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Why do you think people in North America no longer see offal (or seaweed) as edible food for humans despite the opposite? It's because of hyperindustrialization

Why do you think people in North America no longer see offal (or seaweed) as edible food for humans despite the opposite? It's because of hyperindustrialization has distorted how these people view food ingredients.

civilitty 3y ago
What are you talking about? Tripe is a bog standard ingredient in Mexican cuisine seen on every menu from the southern tip of Mexico to Toronto. It’s the basis for sausages and hot dogs, an American staple. You can buy offal at almost any supermarket. Why would they carry it if people in North America didn’t see it as food? The reason most Americans don’t eat it is better options. Like rib eye steak and a salad. You can also buy multiple forms of seaweed at Costco and Walmart. That’s about as North American as it gets.
- ssnistfajen 3y ago
  You know which socio-cultural group I am talking about and it's not Mexicans. Sausage casings are also overwhelmingly synthetic especially for mass manufactured hotdogs. Premium cuts became "better options" because of hyperindustrialization, which made those cuts more affordable than before. This is a point you raised yourself in an earlier comment. The only reason you can buy seaweed at Costco and Walmart is because of multicultural immigrants and globalization, which are starting to undo the hyperindustrialization of the food industry even if by just a little bit.
- JAlexoid 3y ago
  Sorry, but you can't buy all offal in most American supermarkets. Living in NYC, where you can get both tripe and liver easily - you have to go to "ethnic" stores to get heart, kidneys or lungs. (I have yet to see any lungs or intestines in any US store... and I mean ANY. I'd have to go to a butcher and order small intestines to make sausages.) As for seaweed - it's primarily dried Japanese style seaweed that we can get in Costco's around NYC.
sct202 3y ago
A lot of people don't know how to use these ingredients. For offal, I would need a lot of videos showing me how to make really delicious things with some of the parts before I would even bother trying. Also, whenever I see organs at ethnic markets, they're whole organs, and I don't really have much butchering experience since everything I normally buy is already precut into appropriate sizes (eg single chicken breast/thigh/leg, steak of appropriate thickness).
dukeyukey 3y ago
I don't think British food is any less industrialised, but seaweed (local, not just in Asian food) is still available here, and stuff like kidneys and liver is downright popular! Even corner shops often sell steak and kidney pies, or a microwave meal of liver and onions.

civilitty 3y ago

What are you talking about? Tripe is a bog standard ingredient in Mexican cuisine seen on every menu from the southern tip of Mexico to Toronto. It’s the basis for sausages and hot dogs, an American staple. You can buy offal at almost any supermarket. Why would they carry it if people in North America didn’t see it as food? The reason most Americans don’t eat it is better options. Like rib eye steak and a salad. You can also buy multiple forms of seaweed at Costco and Walmart. That’s about as North American as it gets.

ssnistfajen 3y ago
You know which socio-cultural group I am talking about and it's not Mexicans. Sausage casings are also overwhelmingly synthetic especially for mass manufactured hotdogs. Premium cuts became "better options" because of hyperindustrialization, which made those cuts more affordable than before. This is a point you raised yourself in an earlier comment. The only reason you can buy seaweed at Costco and Walmart is because of multicultural immigrants and globalization, which are starting to undo the hyperindustrialization of the food industry even if by just a little bit.
JAlexoid 3y ago
Sorry, but you can't buy all offal in most American supermarkets. Living in NYC, where you can get both tripe and liver easily - you have to go to "ethnic" stores to get heart, kidneys or lungs. (I have yet to see any lungs or intestines in any US store... and I mean ANY. I'd have to go to a butcher and order small intestines to make sausages.) As for seaweed - it's primarily dried Japanese style seaweed that we can get in Costco's around NYC.

sct202 3y ago

A lot of people don't know how to use these ingredients. For offal, I would need a lot of videos showing me how to make really delicious things with some of the parts before I would even bother trying. Also, whenever I see organs at ethnic markets, they're whole organs, and I don't really have much butchering experience since everything I normally buy is already precut into appropriate sizes (eg single chicken breast/thigh/leg, steak of appropriate thickness).

dukeyukey 3y ago

I don't think British food is any less industrialised, but seaweed (local, not just in Asian food) is still available here, and stuff like kidneys and liver is downright popular! Even corner shops often sell steak and kidney pies, or a microwave meal of liver and onions.