Authenticity as it relates to food

When it comes to food, authenticity is one of the most looked upon details. From the taste to the texture it’s no surprise that true food connoisseurs can tell of a food’s authenticity from just one look. But what exactly makes a food authentic and who is it that’s actual deciding what foods are authentic or not?

Saying that a food is authentic is saying that the food has been prepared traditionally. It is my personal belief that the authenticity of food derives not from the chef who prepares it, but from the origin and culture of the recipe itself. In order for a recipe to become authentic though it must follow the already accepted norms of that culture. For example: In Italy the portions are generally larger, and, more importantly, the meals have been organized as a primary entree, be it pasta, meat, or fish, with some sort of side dish all prepared with the freshest ingredients, whereas in Mexican culture the meals are usually served in smaller portions and include foods such as tomatoes, beans, rice, goat and fish.

But who exactly is it that’s deciding what foods are authentic? The answer to that question is an easy: the consumer. Whoever it is that is eating the food is the true deciding factor in the debate of authenticity. No American should walk into an Italian restaurant such as an Olive Garden and expect true, authentic Italian cuisine because ultimately it’s not. The “Italian” food is prepared in American fashion using frozen or pre-packaged ingredients and relying on mostly aesthetics rather than actual taste or authenticity. Hoping that as long as they can make a meal look Italian the consumer will believe that it is. Unfortunately most Americans still fall for such a simple marketing trick.

There are also many websites and magazines out in the world that claim to understand and appreciate authentic cuisine of any kind. But what exactly is the deciding factor for these beliefs? Through research it appears that websites such as chowhound.com conduct interviews and in-depth research of their own to decide what dishes can be considered authentic or not. The website travels to the origin of the meal to discovers it’s delicious history and then using the original recipe as a base, conducts taste tests with other “authentic” restaurants and makes it’s conclusion from there.

So much like it was stated in the beginning of this article, authenticity is all about taste, texture and origin. Most restaurants today boast the “authenticity” of their cuisine but non actually hold up to it. The only way to truly know is to get out there and familiarize yourself with the different tastes and smells of different cultures and their foods and to conduct your own research into authenticity. Only then will completely understand the word “authentic.”