Magnifico, BillDan stated HIS strong opinion in a humorous yet condemnatory way, so I answered him (only him, not you), in that way.

I am sorry that my strong opinion which is different than yours, causes you so much grief, but you know the saying: "Just ignore it if you don't like it."

Why is it so important to me? For the same reason that all humans generally try to convince others of their strongly-held opinions: it is human nature.

Taco Bell would be cool bu the two attempts so far to open the chain in China failed because they were too out of the box for Chinese people to handle.

I like Itchiness food fine, but just because it is classified as food and made inside the borders of China, so making it Chinese food, does not make it a give I am going to love and it and paradise it and if there is fault in it not say so.

And by the way here, I went to a place called Mei Er Mei (美而美 I think) and had the "American style T-Bone steak steak" yesterday and I will say this much about my, my dog enjoyed it. I was hesitant to feed it to him, thinking he might take offense. He was easy to please. The so called steak, fried and a coke cost me 66 RMB, or about $!!. Well, I guess I know where to go when my dog needs a steak. Chinese people need to cook what they know how to cook, bland noodles in spicy grease. Leave steaks and casseroles to the people of the world who actually can cook (and I am not lumping the frog and snail eating French in with that group.

Yeah, but you're a "food bigot", if there is such a thing.

You don't tolerate other people's views about food very much.

Is that also "human nature"? Or is that one of your character flaws?

Magnifico, I do not agree with people who have views that I consider wrong. Unlike you, I do not believe that food is all objective. I believe that there are objective things that make food good. Now, you got my answer. Please relax and stop derailing this thread. Thank you.

BillDan, French cuisine is a UNESCO world heritage cultural treasure. Yet you believe that the French don't know how to cook?

Magnifico: correction, "...that all food is subjective..." Sorry, typo.

BillDan, if I take you out to eat (my treat) to restaurant that is Chinese food, that I believe is very good, will you go with me, and then write an article about why it is terrible for my blog? I could write an opposing article. It would be like a Siskel/Ebert thing. What do you say? This could be a great thing!

So I just want to understand this. You said you like food that is "painfully hot".

Is food that is "painfully hot" and makes you break out in a sweat 'subjectively good' or 'objectively good'?

And if someone doesn't like it, there's something wrong with them?

And how can you be sure that it's not subjectively or objectively crap?

"I like Itchiness food fine..." should say " I Like Chinese food fine!" EDIT BUTTON! I appear far more illiterate than I am really am.

I will say one last thing since I have fallen already into mmkunmingteacher's trap it seems. If I like something (just sticking to Chinese food) I will eat it, if I do not I will not. I do not worry anymore about that pressure of offending somebody by not eating extremely spicy food, or having to eat when I am not hungry. I know people in Kunming just cannot believe it that people from other places on the planet do not worship there food the same way they do. I can't believe people don't worship Taco Bell myself. Actually I am more of an El Azetca guy myself, but we are splitting hairs now. My wife and I were invited to a dinner recently that was held for two Airplane guests who were friends of a a local person. Where do we go? Some fine restaurant with clean floors and good service? No, just one of those palces full of cigarette smoke and chop stick and tissues all over the floor. Of course a few local people had already ordered and they just could not wait to see the looks of of wonder on the faces of all these delicious food deprived foreigners when they dug into that huge hash brown covered in lajiao, and the red oily chicken foot/head stew. There as one dish on the table I could eat and that was all I ate. I hate to have my food ordered for me like I am a kid. And then only get one thing I like. The Nepali men were polite and ate the food, and especially since the locals were plopping the stuff on their plates. But outside on the sidewalk the one man told me the food was just too spicy for him and that he still felt uncomfortable. If you like spicy great. But why do local people push their swill on everybody else. We went with a Chinese friend to Laos a few years back and all they could do was whine and complain about the food. This is no good, that is no good. Finally they found a Si Chuan palce run by Si Chuan people and guess where they ate three times day until we parted ways?

Why criticize narrowed minded American like myself who by their genetic predisposition do not know good food (right?) when Chinese people are 100 times more narrow minded and closed to trying new things.

A few times we I am with my wife and a group of her friends and they wuill get to where it is time to go somewhere to eat, and at least three times someone has said "I don't eat Western food!". As if because there is one white guy there, me, it means we have to eat Western food (and where the hell would that be in Kunming anyway?) The last time I told the lady of course we will eat Chinese food. she chose. Guess here? A friggin' greasy, dirty floored little noodle/gaifan place. She was slurping that stuff down too, couldn't hear myself think over her noodle slurping. But at least it was what she wanted, which was exactly what he had the day before and every day before back to the time she started eating solid food.

How much more narrow and closed minded can you get? I have actually tired chicken feet. I did not like them. Do you think she has ever tried a meal that required a knife and fork to eat? Or an Arby's roast beef sandwich. Me thinks nay.

But keep me posted if anyone hears of a Taco Bell in town. That with Burger King and Mickey D's would finally make Kunming a city with food worth praising.

Magnifico, interestingly enough, chili pepper heat is probably one of maybe three elements of food that I can accept as subjective, because it causes actual physical pain. So to answer that one, particular question, it is "subjectively good".

Now, if you are talking about, say, a really perfectly-cooked, well-seasoned piece of lamb, and it is prepared from fresh lamb, by a skilled chef, and someone believes it is bad, then yes, I believe that person is objectively wrong.