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Keeping It Real: The Future of American Flavors

By Alexandra Bashkiroff

Have you ever come back from a vacation and missed the food you had been eating as soon as you visited one of your local restaurants? I have on numerous occasions. My last trip to Mexico was amazing and the food was fantastic because it was true to the region. Coming back to America and visiting my local Mexican restaurants, I was a little disappointed. I missed the authenticity of Mexico, specifically a delicious pair of Mexican tacos that are very simple to create yet somewhat difficult to find in my city. Luckily, I had found a Mexican restaurant that provides a few authentic meals, including one similar to the tacos I missed so much.

A couple of years ago, finding authentic ethnic food in America was a little more difficult to come by and in some cities the challenge still exists. Spices and other ingredients of American provided ethnic foods can sometimes seem a little off when faced against their original counterparts. The good news is that the trend for authenticity is becoming more popular and more restaurants are using the original ingredients found in the regions the food represents.

Americans have become more daring in their choice of meals by widening their palate. It’s true that Asian foods have always been one of the American public’s favorite. In fact, due to Chinese cuisine’s long standing history of thriving in America, it is no longer considered exotic. Regardless of whether Chinese cuisine is considered exotic or not in America, the fact still remains that it is still in demand. Our fancy for Chinese cuisine has now become more broad as the various regions, such as Cantonese, Szechuan and Hunan, bring different spices and cooking techniques. Chinese food can no longer be lumped in one category as is the case for many other ethnic food categories, including Italian and Mexican. Source

“In general, we see an increased interest in any bold offerings from Asian and Hispanic cuisines. The variety of ingredients available to the consumer is expanding to include all staples of these cuisines. The base “pantry” items are now readily available and authentic.” Source

What has caused this phenomena of authentic regional ethnic food revolution to occur? I believe it has to do with the world getting smaller. Rest assure, the Earth is not literally getting smaller, but our cultures and communities have begun to crossover with each other as communications and discounts in traveling has become more readily available. More Americans are visiting world destinations, and with traveling comes tantalizing foods. Oh the glorious foods that the world has is unlimited and once you have a taste, the desire for more doesn’t go away. As more Americans visit regions and get a taste of authentic ethnic foods, a demand rises for that authenticity to be featured in America so the American public can take a part of their trip home with them and cherish it whenever they desire another taste.

For those who have yet to venture outside of America to taste the exotic flavors of the world, there is always television, specifically the food and travel channel. I favor watching Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, which presents not only the alluring foods of a particular region, but also discusses the culture and history of the area. By the end of the episode, I’m salivating for something exotic and I’ve learned something new. It’s a win-win situation, except that my stomach ends up craving something that most likely isn’t available at my local ethnic restaurant. Hence, the trend for authentic regional foods! Whether it’s Chinese, Mexican or Italian, Americans are craving new flavors and experiences. The exotic ingredients are becoming more available as America, and the world, has become one giant melting pot. In a word, Americans are keeping it real as the trend for authenticity becomes popular in American life.

Alexandra Bashkiroff is a recent graduate of Rockhurst University in Kansas City MO with a degree in Communications. Having lived abroad for most of her school years, Alexandra has gained a deep appreciation for other cultures, foods, and art. Alexandra is pursuing a career as a writer.

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