Now get out of here before I add you to "What Makes a Person Exhausting?". If you think American desserts are sweet, have you ever tried eating Indian food? Good food is affordable in Europe. Hershey's coasts mainly on name recognition these days, and are apparently horrible to work for: The article below details Hershey's exploitation of international student workers in its factory. So, what do international students in America think about their host country when they arrive? I love the plain, honest saltiness of vegemite. A lot of Americans don’t know how to cook from scratch now, and they’re unfamiliar with the proper ratios of spices and can’t judge on their own. Yeah, any other cheese than American cheese in grilled cheese is gross and inauthentic. Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. (I love Vermont cheddar, per ejemplo). We suffer more from reverse culture shock when we’re back home in Egypt than when we travel abroad or meet foreigners. Foreign foods that freak me out are organ meats, including stomach linings, and sausages of all sorts, anything cooked with blood. Apparently, one is supposed to use butter in sandwiches. Instead of imagining it, I went out and asked my foreign-born friends which American and/or Western foods seemed the strangest to them either from afar or once they arrived in the U.S. Their answers were predictably awesome -- and some of them even surprising. Most pizza places in my area don’t even offer it, or pineapple as a topping. Made with real cane sugar. (I've never had it, but I thought it was very high quality.). Maple syrup is nice but I cannot get over the fact you put it on bacon. We found 24 foods that are banned in the United States. The Houston Press may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. Goat is an item many Americans would avoid. I've used different cheeses, but Kraft singles work fine. 6. Contact Us, What we call cheese would offend most Europeans. American desserts are quite sweet. It will never become as popular as nutella, that's for sure, but you can find it in pretty much every store in Europe nowadays. [quote]Can also be used on a grilled sandwich with cheese, or as a scroll. It’s sold in glass bottles. In the early years it included a map of Denmark on the product. Once, when I was 17, my Chilean friend referred to herself as an American as well. I used to work with an obese French frau who ate Nutella out of the jar, but she thought peanut butter was gross and me even more so for eating it out of the jar. Emmental (Emmenthal) is quite mild in the realm of swiss cheese - or any cheese for that matter. As an Aussie kid - I was raised on vegemite and prefer it to the alternatives. -- Doug, England, "For me, it was salad dressing, any kind." Lots of small independent chocolatiers to be found too. Those dumplings must hard as a rock. -- Iris, Germany, "Also, the general squishy bread." In the U.S., people that make pumpkin pies at home are often making them for large holiday gatherings like Christmas and Thanksgiving, while simultaneously trying to fit a large turkey in the oven and entertain guests, so pie is often made with a lot of shortcuts. There are even YouTube channels devoted to foreigners trying much-loved American staples like Cheez Whiz and Spam, with none ending well. Why would anyone want that for breakfast, anyway? I don't get why people say American White bread is sweet? Some amazing french patisseries there now tho - and not only do they do the french stuff perfectly - but there’s often little Japanese variations that are great! R47, your friend may have been trying to recreate this: Um regards peanut butter part of the reason is because every name brand adds a shit ton of sugar to the mix. An overabundance of sugar is used because it becomes addictive. 2. When immigrants came to Ellis Island and were admitted to the States, many were insulted that they were fed such American dishes as corn on the cob, since traditionally in Europe that was fed to livestock. And even dogs and cats like peanut butter. 30 American Foods That Are Banned in Other Countries. R240 = Maggie de Block, Belgium's former Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health. Garlicky Wurst for breakfast. -- Hala, Canada via Lebanon, "Peanut butter, it's still weird to me." They also made applesauce and a lot of apple dishes. No, r70, those of us who hate pumpkin pie are not suddenly going to like it once we try [italic]your[/italic] pumpkin pie. Just don’t sound right. Women shouldn't weigh more than 160 pounds. Not sure what you mean by "dumplings"? I cooked cheese grits for some New Jersey Italian friends once and they all said they enjoyed the grits far more than the polenta they grew up on. 3. "The biggest difference is that polenta still has the germ left in and are made from yellow corn and grits have the germ removed and are made from white corn. A few times a year I make BBQ shrimp with a smokey sauce, sauteed chard (or spinach), succotash and cheesy grits. Nor is cinnamon in the flavor base of that