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Oct 28, 2017
605
Name: Qorban Pesakh

Country of origin: Israel

Description: Lamb wrapped in laffah (softer matzah, although it can be eaten with stale matzah as well) and peppered with bitter herbs. It is also known as the Hillel sandwich in the Haggadah. The cuisine bears many similarities (if not a striking resemblance) to Levantine Arab shawarma, and was most likely picked up by Arabs following their conquest of Israel (which had by that point been renamed Syria-Palaestina/Syria-Palestine by the Romans, after the Assyrians and the Philistines respectively; this was done in the hopes of erasing the connection between the now exiled/dispossessed Jews and their native land). It has been preserved by Jews in the diaspora.

14.jpg
 
Oct 28, 2017
605
Name: Hamantaschen (lit. "Haman's ears")
Country of origin: Israel (invented by Jews in exile)
Description: A pastry typically eaten by Ashkenazim on Purim, which is a holiday commemorating our triumph over Haman. It can have any type of filling, but raspberry is the usual choice. Although this recipe was conceived in Europe, it was invented by Jews (i.e. by West Asians) so I think it qualifies.

Apricot-Hamantaschen1.jpg
 

lint2015

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,809
On that note, what I am currently most curious about regarding this new place is the moderation. Our former home was very good at stamping out homophobia, transphobia, anti-semitism, [some] sexism, and racism - EXCEPT when it came to racism against Asians. Far too often I saw racial slurs and/or disparaging remarks against Asians get a free pass. I wonder how it'll be here.... Are there any members on Asian-ERA on the moderation team?
Yeah, that was a thing that stood out to me as well. The only ban I got before was when a mod blanket banned everyone who had a different view to them regarding something could be racist, and I was just trying to explain it from the Asian perspective.

And yet there was a ton of casually racist shit against Asians being thrown about that nobody batted an eye at.

I hope this place is better at having a consistent policy in that respect.
 

lint2015

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,809
The fact that you immediately jumped to this conclusion (while also invoking the "Jews who complain of antisemitism are playing the race card for political benefit" chestnut) is setting off some major internal alarms, I will say that.

But if you want a more detailed articulation of my thoughts, see here: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/what-is-and-is-not-acceptable-criticism-of-israel/
Thanks for your opinion piece. I'd like to believe I've kept my views within what you've listed as acceptable criticism. I know this may be a touchy subject and I apologise in advance if you might find anything I say offensive, but I'd like to ask you about the last two points of your unacceptable list:

Accusations of antisemitism are a smear tactic aimed at silencing criticism of Israel.
Jews exploit their historic suffering for political gain.

I tend to refrain from accusing any person or group of people of these two things, but I do believe the state of Israel is guilty of them. Would you consider that anti-semitic view? A lot of times when there is legitimate criticism of Israel and its actions, or votes that are not in their favour at the UN, I see the state play the anti-semitism card, and the remember our suffering card.

I make a strong distinction between the state of Israel and Jewish people in regards to political issues, but it seems it is the state itself that often wants that line to be blurred.
 
Oct 28, 2017
605
I tend to refrain from accusing any person or group of people of these two things, but I do believe the state of Israel is guilty of them. Would you consider that anti-semitic view? A lot of times when there is legitimate criticism of Israel and its actions, or votes that are not in their favour at the UN, I see the state play the anti-semitism card, and the remember our suffering card.

I make a strong distinction between the state of Israel and Jewish people in regards to political issues, but it seems it is the state itself that often wants that line to be blurred.

When a minority (Jewish or otherwise) accuses someone or something of being racist, the standard procedure is (or should be) to hear them out and go through the analysis. It doesn't necessarily mean agreeing with their conclusions, but it *does* require an honest analysis and a willingness on the part of the accused to critically examine their own beliefs in good faith. What's not ok is dismissing the claimant out of hand or accusing them of "lying" prior to said analysis (e.g. "lol, I'm not racist, and you're a troll for suggesting otherwise"), but this is done to us all the time (in part because it leverages old racist tropes of innate Jewish deceitfulness and cunning). Long story short: when a minority claims something is racist, there's usually (not always, but usually) a valid reason for it. We are no different.

I think it's incumbent upon everybody to accept that they may (often without realizing it) hold views that are bigoted. I know I've said things in the past that were insensitive to other groups without intending to, but I've learned from those experiences and grew from them as a result. I also think it helps to see racism less as a subjective "hatred" (although it often is that too), and more as an objective, structural reality that exists outside of us. And it is impossible to live within these structures without being impacted by it to some degree, even if we aren't aware of it.
 
