It’s the propensity of many diners to declare that they know what a certain dish or type of food “should” taste like, because:
1. They’re from the part of the world where it originated,
2. Their family heritage is traced to the part of the world where it originated,
3. They lived for some time in the part of the world where it originated, or
4. They have traveled to the part of the world where it originated.
I’ve been guilty of this, too, and I realize how ridiculous it is.
Not to diminish anyone’s food cred, but let’s look at this logically. First, who’s to say what is “authentic”? Just because your grandma didn’t made pierogis the way my grandma made pierogis doesn’t make either of them wrong. Maybe they came from different areas of Poland.
Also, something could be “authentic” and still be overwhelmingly unappealing. A friend of mine has an Indian acquaintance who insists that Restaurant X is the “best” in the Valley, because it tastes like the food she grew up on. I’m not sure of her background, and I’m certainly not of Indian descent, but I think the sauces there are oily and the meat is nasty. In fact, the chef admitted to me that he’s a longtime vegetarian; he doesn’t even taste the meat dishes. Perhaps her family didn’t eat meat and maybe they liked oily vegetables, but it doesn’t necessarily make it objectively “good.”
Worse yet are the folks who lived abroad for a semester or so and suddenly declare themselves the arbiters of taste on that country’s cuisine: “I lived in France for three months, and this is not what a Croque Monsieur should be!” So-called “classic” dishes will taste different at different establishments. Did you eat every single beef Bourguignon in Paris, or did you eat at your favorite place week in and week out?
Some of the most odious offenders, of course, are the world travelers. They bring back their expansive knowledge based on three days in Berlin, Budapest, or Beijing and hold court on what is or isn’t “authentic” at their corner take-out. Yes, sometimes you do get spoiled – eating fresh lamb or mussels in New Zealand is better than eating New Zealand lamb or mussels in Phoenix, because they’re fresher. But I often hear this: “I’ve been to Italy, and this pasta is terrible.” Maybe the pasta is terrible, but I highly doubt your week in Venice and Milan prepares you to be the judge.
Silliest of all are the folks who have lived on “the Coasts,” and I’m not talking Myrtle Beach or San Diego. New Yorkers and anyone who has spent a year in the Bay Area consider themselves experts on food, even if they’ve never set foot in anything but corner diners and chain restaurants.
I often hear people say they “know” good Italian food and pizza because they’re from New York. This is usually followed by a grand proclamation about the one and only restaurant here in Phoenix that’s “good.” Um, there are a lot of people here, including former New Yorkers and actual Italians, operating Italian restaurants. Have you tried them all? I doubt it. It’s just easier to try two or three and declare “there’s no decent ___ (insert specialty) restaurants in Phoenix.
I think we do get attached to a certain style or flavors, and that’s our individual litmus test for what we like in a dish. If your mom put rosemary on roasted chicken and mine used oregano, then that’s what we’ll probably prefer for a long time.
So next time a restaurant doesn’t make paella, or Bolognese, or Tom Yum, etc. the way you’ve had it or like it, remember that your palate is not the end-all, be-all. When I review restaurants, I judge dishes on their merits and not based on a personalized, idealized notion of what something “should” taste like. I try to keep an open mind and ask, “Does it taste good? Why or why not?”
