What makes Greek, greek, Polish, polish, etc.

[Calicolady]

I often use alot of ingredients used in italian, greek, & spanish foods.
Mostly do mediterranean type cooking. Peasant, not gourmet-high style.
Some simple oriental type dishes (not exotic live or slimmy things used. LOL!)
But even in that realm of cooking, there's korean-yum, chinese-which also has different types, vietnamese, etc.
And within each country there's regional dishes. Usually based on what can be grown there.
So what makes one dish french, or italian, or german, etc.?

[lilylove]

Hi.. I wish I knew the real answer. I often post what I call GREEK recipes. In my case I have to admit I call them Greek because my GREEK MIL makes them and has been making them since before she came over on the boat from Athens at the age of 16. They are Greek recipes....made by a Greek lady...

[GrantsKat]

Funny you said that lily.........I often make dishes I call german, but only because thats how my german grandmother made them, not because I know that they are actually german!

[Calicolady]

That's why I'm asking.
I want to post a marinated mushroom recipe I always called italian, but can't really say that, as so many nations use the same ingredients. So now I don't know what to call them. L O L!

[Lefty]

I would say you have to be a historian to answer that. Understanding which countries were invaded or colonized by outside influences. Then do you argue that only meals created by locals are of that influence or do you argue that all the influences are part of a food culture. I was watching a show on the Turkish Islands and they spoke about all the foods of the islands and how history had influened it all. Turkish influences are as follows. Central Asian (before 1038) Seljuk & Principalities (1038-1299) Ottoman (1299-1923). If you go there today you will finds some of all of these.

[lilylove]

Can you call them very DELISH????

[Lefty]

Can you call them very DELISH????
I would agree. Call it what ever you like.

[joec]

I would think the ingredients used and how they are combined. Most cultures foods are based on their local ingredients regardless. In this day and age most what we call culture foods are based loosely on those ingredients. A good example is Italy where the term Italian cooking can be miss leading. Foods from southern Italy are way different that those of the north as those from the coast etc. I hope that is understandable, and I base that on traveling through most of the world and eating in all of these different regions.

[High Cheese]

They all have their respective Holy Trinity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_trinity_(cuisine))

[The Tourist]

You bring up a good question, and ya' know, I don't believe it makes any difference anymore.

After all, a hamburger is essentially German. It originated in Hamburg, Germany.

Sauces are most often attributed to France.

So how would you trace the pedigree of a Big Mac? It has aspects of both countries.

And let's not forget that Rachael Ray uses a knife designed in Japan, made out of steel from Taiwan, physically made in Australia but owned by an English company--the last time I checked.

(At least I think Avalon is an English company. See the problem?)

[joec]

Actually the Hamburger is American how ever ground meats are used world wide. Here is some interesting information on it but it has nothing to do with Hamburg Germany.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger

[The Tourist]

Wikipedia always fascinates me. Yes, the facts are fun. But can you imagine the experts who know so much about minutiae and stay up until zero-dark-thirty typing it up.

Thanks for the link.

[joec]

I had heard this buy some guy on TV a few years ago that wrote a book on the history of human foods. I was surprised when I first heard it myself but the name came from Hamburg, NY though no one is really sure of which actually made the first one between the guy in Wisconsin and the guy in New York. Funny thing is when you look at the Wikipedia article though they sure use ground meats in Germany it isn't listed anywhere in regards to a ground patty on bread type sandwich.

[AllenOK]

I have to agree with joec. For the most part, the foods that a given culture eats are those obtained locally. Then, it's how they get seasoned. There's also cooking methods involved.

I've read a lot of cookbooks for exotic cuisines, and even some on regional specialties of Chinese, Mexican, and Italian. I try to apply the flavors I've experienced and learned about to my cooking at work. Apparently, my Exec. Chef likes what I make.

I will say that I am still learning.

[Lefty]

I will say that I am still learning.

I agree with that statement, I don't think I can ever stop learning when it comes to cooking, there is just so much out there to learn.

[PieSusan]

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger tried to demonstrate that on the food network.

I also believe the Melting Pot series tried to address this issue as well.

It all has to do with using the indigenous ingredients from each area to make their recipes. There may be similarities amongst ethnic groups but Greek,
Spanish and Israeli olive oil are all different. If you want to make authentic cuisine that tastes the way it should, you need to use their ingredients. That is not to say that if you don't what you make won't taste good. It will just be different.

[joec]

Even the method of cooking it in some cases will make a different. An example is doing a stir fry in a fry pan on your average stove and in a wok on a wok stove, same ingredients much different flavor and results.

[GotGarlic]

This is a fascinating site that I can spend hours on if I'm not careful: Food Timeline: free food history reference & research service (http://www.foodtimeline.org/index.html)

[Calicolady]

Your right, it is an interesting site. I'll be spending some time there as well.
Thanks, GotGarlic.

[FooD]

Anything with feta cheese is Greek to me.

[rickismom]

I often use alot of ingredients used in italian, greek, & spanish foods.
So what makes one dish french, or italian, or german, etc.?

Good question. Each region has their own special combination of flavors. For example: Greek is oregano, mint, lemon, feta, olives and olive oil. Italian is basil, rosemary, mozzarella, parmesan, tomato, garlic. French is marjoram, thyme, butter, stock.
I hope that helps you! :flowers:

[joec]

Actually Tomato comes from the new world but didn't come into its own till it was exported to Europe and Rome via Spain. I might add that most Italian spice contains oregano, marjoram, basil, parsley, and rosemary as well as thyme and tarragon in some cases. Also in the case of Italian it really depends on where in the country you are. Northern Italy is very different than Southern as well as the East and West are all different. The France simply took what the rest of the world did and claimed as their own when all they did was organize the modern restaurant system, Italy had super chef's before the French had a written language. They really didn't do much for cooking though they are considered the center of the cooking world. I don't buy their great cooking feats as most in my opinion are simply stolen from other cultures and nothing original in their cuisine.