quote:Mitchel Stein sent in a video a woman took of the “USA” section of the ethnic food aisle in a German grocery store. It’s an interesting look at what types of foods/brands are associated (at least in this store) with the U.S.:
I have sought out foreign takes on Chinese food (ex: fried ice cream in Rome) or Chinese-adapted fast food (ex: McDonalds or KFC in China), but I've never really thought about foreign takes on North American food.
(Although on second thought, I guess that is what the Cha chaan teng is.)
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
In the very tiny American section in the grocery store I used to go to in Germany (in a village of about 7,000 people), the main items that I can remember were peanut butter, a few Kellogg's brand cold cereals, and tortillas.
The Korean superstore near my house has an American ethnic food aisle, which I must admit I've never been down. The two Indian/Pakistani aisles are unbeatable, though - no Indian market in the area comes even close to the selection or prices.
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
Marks and Spencers, Waitrose, Tesco and other UK supermakets do 'American' ready meals like quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas and chilli (they usually have the aisles divided up into nationalities like Italian = pasta/pizza, Indian = curry/samosas, etc). Technically, I guess meals like that should count as North American, but they usually put something like 'Texas' on the box, with a US flag decoration.
There was great excitement about two years ago, when they finally (finally!) started selling Oreos in Britain. And muffins still often have the word 'American' on the label. Also Banoffee or Key Lime pies sometimes might have a few stars and stripes on the box.
Apart from that, I can't think of anything particularly branded as USian.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
American I imagine would be African American "Soulfood", Native American foods, Mexican/Latin American foods, and then "crap".
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
Don't knock the bacon cheeseburger with cheddar cheese. It's a glorious thing.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Intrinsically American food: bacon cheeseburgers, chili, cheesesteak sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, crawfish po' boys, deep-fried cheese curds, Chicago-style hot dogs, deep dish pizza, fajitas, gumbo, slow-cooked barbecue brisket (or shredded pork), barbecue chicken and avocado thin-crust pizza, apple pie, jello (topped with whipped cream), peanut butter, blueberry muffins, New England clam bakes, bagels with cream cheese, and clam chowder.
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
Considering that I've been to numerous places where they have rice in the "ethnic" section, who are we to judge? Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Nighthawk: Considering that I've been to numerous places where they have rice in the "ethnic" section, who are we to judge?
We used to grow tons of rice in the South.
[ June 18, 2010, 10:17 PM: Message edited by: BlackBlade ]
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: Intrinsically American food: bacon cheeseburgers, chili, cheesesteak sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, crawfish po' boys, deep-fried cheese curds, Chicago-style hot dogs, deep dish pizza, fajitas, gumbo, slow-cooked barbecue brisket (or shredded pork), barbecue chicken and avocado thin-crust pizza, apple pie, jello (topped with whipped cream), peanut butter, blueberry muffins, New England clam bakes, bagels with cream cheese, and clam chowder.
Wa wa wa...? I think your confusing something else with Kraft Dinner which is distinctly Canadian.
Posted by SenojRetep (Member # 8614) on :
The two things I remember buying at the American store in Enschede (Netherlands) were Root Beer and Brownie mix.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Yeah, root beer is absolutely an American drink.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bella Bee: Also Banoffee or Key Lime pies sometimes might have a few stars and stripes on the box.
Wait, what? Americans don't even know what banoffee pie IS, usually.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: deep-fried cheese curds
I had to google this. I think it's good that I don't live in the Midwest. Because those sound good to me.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: Yeah, root beer is absolutely an American drink.
For that matter so are Coke and Dr. Pepper.
I think breakfast cereals are certainly American as well. Not counting cream of wheat or oatmeal of course.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade:
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: Yeah, root beer is absolutely an American drink.
For that matter so are Coke and Dr. Pepper.
Coke is known and drunk around the globe. Root Beer is uniquely American, for the most part.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by mr_porteiro_head:
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade:
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: Yeah, root beer is absolutely an American drink.
For that matter so are Coke and Dr. Pepper.
Coke is known and drunk around the globe. Root Beer is uniquely American, for the most part.
So once a food finds acceptance outside of one ethnic group it can no longer be considered an ethnic food? Sarsaparilla is very similar to Root Beer and it's drunk in South East Asia quite extensively.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I thought of another one: corn on the cob.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I saw a documentary once that said America drinks something like 80% of the world's iced tea.
