Food: didn't know Italians were so picky about their carbonara!

[kongwee]

These people will faint if they see my country carbonara

 

[Talisman]

It's a cultural issue, in Italy some aspects of cooking are absolutely sacred, and looking at some variations of "Italian" dishes created in the USA it is also legitimate, there are some filth passed off as Italian food....
The pineapple in the pizza, frankly I don't know how it can be eaten, instead of overcooked pasta with ketchup and some other "extravagant" custom.
You have to forgive us if we are very picky about our dishes, especially in the revised versions in USA sauce, but as I have already written, for us cooking is considered almost an art, they are proud of it and therefore we tend to defend it with drawn sword.
But you come to meet us, you can spare us some dirty searches....

 

[Digby]

These people will faint if they see my country carbonara

It doesn't look inedible, what are the little crumbs though?

 

[Digby]

I'd like to add that I have a sneaking suspicion that 80% of the best Italian produce stays within the country and what leaves for other places is the stuff Italians would only use in a pinch.

 

[Talisman]

It doesn't look inedible, what are the little crumbs though?

It's probably edible, maybe even good, but it's definitely not carbonara.
why call a different dish with the name of a dish that has a precise recipe?
They remind me a bit of those vegans who cut some fennel and assemble them in the shape of chicken breast and thighs and then call it "vegan baked chicken", why?

 

[Digby]

It's probably edible, maybe even good, but it's definitely not carbonara.
why call a different dish with the name of a dish that has a precise recipe?

True enough, but how does someone in, I guess, the far east somewhere, know about any of that? I'd expect they have no idea, in the same way I have no clue what the proper ingredients for, say, nasi goreng are.

Anyone could learn the proper ingredients, but I think we all have to get used to food being adapted locally, even if the name or ingredients are wrong. Some are more successful (closer to original) than other places, but I think it is a *problem* that cannot ever be fixed.

You can't expect a Thai, New Yorker or Finn to know what a proper carbonara is, 99 times out of 100.

 

[kongwee]

It doesn't look inedible, what are the little crumbs though?

Should be crush garlic.

 

[notsodeadlizard]

Is it possible to measure something using some Chinese DAC and ADC to finally teach these Italians to cook the Only Correct Carbonara?

 

[Digby]

Should be crush garlic.

Nonna, she cry!

 

[Keith_W]

Yeah kongwee, just as Uncle Roger says "Jamie Oliver make all our ancestor sad" ... Italians would be putting their leg on the floor if they saw crushed garlic in a Carbonara.

 

[Digby]

Yeah kongwee, just as Uncle Roger says "Jamie Oliver make all our ancestor sad" ... Italians would be putting their leg on the floor if they saw crushed garlic in a Carbonara.

To say something in Jamie's favour, he was a 'cheeky chappy' who got famous more for his character and doing quick, palatable, easy meals (very few brits will spend hours in the kitchen). I don't think he bargained with Youtube coming along and tearing him to shreds. His attitude is more 'make do', than authentic and there was a time where many ingredients were hard to find in most of the UK.

I think over the past decade or so, things have become easier, so perhaps he could up his game a little.

 

[Keith_W]

Jamie Oliver steps on the cultural heritage of every cuisine he attempts. Chilli jam, olive oil, and instant rice in his egg fried rice. Peanut butter in Indonesian gado-gado. A pitiful lack of chillis in Thai green curry, and more olive oil. I can't remember him doing Carbonara but I am sure he would mangle that up too. A carbonara is the easiest thing to do, it's all about gathering the correct ingredients and using the right technique. No need to overcomplicate it.

 

[Rednaxela]

A reasonably authentic one here as well. With English subtitles.

 

[Andretti60]

A reasonably authentic one here as well. With English subtitles.

Big OMG no!
First of all, the guanciale must be cooked in its own fat, please do not add olive oil, and the garlic is a NO NO (I really don’t understand why everyone thinks that Italian recipe must always have garlic and onion). That means that the guanciale must be cooked on a stove set on low, it will take of course more time (something that restaurant cooks are not keen on doing it) but the guanciale will be perfectly cooked (in the video is too crunchy, away over cooked, it looks like fried bacon.
Secondly, too much salt and away too much pepper, that will cover up the flavor of the guanciale.
Thirdly, he even mentioned that you can add cream at the end.

I am stopping here, adding the link to good video (that is also fun to watch) for one the best Italian cooking ‘tuber.

 

[Rednaxela]

 

[Rednaxela]

Many Italians hate the addition of garlic to their pasta carbonara but it’s simply better and they can’t admit it!

Dixit Jon Snow.

 

[Digby]

This argument reminds me of something.

I sent a parcel from the UK to Italy (pre-covid). It took 2 days to get from the UK to Italy, then 11 days (!) to travel 60 miles and be delivered. The recipient would have got it quicker if he had walked to the airport to collect it himself.

I imagine the postmen went on strike because one of their managers dared to say it was OK to add to garlic to carbonara, then an argument with much hand waving ensued. That took a least a week to settle down, before tempers were soothed enough that my parcel could finally get on its way.

 

[Rednaxela]

@Digby ’s postman:

 

[Rednaxela]

Or maybe he accidentally watched Marco Pierre White’s version and first had to recover for a week.

 

[Rednaxela]