americans and indian food?

Question

why dont americans seem to like indian food, indian food is the most populer foodin britain and everyone eats curries at least once a week

Answer 1

I LOVE Indian Food!

And, BTW, I am an American and I DID grow up eating spicy food! I grew up in the southwest eating Mexican food, jalapenos, and salsa, We also ate a lot of Thai food with those little red dragon peppers. Typically, people in the Southwest U.S. and the South eat spicier food than people in the North, Mid West, and NE.

I'll go a long way out of my way for good Indian food and unfortunately in the small mountain town i live in in Western NC there isn't an Indian restaurant. I've been to India 3 times (North, South, Central, East, NE) and the food was amazing.

We have Indian food close to once a week because my wife learned to make it when we had some children from India live with us for a few months one year. Also, I bring back loads of spices for her when I am in India.

Answer 2

You have to look a little back in history:

British took over India and made it their colony. By living in India, the British became very familiar with their spices and food. So today, as you can see there's a great Indian influence in English cuisine and they are very used to the flavors.
On the other hand, here in US, curry and Indian food in more of a new flavor that people may have not developed a taste for it just yet. In places such as California or NY, which are very diverse in population, people are more open to trying new things. Not to mention that curry is present in many Thai dishes as well and that is also very popular in Cali.
I don't think it's only Indian food, but there are many other cuisines that are just finding their way into the American culture, however, this is much slower in states that are mainly Caucasian.

Answer 3

I think that's just something your born into. If I were born in India then obviously I would eat Indian food. And maybe I wouldn't like North American food. That could go either way. Me myself. I've been conditioned with North american food being as that's where my roots and heritage is. ( Native Canadian ). Canadian and American cuisine are virtually the same. Personally there are some indian foods I do like. Rice with curry but the meat has to be chicken or beef. I don't like any exotic meats from abroad, I.e: Kangaroo, snakes, insects, lamas, ostrich, etc. I'll only eat, steak, roast beast, hamburger, pork, ham, bacon, veal, buffalo. Salisbury steak, this will just melt in your mouth. The texture is perfect and the taste will blow you away. Add gravy, carrots, mashed potatoes, or mashed turnip or both mixed together. And then get ready for the best damn meal you've ever had. Strictly my opinion of course.
Seafood: cod, haddock, sole, salmon, clams. The rest you can have. My tastes are simple enough and I'm not ready to experiment with foreign foods although there are certain exceptions. because I can't get enough of our own foods here. I am content. Peace.

Answer 4

Indian food is not yet well known in America, but is goes too far to say that they don't like it. Through their colonial involvement with India the British got to know Indian food well, which led to its popularity.
Generally when Americans are exposed to foreign cooking, they take to it readily. Look at the thousands of Vietnamese restaurants in the US. Americans got familiarized with Vietnamese food during their many years of fighting a war there and loved it. The US have had only limited interaction with India and therefore Indian food is not well known.
Also in the US Indian restaurants are rather expensive and it takes a long time to get served.
So if you want to introduce Indian food in the US it is primarily a matter of marketing and second of changing the approach of the market from what has been done until now.

Answer 5

I am also an American who loves Indian food. Because of British ties with India it has been better exposed in your country. I don't think it will ever be as popular here as in your country. Sometimes it takes a while for American taste buds to get used to new things. I think it is slowly gaining in popularity here, however. It used to be really hard to find Indian restaurants, but they've become more common over the past few years. Hopefully there will be good Indian food on every street corner within the next 5 years!

Answer 6

I like Indian food...I live in Metro Detroit (MI) and there are a lot of Indian restaurants to choose from in the area. I prefer the buffets so I can try a little of this and a little of that - I don't always like it all but I do like to try different things.

Someone above is right though - My stomach is usually pretty strong but Indian food runs through me pretty quickly! Must be the spices used.

I am considering having it for lunch now...but I also don't want to be on the toilet the rest of the day!! I also notice that I tend to stink like curry until I take my next shower. It seems to stick to your clothing and hair. When the guys at work go to the Indian buffet at lunch, I can always tell because when they walk by my desk I catch a whiff of curry.

Still though, I do enjoy it but I think many Americans just don't open their minds up to "foreign" foods as much as other countries might. I like Arabic food too...I grew up in Dearborn MI and there were a ton of Arabic restuarants there...but any time I mention it to someone, they usually turn up their noses.

Answer 7

Well my Wife and I went to eat Indian food last week for the very first time was a buffet, I am 100% American but my wife is from the Philippines, so I am semi cultural thinking I will try most foods once,I have been blessed to travel a bit gone to Africa, Peru, Asia, etc,,, They had about 10 differant curries at the Taj Mahal which was the Name of the resturant , Mahal in the Philippines means LOVE by the way. Anyway It was ok , just ok at first I thought hmmmm this is pretty good and spicy is not a problem for me, but as I tried everything except Goat!!!( My Wife ate that yucks! )It reminded me of the Philippines as in all the foods were very similar and it is very easy to get tired of it, not enough Variety in the way the foods were cooked,for me was just ok and I would prefer to never go there again,now Chinese they have so many varieties love eating that kind of food if had a choice of changeing from one culture of food to another.For this American Indian food is just ok, here in America we probably have the best foods in the entire world cause all cultures are here.Why focus on one specific culture when there are so many and better to choose from even.Anyway thats my two cents on the subject have a good day.

Answer 8

Americans don't grow up eating spicy food with real flavor to it. The different spices take a while to become accustomed to. Additionally, there isn't the history of late-night curry shops in the US (oh, but I wish...) On the other hand, you realize that much British Indian food is as authentic as most American Chinese food, right?

My partner and I go to brunch at a South Indian place every week, and we're often the only non-Indians there. But that's how you know it's real.

Answer 9

I adore Indian food!

My Indian-food-loving friends and I have hypothesized that Indian cuisine is the "Mexican food" of Britain. Because America and Mexico are neighbors, there is a great deal of culinary influence from Mexico on America's eating habits. The parallel in England is that India was colonized by the British and that long-standing relationship contributed to the popularity of Indian food in England. So in the same what that English people would eat curry regularly, Americans would make burritos, tacos, fajitas and other tex-mex food in their homes on a regular basis.

Answer 10

Americans (and for that matter the Brits) are not familiar with South Indian food which is less spicy and less greasy than most North Indian food.

Secondly, there is a stereotype that connects Indian food to the body odor of many Indians in the U.S. This body odor develops from not doing their laundry frequently, and eating too much meat.

Before anyone accuses me of racism, I am an Indian too.