Posted by Ecthalion (Member # 8825) on :
i would have to say that pretty much anything barbecue is US American.
Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
quote:Originally posted by Bella Bee: Also Banoffee or Key Lime pies sometimes might have a few stars and stripes on the box.
Wait, what? Americans don't even know what banoffee pie IS, usually.
Yeah, I had to google it, and it's most definitely not American. It was invented in Sussex.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: So once a food finds acceptance outside of one ethnic group it can no longer be considered an ethnic food? Sarsaparilla is very similar to Root Beer and it's drunk in South East Asia quite extensively.
America exports its culture very, very well. Jeans and tshirts are the ultimate example of this, and coke is a good example as well. Personally, I think coke should be counted as an American ethnic drink, but I think the point here is to find American food items that the rest of the world thinks it's weird to consume. Crocs and cowboy hats in the clothing category would be similar - jeans and tshirts wouldn't.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jhai:
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: So once a food finds acceptance outside of one ethnic group it can no longer be considered an ethnic food? Sarsaparilla is very similar to Root Beer and it's drunk in South East Asia quite extensively.
America exports its culture very, very well. Jeans and tshirts are the ultimate example of this, and coke is a good example as well. Personally, I think coke should be counted as an American ethnic drink, but I think the point here is to find American food items that the rest of the world thinks it's weird to consume. Crocs and cowboy hats in the clothing category would be similar - jeans and tshirts wouldn't.
Ah, I see.
Well then I submit caramel covered apples for consideration.
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
Yeah we need to be clear here: The OP is about foods that are in the USA Ethnic section in other countries. There's a big difference between that and foods which are actually American in origin, but were exported back to other cultures to an extent where that culture doesn't give America credit for them.
The former I know basically nothing about, being an uncultured rube who's barely ever been out of the US and never out of North America. It's an interesting question though, because it speaks to the perception of American cuisine rather than the reality.
But the latter... oh man. Tom's excellent post barely even scratches the surface.
People who say America has very little significant cuisine or culinary inventions are woefully ignorant of culinary history. It's... it's kind of a huge pet peeve of mine.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
Dan: Just how huge is that pet peeve? Posted by Drifter (Member # 11958) on :
I think of typical American food as: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the very sugary cereals, maple syrup with everything, burgers, Dr Pepper, root beer, soda, oreos, corn dogs and that sort of thing. Clam chowder not so much as American but a Southern thing.
But Banoffee Pie, macaroni cheese and corn on the cob, sorry, in my perception, they are English. If your Jello is what I would call Jelly (a sweet dessert made from a gelatin base), then that's English too And I never associate BBQ with America. It's Australian Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
Drifter:
quote:Clam chowder not so much as American but a Southern thing.
'Scuse me, but clam chowder belongs to New England.
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
quote:Originally posted by maui babe:
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
quote:Originally posted by Bella Bee: Also Banoffee or Key Lime pies sometimes might have a few stars and stripes on the box.
Wait, what? Americans don't even know what banoffee pie IS, usually.
Yeah, I had to google it, and it's most definitely not American. It was invented in Sussex.
Yes, but the bizarre thing is that none of the shops know that. Because it's pie, they think it's American. Has anyone mentioned Apple Pie yet? That's technically English too, but it's often sold as American in the UK.
Posted by Drifter (Member # 11958) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: Drifter:
quote:Clam chowder not so much as American but a Southern thing.
'Scuse me, but clam chowder belongs to New England.
I'm sure it does But halfway round the world from you? Nah. We associate it with the South and I have no idea why. It's interesting in it's own right that we perceive 'Southern Food' as not American *shrugs* again I have no idea why.
I'm adding fried chicken, popcorn,corn bread, pumpkin pie and black eyed peas to my list of American food.
I have international visitors to stay regularly . They are usually late teens to early twenties. When asked to, most of my guests can cook something that identifies as their country of origin. But with my American visitors the conversation goes something like this: 'Oh I don't know what to cook, we just eat normal food' me: 'like this? ( indicating their plate) them: 'no, we don't eat foreign food' me: 'so what do you eat?' them: 'you know normal stuff' The first time I wrote it off as an immature teen, but having had many similar conversations now, I have to wonder what you guys eat? I wonder if you don't identify foods as American yourselves but call them TexMex or Southern style or Italian or whatever. Even though you have your own take on the cuisine, and as pointed out earlier, invented and exported such things as Chinese fortune cookies
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I think that's part of the culinary taxonomy of American food. No one says "hey, let's go get some American food," and when they want something like that's it's usually a burger and fries, or a hot dog or the like. It's funny to think that American-style Italian or Chinese is nothing like the original, and it thus really more American than not.