beverage. Egg and cheese breads (Italian Easter Bread) - All of these are European favorites. Hollywood does a pretty good job at representing the American culture in a way that you can get a slight taste of it through the TV screen. We didn’t have those big, American Halloween-style pumpkins - but used butternut, JAP and Queensland Blue. Really worked! Apparently that hasn't changed much over the years. Here's another exposé of the Mast Brothers. They seem fairly popular, still. Other popular soul food dishes include fried catfish, macaroni and … Friendliness became No1 culture shock by being mentioned at 10 times in my research. Americans come in all colors, have all types of religions, and speak many languages from all over the world. While we're at it, poutine. 4. That said, many travelers who have never been to this part of the world may be in for quite a culture shock. -- Genevieve, France, "So when I just came to America when I was eight, we were invited to this nice host family's house for dinner. Calm down. our privacy/terms or if you just want to see the damn 10 Countries That Give Westerners The Biggest Culture Shock. (having said that - I do tend to use more of it nowadays! The have specialty cheeses from around the world. Good mozzarella is found in most grocery stores thes days. I adore it too but I never buy it because it's a real calorie bomb and it's so tasty I can eat the whole jar in one sitting. As mentioned above I hate: Dr Pepper, your chocolate, canned cheese, pumpkin pie. I’ve heard the same thing about root beer - people outside of America think it tastes like medicine or disinfectant. It’s weirdly greasy and non-chocolatey, like a brown bar of animal fat. The Kiwi version is the best. the first time I ever tried chocolate in Europe, it was a revelation. Vile stuff. Steak and kidney pie anyone? Thing I'd to go for small scale local chocolataires. When corn syrup, 'glucose/fructose', or any other aliases for sugar are among the first five ingredients in a food product, how many food products does one consume until one concludes 'any more corn syrup would be immoderate? which was probably reason. You can use it in mac and cheese, grilled cheese sandwich, in burgers, salads, on pizza, or eat it plain. Anybody who doesn't like Pumpkin pie should be taken into the town square and beaten until dead, after being force fed pumpkin pie. It's not that good, is it, r79? Sold in Target, Home Depot and other stores in a glass bottle. Keep in mind, there are already tens of millions of Americans that cannot feed themselves. It's just a cornmeal dish. They were originally made with powdered eggs included, but they did a study and found out housewives felt like they needed to add the eggs themselves to make it “homemade.” To this day, in the U.S., even the simplest cornbread mixes require fresh eggs added by the cook. There should be no sugar in bread. Okay, so I know that there's loads of answers here, and I couldn't read all of them, so I'd probably be repeating some points. They think corn is just to feed farm animals. Well r25 , I don't like that you call cookies "biscuits". I really don't get it. In a decent restaurant your choice would be from a board like this. He said very few people in Norway would even think of eating it. It's just expensive and has pretty wrappers. If you’ve never cooked a pumpkin pie before, a lot of people can’t be bothered with that. 5. I had an American friend here who raved about the pumpkin pie of her childhood - and made it for us for a ‘treat’ at a dinner she hosted. If you have a real bakery/patissiere your neighborhood, then good for you! Para Español, Haz Click Aquí. I don't argue that Europe has better cuisine - well, some parts of Europe. And, as others, I don't get peanut butter spread (see above regarding those with crunchy bits in them). R162 they toast corn on the cob on the street in Greece. Commercial pies are under-spiced and taste too bland. For any chocolate experts, how does that rank on the scale? By learning to understand and navigate the culture of another country, we become more open-minded and accepting individuals. -- Dragana, Serbia via South Africa, "Mayonnaise! -- Arthur, The Netherlands, "I thought the portion sizes were obscene. Oh, and that taste good, too. I grew up on biscuits and gravy, Dr. Pepper. I am American and I agree with a lot of the things in the article at OP’s link, even if a lot of them are uniquitous. I love sweet green daifuku flavored with mugwort and matcha, and filled with sweet red bean paste, and, with the exception of a couple of Japanese friends, it grosses out every single person I know. And if there is --it's an infinitesimal amount. Traveling can be one of life's greatest joys, but these 10 countries have cultures and traditions which often shock Western tourists. A lot of Americans have traditional family foods for the holidays depending on their ethnic background and family traditions. and we'll set a dreaded cookie to make it go away. Agnes Gooch loved her Dr. Pepper, and Auntie