Most overrated national cuisine

[Symmetry]

I voted spanish, primarily because I know almost no spanish dishes.

That was exactly my problem. How can it be highly rated if nobody outside of betiko has a fucking clue? I'm sure they eat food and all, but can you really call it cuisine if there isn't an American knockoff version?

Spanish food is amazing. Have none of you heathens ever heard of tapas? Regardless, I spent 2.5 weeks in Spain last year, and loved the food.

I voted for Italian, although by that I'm talking specifically about the Italian food you get here in America. It's massively overrated. Noodles and sauce, that's it, change the shape of the noodle, and type of sauce, new dish. It's boring.

Bollocks.

Tapas is one of my favourites. Not so much the food, which is good, but for the way you eat it. Eating slow and social is great. Stupid expensive in the UK though.

I was amazed how inexpensively you could eat out in Spain. My wife and I each had a three course meal, with a bottle of wine included for the two of us, in Pamplona for under $30. In the States, you could double that. Tapas are even cheaper; the following cost us €8:

Click image to enlarge.

I drank a lot of those vino tintos that afternoon...

Bollocks.

It's one of the things I miss about Japan. Some Japanese bars do something similar. Lots of small shared plates, ordered for the table. It's definitely a great way to spend an evening.

[Serbia]

It's one of the things I miss about Japan. Some Japanese bars do something similar. Lots of small shared plates, ordered for the table. It's definitely a great way to spend an evening.

Agreed on that one.

Bollocks.

[mrswdk]

It's one of the things I miss about Japan. Some Japanese bars do something similar. Lots of small shared plates, ordered for the table.

lolwat. 'Some Japanese bars'? Do people in Japan generally eat individual portions rather than share plates in the middle of the table? #fakeAsians

[thegreekdog]

While I understand and appreciate what French cuisine has done for food generally, I'm not a big fan.

[tzor]

What do they even have besides haggis?

I remember an old English Pub on Long Island that used to have Scottish pies (small meat pies).

Then there is the Scotch Egg (but that's actually British, but don't tell my Father that).

[betiko]

saying that spanish food is over rated can only be because you know f*ck all and have never tried.
Anyways, what you guys don't understand, is that over here it's more about the product rather than the dish. There are countless discussions between the french, Italians and Spanish regarding who has the best cheese, wine, olive oil, ham/pig products, the freshest and diverse seafood...

anyways regarding dishes... paella (which you call a rice (arroz) here), fabada, gazpacho, puchero, migas, porra, gazpachuelo...

I really love spanish food, but I hate how they think they have the best of everything, and anything that isn't spanish isn't good enough for them. like kids.

Oh and indian food is totally awesome too.

[mrswdk]

saying that spanish food is over rated can only be because you know f*ck all and have never tried.

The only reason to declare that any of the cuisines in OP are overrated is due to not having really experienced them.

With the exception of Mexican, which I imagine to be just as crappy in Mexico as it is in other countries.

[thegreekdog]

By the way, I assume that Greek cuisine is not specifically mentioned because it is properly rated as awesome.

[waauw]

By the way, I assume that Greek cuisine is not specifically mentioned because it is properly rated as awesome.

Agreed, best food I ever ate was in Athens.

[Dukasaur]

i don't think any of the above is over rated, like them all.

Over-rated does not mean "bad". Something can be quite good but still over-rated if the hype exceeds the reality.

Italian food is quite over-rated. Nothing wrong with it. Some of it is quite delicious. But the ridiculous pre-eminence that it has in cookbooks and food magazines is way out of proportion to reality.

[Serbia]

i don't think any of the above is over rated, like them all.

Over-rated does not mean "bad". Something can be quite good but still over-rated if the hype exceeds the reality.

Italian food is quite over-rated. Nothing wrong with it. Some of it is quite delicious. But the ridiculous pre-eminence that it has in cookbooks and food magazines is way out of proportion to reality.

This exactly.

Bollocks.

[notyou2]

Bangers n mash

[waauw]

i don't think any of the above is over rated, like them all.

Over-rated does not mean "bad". Something can be quite good but still over-rated if the hype exceeds the reality.

Italian food is quite over-rated. Nothing wrong with it. Some of it is quite delicious. But the ridiculous pre-eminence that it has in cookbooks and food magazines is way out of proportion to reality.

From an economic point of view supply can drop the valuation of products. I wonder whether the popularity and wide-spreadedness of Italian food might have led it to be regarded as 'ordinary food', less special. After all if you look at the western world, which cuisine seems to be the most popular? Italian.

[rockfist]

Yeah, i don't think I've ever heard anybody say Scottish food is any good, so it can't really be overrated, as such. What do they even have besides haggis? Shepherd's Pie?

-TG

It's still over-rated. It's hidious.