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Oct 28, 2017
605
You also mentioned the UN, who are notorious for A ) being corrupt as hell (e.g. appointing literal dictatorships and theocracies to the Human Rights Council) and B ) disproportionately singling out Israel. There were more resolutions passed against Israel alone throughout the UN's entire history (68 as of this writing) than there were against Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar combined. This can largely be attributed to Israel being outnumbered by large anti-Israel voting blocs in the UN, compounded by threats of crippling embargoes against any country that votes no. To put it another way: Israel is being defamed and ostracized on the international stage (as "the Jew of the nations") the same way Jews have been defamed and ostracized for centuries. From a Jewish perspective, what the UN is doing is really just more of the same old shit we've been dealing with forever. Or as left wing politician Abba Eban put it, "If Algeria introduced a resolution declaring that the earth was flat and that Israel had flattened it, it would pass by a vote of 164 to 13 with 26 abstentions."

UNESCO has also passed many resolutions completely erasing our connection to Israel. I don't see how we could not be furious at something like that.
 
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lint2015

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,809
Thanks. I think your perspective here is quite enlightening. Also, love your food pics :D
 

Miletius

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
1,257
Berkeley, CA
img_17960ts4t.jpg


Curry writeup incoming. Pet please feel free to use all or part of this at your discretion, depending on what you are envisioning for the OP.

Japanese Style Curry

While the flavor profile of Japanese curry remains similar (debatable) to its more authentic cousin it has several distinguishing characteristics. Firstly, it tends to be less spicy, which is attributed by its indirect British heritage. Secondly, it's incorporation of meat as well as optionally potatoes and carrots, part of an effort by the Japanese to Westernize their diet. Thirdly, Japanese curry roux often incorporates novel flavors, such as apple and honey in order to create a hint of sweetness to the curry itself. Fourthly, and perhaps most importantly, Japanese style curry is almost always served alongside rice.

Japanese curry, nowadays, is a staple food. It is consistently voted the #2 most popular food amongst school age children. The average Japanese family eats curry at least once a week. It has been featured in television, anime and video games and is probably one of the most well known cultural exports. Some might find it odd, however, that in a country that values tradition that one of its most popular foods was originally imported from abroad.

There are three pivotal moments that contributed to the rise of kare in Japan. The first, of course, is its introduction by British sailors, who, were, in turn, introduced to curry via India. The British, by this time, had already modified curry for their own appetites, and the Japanese adopted the then less spicy and more meaty British style. It was believed that consumption of meat would encourage growth and curry was seen as a palatable option to the average Japanese.

Secondly, was the realization that curry is ideal mass consumption food. Curry rice, unlike other Japanese staples, is easily made and served in large batches to large crowds. This made curry an attractive option to the military and to schools, where meals needed to be quick, organized, and filling, further contributing to its popularity.

Thirdly, was the ability to prepare roux (sauce) industrially. The preparation time for small batches were reduced and truly turned curry to a food of convenience.

The curry above was consumed last Thursday, at Doji-Amn in San Francisco. It was delicious!
 
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wandering

flâneur
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
2,136
I've never heard that before. British curry uses apples? I thought they use tomatoes.

I think the apples are just a Japanese addition. Tikka masala is tomato-based, but lots of different kinds of curries are popular in Britain. Japanese curry is descended from the Royal Navy tradition of mixing curry powder into their stews.
 

Deleted member 2779

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,045
Loving the tag spider, and yeah I'll do my part. I only reported someone once over on Gaf and that was when it was particularly heinous.
I've seen a couple of people with avatars that are definite 4chan memes, and I think may be supposed to be racist against Asians, but I'm not sure
Think I know which one you're referring to but I'm not sure myself.
 

spider

CLANG
On Break
Oct 23, 2017
973
Australia
ya cuz we arent all knowing, so ... let us know if we can do stuff :>

on another note, the food porn in this thread has been WONDERFUL * ___ *

whenever im hungry, i check out this place so ..... im even more hangrier.....?????




:D;;;;;;
 
Oct 28, 2017
605
I'll report anything I come across. I'll probably end up having to explain why it's racist (people tend to have massive blindspots towards antisemitism), but that comes with the territory I guess.
 

Jintor

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Member
Oct 25, 2017
32,396
(sydney's) chinatown on a sunday is a bit too crowded to just stroll into restaurants, but i managed to snag some good egg tarts and dim sims from a greasy side restaurant. ace.
 

wandering

flâneur
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
2,136
Hong shao rou, shi zi tou, zui ji, jiaohua ji. (like fuck I'm gonna put the accents on there)

Red braised pork, lion's head meatballs, drunken chicken, beggar's chicken. My GOATs.


