Food Authentic versus good food...

I got to thinking about, for home as opposed to restaurant cooking, whether authentic is really important.
Or, is palatable, good, tasty, interesting, etc. good enough?
And if we emphasize "fresh and local" don't we often have to leave authenticity behind?

This was pulled to the forefront when I decided to follow @snowy's link in this post

and make the garlic soup this afternoon, with ingredients on hand.

First of all, a recipe for three servings seemed odd, so I doubled everything to make six servings. The only bread in the house was a baguette, so that's what I used. Instead of dicing the garlic cloves, I sliced them thinly, because... well, I like the way the little tiny medallions look floating in soup. And I had no hot Spanish (or any other) smoked paprika, so I used ground chipotle (a hot smoked red ripe jalapeno) that I had on hand instead. I added a little extra oil so I could saute the whole cubed baguette, then removed about a third of it to use as croutons.

After simmering for 15 minutes, I divided and refrigerated half of the pot. I've never had much luck with poaching eggs in water, so I decided to do a little Asian fusion and added three eggs drizzled in egg-drop soup style.

I served the croutons and sliced scallions on the side.

It was wonderful, if I do say so myself! Sig at two big bowls (he would have eaten more) and I had one.

So what do you say? Have you ever eaten, or prepared for yourself, some decidedly inauthentic food and loved it anyway?

Is "authentic" important or is it overrated?

 

IMO there is a place for both, it is just important not to represent something as authentic that isn't.

There are lots of things I consider "good and tasty" that are really just Americanized versions of ethnic foods. Tacos come to mind. I've had very authentic, and I've had the more commonly served Americanized version served most places. I really, REALLY like both.

I enjoy exploring really authentic cuisine, as much due to general interest and wanting to try new things as anything. So sometimes we'll hunt for a really authentic type of a particular ethnic or regional meal. Other times I just want something that tastes great to me, and is consistent with my preferences.

There is no wrong answer as far as I'm concerned.

 

I am a skilled enough cook that I view recipes more as guidelines or a starting point. I have the techniques down to be able to do that. It sounds your take achieved what you wanted, and ultimately, that's what food you cook should do. It should taste how you want.

I'm glad you were able to take something I linked and put your own spin on it. Sometimes I take the idea of a recipe and end up entirely somewhere else, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

If you look at various recipes for sopa de ajo, you'll find there's a lot of variability.

 

If I'm paying for or a meal out at a restaurant. I want authentic. This is especially true since I live in an area where real cultures mix and all food products and spices can easily be procured.

I'm a purist but I'll eat good too.

I just don't want to go someplace expecting authentic and getting Americanized or fusion.

All Chinese takeout is Americanized. So for Chinese I go to Chinatown for authenticity. If I see too many white people in the restaurant I go elsewhere. One has to know their restaurant and set expectations from there. There is a place that serves very good soup dumplings and white people line up and wait. I go across the street where the little old lady makes them in the window no waiting ever. They are better and cheaper and fewer white folk.

The worst offender these days is no longer the burrito or taco but pad Thai.

 

Yes, it is hard to say what is authentic sometimes. Sometimes it's just the recipe that is maybe slightly different by region or family.

What is for sure different is not just the spices, but also the meat. The chicken in Mexico is going to taste different than that of America. The Mexican chicken eats different stuff etc.

When I go to India I come back to NYC and I won't eat Indian food for about 6 months because it's just not quite the same. It's just slightly different from the meat to also the freshness of the spices.

Another example from Houston is Mamak versus banana leaf. From what I understand some people from banana leaf left and opened Mamak across the parking lot. Same recipes more upscale atmosphere. I am not sure as I haven't been to Mamak yet. Banana leaf is more my style.

 

I couldn't eat Chinese food for quite a while after having dim sum in Toronto. It was a different experience.

Home is not necessarily a place to look for authenticity. Home cooks do what they can with what they have, and that's okay.

A restaurant is a different experience as you're paying for what you get. I'm choosy depending on what kind of experience I'm looking for.

 

Why do people go to Olive Garden in Times Square when there are many good Italian eateries just a stones throw away?

I guess it's good food.

Sure I'll accept something that is as close to authentic as something can get based on what is available for raw materials, but saying that Taco Bell is just fine instead of some Mexican family who makes authentic recipes is too far a stretch.

 

That's kind of the point.

It isn't cost.

Mission Chinese is a chinese fusion joint hailed by foodies as the best chinese food ever. Really it's just expensive bad chinese food that got good reviews by some circles of food bloggers and reviewers.

Now mind you I only walked in and looked at the menu and walked out.

One of the things I recall about Singapore was that the hotel chefs classically trained of course tried to emulate hawker stall food and well you wound up with expensive bad stall food but it was aimed at the tourist who wouldn't go to the local stalls. I'd say that's a better analogy to the authentic and good vs just authentic vs good.

 

An excellent point.

I pondered this recently because I stumbled upon a recently opened Mexican restaurant that stated they were authentic. They hipsters all rejoiced and the reviews were great. I didn't find it all that interesting but bland and boring compared to the Los Angeles Mexican food I'm used to.

Next was a location touting authentic New York bagels. But we're already here in NYC. It's a bagel why distinguish it as authentic?

Finally a restaurant selling authentic NYC pizza. Really? Looked just like any other NYC pizza joint.

The last two I realized I wasn't far from Times Square and it was probably more marketing than anything else.

 

One of my favorite passages on authenticity.

The Most Photographed Barn

 

So there's a fake barn there?

 

Comfort foods are good.

 

Chimera it is.
What makes a recipe authentic? Or inauthentic? If Mama Leota from Livorno makes her red sauce with onion and Mama Lucretia down the street uses leeks instead, which one is authentic? But in Naples, they do it differently.
And from a large country, such as China, India, or the United States there can probably be dozens of authentic, similar but different styles.

What is authentic African food? Berber? Ethiopian? Boer?
Authentic American... Sacramento, Boston, Austin, DesMoines, LasCruces? All of them?

But cuisines do get associated with a place. Authentic Omaha clam chowder would be a hard sell, no matter how good or authentic. Or Provincetown Bar-B-Que. I'm rambling. That's all.