Strange food to the locals, have you seen a reaction?
By katerina
@thea09 (18305)
Greece
July 1, 2009 9:20am CST
I live in a rural part of Greece which isn't too hot on other countries cuisines. The locals like to eat their own traditional foods which makes sense as it is fresh and locally reared, caught or grown in most cases. A lot of the locals who have not travelled have never tasted any foreign food and the production of some usually results in increduality. My two favourites were mint sauce brought to the taverna to add to lamb, and tartare sauce to add to fish. These were passed around so everyone could smell them and turn their nose up at them to prove once and again that 'us foreigners' haven't got a clue how to eat right, the ONLY thing to add to both lamb and fish is lemon. Anyone encountered this whilst in a foreign country?
2 responses
@apgh09 (514)
• United States
4 Jul 09
hi thea09 No i must say i have never came across this personally because i like trying different foods. but i think that because these people are close minded that they are shutting them selves off from a experience everyone should have the opportunity to do and that is to explore food, dance, music, religion, history, etc... from different cultures you have the right to always dislike or disagree with something but its just being able to have the opportunity.
1 person likes this
@apgh09 (514)
• United States
4 Jul 09
oh and i forgot to mention that if all people were closed off we would not know whats it's like to experience Chinese, Italian, Indian, Thai etc... food I could not imagine a world with just one culture being in America and just eating American food all day every day it would be so boring after a while.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
4 Jul 09
Hi apgh, the people I have come across like this really believe that their cuisine is the best in the world so why try anything else as it can't be as good. There is usual total increduality if I add pepper to my soup or don't squeeze my lemon all over my meat. Also in most instances they have not travelled so have not had the opportunity to sample varied cuisines. The people with a naval past are more open minded as they have tasted other foods abroad on their travels. They simply cannot believe it though if someone does not like a traditional Greek food as to them it is 'the best'. Of course they are all now aware that the Med diet is supposed to be the healthiest in the world but somehow I don't think that extends to gyros and chips, the local version of fast food.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
3 Jul 09
Hi magic, mint sauce is a traditional English thing to put with lamb, it is fresh mint with vinegar and sugar and the tastes go so well together but the Greeks look at it aghast, for them it is lemon and oregano on the lamb. I would have been interested in other responses to this as I find the subject intriguing.
