My Eccentricity on Ethnicity
I personally loathe the word ethnic. We have bastardized this word into a misrepresentation of ones individuality for any non wasp person . Simple clarification of what the definition of the word ethnic is will assist us greatly in understanding it and its origins.
The word Ethnic dates back to times when Latin and Hebrew were the dominant languages.
It was first used to describe people who were non-Christians, non-Christians were considered to be heathens, pagans or simply gentiles.
Just imagine how the early restaurateurs could have influenced our ethnic dinning experiences.
Any town in anywhere could see other additions to their franchise strip of processed food chain outlets include such franchise concepts as The Gentile Grill House, maybe the International House of Pagans or my personal favorite Heathens on the Run with drive through windows.
With the maturation of humanity the word ethnic has evolved to describe any sizable group of people who share a linguistic, religious, racial or cultural heritage. When one-steps out of their own culture to dine on another cultures food you are experiencing ethnic dinning. In short all foods originate from an ethnic source. I’m a Canadian of Irish descent and no that does lead one to come up with some new fusion cuisine. However when I step out of my own cultural background and eat a Big Mac, Whopper or hot dog I’m actually eating American ethnic cuisine.
My personal preference would be to use the words culture, cultural decent or ancestry. Better yet why not call it what is? Whether it be Jamaican, Honduranian, Guyanese…
So in summary we can assume that dining for the ethno-curious is an Epicurean pursuit of understanding a culture through its food and etiquette.
Hitler Wine, Clothes by Hugo Boss
My favorite dining experience takes place in a kitchen located in northern Alberta. Here my Lola creates some of the best food I have ever experienced. Having moved to Canada from the Philippines she brought with her some traditional Filipino recipes. The Philippines lie astride the main Asian trade routes and had many influences on their food. These influences include Malaysia, China, Spain, and Mexico. As well there are six distinct culinary regions within the islands themselves. These are Northern Luzon using bagoong for seasoning, the Central Plains known for Rellenong Manok, Southern Tagalog using vinegar’s, Bicol make use of coconut and hot chilies, Visayas with its salted fish and guinamos and Mindanao with Tiola Sapi and Piarun. My favorite dinner menu includes, Lumpia, Pancit, Pan de sal, Dinuguan Baboy, Erascaldo, Kilawin, numerous bowls of my father-in-laws goat soup, halo-halo and all forms of Palutan. My favorite is Adobong Manuk or Chicken Adobo. This is comfort food for me and it’s real easy to prepare…
Chicken Adobo
2 tbsp. Vegetable oil
1 tsp. grated ginger
3 cloves garlic minced
3 pounds of cut up chicken
½ cup of white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper corns
½ cup water
2 Bay leaves
Method: Heat oil in large pot and sauté the garlic and ginger. Add the chicken and brown lightly. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer, covered for approximately 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Next remove lid and continue to simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Yields 4-6 servings.
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