I noticed that Ann said this:
C'mon, Herbie - you're from a time and a country where the sun never set on your Empire, remember? You've never had Chinese? You're not from the day of the Battle of Hastings, before Marco Polo became the first European to travel all the way to China, are you?
Remember that Herb would have been from a time when foods from other countries were not readily accepted. He probably
wouldn't have had Chinese unless he had it on one of his future journeys.
The reason I mention this is that even with the popularity of Italian food in the States, and even with the large number of Italian immigrants to this country, except for the bigger cities, most people had never eaten Italian (except for maybe spaghetti) until the 1950's.
In the rural area where I live, we didn't have a pizza joint until I was a teenager. I kid you not! Until I was 13, I didn't know pizza came any other way except in a box or frozen. My mom had never even heard of spaghetti (let alone other pasta) until the late 1950's or early 1960's.
I had my first taco (love at first bite) at the age of 17.
I never had Chinese food until
after I had graduated from college (the first time). The thought had never occurred to me because it just wasn't available.
I was introduced to Gyros and Baklava when I was in college, but that was about the extent of what I knew about the various Meditarranean / Middle Eastern foods. I didn't learn more until I was engaged to a guy from the Middle East.
There are so many wonderful cuisines out there and I seek them out now (Puerto Rican is one of my favorites), but in years past people (sadly) would not have been willing to do that...
Sorry for hijacking your feedback thread, Chris. I look forward to the next part!!