Mame said she was one of THE De Gooches! Let's be clear, though: America is a big country and not even people who have lived here all their lives get some of the country's favorite regional foods. But people I’ve spoken to have realized this is a generalization of the American public. I can see why they’re a British institution. I mean, what has Australia or New Zealand contributed to world cuisine? People who love sugar, but say they love chocolate, prefer brownies, because there's much more sugar in them than chocolate. [quote] I’m British & have never visited the US. Two hundred replies and no ones asked if American or European cum tastes better? Other than vegemite.... India was also colonized by the Brits. Instead, I … R156, there are two versions of canned pumpkin. They have plenty of ghastly stuff they like, because it's part of their culinary heritage. Not sure I'd enjoy hers? One of the best examples of the difference between US and UK recipes is Lemon Meringue Pie. I’m a picky eater in many ways. Always been a bigger Delia Smith fan, she used to employ a big team of home economists to test the recipes over and over again. I like good food, good restaurants and won’t eat fast junky food, Being here really has made me appreciate red wine, cheese, special meats and other long-lost luxuries that just can’t be found here. R48, plain bouillon is often a diet food. You eat that for breakfast? I was such an uninformed kid!" I had grits in Charleston, South Carolina years ago on a business trip, and it was an ENTIRELY different (and better tasting) food than what I grew up eating. Not many Americans consume them on the daily. R287 Mary Berry also uses 6 egg yolks for the lemon curd, the filling would set solid like an egg custard tart. Mary Berry seems to put more of herself into her food. Apples are plentiful in the Northeast United States in season, and they last a long time. I have a sweet tooth, but a bit of gulab jamon, rasmalai and some of those other desserts go a long way since they are so sweet. Cooked kidney. Some features on this site require registration. Their chocolate is priced well above its quality, and their claims for its excellence weren't all true. If you’re from North America, these are things that could be ‘cultural shocks,’ though nothing is terribly serious. I'd be embarrassed to ever let a foreigner even SEE Cheez-whiz or Velveeta, let alone taste them, r8. Yes. Our processed "American Cheese" just brought those other abominations to mind. It's congealed hideousness! Although called the same, the NZ and UK versions are slightly different. My view is that Americans haven't so much forgotten how to eat properly as they are lied to. It tastes like shit now and is constantly discounted or mixed with other crap like Oreos, "cookie dough" and peanut butter by its clueless owner in a desperate attempt to keep sales from plummeting. About Us, I’ve seen chicken claws on some Chinese buffets and those terrify me. Black currants. I’d rather eat any bland prepackaged American poison food than know my food came from the torture and slow, ago izing death of any animal. Americans normally eat fruit fresh, by itself or mixed in fruit salad. I wonder if west coast manufacturers were still using sugar while corn country had already transitioned. No. It's primarily breakfast, but I've seen it served as appetizer, as well. They never knew what it used to be like. Thing is tho - kids are the biggest consumers i’m assuming - and they’re all eating the stuff now as their standard treat - and get get used to it. My parents had a Norwegian exchange student back in the 90's. About the author Bonnie Rose is an American expat living in England.Blog description: Blog about my life as an expat, a Third Culture Kid (TCK), and world traveler. I think the reason Americans have so many baked fruit dishes, like pies, is because food has to be cooked in order to be canned. The snack foods are utterly revolting (Doritos, Cheetos, those onion ring things, etc), like biting into an unnaturally-coloured salt lick. What threw me off more was lunch. Peanuts and peanut butter are a cheap source of protein, which the South desperately needed. [quote] I love Jamaican food but Jamaican dumplings taste like Play-Doh. Right now I'm eating Organic Vegan White Cheddar Chickpea Puffs-Not bad. R153 Subtly racist, and mexican coke is made with corn syrup. Grits are a weird choice for this list. The ‘Fake’ American Smile. When WW2 cut off Coca Cola syrup to the German subsidiary the Reich invented Fanta as a substitute. Marmite is slightly more complex (more umami) and not as salty, it also has the texture of thickest molasses. At least the original Americans contributed tomatoes, potatoes, chili peppers, and cacao to the European cuisines. When we drank them, and they refilled it for free, her head exploded." People in other countries seemed to regard them as food for farm animals or something. I'm American and I hate pumpkin pie. in Europe there used to be laws that you couldn't call candies chocolates unless