We probably eat more pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies and pumpkin ice cream in my house than we do pumpkin pie, though I love them all. I'm a big fan of the squash family.
Also, how does England get corn on the cob? Corn is from the Americas!
Posted by Drifter (Member # 11958) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: Also, how does England get corn on the cob? Corn is from the Americas!
I know! Weird aye. But when we are talking about food it somehow comes up as English. Possibly because we are in awe of the English who can eat corn off the cob with a knife and fork without getting it everywhere! Personally I have to pick it up to eat it Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :
quote:Originally posted by Drifter:
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: Also, how does England get corn on the cob? Corn is from the Americas!
I know! Weird aye. But when we are talking about food it somehow comes up as English. Possibly because we are in awe of the English who can eat corn off the cob with a knife and fork without getting it everywhere! Personally I have to pick it up to eat it
As a lifetime resident of a landmass filled with corn, believe me when I say that corn on the cob is to be eaten with your hands only. You may as well throw your hotdog and fries in the blender with some mashed potatoes so you can eat it with a spoon.
Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
Drifter- the bbq style is different from place to place (so says the Texan).
Posted by Hank (Member # 8916) on :
What about choclate chips cookies?
If someone asked me to prepare them a dinner I thought of as typically American, I'd probably make pulled pork, french fries, and iceberg salad with ranch dressing and chocolate chips cookies for dessert. Ooh--and chocolate milk to drink, since I don't care for soda.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
quote:Originally posted by scholarette: Drifter- the bbq style is different from place to place (so says the Texan).
This is very true. Last time I was down south I wanted some BBQ, and was given a 20 minute lecture by the server in the restaurant I was in about the difference between southern BBQ and northern BBQ (not that "northern BBQ was said with a derisive, dismissive tone of voice, and you know what, she was right).
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
When I think of American food I think of the types of food one of my grandmothers frequently cooked. (The other one deep fried EVERYTHING that wasn't microwaveable, so she doesn't really count). Anyway, that generally consisted of some form of beef, either steak or roast usually, some form of vegetable, usually green beans, boxed macaroni and cheese, and packaged bread. Oh, and lets not forget the Bluebell Ice Cream for desert!
Posted by Epictetus (Member # 6235) on :
I would like to add Bourbon to the list of Ethnic American contributions...not that you're likely to find it in the grocery store, but it is something that must meet very particular standards to be labeled as Bourbon.
If someone asked me to make an American dish, I'd go with Cajun food, like Jumbalaya or Shrimp Etoufee served with Cornbread.
Let's see, other things I think of as American: Cobbler Pastrami Sandwiches (though that's arguable) Nachos Hot Dogs (not the tasty kinds of the German and Polish variety, but the flavorless, rubbery Oscar Meyer frank) Any form of Casserole Chicken Noodle Soup
And I'm sure there's others. The problem I have is that American cuisine is so heavily influenced by other cultures that it's hard to think of it as ethnic. American Chinese food is what usually think of as ethnic food even though it bears little to no resemblance to real Chinese food. And I could say the same thing about Mexican food, Mongolian Barbecues, and even most Italian restaurants. So I think that even what we consider to be ethnic foods could be considered American cuisine.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
During the PotatoFamine, the Irish were fed imported corn so that Irish grains could be fed to the more valued English livestock. And a million-plus folks died of starvation because they didn't know how to prepare corn to maximize its nutritional value or how to supplement it for a complete healthy diet. So corn had a VERY bad reputation in Northern-thru-Central Europe as food unfit for human consumption up until the AmericanOccupation after WWII. I think the Italians and the Spaniards knew how to make cornmeal nutritious before then.
Edit In: Sorry about the quadruple post, kept getting a "waiting for response" message that lasted long enough that I'd hit STOP. Then repost later from the same window. Same thing is still happening out of EditPost. Anybody else having the problem of not being forwarded?
