"American" food

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  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
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    What we Germans think about American food:
    Burgers. Pizza. Burgers. Pizza. Pumpkin pie.

    And I actually do know what S'mores are, but that might be 'cause I spent 6 months in Texas...But since I've lived in both countries...German apple pies are way better. Hot dogs? Don't like them. But love frankfurters! Gotta admit that German sausages are the best ;)

    I will agree with your last statement.

    For me S'mores are something you have around a camp fire, say as a scout
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
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    US food has to have a brand name and is generally yellow or beige - that's an impression from the UK.

    Apple (and other) fruit pies probably went to America from the UK or Europe back in the day. I doubt it was a Native American thing. I have no more idea what a s'more is than a sophomore. Sounds like a genetic mutation or a body shape.

    Hershey's candy can't be sold here as chocolate as it has too little cocoa in it. It also tastes and smells like sick to us.

    We now have Subway, but nobody knows WTF a "sub" is - to us it's an underwater warship. While Subway may be about the healthiest thing you can find in Florida it's about the opposite here.

    McDonalds is the most obvious manifestation of "American Food", I went to the first (and then only) McD nr Leicester Sq in London in about 1978, but now they're everywhere.

    Hot dogs are here, but aren't especially popular. We have whole streets of fried chicken joints waiting to serve greasy yellow food to people falling out of vertical drinking establishments in the town centres, but we can't really blame them on the US even if some of them put "Southern" in their name and have Stars & Stripes emblems.

    Finally, I always laugh to myself when I hear McDonalds or KFC described as a "restaurant" LOL. Here a restaurant is a place that serves propoer food, what US might call "fine dining". McDonalds is a burger joint. Cheap food is sold in a cafe or "greasy spoon".

    I truly couldn't have put it better myself!

    Actually the first McD was Woolwich in SE London - I think most people know where that is now.....

    My boss described American food as "fried stuff with cheese on it". I think that's harsh. Especially considering the Yorkshire habit of eating Wensleydale cheese with apple pie.

    For me the main difference between European food and US food is the use of herbs is more widespread here, while in the US it either seems to be spicy (chilli) or unseasoned (except for salt and pepper).

    And if you can't buy wine with your meal its not a restaurant.:smile:
  • kbeech06
    kbeech06 Posts: 328 Member
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    I just want to say as an American living in the UK, the hot dogs here are GROSS...and I'm not that overly fond of our American hot dogs (I don't like processed meats much). Most of the "American" style hot dogs here are in a can or a jar full of some brine...and the casings feel like plastic. BLECH! :sick:

    I love Bramley apple pies here...but they are a bit more tart than our pies back in the US. Smores are becoming a treat over here, I've heard many friends refer to them. Just about anything I miss from the US, I can find over here now.

    Edit, I just thought of a few dishes that are more regional than anything, Boston Baked Beans, New England Boiled Dinner, Clam Chowdah, lobstah bakes, Brown Bread (the kind with molasses). Can you tell I grew up in Massachusetts??

    As a side note...after having chocolate here in the UK, I can't touch Hershey's chocolate...its too icky sickly sweet.
  • purplepiggy1
    purplepiggy1 Posts: 66
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    We (in Australia) have those sorts of foods but you in America just seem to have more variety, toppings etc!
    For example we have fries but not cheese fries, and we do have pies but you don't see much pumpkin pie or pumpkin flavored desserts here.

    When I think American foods I think peanut butter! You have so many
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
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    I'm from Germany and we invented apple pie! But you see brats more often than hotdogs here.

    Pork knuckle and sauerkraut FTW!
  • LoveMyLife_NYC
    LoveMyLife_NYC Posts: 230 Member
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    I have no more idea what a s'more is than a sophomore. Sounds like a genetic mutation or a body shape.

    Roast a marshmallow in an open flame, and put the toasted marshmallow between 2 pieces of graham cracker with a piece of chocolate.

    Delicious!!! :drinker:
  • Maaike84
    Maaike84 Posts: 211 Member
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    We have apple pie in the Netherlands, it has the homemade nostalgia feel to it. One of my friends even served her mom's apple pie at her weddding!

    Pumpking pie or sweet potato pies seem more typically american to me, or pecan pie and the baked american cheesecake.

    Oh, and mac and cheese that you can microwave, or pop tarts, or corn dogs. Those are some of the weird foods that struck me when I went to the US, that I had never seen before.
  • zenalasca
    zenalasca Posts: 563 Member
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    I can't see why Hershey's is getting a bashing Special Dark is really nice.
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
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    meatloaf, now that is American.

    Isn't Kinder Surprise banned in America due to the toy inside? The new designed eggs just aren't right lol
  • zenalasca
    zenalasca Posts: 563 Member
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    You can get quite a few American foods in NZ and Australia, like Hershey's chocolates and kisses, pop tarts, etc. But not those cans of sweetened pureed pumpkin...
  • mamosh81
    mamosh81 Posts: 409 Member
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    I'm from Germany and we invented apple pie! But you see brats more often than hotdogs here.

    i am from germany to and i agree apfelstrudel with vanilla ice cream nom and a hotdog would be a wiener in a bun for me cant stand brats.