it had only certain ingredients in it. Dr. Pepper is impossible to understand for us foreigners, tastes like cough syrup. A classic Aussie baked dinner will always have baked pumpkin - which will be roasted alongside the potatoes. -- Miya, China, "Iris was also really surprised the first time she saw one of those giant Iced teas in the red cups (like at Pizza Hut or something). site without all this bureaucratic nonsense, But I definitely, definitely want to because I want some funnel cake. Here's some history about the introduction of HFCS. waved the takeover through. No matter what day, what time, what occasion it is, it … Or fresh berries on foods like yogurt, etc. I like it. I infer that British folks like it that way. Via ZeroHedge. Talk About The One Thing That Foreigners Would Be Shocked To Learn About The United States Read this: 26 Baffled Foreigners Reveal The Strangest American ‘Food’ They’ve Seen Read this: 17 Weird American Dating Habits That Confuse Every Foreign Person Cataloged […] R160, it’s Coke bottled in Mexico for export into the United States that is a different formula than the usual Coke you get at the store. I'm American and I agree that our chocolate is bad- it's like wax. Although it's true that many, many American desserts are much too sweet, comments here about the sweetness of American desserts are just a subtle form of anti-Americanism. In fact, according to a study, the average American wastes at least a pound of food every day. One person from Finland said we grin so often that if a smiling stranger visits, they'll assume the person is one of three things: drunk, crazy, or American. Because I find Vegemite absolutely disgusting. It was bottled water only, usually carbonated, which has a bitter aftertaste I can't stand. I discovered it as baking chocolate, but I love eating it as well. Pure sugar assault. My Japanese friends find Dr. Pepper revolting because they think it tastes like medicine that grandma dug out of her cabinet. Some features on this site require a subscription. 7. So there is that. I think Americans would find cheese too heavy and not sweet enough for dessert. The other version people use more often these days is just plain canned pumpkin with nothing added. poisonous pufferfish liver -- which, to be fair, can kill you) beondegi. I had never even had a non-homemade one until I was in my 40s. We compiled 15 of the biggest culture shocks non-Americans experienced in the US. Intern or Train in the U.S. Some American foods do not translate well to the rest of the world, and vice versa. By Lynn Segal - updated on Nov 2, 2020 . Food allergy affects approximately 7.6 percent (1) of children and 10.8 percent (2) in the United States. I find Nutella to be waxy and one-note in taste. Are there all sorts of regulations? Background Being from Mexico, the topic of immigration can be a sensitive one. Don't like the taste, texture or ultra-sweetness of most American cakes, and the commercial frostings, even worse. I would join in and have some on toast if it were available, in a household with other people were eating it as the norm. Their grandmothers could cook with a pinch of this and that, but they can’t. If you can't find the email you can resend it here. Delicious. If you're heating Pop Tarts in the microwave you're doing it wrong. I have an old cookbook that is full of early American settler recipes and nothing is overly sweet in it. Another day another thread featuring american vs. european dataloungers competing on who is more trashy. But American cheese is wonderful if you're making macaroni and cheese. The "begging the question" queens never manage to explain the correct way to "beg the question.". (The fat and blood ones - not the kraft ones). There are American cheeses that are not American Processed Cheese Food -- Colby, Monterey Jack, Buffalo Mozzarella, Hoop, Baby Swiss -- do the Europeans rate these low as well? Other than vegemite.... As for the British, their greatest contribution was Roast Beef and Gravy...which is pretty universal. Mass-market US versions are unrecognizable as mozzarella. So are the douchey Mast brothers still in business? British candy is revoltingly sweet and Asian candy/sweets are pretty vile, IMO. Canadian poutine seems like something that should have been invented for an Alabama county fair: fry up them taters and pile on the animal fat til pappy keels on over dead! Smores are disgusting like peanut butter, sausages with fennel in them, doritos/potato chips and white slime wonderbread. And that was the point. [quote] No country settled/colonized by the Brits should be looking down their noses at American food. I don't eat grits. Most writing on this topic is done by anthropologists in other parts of the world. Those people exist but they're hardly the norm, and they're making choices, ie, they have choices. I'm not a huge sweet-tooth guy, but I am partial to Dove milk chocolate. If you would like an American habit to thoroughly horrify you, I have been known to pour honey or syrup on my sausages and bacon.