Do Americans think ethnic foods all taste ~about the same?

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Seems that Americanized ethnic foods from around the world are made to resemble the dish they're meant to be, but are mostly void of flavour, seasonings, spices etc.. just colouring, maybe some sort of a glaze sauce - and that's about it.

Just ate some "ginger beef," that came from the freezer section of Costco (Canada) and I'd never buy it again. It Looks Like ginger beef.. but tastes like sweet sauce glazed breaded beef bits. Wtf? Where's the ginger?

Same sort of thing on cruise ships - Most of the asian foods were very bland - Nothing like you'd find at a Chinese or Indian restaurant here in the Vancouver area where we have Many chefs from around the world operating restaurants.

I remember having Chinese food in the USA, too.. it's basically just different colours and textures but is all made to taste like the same ~nothing. Very strange. I'd WAY rather have spices, chillies, curries etc vs. "pretend," that I'm eating Chinese or Indian food.

Makes me wonder if Americans that have never eaten ethnic food prepared by someone who Knows how to make it think that That is what Asian/various foreign foods taste like.. ? Bland nothingness may as well eat oatmeal or shredded wheat. Sad!

edit: I get it. They make this stuff to appeal to unadventurous people/senior citizens who Think they like the idea of eating ethnic foods but can't handle anything more flavourful or spicy than mayonnaise. It's what sells to the masses. I just think it's REALLY STUPID and that authentic flavours are infinitely better!

Im from the USA and have traveled a bit. I have to say, after eating food from the original country it is very difficult for me to eat those foods in America. I have found a few restaurants that are very close but not the same. I know our ingredients have a lot to do with it. And the heat (spice) level is not as high as most do not like it. I am luck to have had the opportunity to travel. Food is actually one of the reasons I travel. lol But I concur. It is sad to me as well.

No.

There’s a lot of variety in the US. There are plenty of family-run restaurants that serve authentic cuisine. One just has to know where to look for them. They are easier to find in cities that have a fair amount of immigrants.

There is an authentic Chinese restaurant located right next to a big Asian market in Connecticut. A lot of Asians will travel from all over the state to buy the proper Asian foods for cooking. It isn't just the cost of getting the right ingredients but having a clientele willing to pay for high quality meals.

The market used to sell steamed rice cakes but haven't sold them for years.
I just bought a pound of the proper rice flour for $1.39 to make them myself. Not the usual sweet rice like Mochiko.

Hartford Connecticut has a very large population of immigrants from Jamaica, so you may want to keep that in mind when visiting the Nutmeg state.

This seems like an ignorant generalization of an entire nation of people.

The problem is mass produced convenience foods in general. "Ethnic" foods available at supermarkets/warehouse clubs is made of pre-manufactured products. Take some frozen popcorn chicken and toss it with some pre-made stir-fry sauce, freeze them both again in large plastic bags suitable for boiling or steaming and Voila! (substitute frozen shrimp or any pre-breaded protein, and any commercially available sauce) The "deluxe" versions can also include frozen vegetables, but I can assure you no one in in the back of the store cooking anything

Its also why I hate "rotisserie chickens" from the same stores. They all start with chickens that have been previously frozen, at or very near its sell-by date that are over-seasoned to cover any possible taste of freezer burn or other off flavors. Cooking them for you lets them charge a higher price for something at risk of being otherwise discarded.

Yum Yum!

There is an upscale grocery story that sells a wide variety of ready to cook food. I've tried the freshly made pizza and chicken wings and they are noticeably better than frozen. I think that is the other issue that a lot of time frozen food doesn't taste as good.

Of course frozen food has its advantages. When it is snowing it can be a hassle to go out to buy fresh food.

Doesn't this depend on the state you live in?

Southern Californians and Texans would be quite familiar with Mexican spices
Northern Californians would be well versed in east Asian foods
Louisiana natives are familiar with Creole cooking
Southern states familiar with soul food (to the average American Creole or soul food is considered exotic)

Also if you live in the centre of any major capital city you are likely exposed to take out of every type of nationality/ethnicity.

I know one 'fun fact'.

That section of the menu of your favorite Chinese restaurant labled "lamb" consists of dishes that ...wouldnt be made from lamb in China, but would be made from.... dog meat.

I think that for Chinese foods, it is more about the Americanized or even Canadianized version of the dish. The dishes were often changed by Chinese restaurant owners to appeal more to the local taste.

But I do not think that ethnic foods are generalized. I have had very authentic tasting Russian food made by people that were Chinese? in a majority Mexican area. It was so cool.

I am chicano/tejano/mexican-american and I see a lot of varying flavors for the same dishes everywhere around Texas.

Source?

Lamb is likely more common than dog, dogs aren't very efficient livestock animals. I'm not suggesting dogs don't get used for food, only that sheep are a lot more efficient at turning stuff we can't eat into meat we can.

Not that I'm in a position to judge, my ancestors almost certainly ate dogs. It's not like the Americas had many other domesticated animals to eat at the time.

The same is true in China, where dishes from other provinces and ethnic minorities are changed to taste and served on the table.
So I think this is a common phenomenon in a place where tastes have been set.

Scechuan cuisine > dumplings

Indeed, although I don't like the pepper in it.

As a kid, I recall times in which adults would order items "off the menu" in Chinese restaurants.

The chilies, or the tingly/numbing pepper?