Why are we picking on Olive Garden? It’s not like every other restaurant is any better.

Most foreign cuisine is heavily Americanized to make it more appealing to the locals (That would be us.)

Especially Chinese food. Most of the dishes on an average Chinese buffet were invented in America. If you actually go to China, the food there is significantly different.

Same way with Japanese food. Most sushi is changed for this country. I visited Japan about eight years ago and visited a restaurant. Most of the food was steamed fish. The fish was served with the skin and head intact. The authentic way to eat the fish was to deep throat the fish head on and chew, since the fish was quite tough, a lot like beef jerky.

Pizza in this country id FAR different than it is in Italy. Most “authentic” Italian Pizza has no tomato sauce. Even those “Italian Owned” pizza places you find in new york are serving the American version of pizza.

Hell, even so called “American” food is rarely true to it’s roots. Ever here of “pit” barbecue? The practice originated in Texas, where the food was cooked in an actual pit in the dirt, sanitation be damned. How’s that for “authenticity”.

Personally, I could give a rats ass about authenticity. I go to restaurants for good food. I’m not so mindlessly pedantic that I place “authenticity” above good taste. And when I say taste, I mean the flavor of the food.

If I want authenticity, I’ll hop on a godamned plane.

Anyone who complains about authenticity like this is a pretentious moron who’s just looking for an excuse to feel superior.