Cultural eating habits - tell us about yours
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I grew up in San Francisco which is so multicultural I wouldn't know where to start. But for the last ten years, I have been in Texas which is in the southern portion of the US. Here we like fried foods, ranch dressing, a lot of German & Polish influence in this area (Kolaches are everywhere), thick white bread, white gravy, and steak of course. Its very much classic southern comfort food. Sunday family dinners are something I enjoy, especially with my generally healthy eating family. But except for sauerkraut and the occasional fried pickle, I don't eat very traditionally for Texas. I'm OK with that.0
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It's interesting to see how people in different places eat differently. When I first visited the US I had to search very hard for a brand of bread I liked because most varieties tasted "too sweet" to me, which where I come from is almost unheard of, unless it's some kind of sweet roll or fluffy braid. I also remember the American family raising their eyebrows when I made a sandwich that only had some cheese with a whole tomato on the side. This was an eye opener for me.
Where I live, lunch is usually the biggest meal where most of the cooking takes place and it's usually around 4 or 5 pm. Dinner is usually pretty light, since you're already overstuffed after a late lunch.
Sandwiches are rarely more than 2 ingredients plus bread, often just some kind of spread on a piece of bread. Mostly cheese, deli meat with cheese or greek yogurt, greek yogurt with some mint, hummus, hummus and falafel.. etc
Speaking of yogurt and greek yogurt. Even though sweetened and flavored yogurt exists, it's treated like candy. I have yet to see sweetened or flavored greek yogurt, not even vanilla! Yogurt in all its forms is considered a savory food here, usually eaten with certain dishes. Greek yogurt is more of a sandwich spread or a breakfast dip (with olive oil). Always plain, always full fat and always savory.
The traditional breakfast has fried eggs, diced tomatoes and cucumber sticks, deli meat or luncheon, cheese, several dips (all eaten with pita and some dipped in olive oil), and a small cup of black tea (most often loose leaf tea boiled in water, but teabags are becoming more common)
Traditional lunch has some kind of protein, most often from an animal source (lamb, beef or chicken), rice (steamed, plain or with fried vermicelli), and some cooked vegetables in some kind of broth/tomato sauce. This meal is usually the most fatty and filling.
Dinner is either like breakfast or each makes their own sandwich.
When people visit, it's customary to serve tea or turkish coffee and fruits.
Tell us about the eating habits in your country / house.
I guess we come from the same or near countries
I am Lebanese
Yep, this sounded like a Lebanese diet to me, as well. My Lebanese friend eats (and serves meals) like this. Love. love. love coming to her home for "lunch" (that lasts hours!)!!!0 -
Not really cultural but our family meals - the ones where we are ALL there usually consist of huge amounts of food so in order to try a bit of everything we end up with a plate full of at least 2-3 times of what we would normally eat.
Christmas for example we have:
Turkey
Ham
Meatballs
Wild Rice Casserole
Perogies
Cabbage Rolls
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Turnips (always with turkey :happy: )
Gravy
Cranberries
Homemade buns or bread
and to make sure we have enough veg in there somewhere usually:
Brussel Sprouts
Plus a couple different dessert options!
:drinker:
That sounds like my families big meals, minus the turnips, and add a second gravy that has lots of garlic and wild mushrooms, and add a calico bean recipe that has a pound of bacon in it...The meat balls have to be sweet and sour! OH! And if it's REALLY a special occasion there are potato and cheese perogies AND sauerkraut perogies!0 -
Meat and Potatos
This except I am a new englander so throw in some chowda as well
It still fits - chowda is just (sea) meat and potatoes drowned in cream.
Mmmm...chowda. I visited Boston on vacation during 4th of July, last year. Chowda is amazing and fresh oysters are delicious!And, I'm in Texas where they love St. Arnold's beer, BUT I prefer Sam Adams...hands down.0 -
Not really cultural but our family meals - the ones where we are ALL there usually consist of huge amounts of food so in order to try a bit of everything we end up with a plate full of at least 2-3 times of what we would normally eat.
