Info+From+Expert

= Q&A =

I asked questions about the cooking in other countries. I talked to Shaun Holtgreve who is the executive Chef at Bon Appétit - Target Café.

1. How have the traditional foods of each country been changed since coming to America?

You have to look at the traditional ‘Diets’ and not just at certain foods of the culture. Diet of a culture is constantly evolving and changing to the times with roots in traditional flavors and cooking techniques. There are many factors in what people eat or which food they choose to represent their culture. The diet of a country is mostly centered on what is available in that particular area. It is important to remember that traditions can greatly vary from one end of a country to the other. For Instance if part of the country is near the ocean, then you have lots of seafood in their diet as well as vegetables and foods that grow in costal climates as opposed to a mountainous region of the country where fertile ground or access to the ocean is not available.

So traditional foods change depending on where the immigrants end up in America geographically and what is available to them in that area. As well as economic factors and seasonal climates. They will adapt with foods that are familiar to them or use suitable local substitutes for traditional ingredients.

2. Did the Americans or the immigrants from the countries change the “traditional” foods we have in America?

Well, essentially the immigrant becomes an Americans when they arrive so in turn, so does their food. As their habits adapt and change to new surroundings so will their cuisine. American cuisine is a huge melting pot of different cultures and origins. So I think that it is a combination of both that change the traditional foods.

3. Why did they change it?

They changed in order to adapt to a new country with new local ingredients. If they are in the business of selling food, they might change it to make it more marketable to Americans.

4. Are there special utensils used in preparing food from each of countries? If so, what are some?

Every culture has special cooking utensils, all different but very similar at the same time. Typically they are very simple and extremely efficient and cost effective so everyone could own one. In China they use Woks. In Mexico they use stone tools to grind corn to make tortillas. In Italy they have utensils specially for handling pasta and sharp knives for carving meats and chopping fresh herbs. In India they use clay ovens called ‘tandoor’ that cooks at a very high temperature.

5. Are there any special cooking techniques in the countries?

The basic cooking techniques are relatively very similar. I think the factors that make them unique are the combinations of indigenous ingredients and cooking styles (see above question)

6. Are there any ingredients specific to the country(s)?

There are countless specific ingredients from each of the countries. Examples would be:

Italy- Cured Meats, Anchovies, Porcini Mushrooms, Balsamic vinegar, Olive Oil, Basil, Garlic.

China- Rice ( rice is very important to asian cooking. It can be used to make lots of specific ingredients like wine, flour for noodles, Vinegar, etc.), Ginger, Soy Sauce, Cured or processed Seafood, Sauces

India- Spices( there are huge amounts of spices associated with Indian food), Besan Flour, Dal and other lentils, Ghee, Yogurt, and lots of vegetables.

Mexico- Chilies, Beans, Lard, Corn/ Maize, Chorizo, Tortillas, Pork, Tomatillo, and Cilantro

7. How do the special ingredients enhance the flavors while cooking?

They all contribute to the foods and flavors of each culture. In fact they are usually a lot more than an ingredient, they are a way of life. For example, villages in certain areas of France are known for their butter, everyone in the town is a part of the butter business this is a result of the rich grasslands, strong dairy stock that has been passed down for generations, and temperate climate in which they live. But it is so important to them that the butter is their culture. When these specific ingredients are used in cooking, they deeply enhance the flavors of the cultural dishes

8. What regions of the country do the foods we eat in America come from?

There are a huge amount of influences from different cultures in America. It is difficult to list specifics when it come to this vast land in which we live. The west coast has a lot of Asian and Pacific Island influence. The Southwest is highly influenced by Latin and Mexican cooking. The South has French and Spanish deep within it’s cuisine. The North is full of Northern European heritage. The East Coast has just about every culture on

Earth as an influence on the foods we find there. Even within cities, the areas in which traditional peoples live strongly represents the culture they came from.

America is a country of immigrants, with each new group of pilgrims or travelers that came to the shores of a new land brought a different approach to cooking, eating, and living. Today we see those approaches combine and evolve in new ways all the time. Common threads bind us together and the combination of so many influences coming together as one is the best culture of all, in my opinion.

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