Cliched ideas about food

People have that idea of Mediterranean cuisines that there are a lot of fresh vegetables, served as salads. In a typical restuarant in Italy or Spain, if you order a dish, there are hardly any vegetables on the plate. A steak is just a steak, sometimes even without potatoes or french fries.
There are a lot of dishes, or mostly side dishes, with vegetables, but usually they are marinated or cooked.

What Hong Kongers think about western good, in fact was true, not so long ago. The western, or European, food has changed considerably within the last 15-20 years.

The article is mainly about how westerners think that Indonesian food is mainly Rijsttafel. My guess is that if you stood on a street corner anywhere in the US and asked about perceptions of Indonesian food the answer would be "I haven't the foggiest." If you asked about Rijsttafel, the response would be "say what?"

My long time perception of Indian food was based on how it appeared in mainstream cookbooks. Some sort of meat dish seasoned with curry powder and served over rice. It was supposed to be accompanied by a bunch of little dishes of condiments--chutney (from a jar), peanut, coconut and I forger what all. Even today, most Merkins have never eaten in an Indian restaurant (something that always astonishes folks from the UK who are used to finding such a place on every block) and still think o Indian food as something seasoned with curry powder.

It's not food, but on my trip to China in 1983, the guide told me that the local guide commented that "you westerners all look alike--pink and spotted."

The Irish and potatoes.

People think British food is horrible. It isn't. Though we save the worst for whinging tourists.

Thumbs up for the writer of that article for getting "rijsttafel" right. (Unlike every English-language guidebook I've ever seen.)

Food myth: Americans eat hamburgers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

1. The Japanese eat sushi all the time. Not true. 'Real' sushi (as opposed to fast-food conveyer-belt restaurants which are all over here) is very pricey.
   
   2. Sushi is fish on rice. Sushi si vinegared rice, with toppings, too! As in chirashi-zushi, which is a big bowl/vat of vinegared rice with vegetable and seafood toppings .
   
   3. Japanese go out to eat sukiyaki. This is a dish one prepares at home. Restaurants do not serve it.

shilgia, why are there two t's in rijsttafel? Is rice rijst? (I admit I would have spelled it wrong until now.)

Yes, rice is rijst, Vinny. The "t", however, is not the only problem. English texts usually call it rijstaffel.

Thanks, shilgia.