Christmas for example we have:
Turkey
Ham
Meatballs
Wild Rice Casserole
Perogies
Cabbage Rolls
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Turnips (always with turkey :happy: )
Gravy
Cranberries
Homemade buns or bread
and to make sure we have enough veg in there somewhere usually:
Brussel Sprouts
Plus a couple different dessert options!
:drinker:
I have come to realize that my family (extended family) is OBSESSED with desserts, on both my mom's and dad's sides.
Typical for us at a special occasion would be like this:
roast beef (sliced)
pulled pork platter
green bean casserole
potatoes au gratin
burn n' serve dinner rolls (the small ones)
sweet potato casserole made with marshmallows, brown sugar & pecans and maybe pineapple
red velvet cake
brownies with nuts
brownies without nuts
divinity
peanut butter fudge
Snickerdoodle cookies0 -
I'm from good 'ol Maryland, and here, we have two staples. Old Bay and crabs. It was mind blowing for me to travel to different countries, and even different states, and ask for Old Bay, and to stared at blankly. Maryland is all about steamed crabs, Old Bay, and Natty Bo beer!0
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I'm from good 'ol Maryland, and here, we have two staples. Old Bay and crabs. It was mind blowing for me to travel to different countries, and even different states, and ask for Old Bay, and to stared at blankly. Maryland is all about steamed crabs, Old Bay, and Natty Bo beer!
I love Old Bay seasoning but I've gotta admit, I never even heard of it here in Missouri until around 2000.
In my area, a few things I can't always find elsewhere are Dorothy Lynch and Ott's salad dressings, Frito pies (don't really eat them anymore though) and Hiland French Onion dip. I do not see any point in eating a baked potato without HILAND French Onion...anything else, even other French onion dips, just does not work...0 -
The Wyoming diet sounds really nice.0
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It's interesting to see how people in different places eat differently. When I first visited the US I had to search very hard for a brand of bread I liked because most varieties tasted "too sweet" to me, which where I come from is almost unheard of, unless it's some kind of sweet roll or fluffy braid. I also remember the American family raising their eyebrows when I made a sandwich that only had some cheese with a whole tomato on the side. This was an eye opener for me.
Where I live, lunch is usually the biggest meal where most of the cooking takes place and it's usually around 4 or 5 pm. Dinner is usually pretty light, since you're already overstuffed after a late lunch.
Sandwiches are rarely more than 2 ingredients plus bread, often just some kind of spread on a piece of bread. Mostly cheese, deli meat with cheese or greek yogurt, greek yogurt with some mint, hummus, hummus and falafel.. etc
Speaking of yogurt and greek yogurt. Even though sweetened and flavored yogurt exists, it's treated like candy. I have yet to see sweetened or flavored greek yogurt, not even vanilla! Yogurt in all its forms is considered a savory food here, usually eaten with certain dishes. Greek yogurt is more of a sandwich spread or a breakfast dip (with olive oil). Always plain, always full fat and always savory.
The traditional breakfast has fried eggs, diced tomatoes and cucumber sticks, deli meat or luncheon, cheese, several dips (all eaten with pita and some dipped in olive oil), and a small cup of black tea (most often loose leaf tea boiled in water, but teabags are becoming more common)
Traditional lunch has some kind of protein, most often from an animal source (lamb, beef or chicken), rice (steamed, plain or with fried vermicelli), and some cooked vegetables in some kind of broth/tomato sauce. This meal is usually the most fatty and filling.
Dinner is either like breakfast or each makes their own sandwich.
When people visit, it's customary to serve tea or turkish coffee and fruits.
Tell us about the eating habits in your country / house.
I guess we come from the same or near countries I am Lebanese
Yep, this sounded like a Lebanese diet to me, as well. My Lebanese friend eats (and serves meals) like this. Love. love. love coming to her home for "lunch" (that lasts hours!)!!!
