Amercanized vs truly italian food....

Sometimes the same ingredient. I heard that kind of urban legend here in Parma, about parmesan cheese changing taste when taken to far places.
 
When it comes to cheese and vegetables especially, I do think that they taste different depending on where they are grown and produced, and that will have an effect on the dish your making.

I don't know if I'd go as far as to believe that parmesan cheese story though, that might be going a little to far!
 
Yes I agree, sometimes the place where things are grown makes a difference. But, I've never heard of parmesan cheese actually changing taste when taken from one place to the other. I agree with pwarbi - it seems a little far fetched to me!