Is It REALLY Chinese?

[omarthefish]

Originally posted by Merryprankster
I'm confused about this, because there was a big thread awhile back that claimed two things:

1. That a chinese art taught by a non-chinese person isn't really authentic,

2. Chinese food cooked by a mexican line cook wouldn't really be Chinese. It would be "Chinacan."

Please help.

Thanks.

Yeah I stopped posting on that thread after I realized that nobody was actually reading anyone elses posts anymore. The above quote an excellent case in point. There were some arguments being made about the importance of learning the language and the culture but nobody actually made either of those 2 claims.

Straw dog arguments like that get tiresome pretty quick.

(although point number 2. is valid just because it's funny.)

edit: after seing the quote in bold I had a thought: "the thread claimed...." ???

[scotty1]

1. That a chinese art taught by a non-chinese person isn't really authentic,

I think that's crap.

2. Chinese food cooked by a mexican line cook wouldn't really be Chinese. It would be "Chinacan."

I think that's crap too.

[omarthefish]

wow.

So every body can agree that racism is bad, crakers can learn kung fu karatee just like Chinamen and what the hell we may as well throw in beating up little kids is bad and everybody likes that single malt scotch is better than bourbona s things we can agree on. (sorry you bourbon drinkers, you just wrong. There's not much else to say, is there? )

That was profound.

[scotty1]

No need to get profound about it, a pinch of common sense'll do.

[omarthefish]

that . . . was sarchasm.

[scotty1]

I know, I thought it might be negative sarcasm.

lets stop here.

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Way too much attention to ethnicity.. (apologies to the purists), but.. I like Chinese food, i can tell Chinese from Mexican food (i like Mexican, too).. the labeling of food's ethnicity refers to its lineage/history not the cook.. too much focus on ethnicity will surely lead to divisive comparisons and hasty remarks..

It would be just as fair to assert that unless you are Chinese you couldn't actually discern the difference anyhow.. that it takes a lifetime of eating Chinese food in China, by Chinese cooks to acquire the nuances of taste to actually tell whether or not the meal was authentic.. Besides, if you find the meal favorable, why bother yourself with such non-essential matters as "authenticity".. will the authenticity somehow alter its nutritional value? Would a normally conceived "Chinese" meal prepared by an ethnic Chinese person that had been raised in Peru and only ever cooked Latino dishes still be authentic Chinese?.. too often we trouble ourselves with distracting trivia, and miss the simple beauty of a well prepared meal..

Be well...

[Internal Boxer]

Tai Chi Bob

Do you have a sense of Humour?

be well!

[Merryprankster]

Omar,

What YOU were saying on that thread was QUITE valid. What Earth Dragon was saying was not.

You were NOT saying the same things.

[Christopher M]

MMmmmm... chinese food...

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Internal Boxer: Of course i have a sense of humour, i keep posting don't i?...

My students accuse me of being "playfully mischievous", and of "exaggerating the ambiguous".. But, without intonation, inflection and expression it seems that too often innocent humour is mistaken for disrespect or disregard for others.. and, i try to avoid those types of misconceptions..

Be well...

[Chang Style Novice]

Single malt scotch is better than bourbon in a sports-drinking environment with commonly agreed on rules.

In the streets, where rules don't apply, bourbon would pwnzor single malt scotch.

Seriously, though, what's wrong with enjoying a little Maker's Mark now and again? Variety is the spice of life, ya know.

[dodger87]

It must be Chinese, look at the name of the author!

[No_Know]

Having a good meal is fine. But resteraunts close. We move from cities. Sometimes we got a fantastic meal on vacation. Some will not be satisfied to experience greatness without being able to duplicate it repeatedly or get access to it.

Tai Chi Bob, do you go out and say I'll have food or do you ask for specific meals? Do they serve you whatever? Or do they have a general guidline of constantly duplicatable meals?

MerryPrankster, things are patented. Things are regional. Initially when pyramids are mentioned one thinks Egypt, who does not know Mexico or Peru. Certain guns one thins Minutemen, or gambler (cards). As a people, Denmakers do not nor have not theoretically had kimonos as national clothing. But to see a kimono you might think just pretty. If you Know something about kimonos or have associations with them you might refer to Japan or that region.

Food denoted by country is related to associations. Some regions have foods not initially found in at least some other regions. By now with trading countries have products (like techniques) that were not native to that land.

Even though more than one country might have the same type of product, come from the only region it was found in the world, but the quality of it's growing/harvesting might vary for the worse or the better...cognac as opposed to brandy. Or the food that doesn't taste as good as (some) mom(s) make. How much the people away from the source get the idea right and deliver on the concept to the degree sought. Some-such, perhaps.

Even amoung the Chinese it might only be ingredients of Chinese food. Certain techniques or methods of treatment might be required to make it the degree that makes it so called Chinese food. And Unless you Know chinese food (how it is to be prepared and the tradition that got established in making it sought-after. You might see the ingredients and say pretty...I mean that's Chinese food.

There Are specific ways or concepts. They get expanded (experimentation/fancy) or out of order. Or Not all learned. Or what is learned is not necessarily learned well. On the not well part, some accept it and do not know the best so form their opinions from that experience. When more is required, stuff gets made-up. Or you go back and learn it all (the rest). -ish


If the Mexican person does the cooking adhereing to the concepts the Chinese source cooks did, then it's Chinese food.

If the instructor picked-up on the idiosyncrasies of the Chinese and the Style/System of Kung-Fu. This is the Most. Not all Chinese might not get the ideosyncrasies of The Chinese culture base and so not fully understand the Kung-Fu. So it is in general (appearance) but is not (actually) Chinese Kung-Fu no matter the melonin content of the person or their heratige/background.

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Whatever the subject, it is the individual value standards that dictate the quality of the experience.. where you may assert that it takes "x" to be authentic, i may say it takes "y".. and each will be satisfactory within our respective value systems..

If the goal is to learn Chinese Kung-Fu, then it may be appropriate to immerse one's self into the culture.. if the goal is to develop a self-defense strategy and you find Chines Kung-Fu satisfactory for that purpose, it is not necessarily essential to immerse yourself in the culture, but to simply be faithful to the Kung-Fu..

When i go to a resturant i order from the menu of that resturant, and i expect to get what i ordered.. of course, what i expect is based on my experiences prior to that.. there are few unchallengable standards, so.. i follow my inclinations and don't get too upset if the meal appears to be less than authentic (McMushu).. i look for the value in what is presented, because that is likely all they can relate to..

Too often the dictates of desires or the edicts of expectations leaves real treasures overlooked in the path behind us.. The Tao spreads a bounty before you each day..

Be well..