สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 150  French culinary art with local produce (Harris et al., 2005). The new cuisine has grown through restaurant proliferation and later seeped into American homes. Presently, American eating patterns are de fi ned by two causes, the incessant in fl ux of immigrants and the changes in food production and marketing (Gabaccia, 1998). Foods of new ethnic groups, such as Mexican, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Mediterranean, are added into American markets. New technologies, such as inventions to allow easy preparation, longer preservation, mass production, and low-cost and ef fi cient logistics system, have become vital parts of the American food industry (Pillsbury, 1998), and they are major establishments that accelerate the creation of new and adapted ethnic food products and services. Also, demographic and socio-economic factors, such as an increase in the non-white population, aging and health-conscious consumers, working females, long-hour working patterns, at-home and away-from-home food expenditures, and economic crisis, are driving changes in American eating patterns. Even without a national cuisine, America has a culinary culture, which can be seen in two preferences, the taste for a variety of ethnic specialties and for standardised processed food (Gabaccia, 1998). Gabaccia cites that there are no fi rm boundaries in American eating habits. Americans always desire to consume ethnic foods and make them a part of their culture. When an ethnic food enters American markets, it would be adjusted to suit American palates. The adjustment or Americanisation is a common practice in the American food industry. In fact, since ethnic ingredients were hardly available and the prices were high (Levenstein, 2002: 75-89), consumers and businesses had little to no choice but to use local substitutes. They had to acculturate (Wallendorf, Reilly, 1983: 292). Seeing a good opportunity, producers have come up with American-versions of ethnic foods (Barbas, 2003). Mintz (2002a) suggests that authentic ethnic food is the one that cannot be shipped nationally. Consequently, simpli fi ed, reduced, cheapened, or mass-produced versions of the original way are offered. For that reason, Americans experience cultural losses and are hungry for authenticity. Though the de fi cit is responded by marketers who try to deliver authentic experiences (Gabaccia, 1998), they are hardly made possible in American markets (Pillsbury, 1998). The failure partially comes from the fact that the “authenticity” concept is based on a static assumption of place and culture. But, as all cultures constantly change, few societies can maintain pure cultures (Sims, 2009: 231-336). Thai Food: A Gateway to Cultural Understanding