Preserving culture is certainly a delicate balance, especially when it comes to food. If we had “preserved” Italian food from American influence, for instance, they wouldn’t have (and they wouldn’t have brought back to us) the most common Italian dishes like pasta with tomato sauce, pizza or insalata caprese. Similarly, the Japanese wouldn’t have tempura, which has risen from a food of dubious foreign origin in to a form of high culinary art in Japan. Since the invention of the wheel, different cultures have shared ingredients and recipes, and have influenced each others cuisine. We shouldn’t consider that influence the same way that we look at invasive species. In fact, it’s only by sharing recipes that we will conquer invasive species - by eating them!
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