Posted on 04/11/2016 11:15:10 AM PDT by TigerClaws
Recently, we started a conversation about food and race. Specifically, we wondered out loud, who gets to cook — and become the face of — a culture's cuisine?
Our question was prompted by a recent Sporkful interview with Rick Bayless, who has faced criticism over his long career. Although he is an Oklahoman with no Mexican ancestry, he has become one of the most prominent ambassadors for Mexican cuisine in America. Rick Bayless is a master of Mexican cuisine. He's also a white guy from Oklahoma. Over the years, that has made him the target of criticism. Who gets to be the ambassador of a cuisine? The Salt When Chefs Become Famous Cooking Other Cultures' Food
To be clear, this isn't about Bayless. (Though the acclaimed chef did hop into the comments section to weigh in.) The question of who gets credit for a cuisine — and how they are compensated and feted — is one that comes up again and again in the food world. We asked readers to weigh in with their feelings about this squishy topic.
As with many things involving race and class in America, there are no easy answers — and we're not expecting to find any clear-cut ones. We're more interested in starting a conversation.
Here's some of what we heard from you.
On one hand, many of you pointed out that cooking the cuisine of other cultures is a tangible way to connect. That's part of what makes America a literal as well as figurative melting pot.
I have news for them. Yes there is an easy answer. “Shut up and cook.”
What about nonwhites using electricity, airplanes, computers, etc. I want to know, is it OK??!!
It figures this would be idiots from NPR
You can’t cook French food unless you are french? Mexican food unless you are mexican? morons...
I don’t go to vietnamese noodle soup (pho) joints if there are caucasians in the kitchen. I’m caucasian.
Make me a sandwich! ;-)
I have a very simple outlook on the thing. It’s a free country, cook whatever you like.
Whose culture is offended by my “Roadkill Possum”?
I make really good gumbo and paella. Not at the same time. Also I grew up on navy bean soup and what my mother called hot water cornbread with greens. The corn bread was actually corn pone. Yum. Still comfort food for me. And my mother’s fried chicken was the best. She wasn’t a great cook overall but her corn pone and fried chicken were both awesome and I have never been able to match them.... probably because I won’t use Crisco = actually she used it and re-used it.
LOL. I’m going to love this one. All the PC BS coming out of Starbucks? Well guess what, Liberal whites at Starbucks shouldn’t be making money off of poor South American coffee culture. The dopey CEO who wanted to start a “conversation on race” should give his salary back.
All our Chinese restaurants hire Mexicans. They make the best Chinese food.................................
You can’t cook French food unless you are french?
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Somebody should have told me that before I bought both volumes of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
These clowns simply aren’t sane. We used to be bright enough to either ignore or institutionalize the crazies among us...
Why is this even being discussed??
There’s a place I go for Chinese food carryout sometimes. And it is run by Mexican-Americans.
By liberals own criteria we are supposed to be color blind and not have this be a problem.
We go to a New Orleans themed restaurant sometimes. The owner has never been to New Orleans but has some great authentic New Orleans style dishes on the menu.
Why the heck is any of this an issue?? If the food is good, why would it matter who the cook is????
Looks like an article geared towards millennial slackers and, well, fags. No one cares about this stuff except leftists who still hate their parents.
Appropriating other cultures by cooking their food? Meh.
Socialists have set the tone and dialog - we have already lost!
Morons. The Left are brain damaged morons!
But would ou eat pasta in an Italian restaurant if there were a bunch of Swedes in the kitchen
Yeah, shouldnt they secure permission first to use ANY inventions created by Caucasians/
I mean, turnabout is fair play, right?
I’ve had outstanding Italian food prepared under the supervision of chefs from Slovenia and Ecuador.
Today they hold endowed professorships in Race, Gender, and Culinary Arts.
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