[ June 19, 2010, 02:36 PM: Message edited by: aspectre ]
Posted by rollainm (Member # 8318) on :
Mmm...clam chowder...
And now I can't get that SNL skit out of my head.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
quote:Originally posted by Uprooted:
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: deep-fried cheese curds
I had to google this. I think it's good that I don't live in the Midwest. Because those sound good to me.
They are good. They are very, very good. A friend of mine went to Wisconsin last month and told me he was glad he didn't live there, because he'd become a 900-pound behemoth from the cheese curds alone.
Personally, I prefer them plain and un-fried. Nice cold, squeaky cheese curds are a fantastic snack. Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
quote:Originally posted by Dan_Frank: It's an interesting question though, because it speaks to the perception of American cuisine rather than the reality.
I thought so, because I usually come at it from the other angle, wandering past the Walmart or Food Basics "ethnic foods" aisle and gawking at the stuff.
quote:Originally posted by Drifter: And I never associate BBQ with America. It's Australian
This part of the thread reminds me of this funny routine which uses BBQ as a marker of "becoming Canadian."
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
Oh, another fun piece. I see a lot of fun Chinglish, but here's an example of fun Zhonglish.
"Those who are not pregnant should ride a horse."
Posted by Drifter (Member # 11958) on :
quote:Originally posted by Epictetus: I would like to add Bourbon to the list of Ethnic American contributions...
:)Definitely
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
quote: "Those who are not pregnant should ride a horse."
The Spanish one seems to be saying that no person with a back should ride a horse. Quite right. Riding horses should be for invertebrates only. But what's that got to do with roller coasters?
Posted by Catseye1979 (Member # 5560) on :
I remember living in Mexico a bunch of us got some Root Beer at a store that sold US Products. All the natives in the house said it tasted like Medicine or Toothpaste. They really thought we lost our minds when we started putting Ice Cream in it, most wouldn't even try it.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
I consider anything you can fry in butter American.
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: Dan: Just how huge is that pet peeve?
Enormous. It used to have a little peevehouse out back but it's too big for that now. If I keep reading this thread soon it may not be able to fit inside the house. What with people saying insane, blasphemous things like "BBQ is Australian."
Barbecue is Australian in the sense that Australians call cooking things on a grill barbecuing them. But... that ain't real BBQ.
But no, seriously, most of this thread has been really interesting. Another thing I love about Hatrack: Less ignorant disdain of American cuisine than I see most places. Huzzah! Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
In Israel, fried chicken is called American chicken. Soft serve ice cream is called American ice cream.
Also, multiple choice tests are called American tests, but that isn't a food.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
God, of all the things I want American known for, multiple choice tests ranks up there with reality television programming and American Indian reservations.
Posted by Darth_Mauve (Member # 4709) on :
You all are forgetting Possum, Squirrel or any critter you can cook using your vehicle's motor as a cooking surface (yes, my father had the book on how to use tin foil to wrap your meet so you can cook it in the engine block--and how many miles per pound for best results--your mileage may vary).
How about Lemonade.
Philly Sandwiches?
When I was in Russia we went to a Cowboy restaurant in Astrakhan. It was decorated in bull horns, six guns, and cowboy hats with a big Texas flag over the front door.
Only problem, there was not a single Beef item on the menu.
I'll say Hamburger (named after a German City, but still--Americanized) or just Beef in general.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Things I think of as distinctly American food are cornbread, biscuits (especially eaten savoury - sweet they could be scones), chilli, buttermilk fried chicken, shredded meat 'barbecue' (in fact, most shredded meat dishes), tomato soup with toasted cheese sandwhiches, cookies and milk.
We go to a US ethnic food shop sometimes, to stock up on chilli powders (things like ancho and pasilla powder are almost impossible to get here) and hot sauces. According to that shop, US ethnic food is junk: Kraft MacnCheese, pink lemonade powder, marshmallow fluff sweets galore. But I suspect that's more because of the shop's customers - mostly ex-pats homesick for tastes that they can't get in the normal stores here.
Re Barbecue - of course barbecue is Australian!
That reminds me of when I was in South Africa and everyone was telling me about brai, and how it was uniquely South African and how I had to try some. Turns out brai is an Aussie barbie.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Darth_Mauve: or just Beef in general.
Beef! It's what's for dinner.
(Raise of hands: Who remembers that ad campaign?)
