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PaperclipPerfector  8mo ago (text post)   3499 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 17, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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The Mongolian fish might just be fish that is prepared similarly to Mongolian beef, which despite the name has nothing to do with Mongolia.

Given that Mongolian beef was invented in Taiwan in the 1950s, though, that would not explain why it* would be served at a tribal seafood restaurant.

Edit: *a fish prepared in the same manner.

I appreciate the answers, though you've substituted utter confusion with only mild confusion in this case haha.

Mongolian beef is popular in the US, I don't know if it's popular in India or the various other countries you've spent significant time in. At a regular restaurant, I would thus expect a dish called "Mongolian fish" to probably be fish prepared after the fashion of Mongolian beef. However yeah, it is confusing why a "tribal" restaurant would serve something like this.

When it comes to at least some so-called "Mongolian" dishes, it seems to be a case of "politics strikes yet again". According to Wikipedia:

Mongolian barbecue was created by Taiwanese comedian and restaurateur Wu Zhaonan. A native of Beijing, Wu fled to Taiwan after the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War, and opened a street food stall in Yingqiao [zh], Taipei in 1951.[1][2] While he initially wished to name the dish "Beijing barbecue", due to political sensitivity associated with the city which had been recently designated as the capital of the People's Republic of China, the name "Mongolian barbecue" was chosen despite the lack of connection to Mongolia.[5]

Mongolian barbecue is from Taiwan? I can't believe Ghengis Grill lied to me!

The Vietnamese who run all asian fast food here never told me! I feel betrayed!

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