When we think in Italy we associate it with a crispy and thin pizza, the best Bolognese spaghetti, prosciutto or fresh ice cream. France with its original foi-gras, natural oysters, escargots, crème brulé or Bordeaux red wine. Japan with sophisticated sushi, sashimi or tempura chicken. Year ago the only way we could experience all these flavor and tastes was travelling thousands of miles on plane. People dreamed going to these countries with the desire to try their delicious food. After reading Adam Gopnik short story “Is There a Crisis in French Cooking?” make me realize how things have changed. Currently, we can find French, Spanish, Italian, Thai, Japanese, Cuban, or other countries restaurants in almost every big city. Food has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and migrated. We don’t need to travel big distances anymore. Nothing it’s new, we know about every type food. Is this good or all the charm has been lost? Personally, I think it has its positive and negative aspects. In places like the United States or England where their national food it’s not the best, having these types of restaurants and food varieties would induce people to try healthier and well prepared food. On the other hand, before all this food revolution took place, these countries were unique for their food and restaurants that only can be found there.
Now in Ecuador, a little and third world country, you can find all type of restaurants. The most famous are the Peruvian ones and Japanese. Not all of them are incredibly expensive; you can find restaurants of all prices. International food experience has spread even to small countries. Also in New York or Chicago it’s easy to locate Ecuadorian restaurants and try their typical dishes.
The author of this story focuses in the French case. As the best French restaurants are now in New York or San Francisco, their haute cuisine can be reached by everyone. The principal consequence is that “a nouvelle cuisine that replaced the old style (original French food) has by now been reduced to set a clichés, and become a licensed subject of satires” (73), says Gopnik. Now French cuisine is considerate rigid and less ambitious because they are not open to adopt other techniques and international ingredients. Adam Gopnik says the first meal in Paris was for a long time one of new reliable pleasures for an American in Europe (68). Do you think that experience has changed for all of us?
It is true that we can taste Quiche Lorraine or Onion soup in our favorite and closest French restaurant. However, I consider that eating them in New York and in Paris are two completely different experiences. It never would be the same. Food it’s an experience further than flavor, presentation and nourishment. The accordion music or Edith Piaf’s music, French language, Paris beauty could never migrate to New York. For me, it continues being a unique experience! New York can have its own charm, but the environment and people are always different. France is France! New York is New York! Irreplaceable.
This post makes a lot of good points. It's weird to think about how much food has become an international experience, and how nothing is really specialized or rare or confined to its home country anymore. And, it's interesting too to think about how putting a French restaurant in America, for example, the food itself must change so much because of the new environment.
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