You may have missed my reply before, but I'm not from Lebanon. Pretty close though! I currently live in Jordan.0 -
Breakfast: a porridge made from wholemeal flour (Brinta), milk and cinnamon
Lunch: some wholemeal bread with butter and chocolate sprinkles
Snack: an apple
Dinner: boiled potatoes, boiled vegetables, gravy and a meatball or sausage. A bowl of custard for dessert.
I come from the Netherlands. Most our food is the most basic you've ever seen. We make up for it with chocolate sprinkles on toast, pancakes and waffles.0 -
It's interesting to see how people in different places eat differently. When I first visited the US I had to search very hard for a brand of bread I liked because most varieties tasted "too sweet" to me, which where I come from is almost unheard of, unless it's some kind of sweet roll or fluffy braid. I also remember the American family raising their eyebrows when I made a sandwich that only had some cheese with a whole tomato on the side. This was an eye opener for me.
Where I live, lunch is usually the biggest meal where most of the cooking takes place and it's usually around 4 or 5 pm. Dinner is usually pretty light, since you're already overstuffed after a late lunch.
Sandwiches are rarely more than 2 ingredients plus bread, often just some kind of spread on a piece of bread. Mostly cheese, deli meat with cheese or greek yogurt, greek yogurt with some mint, hummus, hummus and falafel.. etc
Speaking of yogurt and greek yogurt. Even though sweetened and flavored yogurt exists, it's treated like candy. I have yet to see sweetened or flavored greek yogurt, not even vanilla! Yogurt in all its forms is considered a savory food here, usually eaten with certain dishes. Greek yogurt is more of a sandwich spread or a breakfast dip (with olive oil). Always plain, always full fat and always savory.
The traditional breakfast has fried eggs, diced tomatoes and cucumber sticks, deli meat or luncheon, cheese, several dips (all eaten with pita and some dipped in olive oil), and a small cup of black tea (most often loose leaf tea boiled in water, but teabags are becoming more common)
Traditional lunch has some kind of protein, most often from an animal source (lamb, beef or chicken), rice (steamed, plain or with fried vermicelli), and some cooked vegetables in some kind of broth/tomato sauce. This meal is usually the most fatty and filling.
Dinner is either like breakfast or each makes their own sandwich.
When people visit, it's customary to serve tea or turkish coffee and fruits.
Tell us about the eating habits in your country / house.
I guess we come from the same or near countries I am Lebanese
Yep, this sounded like a Lebanese diet to me, as well. My Lebanese friend eats (and serves meals) like this. Love. love. love coming to her home for "lunch" (that lasts hours!)!!!
I'm partially Lebanese and that's what I thought as well, I know OP has since said she's not from Lebanon, but there are a lot of similarities. Lebanese and Greek food do too I find, I don't know why that is though lol. I could happily eat like this every day!0 -
Well I'm in the UK and for me, my cultural heritage is:
- Game. Pheasant, Partridge, Venison, Rabbit; because the family hunted.
- Lots of alcohol. I'm used to people having Gin & Tonic/Vodka & Tonic as a pre-dinner drink, wine with the meal and and whisky or cognac afterwards.
- Kedgeree. A good breakfast for empire builders out in the colonies bringing civilisation to the great unwashed ;-)
- Local cheeses. From Stinking Bishop to Fetish, every family meal I remember had a cheese board of good, local cheeses.
- Champagne. I've separated this from general alcohol because every occasion, from births, wedding, deaths and even run of the mill things like a good day at the office is celebrated with a bottle of bubbly. By 21 I had a draw full of corks with 50p pieces in for luck and probably knew more about champagne than people twice my age. Even today, if I feel like it I'll pop out for a bottle of my favourite non-vintage (Laurent Perrier Rose) if I ever feel like toasting a small success or having a 'pick me up' from a bad day.0 -
I don't use ice personally, and I'm considered strange for it
Same up here in the PNW - I really dislike ice in my drinks (unless it's a margarita or daquiri, ha ha) and people look at me like I have two heads when I say so. Obviously I was meant to be European!
Oh, and I've always HATED Ranch dressing, so that's another point that seems to make me odd in most of my fellow Americans' eyes.0 -
Born and bred in Norway.