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
*raises hand*
But in Australia it's,
"Beef! It could be served at any meal today!"
[ June 20, 2010, 05:22 AM: Message edited by: BlackBlade ]
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Americans -- some of them, anyway -- eat beef for breakfast. And many eat it for lunch.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
I'm trying to think of what beef besides a breakfast steak might be served in the morning.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: *raises hand*
But in Australia it's,
"Beef! It could be served at any meal today!"
We think of steak for breakfast as American.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: I'm trying to think of what beef besides a breakfast steak might be served in the morning.
Corned beef hash.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: I'm trying to think of what beef besides a breakfast steak might be served in the morning.
That's what I was thinking, although Dana has a point. *shudder*
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by imogen:
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: *raises hand*
But in Australia it's,
"Beef! It could be served at any meal today!"
We think of steak for breakfast as American.
It's specifically Texan, I think. Certainly it's not something you'd ever see anywhere I eat!
And it's the Brits who eat nasty things like kidneys for breakfast.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Yeah, steak for breakfast is definitely a southwestern thing. Here in the upper Midwest, breakfast meat is almost entirely pig-based.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
In my house, breakfast meat is soy-based. Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
And it's the Brits who eat nasty things like kidneys for breakfast.
Shouldn't that just be "And it's the Brits who eat nasty things."
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Well, yes. Probably. Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
I don't know... some of the Asian restaurants I inspect have some pretty sketchy looking nasty things that they are selling as food. I'd take kidneys over balut if I was starving to death any day!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I think I'd choose starving. *sick*
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I like kidneys. I haven't had a chance to try balut yet.
I'd choose either one if it were offered to me.
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
quote:It's specifically Texan, I think.
As a Texan, I'd say I've certainly seen it served. I've never known anyone that did it as a normal thing though- typically just if there's leftovers from steak the night before or a really special occasion. Bacon and sausage are definitely the norm.
Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
Breakfast restaurants often sell steak and eggs as an option. I also think I have seen some sort of beef brisket omelet. But, yeah for home cooked it would be a leftover not a planned thing. We also love our kolaches in Houston- so that is like hot dogs.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
The only place I've ever had steak and eggs was Vegas.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: I'm trying to think of what beef besides a breakfast steak might be served in the morning.
That's what I was thinking, although Dana has a point. *shudder*
Cold cuts of any kind.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
For BREAKFAST?
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
I'd also like to point out that many MANY breakfast sausages are a pork beef mix.
And my Dad has been known to fry up a T-bone along with eggs for breakfast on "special days".
Posted by LargeTuna (Member # 10512) on :
Chicken Fried steak (with the white gravy) is American I think, and altogether delicious!
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by imogen:
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: *raises hand*
But in Australia it's,
"Beef! It could be served at any meal today!"
We think of steak for breakfast as American.
Huh. I distinctly remember being in the Philippines (oh great this version of firefox at school doesn't have spell check) and all the Australian dive instructors talked about steak for breakfast. I also remember watching a movie about an Australian family living in the frontier. There was a scene at a bed and breakfast where the hostess was serving all the men breakfast steak and fried eggs. I guess I got the impression they did that everywhere in Australia.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: Drifter:
quote:Clam chowder not so much as American but a Southern thing.
'Scuse me, but clam chowder belongs to New England.
Seriously. My indignant Yankee self will be indignant.
Also, no tomatoes in it, or it isn't clam chowder. --
And since corn is an intrinsically North American grain, corn on the cob is definitely American, not English.
-Bok
EDIT: Also, fried clams in a batter (not breaded). With the bellies. Clam strips are garbage.
[ June 20, 2010, 09:39 PM: Message edited by: Bokonon ]
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
quote:Originally posted by DDDaysh: I'd also like to point out that many MANY breakfast sausages are a pork beef mix.
And my Dad has been known to fry up a T-bone along with eggs for breakfast on "special days".
Yeah, steak and eggs is a special occasion type of thing.
Posted by Drifter (Member # 11958) on :
I asked other people what they thought of as American food. Turkey, cookies, pancake stacks, ketchup, Fried chicken and Boston Beans were all considered to be typical American foods. Moonshine was also mentioned frequently
When I mentioned y'all felt that the BBQ was American, I only received puzzled looks. Nope, definitely Australian. I did get asked if you knew BBQ was eaten outside? Now that had never occurred to me, I just assumed everyone ate BBQ outside.
