สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 159  Thai symbolism is largely a creation of Thai marketers. The extent of their work depends on their knowledge and budget. It is important to understand that the degree of acculturation depends on how Thais educate Americans and how much, and in which way, they experience Thai food and culture. I think that’s why I was saying that Thai, the key learning about Thailand is through the food because you see it on the menu. Hopefully, people are more interested and smart and driven to fi nd out why they like Thai food. I was lucky enough that I had the opportunity to go there forcibly…Food is a good key to open the door. Unfortunately, there are indications that Thai producers lack accurate knowledge regarding authentic recipes and food culture, required for creating meaningful symbolism. Discussion American respondents demonstrate a strong food culture and suggest diverse eating patterns. However, the diverse consumption was a rather recent phenomenon. Americans may have long embraced the concept of diversity, but the respondents reported the lack of actual food experience due to its unavailability during their childhood. Some respondents are loyal to their familiar food, but the prevalence of ethnic restaurants encourages others to explore several kinds of food. Though some respondents indicated Thai food as their preference, their daily choices were circumstantial. It suggested that Thai food was just one of the ethnic choices. Bailey and Tian (2002) found that preparing ethnic dishes at home was a way to express a cultural appreciation. Yet, consumers tended to have a cross-cultural cooking style, which was their interpretation of another culture. In fact, their preference and ingredient availability are crucial factors. Moreover, there were apparent indications of selective acculturation. The respondents demonstrated limited consumption patterns. They mostly did not try many Thai dishes. Some were loyal to very few dishes. Regarding cooking, the ones who tried Thai cooking were closely related to Thais, or had visited Thailand. Yet, they often had insuf fi cient knowledge Ratiwan Watanasin