We tend to...
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I don't know if this is a unique habit to post industrial America, but I have not noticed it in Canada, France, England or the Phillipines. Parents eating a healthy diet yet feeding their kids absolute crap. Day after day of pop tarts, chips, hot dogs, pizza, chicken nuggets and fries....what are essentially party treats served as meals and snacks 4-5 times a day. While the parents eat oatmeal, fresh fruit, carrot juice, salmon and kale chips(which I might add are roughly the cost of sterling silver per oz!). I am not a food. My kid gets pizza and chips at a chess tourney, she gets the giant Hawaiian shaved ice and kettle corn at the track meet, she eats her fill at a birthday party and she gets a box of candy at the movie.. But she only eats this 3-4times a month and it never comes in the house. My husband and I both came from families where there was never party food in the house unless there was a party, just normal human food. In fact I think it makes it more fun for us because we really look forward to the circus and the county fair and all of the bizarre fried items they are always inventing. My question for these parents is "Why are you giving your child vascular disease when you would never treat your own health so poorly?"0
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I don't know if this is a unique habit to post industrial America, but I have not noticed it in Canada, France, England or the Phillipines. Parents eating a healthy diet yet feeding their kids absolute crap. Day after day of pop tarts, chips, hot dogs, pizza, chicken nuggets and fries....what are essentially party treats served as meals and snacks 4-5 times a day. While the parents eat oatmeal, fresh fruit, carrot juice, salmon and kale chips(which I might add are roughly the cost of sterling silver per oz!). I am not a food. My kid gets pizza and chips at a chess tourney, she gets the giant Hawaiian shaved ice and kettle corn at the track meet, she eats her fill at a birthday party and she gets a box of candy at the movie.. But she only eats this 3-4times a month and it never comes in the house. My husband and I both came from families where there was never party food in the house unless there was a party, just normal human food. In fact I think it makes it more fun for us because we really look forward to the circus and the county fair and all of the bizarre fried items they are always inventing. My question for these parents is "Why are you giving your child vascular disease when you would never treat your own health so poorly?"
Because they know they'll eat it. We feed the kids whatever when we make something they won't eat (like tonight... they'll probably make their own pizza while we'll have leftover taco bake - they don't like the beans and chiles in it). Definitely not every night though.0 -
I am Danish Canadian soo I grew up eating the traditional Danish lunch type stuff ( & pancakes, cookies, holiday specials what have you) specially on Sundays @ Mormor & Morfars
my first food ever was danish rugbrød to naw on ...mmmm bread and the danish chocolate sheet sandwiches ..0 -
I don't know if this is a unique habit to post industrial America, but I have not noticed it in Canada, France, England or the Phillipines. Parents eating a healthy diet yet feeding their kids absolute crap. Day after day of pop tarts, chips, hot dogs, pizza, chicken nuggets and fries....what are essentially party treats served as meals and snacks 4-5 times a day. While the parents eat oatmeal, fresh fruit, carrot juice, salmon and kale chips(which I might add are roughly the cost of sterling silver per oz!). I am not a food. My kid gets pizza and chips at a chess tourney, she gets the giant Hawaiian shaved ice and kettle corn at the track meet, she eats her fill at a birthday party and she gets a box of candy at the movie.. But she only eats this 3-4times a month and it never comes in the house. My husband and I both came from families where there was never party food in the house unless there was a party, just normal human food. In fact I think it makes it more fun for us because we really look forward to the circus and the county fair and all of the bizarre fried items they are always inventing. My question for these parents is "Why are you giving your child vascular disease when you would never treat your own health so poorly?"
Because they know they'll eat it. We feed the kids whatever when we make something they won't eat (like tonight... they'll probably make their own pizza while we'll have leftover taco bake - they don't like the beans and chiles in it). Definitely not every night though.
Here, kids usually have to eat whatever the adults are eating and they rarely complain. When they do complain, their mom just makes them a sandwich. Not to say that they don't eat junk food, they do, but not often. Once in a while the family would go out to a fast food restaurant and they would all eat junk, or order pizza/buy shawerma. This year we have not ordered in yet. At least for us it's a once every 3-4 months thing.