    I also lived in texas for a while and i agree on the "Hershey's candy can't be sold here as chocolate as it has too little cocoa in it. It also tastes and smells like sick to us." First time i bought a hersheys bar i thought it was spoiled because it smelled like trow up to me.
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
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    I love Hershey's
  • piratesaregrand
    piratesaregrand Posts: 356 Member
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    You can get quite a few American foods in NZ and Australia, like Hershey's chocolates and kisses, pop tarts, etc. But not those cans of sweetened pureed pumpkin...

    I actually found pumpkin pie filling in nz the other day!
  • bobbiboo24
    bobbiboo24 Posts: 44 Member
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    I'm from Ireland and apple pie/tart is very common. It's a traditional Irish dessert. Hotdogs are around but aren't popular at all.

    Most the American fast food chains are over here too.. Hersheys chocolate is sold. I've tasted it and it's the most disgusting waxy like chocolate ever. Can't beat Cadburys brand.

    Hmmm what else? When I think of American food, I think of over processed, over fried and supersized. A lot of that is a stereotype, for sure.. but I've travelled to the U.S. on numerous occasions and saw this with my own eyes. I also found that the food that is actually good for you is over-priced and less available... which is sad.

    Other than that, I do love a good Subway now and again! :)
  • RachelSRoach1
    RachelSRoach1 Posts: 435 Member
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    As an American, it seriously embarrasses me to say that really... the only truly american food is FAST food. We helped make the world a fatter place.
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
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    meatloaf, now that is American.

    Isn't Kinder Surprise banned in America due to the toy inside? The new designed eggs just aren't right lol

    Haslet is basically pork meatloaf.
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    Apples actually come from the Afghanistan/Pakistan area.

    And I'm pretty sure they had pies over there before the europeans did.


    Sort of ironic....
  • cherryd69
    cherryd69 Posts: 340
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    US food has to have a brand name and is generally yellow or beige - that's an impression from the UK.

    Apple (and other) fruit pies probably went to America from the UK or Europe back in the day. I doubt it was a Native American thing. I have no more idea what a s'more is than a sophomore. Sounds like a genetic mutation or a body shape.

    Hershey's candy can't be sold here as chocolate as it has too little cocoa in it. It also tastes and smells like sick to us.

    We now have Subway, but nobody knows WTF a "sub" is - to us it's an underwater warship. While Subway may be about the healthiest thing you can find in Florida it's about the opposite here.

    McDonalds is the most obvious manifestation of "American Food", I went to the first (and then only) McD nr Leicester Sq in London in about 1978, but now they're everywhere.

    Hot dogs are here, but aren't especially popular. We have whole streets of fried chicken joints waiting to serve greasy yellow food to people falling out of vertical drinking establishments in the town centres, but we can't really blame them on the US even if some of them put "Southern" in their name and have Stars & Stripes emblems.

    Finally, I always laugh to myself when I hear McDonalds or KFC described as a "restaurant" LOL. Here a restaurant is a place that serves propoer food, what US might call "fine dining". McDonalds is a burger joint. Cheap food is sold in a cafe or "greasy spoon".

    ^this

    Also, when you say 'American food' my immediate thought is... '20 times bigger than the average size'


    Yes we have Apple pie, yes we have hotdogs... no i dont like either of them. Apple pie is always slushy unless its home made and you have proper chunks of apple (not apple sauce) and hot dogs looks like regurgitated meat wrapped in a skin... imo smells like it too.

    oh an im from the UK
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    US food has to have a brand name and is generally yellow or beige - that's an impression from the UK.

    Apple (and other) fruit pies probably went to America from the UK or Europe back in the day. I doubt it was a Native American thing. I have no more idea what a s'more is than a sophomore. Sounds like a genetic mutation or a body shape.

    Hershey's candy can't be sold here as chocolate as it has too little cocoa in it. It also tastes and smells like sick to us.

    We now have Subway, but nobody knows WTF a "sub" is - to us it's an underwater warship. While Subway may be about the healthiest thing you can find in Florida it's about the opposite here.

    McDonalds is the most obvious manifestation of "American Food", I went to the first (and then only) McD nr Leicester Sq in London in about 1978, but now they're everywhere.

    Hot dogs are here, but aren't especially popular. We have whole streets of fried chicken joints waiting to serve greasy yellow food to people falling out of vertical drinking establishments in the town centres, but we can't really blame them on the US even if some of them put "Southern" in their name and have Stars & Stripes emblems.

    Finally, I always laugh to myself when I hear McDonalds or KFC described as a "restaurant" LOL. Here a restaurant is a place that serves propoer food, what US might call "fine dining". McDonalds is a burger joint. Cheap food is sold in a cafe or "greasy spoon".

    ^this

    Also, when you say 'American food' my immediate thought is... '20 times bigger than the average size'


    Yes we have Apple pie, yes we have hotdogs... no i dont like either of them. Apple pie is always slushy unless its home made and you have proper chunks of apple (not apple sauce) and hot dogs looks like regurgitated meat wrapped in a skin... imo smells like it too.

    oh an im from the UK

    Try a proper sabrett's hot dog, the natural casing version. Snaps when you bite into it. Can be found at hot dog places in NYC like Gray's Papaya.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Didn't realize this thread was a american food bashing thread, are the Brits in any position to criticize, really now!
    Yes. We are.

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