Tex-Mex

From Texas came an extraordinary cultural phenomenon: Tex-Mex cuisine. If you’re from the U.S., you’ve definitely eaten it. From breakfast burritos to your Taco Bell order, Mexican food has been surprisingly ever-present in the minds of Americans. Yet these culinary staples aren’t actually authentic Mexican foods, they’re Faux-thentic, meaning that they are simply a unique and often misappropriated interpretation of another culture’s cuisine. Take Chipotle. I love Chipotle – in fact, I may even be a little obsessed. But really, it’s absurd how they can just take a bowl of rice and toppings and call it Mexican cuisine. I mean, the closest they’ve ever gotten to authentic is by selling Jarritos, a Mexican soda. If they wish to label themselves as “Mexican,” they should include some widely known Mexican delights such as tamales, chilaquiles and chile con carne in their menu or incorporate authentic elements into their bowls and burritos. So many Americans already love their Mexican “inspired” fast food, so introducing traditional elements into their offerings would serve to elevate their menu.

Chinese-American

Another infamous faux-thentic restaurant is Panda Express which, personally, I adore — the orange chicken and egg rolls are amazing — but, unfortunately, it’s a total rip-off. Their food never really tasted like it was representative of Chinese cuisine to me. But, unlike Chipotle, which was established by white Americans, Chinese food chains like Panda Express have been historically founded by Chinese immigrants. In America without their traditional ingredients, the Chinese diaspora were forced to innovate, creating Chinese American cuisine that’s delicious in its own right, but entirely separate from cultural Chinese foods. Sadly, over time, these restaurants began to create Americanized “franken-food.” To stand out, Panda Express should offer Chinese staples such as Peking Duck or Mapo Tofu – but nonetheless, they have a regular customer with me.