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Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others

theatlantic.com

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Re: Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others

#11

Post by beat »

Something not really touched on here is how poor people's ethnic food can become fashionable and achieve high prices and desirability, often far outside its origins. Consider the recent bone broth craze, for example.

Here in Minneapolis, the current trend is Southern food, often made by hipsters who grew up in Minnesota and have no real cultural ties to the South. For me, with my half-southern roots, it's kind of bizarre to see stuff like bologna sandwiches and collard greens popping up everywhere and commanding high prices. That's the stuff you got at church luncheons and roadside shacks in Kentucky.

I don't expect them to start serving burgoo made from red squirrels anytime soon.

Re: Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others

#12

Post by Nadya »

ravenstine wrote: post #9

Japanese food is way overpriced nowadays, and hardly "japanese". You have to pay a ridiculous amount for actual Japanese food; anything mid-priced or below is covered in fried breading, mayonnaise, and even jalapenos. I'm not against "fusion" cuisine, but it sucks when there's so much of that it makes it difficult to get the real thing. Chinese food in America much cheaper because the ingredients are much less costly…

"Chinese" food in America isn't even "Chinese" food most of the time. It's "Oriental-inspired" at best. If I go to a Chinese restaurant in the U.S, I expect none of my dishes to be anything that would exist in a "typical" Chinese restaurant. Hell, most of the food is considered American food by Chinese people because it is so dissimilar to actual Chinese cuisine.

If I go to a Japanese restaurant I can expect them to have udon or sushi and I know I can find those things at actual restaurants in Japan and Japanese people may criticize aspects of it, but will recognize the udon and sushi as a Japanese dish.

The few "authentic" Chinese places I've known to exist quickly shut down, often due to a lack of patrons. As you said - I don't think it is appealing or palatable for most Americans.

Re: Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others

#13

Post by donretag »

mwfunk wrote: post #4

Fascinating article, although I'm a little taken aback when anyone uses the phrase "ethnic food" nowadays. I didn't realize people said it anymore, it sounds like a relic of the '50s. I'm also bitter because I grew up in a household where anything that was even remotely different from the same bland 4-5 dishes we ate every single day was considered strange and exotic by the rest of my family. I would love to hang out…

I dislike the term "ethnic food" and foodie cultural in general when it comes to foreign food.

There is a restaurant that I like to get my culture's home cooking. Nothing fancy, just home cooking. You do not even know it is a restaurant since there is no storefront except for a social club awning. I could never remember the exact street it is on, so when looking for the address one day, I came across reviews for the restaurant. First of all I was shocked that "outsiders" went to eat there. Good for them. But the reviews by these foodies went on into detail about every aspect of the food. It is home cooking! I felt like the food was an animal in a zoo and people were paying to see these strange creatures. They were there not for the environment, the culture, or even the food. They were there to see how these other people eat. I am sorry if American food is bland, but do not treat cultures like animals in a zoo.

Re: Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others

#14

Post by CuriouslyC »

beat wrote: post #11

Something not really touched on here is how poor people's ethnic food can become fashionable and achieve high prices and desirability, often far outside its origins. Consider the recent bone broth craze, for example. Here in Minneapolis, the current trend is Southern food, often made by hipsters who grew up in Minnesota and have no real cultural ties to the South. For me, with my half-southern roots, it's kind of biz…

As someone who lives and has traveled extensively in the south, I have to say that from a culinary standpoint the food is the best example of a true American cuisine. New England also has a cuisine with cultural heritage, but it isn't as quintessentially American as barbecue/southern food.

Re: Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others

#15

Post by nitwit005 »

Interesting, but I feel this is missing the culture's impression of their own food. Not everyone values their cuisine to the same degree, or at least, not all of it. It's hard to get something pushed into "fine dining" menus when there is no one suggesting that it qualifies.

Re: Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others

#16

Post by manachar »

beat wrote: post #11

Something not really touched on here is how poor people's ethnic food can become fashionable and achieve high prices and desirability, often far outside its origins. Consider the recent bone broth craze, for example. Here in Minneapolis, the current trend is Southern food, often made by hipsters who grew up in Minnesota and have no real cultural ties to the South. For me, with my half-southern roots, it's kind of biz…

Quinoa is a great example of this trend and the positive and negative this can bring to poor regions.

Small overview: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/world/americas/20bolivia.h...

Re: Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others

#17

Post by chronic81 »

deadmutex wrote: post #5
gerhardi wrote: post #3

Average chinese meal for one over $35? Sounds like a lot..

That includes a glass of wine + tip, and it has to be a Zagat rated restaurant in NYC. Also "average" implies mean, which could be slightly biased upwards due to having some high end restaurants in the list (compared to a median)

Average can be biased downward due to the large number of "cheap" places.

Re: Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others

#18

Post by beat »

CuriouslyC wrote: post #14
beat wrote: post #11

Something not really touched on here is how poor people's ethnic food can become fashionable and achieve high prices and desirability, often far outside its origins. Consider the recent bone broth craze, for example. Here in Minneapolis, the current trend is Southern food, often made by hipsters who grew up in Minnesota and have no real cultural ties to the South. For me, with my half-southern roots, it's kind of biz…

As someone who lives and has traveled extensively in the south, I have to say that from a culinary standpoint the food is the best example of a true American cuisine. New England also has a cuisine with cultural heritage, but it isn't as quintessentially American as barbecue/southern food.

It's definitely more strongly regional and more distinctive than other places I've traveled in America. The only place that seems to compare for uniqueness is California.

Re: Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others

#19

Post by donretag »

beat wrote: post #11

Something not really touched on here is how poor people's ethnic food can become fashionable and achieve high prices and desirability, often far outside its origins. Consider the recent bone broth craze, for example. Here in Minneapolis, the current trend is Southern food, often made by hipsters who grew up in Minnesota and have no real cultural ties to the South. For me, with my half-southern roots, it's kind of biz…

Lobster is another great example. It used to be a poor man's food and now it commands a high price.

Re: Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others

#20

Post by kstenerud »

"With China, [Americans] are still filled with this funny disdain, that it is about cheap and crappy stuff, including about cheap and crappy food"

Because until very recently, it HAS been cheap and crappy food in America. "Chinese food" has traditionally meant the chop suey that you take out from Dragon Inn (and in many areas, it STILL means that).

I grew up with a severe dislike for Chinese food. It tasted like I was literally eating out of a garbage can. The first time I ate at a Chinese friend's place I was very leery, but it turned out of course that the Western idea and the Chinese idea of "Chinese food" could not be more divergent. Good food is good food, but Chinese cuisine has a long Western history to live down.

To this day I still cringe whenever someone suggests Chinese cuisine, because I never know which kind they have in mind.

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