This project is an exploration to understand why Americanized versions of authentic food are more popular, and how to help authentic ethnic restaurants stay afloat, using Greek authentic cuisine as a case study.

one sentence summary

one sentence before that talks about americanization which is a force of both localization and using local ingredients as well as popularity and fitting the American pallet

one sentence after this resulted in the creation of a new dish that strikes a balance between cost and efficiency and traditional methods and ingredients

This project started by realizing and noticing the effect of food chains taking over and small individually-owned businesses shutting down. Digging deeper, I realized that authentic ethnic restaurants are suffering because of the Americanized versions of the cuisine becoming more popular. I started to explore why they are more popular, and what aspects of authentic cuisines are lacking to stay afloat. I learned that the americanization of food is done by forcing of both localization and using local ingredients as well as popularity and fitting the American pallet

turn that into 2 images , and use that text as a script

one sentence before that talks about americanization which is a f

script: I conducted in-depth research that included interviewing chefs, and people from both sides, and tasting and breaking down different flavors and recipes,folowed by a thematic analysis to help me identify the main aspects that causing that gap. Through that process, being vegan myself, I noticed that vegan options were lacking in authentic restaurants. I used that discovery to create a vegan version of an authentic meal to create more diversity in these restaurants to attempt to appeal to a wider variety of people, and expand more customers.

add images that represent main key words- vegan - authentic -american -

Phase 1 (Research): 

Interviews

• interview authentic restaurant owners
• interview chain (franchise) owners
• interview patrons that go to both 
• interview patrons that only go to one, not the other

Project Scope 

• select the type of cuisine to dive into (Greek, Indian, Mexican)

Sampling 

• Investigate differences in how it's cooked, and presented, its texture, flavor profile 
• Sample from X amount of chains and X amount of authentic restaurants 
• See if you can go back to the kitchen to watch cooking methods! 

methodology

Methodology

prepare interview questions

send out questions

research cuisine culture

visit different types of greek restaurants

review answers and analyze feedback

create dish

present

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase ONE:

Interview

add images of who you interviewed and what are the main elements of your interviews

Greek Family

Authentic Restaurant

Americanized Restaurant

🇬🇷

🇺🇲

When embarking on recipe development, it's crucial to establish a solid foundation in your chosen cuisine, whether that comes from studying cookbooks, watching cooking shows, or learning from someone experienced. With this groundwork in place, you can unleash your creativity and personalize your meals, using ingredients that resonate with you and reflect your culinary identity. Remember, while a recipe serves as a helpful guide, feel free to improvise and adapt according to your preferences and the ingredients available to you. Additionally, it's essential to consider your audience when preparing food, as tastes and preferences vary widely among individuals. Crafting dishes tailored to specific people involves a subjective approach, acknowledging that not everyone will have the same culinary preferences.

"...Express your creativity through your recipes."

"...Establish a foundation with your cooking."

Advisor Meetings

"...Recipes serve as guides to then be creative."

"...Everyone tastes things differently."

Cambridge, MA

 Woburn, MA

Boston, MA

Belmont, MA

Phase TWO:

Analyze

Phase 2 (Creation):

Explore & Analysis 

• Once I've gathered all my research, data, and sampling... take all that information and put it into a concise analysis — what flavors are most popular? What style of cooking? What are the reasons people go to one place over the other? Why is one better? Is it convenient? Is it taste? other questions?
• Do an analysis of what's different about the two and what makes them appealing. 

add your findings authentic vs american

• The authentic restaurant owners were more willing to be interviewed.
• More spices and labor was included in the authentic restaurants.

elemnts of your interview -flavor profile and ingredience -experience -identity

you can make this into icons

Salt

Salt

Garlic

Garlic

Cumin

Cumin

Onion

Onion

Nutmeg

Nutmeg

Pepper

Pepper

Paprika

Paprika

Dill

Dill

Authentic Restaurant

Americanized Restaurant

Phase 3 (Testing): 

User test

• I will get multiple different people to test out the food and see if it is well portrayed (older people, younger people, people who love this type of food, people who may not necessarily want to try something different) 

Final project idea:

• After conducting studies on cuisine and figuring out what elements are most appealing to the majority of consumers, I will make a cuisine (menu, dishes) that meets in the middle of the two. The goal is to uplift the authentic roots of the original cuisine while also incorporating techniques/flavors that have become popular in chains. 

Phase THREE:

Tasting/Creating

make a slide for each - american vs authentic

precedents of food to make

"Authentic" Vegan Version

Recipe

Notes

Americanized Version

• Not as many ingredients used in this recipe



• Each ingredient was chopped small to make it feel like a smaller portion

• Kalamata Olives
• Cucumber
• Green Pepper
• Red onion
• Tomatoes
• Vegan Feta
• Salt
• Dill
• Pepper

Recipe

Notes

Americanized Version

• Fries lacked extra flavor/spices



• Fried

• Potatoes
• Vegan feta
• Dried oregano
• Salt
• Pepper

"Authentic" vegan version

Recipe

Notes

Americanized Version

"Authentic" vegan version

• Smaller Portion
• Made with Impossible Meat

• Rolled oats
• Chickpeas
• Cloves
• Spinach
• Tomato
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Salt
• Pepper

Throughout this Capstone experience, I learned a lot of new and valuable things. I stepped out of my comfort zone to talk to consumers, chefs, and employees to hear their perspectives on Greek food. I learned how to analyze feedback better, write short, detailed descriptions, and manage my projects efficiently. Overall, I feel proud and excited about my work, and am grateful I got to experience Capstone.