I remember fixing a dish for a "Mexican/South American" potluck dinner.
They told me I almost killed them with the heat from a dish fixed at "normal" New Mexican red
level of "Mecxican" food.
I always wonder how watered down/changed American versions of ethnic foods really are.
Thai is one that I really see a difference, when they open it may well be spicy and hot and going back later are closed or Americanized to meet the tasted buds of the local populace.
I think "authentic" ethnic depends on a fairly sizable local ethnic population to keep the doors open.
I think back to a class I took in the LA area and one of the folks offered to take us to an authentic ethnic place. A couple of the folks could not use chopsticks and the restaurant had a difficult time finding utensils for them to eat with.
Having grown up eating "Mexican" food, as prepared by Mexicans, father and mother, I can tell you that not all "Mexican" food is hot. Much of it is spicy but not necessarily flaming hot. I have found that much of what I call "Gringo" food is made a lot hotter than Mexicans would fix it. Do Mexican have some hot foods absolutely but chili is more often used as a spice not to test the toughness of your mouth, tongue and palate. Lived in NM for 10+ years and do remember some dishes being fairly hot but never encountered any dishes that would particularly set me back.
Like every food in America, every chest thumping idiot decides that if xxxx food is
known for using XXX spice, mine will have more!
That's why you get sausage dominated by sage.
Pumpkin pie that tastes like spices. (Hell p-pie spice has become a taste)
Apple pie where you can't taste apples........
