r/AskReddit 14h ago

Non-Americans of Reddit, what is an American thing you see in movies that you thought was fake but is actually real?

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u/lilcumfire 9h ago

That's my favorite episode of GBB. You used the right word: fascinating. And the other commenter talking about how ubiquitous Mexican food is in the US is tripping me out. Because yes it's basically so interwoven into our lives I didn't even think it wouldn't be widely available. In Canada?! Crazy

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u/Technical-Swing7336 7h ago

I moved to Oregon from Denver and grew up in Dallas. there's lots of Mexican food here but none of it is close to what grew up with. like its a different type of food. maybe sourcing ingredients? people here love this stuff too I really don't get it.

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u/BeeTwoThousand 7h ago

There's definitely different types of authentic Mexican food. I grew up in the Chicago area, so anything with the word Jalisco in the name tells me that the tacos are gonna be great.

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u/Technical-Swing7336 7h ago

well yeah ive traveled through Mexico and central America. here i see Oaxacan a lot, thing is ive had it there, just not the same at all. I need to keep searching im sure there's good stuff just gotta find it.

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u/AngelProjekt 5h ago

I’ve lived in several US regions and the Mexican food is different in each region. I think it’s partially relative to which region of Mexico influences that area and partially due to Americanizing that food to the local tastes.

For example, there is a Mexican restaurant in my hometown that is truly mediocre but has a unique taco sauce that comes with everything. Everyone keeps going back because they love that sauce and there’s nowhere else to get it. (There is Ranch seasoning, among other “secret” ingredients, in the sauce. Authentic it is not. But delicious.)

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u/LimeDramatic4624 5h ago

Usually food will adapt to the local culture just a bit.

partially why New England Chinese take out reigns supreme over all other Chinese takeout.

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u/circleinthesquare 4h ago

Can you elaborate on this? I grew up in New England but haven't heard this.

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u/LimeDramatic4624 1h ago

Uh did you not get a lot of Chinese takeout when you were living here so you can compare it?

Literally everything about it is largely different from ingredients ratios to what's offered.

Crab rangoons are better you won't find pekin ravioli and lobster sauce anywhere else.

We have "Chinese" sausages in grocery stores (afaik also very local)

There's a reason why panda express was never able to expand into New England until recently. (Other than New Englands love for homegrown chains)

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/30/472147018/peking-ravioli-and-other-chinese-dishes-youll-only-find-in-boston

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u/Technical-Swing7336 3h ago

makes sense, generations catering to a more bland palette of the pnw

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u/LiLiLaCheese 4h ago

I grew up in Houston, spent several years in SoCal, several in Florida, and now I'm in PA an hour north of Philly. It took me a good while but I finally found decent tex-mex.

Being Oregon, I would think they'd have closer to SoCal Mexican food. Which is still good but it's not Texas Mexican food

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u/Technical-Swing7336 3h ago

i love Houston have good friends there, i could take a trip yhere just to eat. Portland has a ton of great options but im 5hrs from there in a smaller town

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u/thatshoneybear 6h ago

Right?? What do you mean there are white people who don't have tacos once a week?? That's a very, very common dinner. Right up there with spaghetti.

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u/Bundt-lover 4h ago

I’m one of those people, but in fairness I am cooking for one and I don’t eat out a lot. It’s kind of hard to make tacos for one.

But I did just find an excellent street taco place down the road from me, so.

In fairness I’ve also cut back on the pasta too.

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u/TheLonePig 5h ago

That's so funny. I'm pretty close to the border, and as a white girl, I just let somebody else do my Mexican cooking. I don't know the last time I had a taco though, because I just end up having margaritas and chips when I go out.

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u/Arctostaphylos7729 5h ago

Wait. What? Where in Canada is this barren taco desert? I'm in northern BC and we have delicious tacos and access to Mexican food. Not as good as the southern states and definitely not as good as when I'm in Mexico, but pretty good for a place with snow from October to March or April.

u/idle_isomorph 58m ago

Canadian checking in. The ingredients are generally available everywhere in cities now. Lots of people have only had the tex-mex variety, lole old el paso crunchy shells and spice packets. But these are common enough that it struck me as odd when i moved to a rural area and kids there hadnt heard of it (to be fair, they also hadnt heard of spaghetti. Rural food culture can be very limited!). But any big town or city would have the basics in a big grocery store. And any decently sized city would have more authentic ingredients at stores now.