Also luo song tang, Shanghai-style borscht.
 
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Oct 28, 2017
605
Name: Kharoset
Country of origin: Israel
Description: A type of cereal/paste made of various nuts and fruits. It has been preserved throughout the diaspora, but because Ashkenazi Jews no longer had access to dates and other tropical fruits, they used apples instead.



haroset_300.jpg
 

Firemind

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,529
My girlfriend is watching Running Man (跑男) while I'm doing something else and they're really shameless in stealing music haha. I've already heard several Cowboy Bebop tracks and video game music tracks. They're not covers either. Literally the original track lol.
 

Cow Mengde

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,697
I would share some of the dishes I've had in China, but I'm just not a fan of taking pictures of food. I've only done it maybe 3 times. One of which is to show off the shitty takeout that I had for the night.

I don't have anything against other people doing it. It's more of my own personal stance against this sort of thing.
 

Septimus Prime

EA
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
8,500
I've watched a few of them, and I'm confident Randall Park could beat all of the other people I've seen. I think James Van Der Beek could beat them all, too, though. They were both exceptional.
 

Zoe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,236
I could never get over the cuts of meat used for beef noodle soup--too much gristle.
 

gully state

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,989
I could never get over the cuts of meat used for beef noodle soup--too much gristle.

I agree to a certain extent. Wifey and I use less beef shank and add beef spare ribs. Gives it that melt in your mouth meaty quality.


Really stupid question poll of the day... when referring to this..

Bubble_Milk_Tea-320X370.jpg

Do you call it "Boba" or "bubble tea?" I'm trying to see if this is a regional thing. In California, it's boba. But in Canada, I've bubble tea and pearl shakes...
 
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Zoe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,236
I only learned recently that "bubble" refers to the bubbles from shaking the tea, not the boba.

Not all drinks are tea, so "boba" is safer to say. Non-Asians say bubble tea more in my experience.
 

Keyboard

Guest
I was talking about Taiwanese style, which is what gully state posted.

Texture of the meat is more visible in this picture.
Let's see if I remember what my friend told me.

Taiwanese beef noodle soup usually has two styles: One soy sauce broth (hong shao) + another with a clearer drinkable broth.

Served with a side of pickled spinach and a dash of chopped white cabbage.

When cooked correctly, meat melts in your mouth. You're not supposed to fight it with your teeth. If you're doing that, then the chef did a bad job.
 

Zoe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,236
Let's see if I remember what my friend told me.

Taiwanese beef noodle soup usually has two styles: One soy sauce broth (hong shao) + another with a clearer drinkable broth.

Served with a side of pickled spinach and a dash of chopped white cabbage.

When cooked correctly, meat melts in your mouth. You're not supposed to fight it with your teeth. If you're doing that, then the chef did a bad job.

Can't really melt this stuff:
B2zYPXB.jpg


Husband loves it though. He always picks cartilage and gristle off of my plates.
 
OP
OP
Pet

Pet

More helpful than the IRS
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
7,070
SoCal
Re: niu rou mein: The clear one is delicious but there's something nice and savory about the hong shao version... especially with thick, hand pulled noodles. Love the bok choy veggies.

TBH I don't even really eat the meat unless it's tendon.


Re: boba. It's boba. More like, "bwo baa," or I guess you can call it zhen zhu nai cha... but it's boba y'all. Also best when it's a blend of black teas, including something along the lines of breakfast or Earl Grey.


Also, does anything ruin pork hock quicker than finding a bunch of short thick hairs on it? D:. I just tossed a few pieces because I can not stand to eat hair.
 

Cybit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,326
The clear one is delicious but there's something nice and savory about the hong shao version... especially with thick, hand pulled noodles. Love the bok choy veggies.

TBH I don't even really eat the meat unless it's tendon.

Also, does anything ruin pork hok quicker than finding a bunch of short thick hairs on it? D:. I just tossed a few pieces because I can not stand to eat hair.

Reasons I don't feel like I'm missing out as a vegetarian.
 

Septimus Prime

EA
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
8,500
I'll eat all of it. Y'all can give it to me.

Also, got your back, Cybit:

6a0112796f38d028a4017d4324473e970c-pi


Vegetarian shrimp (and a specific type of vegetarian chicken for which I can't find a pic) is fantastic. It's pure gluten, though, so some people can't eat it.