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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it isn't even close. The vast majority of food in the US is mediocre to really bad. And it is very, verrrry expensive. I mean try traveling to Tokyo. The number of eateries per block can be mid warping, and it is often insanely high quality. I was watching a show the other day about prepared bento boxes that are sold as quick foods on the go for Shinkansen riders. It was all fresh and very well prepared food that would probably blow most US restaurants out of the water, and it was only like $10. Or try going to a country like Thailand. The food there is 1000x better in terms of flavor and price. The US just has very subpar food that is very expensive.

Comparing Tokyo to the entire US is disingenuous. Compare Tokyo to the only US city of a comparable size (NYC) and now tell me that the "vast majority" of food in the US equivalent is mediocre to really bad.

These arguments are so tiresome. No, the food in some midsize midwestern town is not going to be able to compete with the food in one of the culinary capitals of the world. This is surprising to no one and not really an argument.

Um Tokyo is like 37 million people. https://www.gotokyo.org/en/spot/6/index.html The view is just like this as far as the eye can see, 360 degrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

You're welcome.

[Anonymous]

A lot of these cultures are able to center fresh food and complicated dishes because Mama/Grandma is in the kitchen all day, every day. Or they have servants that slice and dice vegetables, cook and clean. Things change when women work out of the home and contribute substantially to the household finances.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely, without a doubt.

[Anonymous]

I love the choice and diversity of food choices in the US. I love to travel and taste the local cuisine of other countries. I will always come back home to the good ol’ US of A.

These compare/contrast arguments are stupid and tiresome

[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 really dislike that phrase "home country". You immigrated here, is this not now your home country?

--another immigrant

[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.

I come from a country in the Americas so also young. I would say we have more traditional dishes and overall the quality is better. I think it’s because society isn’t as rushed and bc produce is much fresher.

[Anonymous]

Title question is hilarious. Does the sun rise in the east?

[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.

I come from a country in the Americas so also young. I would say we have more traditional dishes and overall the quality is better. I think it’s because society isn’t as rushed and bc produce is much fresher.

All these countries that have such "great" food how does their GDP or national productivity or defense spending compare to the U.S.? Americans are busy. We often have to eat on the go and/or quickly in the evening after a long busy day.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know why it’s ok for so many posts and threads to continually bash any and all things American. If you replaced “American” in these threads with any other group or country they would immediately be reported as racist or classist or discriminatory.

[Anonymous]

First, stay off Twitter and especially alt right posts. It will only harm you.

Second, to your question, yes I would agree that some foreign countries have superior food cultures to the US and some do not. It’s a mix. Within the US there is a wide variety of regional cuisines which are very different but have some common threads similar to other large countries like China or India ( similar in regional diversity).

What is unique and preferable IMO in US food culture is the rise of fusion, experimental, ethnic diversity, and high craft food in the large coastal cities. There’s a really exciting mix of great options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, stay off Twitter and especially alt right posts. It will only harm you.

Second, to your question, yes I would agree that some foreign countries have superior food cultures to the US and some do not. It’s a mix. Within the US there is a wide variety of regional cuisines which are very different but have some common threads similar to other large countries like China or India ( similar in regional diversity).

What is unique and preferable IMO in US food culture is the rise of fusion, experimental, ethnic diversity, and high craft food in the large coastal cities. There’s a really exciting mix of great options.

As everyone knows, Detroit, Chicago, and St. Louis can't possibly be interesting since they aren't near the coasts.

[Anonymous]

Americans get so butt hurt over this issue. But yeah, American food typically sucks. There is a lot of good food but it sucks because it is now so expensive. Lol, $5 tacos? GTFO. Typical cheap eats in US? $100. Chipotle? $59.

So overoriced. Then there are tips. And then there's all the standard food. Awful. Just so, sooooo awful. Everything from waxy chocolate to horrible US produced cheese. Chicken? Drowned in chlorine after being grown with antibiotics. They have chemicals used in rubber mats in American foods. Gross

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, stay off Twitter and especially alt right posts. It will only harm you.

Second, to your question, yes I would agree that some foreign countries have superior food cultures to the US and some do not. It’s a mix. Within the US there is a wide variety of regional cuisines which are very different but have some common threads similar to other large countries like China or India ( similar in regional diversity).

What is unique and preferable IMO in US food culture is the rise of fusion, experimental, ethnic diversity, and high craft food in the large coastal cities. There’s a really exciting mix of great options.

As everyone knows, Detroit, Chicago, and St. Louis can't possibly be interesting since they aren't near the coasts.

Detroit, Chicago, and St Louis really don’t have great food. There are some good steak houses and modern American restaurants but really not the creativity you see in NYC, SF and LA.

[Anonymous]

I think we have to take into the account that American food is the food of the people that live here, and the traditions they brought.
Hence German, Italian, Chinese, etc cuisines are all present here.
I can go for brunch to Italian restaurant or to that new Chinese brunch restaurant that opened in DC.
The U.S. was still a young country when industrialization and mass produced food occurred, and hence did not have centuries of kids shelling walnuts from their own tress, picking cherries for syrups, making your own tomato sauce for the winter, making jams with grandma, butchering your own cow and pig and curing meats.
These traditions were present and still are present in the U.S. but only on farms and very few families are still living like that.
This is because of urbanization too.
My grandma was a farmer, as was my grandpa, and my country did not urbanize until late 60s and 70s. So, how can you compare completely different histories of food?