[DoomYoshi]

It's one of the things I miss about Japan. Some Japanese bars do something similar. Lots of small shared plates, ordered for the table.

lolwat. 'Some Japanese bars'? Do people in Japan generally eat individual portions rather than share plates in the middle of the table? #fakeAsians

So generalizing all of China is missing the point, but generalizing all of Asia is acceptable? Is your calculator stuck in absurd mode?

1 billion people = totally different
3 billion people (including the above 1 billion) = all exactly identical in every way

[waauw]

It's one of the things I miss about Japan. Some Japanese bars do something similar. Lots of small shared plates, ordered for the table.

lolwat. 'Some Japanese bars'? Do people in Japan generally eat individual portions rather than share plates in the middle of the table? #fakeAsians

So generalizing all of China is missing the point, but generalizing all of Asia is acceptable? Is your calculator stuck in absurd mode?

1 billion people = totally different
3 billion people (including the above 1 billion) = all exactly identical in every way

mrswdk is a rubiks cube for the mind.

[mrswdk]

Chinese, Koreans, Indians, the diaspora - all eat meals family style with shared dishes in the middle of the table. That the Japanese don't is just further evidence (if more were needed) of Japan's insidious history of acting as a Trojan for the Great Powers in the Far East.

[Symmetry]

By the way, I assume that Greek cuisine is not specifically mentioned because it is properly rated as awesome.

It is indeed good. Offhand, I can't think of a bad Greek dish I've been served. Maybe some restaurants' ideas of what constitutes a "Greek salad", but they don't really count.

[jonesthecurl]

Octopus. Not that they prepare it badly, but Octopus is rubbery and yucky. It smells like a sewer while it's cooking, and the way they bash them against a wall for half an hour to tenderize them is something that puts me off eating anything.

[Symmetry]

Octopus. Not that they prepare it badly, but Octopus is rubbery and yucky. It smells like a sewer while it's cooking, and the way they bash them against a wall for half an hour to tenderize them is something that puts me off eating anything.

When I got to my first school in Japan, the kids had been given a prep lesson to introduce me to Japanese culture. One of the big things in the region I was in was takoyaki, which translates literally as grilled octopus, but is slightly better worded as octopus balls. That is also a terrible description.

I never thought I'd like it. But it converted me to octopus. I think the texture puts people off, but now I really don't mind it. Squid too.

[Dukasaur]

The only octopus I've liked was served in Mexico. It was a very much like a cross between a clam chowder and a posole. Very good!

If you don't like the rubbery texture of octopus, this is a great way to conceal it.

[Serbia]

Octopus. Not that they prepare it badly, but Octopus is rubbery and yucky. It smells like a sewer while it's cooking, and the way they bash them against a wall for half an hour to tenderize them is something that puts me off eating anything.

I had octopus while I was in Spain, and it still goes down as one of the best meals I've ever had. It wasn't rubbery at all, it was just awesome. So delicious, so unique... next time I go back, I'm going back to that same restaurant.

[Symmetry]

The only octopus I've liked was served in Mexico. It was a very much like a cross between a clam chowder and a posole. Very good!

If you don't like the rubbery texture of octopus, this is a great way to conceal it.

I think, if it's cooked well, it's only rubbery on the first bite. After that it's very tender.

Has anyone tried squid with a sauce made from the ink? I've seen it on a few cooking shows, but never tried it.

[jonesthecurl]

Three new, really good Indian restaurants opened up in my town recently. Tonight I went to one of them for the second time, and was completely blown away by one dish in particular. I noticed that we were the only people of European descent in the place. Praise indeed.
The stunning dish was Ghobi Manchurian, a battered cauliflower in a sauce. From the name, I suspect it is an imitation of an asian dish. Now to me, cauliflower is something I eat WITH things. It'sa bit dull, but worthy. This was gorgeous. I'm gonna see if I can get in the kitchen for a chat next time. Pun not intended...

If you're everin Pleasanton CA, seek out "Vedas". If you have any love for this cuisine, you'll be pleased.

[Dukasaur]

Three new, really good Indian restaurants opened up in my town recently. Tonight I went to one of them for the second time, and was completely blown away by one dish in particular. I noticed that we were the only people of European descent in the place. Praise indeed.
The stunning dish was Ghobi Manchurian, a battered cauliflower in a sauce. From the name, I suspect it is an imitation of an asian dish. Now to me, cauliflower is something I eat WITH things. It'sa bit dull, but worthy. This was gorgeous. I'm gonna see if I can get in the kitchen for a chat next time. Pun not intended...

If you're everin Pleasanton CA, seek out "Vedas". If you have any love for this cuisine, you'll be pleased.

I think I know the cauliflower dish you mean. They call it by a different name here, but it is pretty amazing.