Per the dictionary and origin ethnic is a racial word used by Christians for non-christians. Few of the synonyms of this word are gentile, infidel, pagan, profane. However, later the word ethnic group was used as “a social group or category of the population that, in a larger society, is set apart and bound together by common ties of race, language, nationality, or culture”. Indian is extremely diverse country and each place has its own language, food and culture. That is the reason I call food of each region (or say each state), an ethnic food. Each region / state is a smaller sections of people among large Indian population held together by language, culture and food. Hence each place has its own ethnicity. Italian, French and McDonalds are not ethnic they are FOREIGN. Why non European foods are called ethnic in US is a phenomena similar to Africans being called African Americans, Latinos being called Hispanic where as European calling themselves Americans and not European Americans!!