• AFK BRB Chocolate (CA version)@lemmy.ca
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      6 days ago

      I read once that spicy cuisine doesn’t correlate almost at all with where the spices are native, it correlates with where temperatures cause food spoilage. The theory is that, since chilis, garlic, and onions have some antimicrobial and antibiotic effect, the people who cooked with them in warmer climates tended to survive better than people who didn’t, and so passed down their tastes for them more. I read that a bunch of years ago, not sure if it’s been confirmed or disproved.

    • killeronthecorner@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      The UK doesn’t have much naturally growing spicy things either, and spicy food is still pervasive here.

      It’s what having virtually no immigration from the east or the med does to cuisine in a country.

        • NKBTN@feddit.uk
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          5 days ago

          Not the food, but one of our most popular condiments - English Mustard - has a fair bit of kick to it. Not quite wasabi levels, but not too far off.

        • killeronthecorner@lemmy.world
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          5 days ago

          Traditional to when? We’ve had spices here for centuries And they were barely used in British food.

          It was waves of Indian, Asian, and Afro-carribean migration that lead to changes in cuisine here.

          • WIZARD POPE💫@lemmy.world
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            5 days ago

            Traditional to before any mass migration from the colonies I’d say.

            Like the food the Brits made themselves. If they had these spices and used them that is fine. But claiming dishes that came in with immigration I would not count

            • killeronthecorner@lemmy.world
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              5 days ago

              You’re agreeing with me. You said that not having any natural spices lead to a culture not eating any spicy food. I said that having a lot immigration from countries with spicy food changes that, as proven in much of the western world.

              You’re right, food in countries that had no spices at that time wasn’t spicy. I’m not sure that says anything very interesting though.

              • WIZARD POPE💫@lemmy.world
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                5 days ago

                Yes but the food that comes in with inmigration is not the native culture’s food. It can get integrated but it is still not native food. If I am expressing this correctly.

                Like is it tikka masala or something similar that comes from britain. But I would not call that british food. If you get what I mean.

                • killeronthecorner@lemmy.world
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                  5 days ago

                  You can draw an arbitrary line in the sand anywhere and say anything after it is not from that place. Are all the French influenced dishes in Britain not British? What about Saxon or Norse? Again, this doesn’t seem helpful framing.

                  The traditional foods of a country, to me, include what is eaten broadly over recent generations.

                  As for Tikka Masala, is tea drinking not British too?

                  • WIZARD POPE💫@lemmy.world
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                    5 days ago

                    Yeah well I am allowed to draw the line where I want aren’t I? And I will say traditional European (northern and eastern mostly) food is just not spicy since really spicy stuff does not grow there and people figured out different methods of preserving food.

                    Let’s just leave it at that.