สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 160  and ingredients. As Barbas (2003) suggested, the popularity of ethnic foods had done little to contribute to the cultural understanding. This statement corresponds with the fi ndings. The indifference in learning about Thai culture is overwhelming. Even with positive attitudes, most respondents had limited knowledge about Thai culture, cultural symbolism, and Thailand, and seldom expressed any interest to learn beyond the food consumption. We are not as educated on Thailand in America as we should be, especially being that there are so many Thai dishes shown on the menu, right? It’s kind of weird contradiction when we think we know something, we really don’t. As intermarriage is a factor affecting acculturation (2004), the fi ndings con fi rm its importance. The respondents who married Thais had more understanding of Thai values and norms, demonstrated more cultural appreciation, and paid more attention to authenticity. Also, tourism is another key factor. Americans who visited Thailand saw the importance of marketing authentic Thai food. Particularly the ones who learned Thai cooking in Thailand, they preferred authentic to cross-cultural cooking. Unfortunately, they had dif fi culties interpreting Thai recipes and fi nding authentic ingredients. It said, “Steam the rice” and I used the rice cooker. They don’t mean cook the rice. They mean, “Steam it, like steamed vegetables.” You cannot fi nd like fresh coconut cream. You can go to the market. Like when we were in Thailand, we went to the market and they made that right there. You can buy canned coconut milk, but I could not fi nd coconut cream anywhere. Finally, I did fi nd some, but I want it fresh. Conclusion The findings confirmed a high degree of Thai food acculturation among Americans. However, the apparent pattern indicated the adoption at the level of restaurant consumption, rather than home cooking. In that sense, it does not greatly increase the bene fi ts of Thai food exportation, as the researcher expected to fi nd that Thai Food: A Gateway to Cultural Understanding