Why is American-Italian food so revolting compared to the food in Italy?
March 17th, 2010
Categories: Italian food
Why do we smoother everything in tomato sauce here and call it Italian? It all tastes the same. Where is the subtlety, the complexity you get in the cooking in Italy? Even something as simple and delicious as pizza – we make it into this doughy thing, topped with cheap cheese. Why must we make all our food as if we are cooking for children?
This question was not posed to dis American food. I think American food is great but more on a regional, local level.
In the narrow sense, because Italian food is authentic and borne of passion. American-Italian food is not, and is adapted to cater for the less sophisticated palates of Americans.
In the wider sense, because Americans have no idea about fine cuisine and they thus cannot help but ruin every other Nationality’s cuisines by putting their neanderthal junk/fast food slant on them.
The answer is in your question.
The food your eating is not Authentic Italian food is it?
It’s American food with an Italian theme/recipe idea/flavor etc.
You need to go to an Italian Restaurant or look for an authentic Italian recipe based meal. You can tell this by the maker and the list of ingredients. Also where the ingredients are from. ie. foods produced in Italy and transported to the US.
I can tell you if you use simple ingredients like Italian pasta, Olive OIl, tomatoes, basil, oregano salt etc.your food will taste close to the real thing.
I dont live in America but its not hard to understand really. Its clear that foreign cooking will be influenced by local cultures.
In England, you can go to an Indian restaurant and order fish and chips. The chineese food will also look nothing like the one in China.
I think its normal as obvioulsy Italians have been in America for several generations.
I must agree with you since I often ate italian foods in Italy and France there is no comparison.
I have tried many restaurants here in the US only te be highly disappointed over and over.
So now I just no longer try it..
I have many coworkers from Italy, recent arrivals. They find Italian food in the US to be overpowering with too much garlic, salt and as you mentioned the tomato sauce is overused.
I think that’s what Americans expect out of Italian food – garlic, basil, cheese and sauce laden dishes.
Maybe it’s due to Americans being used to canned/processed foods are highly salted and seasoned. Also, the Italian food we’re used to may be actually from Southern Italy and Sicily, which is different from Northern Italy.
It’s similar to Chinese food. The Chinese food most people were used to in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s was from Southern China, Canton (now Gongzhau sp?).
I’ve also asked my Italian coworkers how they would make certain common dishes… For example, mussels. I ask about adding garlic. Their response is no. Garlic will overpower the mussels.
Also, another common dish/sauce is Bolognese.
Traditional, Bolognese sauce have very little tomato – 1 or 2 tomatoes.
Watching an American cook make Bolognese, the reach for large cans of tomatoes. In fact, watching an episode of DDD, an Italian cook was showing Guy how to make Bolognese. The Italian chef used 1 scoop of tomatoes. Guy said, “That’s it? I would add a whole lot more tomatoes.”
You clearly don’t live in the North Eastern United States, because the italian food there is good.
Not everything has marinara sauce or noodle based. Smaller cities like Utica, NY and Syracuse, NY have great italian food because its real italians cooking the food. They put the american twist on it, but its still done in a old fashioned way.
I know your not close this part of the US simply by how you described your pizza. I now live in Oregon and the pizza out here is a joke. Portland has one good place called Escape from NY which is actually really good.
To be honest with any other culture than american , the food is adjusted to satisfy the american society. The foods rarely taste like the original culture that is is copied from