America is known as a melting pot of different cultures that have assimilated into one dominant culture, says Tanachi Mark Padoogpatt. (Padoongpatt, p.363) According to Padoogpatt, the reality is that many other civilizations have brought their unique cuisine and enriched American culture.
After World War II, the United States and the Thailand government started to form many bonds. Gradually American culture began to creep heavily into the Thai culture. The hotel industry started to grow exponentially as a result of the US encouraging tourism. The US established a dominant presence in areas of economic and cultural influences. (Padoongpatt, p371) Many American’s grew fond of the “exotic” nature of Thai cusine. They wanted to bring elements of it back to the states. Particularly the cuisine. Several Americans looked at the popularity of Thai food as a business opportunity.
In the 1960s, Los Angeles became a popular hub for Thai cuisine. Several American’s who had experiences with Thai food while visiting Thailand decided to start subtly exploiting Thai recipes as their own. Several Cookbooks emerged during this time. One imparticular was named “The Original Thai Cookbook.” A woman named Jennnifer Brennan wrote it. She had spent several years living in Thailand, teaching English. Because she wrote her cookbook to flatter a white audience, Brennan left pieces of history out. Her teachings were not always authentic, even though she named her cookbook “The OG Thai Cookbook.” Thai food has continued to thrive all over the US, especially L. A were many famous restaurants have emerged.
I am a massive fan of Thai food, especially when it smells and tastes authentic. I am thankful for the Thai culture and hope to continue learning more about it as my culinary skills grow. I am excited to continue expanding my knowledge of a culture that is different than mine.
Padoongpatt, T. (2019). Too hot to handle: Food, Empire, and Race in Thai Los Angeles. C. Counihan, P. V. Esterik, & A. Julier (Authors), Food and culture: A reader (pp. 363-384). New York, NY, NY: Routledge.
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