The main problem here is not the type of food, but that VERY few people know what portions are. We eat way too much bread and white rice.
It may also be a generational thing. I remember when I was a kid, my daily allowance only allowed me to buy ONE small sized candy / chips / ice cream. So if I was saving for something, I would go days without buying. Money was tighter back then.0 -
I don't know if this is a unique habit to post industrial America, but I have not noticed it in Canada, France, England or the Phillipines. Parents eating a healthy diet yet feeding their kids absolute crap. Day after day of pop tarts, chips, hot dogs, pizza, chicken nuggets and fries....what are essentially party treats served as meals and snacks 4-5 times a day. While the parents eat oatmeal, fresh fruit, carrot juice, salmon and kale chips(which I might add are roughly the cost of sterling silver per oz!). I am not a food. My kid gets pizza and chips at a chess tourney, she gets the giant Hawaiian shaved ice and kettle corn at the track meet, she eats her fill at a birthday party and she gets a box of candy at the movie.. But she only eats this 3-4times a month and it never comes in the house. My husband and I both came from families where there was never party food in the house unless there was a party, just normal human food. In fact I think it makes it more fun for us because we really look forward to the circus and the county fair and all of the bizarre fried items they are always inventing. My question for these parents is "Why are you giving your child vascular disease when you would never treat your own health so poorly?"
I see this ALL THE TIME. I'm not a parent so I can't speak for the actual day to day stuff - like kids that will not or "cannot" eat healthy food (ha!) but I wonder about it too. It seems like many people do not make a connection between learning to eat crappy foods and fast food as a kid and then continuing that as a teen and adult...which often happens. I think some of my friends who feed their elementary and younger aged kids junk 24/7 just assume that once they're older they will eat healthier like their parents. There's no guarantee on that! I will say my best friend is great with this. She and her husband eat healthier and their kids do too. Like you mentioned, they are allowed to have all the usual kid treat foods...but not every day, all day. They can have ice cream after dinner every night if they want but it is ONE scoop on a little cake cone or in a dish. Her kids eat every vegetable and even her 8 yr old loves spicy and exotic foods because in their house that's normal. Her tiny 10 yr old ballerina daughter will eat 3 servings of salmon and salad or veggies, then want gummy bears or fro yo. And that's ok...she is eating tons of healthful foods.0 -
My mother is from Germany and I've been there about eight times, with a stay of about a month each time, since I was born. We always stay with my grandmother, so I'm sure the diet of younger Germans is different, but this is just what I have experienced. Breakfast is always some kind of bread that is fresh from the bakery- laugen (pretzel basically), plain white, seeded, or other varieties. Bread is eaten with either butter, honey, jam, Leberwurst, or nutella smeared on top. Fruit and eggs are often eaten on the side, and they drink tea or milk. They also eat a lot of dairy, such as quark (which is in between cheese and yogurt). Lunch is a bigger meal, and it's quite varied. There's usually bread again, with cheese, fruit on the side, maybe schnitzel, sausage, fresh vegetables, etc. Dinner, which is usually eaten around 8, can be heavy or light, depending on the lunch. When I visit Germany, we eat a lot of schnitzel, sausage, noodles, potato dishes, and more bread for dinner. And yes, they eat a lot of chocolate and beer! The chocolate is 1000% better than American chocolate, for sure. Baked goods are widely available, but in the summer more light dishes, like fruit cake, are eaten. It gets way too hot (no AC in most buildings) to bake in the summer, so only things that take a short time (usually cakes with angel food cake dough) are made. In the summer it's common to eat ice cream or gelato at Eiscafes (icecream cafe). In my experience, they don't eat as much "junk" food in Germany. The meals are wholesome and supplement the activity level, which usually includes a lot of biking and walking.
Most Germans are very proper when eating (unless there is alcohol involved). Besides my teenage friends in Germany, everyone eats pizza with a fork and knife, which I find so cute!0
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