We often hear the phrase 'as American as Apple Pie' so that surely would be on the list too.
Posted by Ecthalion (Member # 8825) on :
quote:Originally posted by Drifter: I asked other people what they thought of as American food. Turkey, cookies, pancake stacks, ketchup, Fried chicken and Boston Beans were all considered to be typical American foods. Moonshine was also mentioned frequently
When I mentioned y'all felt that the BBQ was American, I only received puzzled looks. Nope, definitely Australian. I did get asked if you knew BBQ was eaten outside? Now that had never occurred to me, I just assumed everyone ate BBQ outside.
We often hear the phrase 'as American as Apple Pie' so that surely would be on the list too.
It may be hard to say that the act of cooking something over an open fire is limited to any specific country or ethnicity. The term barbecue though is carribean in origin and was brought up into the southern U.S. by way of migrating natives.
Barbecue in the U.S. is usually referencing meat (almost exclusivly pork, though southwest states will cook beef) slow-cooked (indirectly) over a wood fueled flame. Anything over direct heat or charcoal (even gas.... yuk) is just grilling. That being said barbecue is most definately a U.S. thing. Particularly southern U.S.
Posted by Darth_Mauve (Member # 4709) on :
Bacon was invented by French pirates in the Caribbean. So, since Canadian Bacon is just ham, and since no one else is claiming it, I hereby claim Bacon as an American food.
And with Bacon--we win.
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
I find it funny that you associate BBQ with pork. Though I have known people to occasionally cook a pork loin as BBQ, and there are, of course, spare ribs, the vast VAST majority of the BBQ that I've come in contact with has been beef. Of course, I do live in Texas, so we are southwest.
I've also never heard your distinction between BBQ and "Grilling" before. People around here usually differentiate the two based on what type of think you are using to cook it. If you're using a gas grill, then it's grilling - but on a real pit, it's always BBQ!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by DDDaysh: I've also never heard your distinction between BBQ and "Grilling" before.
Me neither.
Posted by Ecthalion (Member # 8825) on :
hmmm ive definately had people give me crap for saying "come over for a barbecue" and they find me with a grill. I didn't originally associate bbq with pork but when i look back on it whith the exception of beef brisket i can't really think of much other than pork that i've barbecued or that i've seen barbecued. I just went and looked through some dictionaries and etemologies and encyclopeidas to see if i could find a more definitive history for barbecue.
Pretty much every place suggests that what we would call barbeque is from the southern U.S.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: ]Huh. I distinctly remember being in the Philippines (oh great this version of firefox at school doesn't have spell check) and all the Australian dive instructors talked about steak for breakfast. I also remember watching a movie about an Australian family living in the frontier. There was a scene at a bed and breakfast where the hostess was serving all the men breakfast steak and fried eggs. I guess I got the impression they did that everywhere in Australia. [/QB]
Actually, that is triggering memories - I think it's a generational thing. It may have been more common a while ago. A cafe near me used to have an 'ANZAC special' that was steak and eggs, and a lot of the older generation seemed to order it.
Something else American - doughnuts! And bagels.
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
Yeah, but the more specific use of barbecue is so much more useful. I mean, criminy, the way some of you define barbecue... early humans did nothing but barbecue.
The style of cooking that was created (or at least perfected and popularized) by the Southern US has the same name as what Aussies and others call cooking outside over a flame. Since the latter definition of barbecue could easily be called by other words (like... grilling. Or cooking over a fire) and the other really just has the one name, doesn't it make more sense to accept that barbecue is... well... barbecue?
Posted by Ecthalion (Member # 8825) on :
yea i agree. meat over a fire is pretty unoriginal
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:I've also never heard your distinction between BBQ and "Grilling" before.
That's a western thing. East of the Mississippi, "barbecue" is a verb that's very distinct from "grill." And "barbecue" as a noun is almost never grilled.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
A barbecue here implies more than just cooking over a flame - it's usually grilled meat (steak, sausages, lamb chops) with a salad and bread. Eating outside and drinking beer is also implied.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
That sounds about right to me.
I'll pass on the beer, but that's because I loathe the stuff.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
Oh man, I wish there was a Goodwood or an Outback out here now. Some Alice Springs Chicken would really do me right.
