World's best and worst cuisines

Eh, believe what you want. I practically grew up in England, then went to live in New Zealand long enough to pick up their accent, and I've eaten my fair share of fish and chips in all that time. Even have a favourite fish and chip shop; just down the street from where I lived in Christchurch, on the right, next to the Asian deli shop. Big piece of really crispy fish sitting on top of a big mountain of chips, wrapped in paper. Yum. I miss that place.

Well yeah if by character you mean grease..........

@LJS9502_basic:

Deep fried fast food is greasy. Who knew?

@mrbojangles25: "People think "Oh, tacos, burritos,"

What can beat a Taco?

@thegerg:

Ah, but a culturally significant item of food is best appreciated in its associated cultural context, no?

not much, man, not much. Other Mexican, food. Chicken cooked in mole, perhaps? Fresh (I mean, made right there) tortillas, eggs, and chorizo?

You're right, though, a proper street-style taco (two corn tortillas, meat, cilantro, onions, and salsa) can't be beat. Don't give me no gringo tacos, though.

@thegerg:

Well, that's what I meant by "real;" fish and chips made and sold in its original, quintessentially British cultural context: out of locally-owned takeaway shops, imperfections and all.

@thegerg:

Nope. We know chips came from Belgium, while fried fish came from Portugal. We know it was first brought together in Oldham in 1860, and we know it became a working class staple in Victorian London.

Adopt other people's stuff, mix and match them, put your own spin on it, then call it your own. There's nothing more British than that. Even the English language came about the same way.

@thegerg:

Stick to what we know, mate, lest you go into "ancient aliens" territory or something. Historical records are clear: chips came from a Francophone region, either Belgium or France but probably Belgium. Fried fish came from southern Iberia, and most like came through Portugal. England is the first to put the two together, and popularize it as fast food for the working class.

Facts are facts. Fish and chips is British invention.

I suppose. All I'm saying is if your sole experience of fish and chips comes from some soulless American restaurant chain, you haven't lived.

@thegerg:

As far as I could gather, frying things in oil is Egyptian in origin. They weren't exactly white. Again, stick to what we know.

See my edit above.

@thegerg:

As I already explained, restaurant chains tend to make things too neat and tidy and "just enough." The dish was created and popularized by working class Britain and small local venders. What they serve reflects this character, imperfections and all. If all you've experienced of fish and chips is from the former, you're limiting your horizons. That's all I'm saying.

@thegerg:

So... ...semantics, then? I've already explained what I meant by "real." I concede the word might not be the most accurate descriptor what I meant, but I've since fairly thoroughly explained my point, which still stands.

This whole conversation chain started when br0kenrabbit claimed that you can get fish and chips from some American restaurant chain that is equivalent to anywhere in the world. As someone who has had over a decade of experience with the dish from places where it is of cultural significance - including where it was invented - and not just where it's just another item on a laminated menu, I disagreed.

In summation, my message to br0kenrabbit was simple: please get out more.

@thegerg:

Except I have tasted fish and chips from both chain restaurants and local chip shops, in both countries where it has cultural significance and where it's just another item on the menu. All this time, I've just been describing to you how I felt upon tasting it. Too tidy, too neat, fried just enough, as if the chef was afraid to make a mistake rather embracing the imperfections, and all around just felt soulless and unsatisfying.

And cultural context is integral to the dining experience. You wouldn't eat Mexican at a Chinese restaurant, or eat American hot dogs off a porcelain plate at the Palace of Versailles.

@thegerg:

Again, so it's semantics over the word "real," then? I've already explained what I meant, and conceded that the choice of word to summarize that meaning may have been inarticulate. So what's the problem?

@mrbojangles25: "Don't give me no gringo tacos, though."

lol, whats a gringo style Taco?

I've been to 14 countries and 21 states. How much more outgoing should I be?

Worst? Orange County CA cuisine is shitty, and you think being in SoCal that getting good Mexican food wouldn't be that hard, unless you're in OC, I've had better Mexican food in Minnesota.

Well hell.

For the record, I've had 'Fish n' chips' in Liverpool, London, Montreal and various seafood shops in and around Charleston, SC. It's fucking fried fish and french fries. It's kinda hard to **** that up.

I mean, I could understand the difference between perhaps mille-feuille prepared in Paris vs. Chattanooga, but fried fish...u roll da fish in da batter den u fry de fuk out uv it.

hard shell, ground beef, lettuce, cheese, sour cream...basically the version American kids are raised on and you get at Taco Bell.

I remember the first time I had a real taco--two soft warm corn tortillas fresh from the griddle, chopped carne asada (grilled flank steak) seasoned well and finished will lime juice, white onion, a bit of cilantro, and some green salsa to brighten the whole thing up--it changed my world, man.

Don't get me wrong, gringo-style tacos are not terrible, but there's no room for them and they certainly are not Mexican food. It's more Tex-Mex, if anything.

Right... ...er, what's the problem again?

Yeah, I don't really care if you or br0kenrabbit agree with me. Also, I've never called anyone "uncultured swine" in this conversation chain. I believe the term is "straw man."

And... ...you've completely ignored everything I wrote.

Everyone walks a different path and experience different things. There are always more to explore.

You began this conversation chain by claiming that fish and chips is the same in some American restaurant chain as it is in a local chip shop in England. You never mentioned two English cities, Montreal and South Carolina until now. I ate fish and chips at its country of origin and in another country where it's of equal cultural significance for over a decade. I've already explained to thegerg what I thought was the difference.

I don't know how they do things in South Carolina, but if you had opened with that, I would have just said; "I don't know how those shops in South Carolina do things, but fish and chips is definitely British. I checked. If you think there's no difference, then I suppose I'll take your word for in. But it's definitely British in origin," and moved on.

straw man

noun

1. a mass of straw formed to resemble a man, as for a doll or scarecrow.

2. a person whose importance or function is only nominal, as to cover another's activities; front.

3. a fabricated or conveniently weak or innocuous person, object, matter, etc., used as a seeming adversary or argument

I never called anyone "uncultured swine," or that I insisted you should agree with me. That's a fabricated argument you've attributed to me. That's straw man.

This is what you said I've been saying to br0kenrabbit. I never said this. This is straw man.

Oh, right. br0kenrabbit responded to my post, then you responded to that with a what you thought was being said to him. I suppose there's a fourth ghost poster somewhere in this conversation I don't know about who said that?

Hello, ghost poster, where are you?

Oh right, I suppose the post above just popped out of thin air, then. Or maybe there's a second thegerg on this forum I don't know about. Or maybe your account was hacked. Or maybe you were arguing with br0kenrabbit, over... ...I dunno, something?

Just throwing things out there. Evidence doesn't lie.

So where did "More! Do what I say until you agree with me! Until then, you're WRONG! Uncultured swine." come from? Who made that argument? Who did you attribute it to when you made that post?

Oh, so you were the one telling br0kenrabbit to "Do what I say until you agree with me! Until then, you're WRONG! Uncultured swine," then? Why? What were you two arguing about?

Ah, so we're back to semantics. I understand.

Right. So the "More! Do what I say until you agree with me! Until then, you're WRONG! Uncultured swine" post was meaningless, purposeless, sprang out of thin air, existed in a vacuum, and a complete waste of time and effort to anyone and everyone unfortunate enough to be reading it. I understand now.