General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Did the emergence of Elvis Presley in the 1950s help or hinder progress of African [View all]MineralMan
(151,273 posts)had nowhere to go to find real cuisine of any culture other than Mexican cuisine. When I was in high school, though, a small Chinese restaurant opened in the next town. While most of what they served was Americanized, the menu also included a complete set of Hunan and Szechuan dishes. I graduated from the Americanized items to more authentic dishes quickly, learned to use chopsticks, and had a new world of food opened up to me. The restaurant was a favorite with the high school kids, due to what seemed to be exotic food and reasonable prices.
We'd go there in sizable groups, order a wide variety of dishes and just have a ball eating. I quickly worked my way through the entire menu. It was the beginning of exploring international cuisines, and I'm still exploring. A new Equadorian restaurant opened near me. We'll be heading over to it soon. They have guinea pig on the menu! Wow!