Another example that makes me cringe every time is how Americans seem to have absolutely no knowledge or respect for food names.
Like the champagne vs sparkling wine debate. Like, yeah, champagne specifically comes from the champagne region, and it’s a white sparkling wine made with the « méthode traditionnelle ». We have hundreds of wines made with traditional method, with their own name, many better than actual champagne. But if you allow yourself to call everything champagne, you lose variety AND quality (just use crappy wine with a soda stream and call that champagne, this is probably what you get in some places in the US). Same for cheeses, don’t call it gruyère if it’s not Swiss or French, it might be the same ingredient, the same recipe, and might taste the same or even better fwiw, if it’s not from the correct region it’s not gruyère. And don’t get me started on American « parmesan ».
If you don’t respect name, there’s no way to be sure you’re getting the real stuff, and at this point you’re juste at the mercy of big industries selling you whatever crap they want. That’s why American products suck.
Like the champagne vs sparkling wine debate. Like, yeah, champagne specifically comes from the champagne region, and it’s a white sparkling wine made with the « méthode traditionnelle ». We have hundreds of wines made with traditional method, with their own name, many better than actual champagne. But if you allow yourself to call everything champagne, you lose variety AND quality (just use crappy wine with a soda stream and call that champagne, this is probably what you get in some places in the US). Same for cheeses, don’t call it gruyère if it’s not Swiss or French, it might be the same ingredient, the same recipe, and might taste the same or even better fwiw, if it’s not from the correct region it’s not gruyère. And don’t get me started on American « parmesan ».
If you don’t respect name, there’s no way to be sure you’re getting the real stuff, and at this point you’re juste at the mercy of big industries selling you whatever crap they want. That’s why American products suck.