family ancestor was ennobled in 900AD, so let's not compare family trees. The USA is a very young country. It was not organized with a colony government until the 17th century. Compare this to China, first organized government in the Qin dynasty in the 220s BC. Or Portugal, kingdom established in the 12th century. You don't need to be offended - that's juvenile. These are just facts.

You know what the USA has going for it? Incredibly economic dynamism. It's better than Old Europe, Ancestral Africa, and most Asian countries (with some *notable* exceptions). And I believe that one reason it's so dynamic is that it still retains it's "western expansion" mindset. I am well aware there are negative connotations to that, but I mean the adventurous, can-do, risk-taking, entrepreneurial spirit that symbolizes the American spirit.

This is what the USA is known for. It should make you proud.

[Anonymous]

The problem here is the food supply is really bad. Everything is beset with additives and questionable practices due to corruption, (sometimes called lobbying). Much of what is eaten here is not legal in many countries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:America is a very young country. Of course it's culinary history will be very truncated. Compare that to a lot of other cultures, like China, which has over 5,000 years of culinary development.

The US draws on every great world cuisine and frequently blends the best of every tradition. US food culture and cuisine is the best in the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:America is a very young country. Of course it's culinary history will be very truncated. Compare that to a lot of other cultures, like China, which has over 5,000 years of culinary development.

The US draws on every great world cuisine and frequently blends the best of every tradition. US food culture and cuisine is the best in the world.

Not at all. Not even close. I’m guessing you’ve never left the country or own a passport?