Sorry but your Granny’s Sunday roast does not get exported all over the world. One of the most diverse countries in the world with influences from all over that continues to innovate, you can bet the food is good.
For someone living in Taiwan, I’d get why they think American food is all fried crap and fast food. But I just came from there, even my Taiwanese SO complains that the food and quality here pales in comparison. We have access to farm-to-table fresh ingredients, Sunday brunches of eggs benedict with prosciutto, french toast with apple cinnamon butter and apricot marmalade, cajun crawfish boils, slow cooked pork green chile, breakfast burritos the list goes on and on. Whereas here the best I can hope for in Taiwan is a decent burger or pizza. I never even ate burgers back in the states.
If you think American food culture is all mcdonald’s and budweiser, then you’re living in the 1970s. The most popular trends in food, beer, drink are by-and-large being exported from the United States more than anywhere else whether you’ll admit that or not.
I’ve lived in America and often visited.
Looking around me I don’t think America is influencing sweet f all in terms of food and drink.
The real titans in these parts are Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Especially Japanese. American food culture is WAY way down the list.
Go outside and count the number of Japanese style restaurants and also hotpots and Korean bbqs.
What food are they serving in the hotel buffets ?
Now walk into a 711 or Family Mart and what do you see.
Most of Taiwanese food is Farm to table (here in Southern Taiwan at least) which they just don’t promote as it’s common. Also Americans may like Tex-Mex, breakfast Burritos ect, but most Taiwanese (and Asians) hate it as remind me “No Mexican-American” food when in States, thus people here seeing as awful tasting food (to me its good but not to most non Americans)
Ha! I’m talking local organic farms with no pesticides where I can go and buy groceries right where they are grown. Trying to find organic food here is a joke. Small stores scattered about with barely any selection.
Just like brian you’re trying to pick an example of one type when there’s more variety than any other national cuisine, something for everybody. Chain restaurants are disappearing all over the US in favor of locally sourced. So my guess is your experience is from chain restaurants as is mostly seen in Taiwan.
Mexican food is equally varied. In the Southwest you have New Mexican (i.e. green chile) style which is not the same as Tex-Mex or traditional mexican. Most people don’t hate it. My guess some Taiwanese have an aversion to food they consider is from a poor country.(ahem Indian) Every Taiwanese that I have met that has spent any considerable amount of time in the Southwest away from the Chinese diaspora also enjoys Mexican/Mexican American. You’ll find American cuisine all over the world. Mexican cuisine you’ll also find all over the world. Can you say the same for Taiwanese? I don’t think so.
Processed food, plastic and more plastic. I can have whole foods delivered to my door in a couple hours in the US and I know the food is top quality. First thing my wife said when coming here was, “How can people eat crap?”
I think you misunderstood what I meant by trends (global) - organic food, plant based food, sustainable supply chains and packaging, Sunday brunch, craft beer - these are all American exports. And when comments are made about American food being one of the worst cuisines in the world, it’s equally ignorant since American cuisine is so diverse, innovative and widespread. Not just burgers, hotdogs and budweiser like many Europeans would like to make it out to be.
Where my wife is from they mainly just local veg and meat and fruit just like they always have.Hint…Not everybody is from the city.
But even if you are from the city you just walk into any traditional market …
It’s really funny you as an American trying to lecture people in Taiwan and also myself who grew up in a largely agrarian place where we produce most of our food about what is fresh food.
Now sometimes in Taiwan’s restaurants it might not be great food…But they insist it’s fresh here generally.
You mentioned Whole Foods market, which part of Amazon, a huge company and part factory/processed foods vs. traditional food markets here (to be fair there big supermarket here too wih industrial foods)
You know other places have beer and brunch right. Small local craft breweries have been a thing for centuries in Europe.
We have all been to America and the food is pretty good. You have some good stuff, your cheese is ing shit though. To see that the US has a more influential food culture than the top tier of Italy, Japan, France etc is debatable
It’s getting better. Small producers popping up. Go out to the country. It’s not France or something, obviously. Food in general is a lot better, I was surprised on recent trips into the sticks how good. I remember it being pretty grim back when.
When I go to the States , love going to Trader Joe’s. Everything is top tier and delicious but cheese section is sad compared to anywhere in Europe. I can imagine us has some good artisan cheeses and stuff coming up but way behind the old world .
And I like the US and the food there a lot, before one of you gets sensitive
While Belgian monasteries have been brewing the same beer for centuries, they aren’t exactly innovating and propagating at the rate of the American craft beer movement. Where can you find the largest variety of beer in one single place? The Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
I’m sure Europeans would turn their nose when I say this, but the US has surpassed Europe in the quality and variety of beer. Only Belgium can really still hold their own. Don’t get me wrong there are definitely a lot of crap beers in the US, but with that experimentation and innovation comes a whole lot of good ones.
This is my point. European is a good, traditional standby. American food is at once much more diverse than is made out to be, and by-and-large the driving force in global trends.
Calm down man. Food in US is OK, but it’s not France where you have amazing patisseries on every corner and an appreciation of food from the peasantry to the bourgeoisie.
With all been to the US, it’s not the culinary Narnia you are making out. There is some good food and some nice restaurants. There are also a lot more burgers and Applebee’s and whatever. If you think that the US has surpassed France and American cuisine is setting the trends around the world, then I’m happy for you. It’s really cute
American beer is not bad, getting better but it’s all a bit overhopped for me. Prefer beer in the UK and nothing touches Belgium, but everything is down to preference
ing shit though. To see that the US has a more influential food culture than the top tier of Italy, Japan, France etc is debatable