One of these days we need a forum get together, have it at a camp site with fire pits, and we will do nothing but grill and BBQ. Even the vegetarians can eat vegetable kebabs.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Outback is *not* Australian food! But I'm sure you knew that.
I went to an Outback Steakhouse in Minnesota. It was fun. Mostly because it was foreign food to me. Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :
Things that didn't exist in Switzerland when I lived there...except at the American Store in Geneva: Root Beer Tortillas Flavored Jello (and for some bizarre reason, members of the church loved it when missionaries made it) Brown Sugar as we know it in the US- Chocolate chip cookies were not the same without it. Macaroni and Cheese Reeces Peanut Butter Cups
pretty much, I could find anything else I wanted.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
Another USA food: Hotdogs and rice.
Posted by Jake (Member # 206) on :
When I was in Thailand there was a place just up Thapae Road from my soi that was called America Restaurant. They served burritos, nachos, spaghetti, and chocolate cake.
In England I ate at a pub that served hamburgers. It was kind of odd--they devoted the better part of a page of their menu to the types of burgers that they sold, but it read something like this:
The Ketchup Burger - A Hamburger With Ketchup On It The Mustard Burger - A Hamburger with Mustard On It The Pickle Burger - A Hamburger with Pickles On It
and so on and so forth, until you got to:
The American Burger - A Hamburger With Sliced Tomato And Raw Onions
Is the practice of eating raw onions on burgers and sandwiches widely seen as a uniquely American thing, or was the author of that menu just odd?
Posted by SenojRetep (Member # 8614) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: I also remember watching a movie about an Australian family living in the frontier. There was a scene at a bed and breakfast where the hostess was serving all the men breakfast steak and fried eggs. I guess I got the impression they did that everywhere in Australia.
I'm just finishing A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute, which is set (partially) in Queensland around 1950. In it, a young English woman is staying at a small B&B where breakfast is an 8 oz steak with two fried eggs. When she requests just a single fried egg with no steak the proprietress sends her the standard breakfast anyway, because that's all they serve.
FWIW, the book was later made into an Australian miniseries (circa 1982), which may be the movie you're referencing.
Posted by Ecthalion (Member # 8825) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jake:
The American Burger - A Hamburger With Sliced Tomato And Raw Onions
Is the practice of eating raw onions on burgers and sandwiches widely seen as a uniquely American thing, or was the author of that menu just odd?
hmmm i dunno, i put raw onions on everything. I love onions. I would kinda doubt it being unique to americans though.
Posted by Jake (Member # 206) on :
I would too. It seems fairly improbable.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
We've got it at Harveys
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
No restaurant should be considered Australian if it doesn't serve meat pie.
As far as steak for breakfast in the southwest US, it's a throwback to a couple of generations ago when ranching families ate what they produced. My uncles and aunts talk about being served steak for breakfast most days and crying because they couldn't afford bacon and sausage like the kids at school.
So, it is Texan, to an extent, but more of a novelty enjoyed by people who didn't come from a ranching family. Steak for breakfast makes me think of goat ropers, wannabe cowboys who've never touched a cow in their lives. Not that there's anything wrong with eating it, but there's a whole culture in Texas of trying really, really hard to get back to roots that were never all that great in the first place. [edit: Or, rather, that they don't fully understand because of the level of privilege they enjoy in this generation.]
Posted by Epictetus (Member # 6235) on :
I'd like to throw in Buttermilk Biscuits into the mix. Especially when served with white gravy for breakfast.
Posted by Darth_Mauve (Member # 4709) on :
If you haven't had Steak for breakfast in the US, you've been patronizing the wrong truck stops.
And lets face the elephant in the room. Real American ethnic food is anything so overproduced that they list more chemical compounds on the box than the names of plants or animals.
IE: Mono-sodium Glutamate mmm that's good cooking.
Posted by CT (Member # 8342) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jake: ... better part of a page of their menu to the types of burgers that they sold, but it read something like this:
The Ketchup Burger - A Hamburger With Ketchup On It The Mustard Burger - A Hamburger with Mustard On It The Pickle Burger - A Hamburger with Pickles On It
Posted by Jake (Member # 206) on :
Yeah, it was odd. I asked the waitress if I could get an American burger with cheese, ketchup, pickle, mustard, and lettuce on it. She kind of boggled, and after a moment said "well...it'll cost you!"
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