What American foods do Europeans love?

Old Feb 5th, 2012, 08:47 PM
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Forgot to post the link.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...os-angeles.cfm

Happy Travels!
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Old Feb 5th, 2012, 08:49 PM
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"We eat all of this at home, and none of it comes from packages. We don't eat these things in fast food restaurants. That poster above was so insulting."

Huh? Who was insulting? Was that to me as I'm the poster immediately above? Happy Travels!
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Old Feb 5th, 2012, 10:12 PM
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<OK logos999. That's enough. Tailsock comes on a travel forum with a question about how to please her friend in London with some American food when she travels there, and you turn the conversation into a soapbox from which you can preach about the "repulsive" nature of another country's food. I'm sure if you review the guidelines for using this forum you will see that your generalized disparagement is not appropriate. I believe the monitors will agree. Goodbye.>

Welcome annettafly! I am looking forward to reading more of your posts; plus I used to live in Michigan.
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Old Feb 5th, 2012, 11:13 PM
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When you're talking about ethnic food in New York. This isn't american food, just as New York insn't the US, the vast majority in the US survive on junk food.
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Old Feb 5th, 2012, 11:58 PM
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My daughter absolutely adores Smart Food White Cheddar Cheese popcorn.
For the rest of us -
Miracle Whip
A Bob Evan's breakfast (just the one)
Little Debbie wafer biscuits
Applebee's garlic mashed potatoes
Half and Half
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 02:18 AM
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I have not been to the US but I love maple syrup (my parents used to buy it as a special treat sometimes for pancake day). The other thing I guess that is extremely popular in the UK is pizza and it's definitely the US version rather than anything authentically Italian.
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 02:22 AM
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When you're talking about ethnic food in New York. This isn't american food, just as New York insn't the US, the vast majority in the US survive on junk food.
_______
Really, NY is not the US?

Where do you think it is located?

Do you also want discount the trend of eating more local, fusion, and better prepared food throughout the country. Have you eaten in San Francisco, LA, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, DC, Miami, etc lately?

And people who live in the US (and are born in the US) are not considered citizens? That may be the German way, but it is not the way for many in the US.

And do you have any other stereotypes you would like to cling to?
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 02:42 AM
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I travel to the States two to three times a year and the only thing that I really look forward to eating is a really huge burger. It doesn't have to be an especially good one, but there's something about the way a decent burger is presented in the U.S. that brings a smile to my face.

The more toppings the the better and if it can be washed down with a bottle or two of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, then I'm happy. I think it's more about what it represents than how it tastes to a certain degree.

Other than that, there is nothing else I look forward to and I don't bring anything home with me, other than the desire to eat normal sized portions of food and be in a place where a 'light lunch' is actually as described...
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 03:14 AM
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Love:

Reeses peanut butter cups

Maple syrup (you can get it here but it's very pricey and not
great quality)

Dunkin Donuts... last seen in Ireland around 1999 and sorely missed...

Those peanut butter pretzels sound amazing!

I was in the States staying with a friend a few years ago and he made corn bread (served with chili), that was a lovely novelty for me as I'd never had it before

j
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 03:44 AM
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We used the last of our bottle of Maple Syrup last week, so it is on the list for the next trip to Waitrose, an upmarket U.K. grocery store. Their price is £1.67 per 100g.

I thought I would try to compare with U.S. prices, and with some difficulty found a similar size bottle on the Walmart website. I have no idea how the quality compares.

The Walmart bottle is $7.48 per 12.5 oz. 12.5 oz is 354g, so the Walmart price is $2.11 per 100g. At today's exchange rate of $1.577=£1, the Walmart price becomes £1.33 per 100g. That difference does not seem so great.

So why does everyone think maple syrup is much more expensive outside the U.S.? Or is my maths wrong?
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 04:33 AM
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Maybe I've been here too long or am drawn to the same types of threads over and over. This is my least favorite. It begins innocently. Someone is traveling to Europe and in attempt to be polite would like to bring something with them. The first few responses are informative and helpful and then it all falls apart. Rudeness and condescension takes over. Always.

tailsock: if there is anything a large majority of Europeans wanted in their daily diet it would already be available. But, you weren't asking that, were you? You weren't asking what lifetime supply of American food you should bring over for your poor impoverished European friends. You mentioned two American treats that your friends enjoy and were asking for more ideas. I hope this thread gave you some ideas. I think you should focus on treats or junk food. America does that well! They are usually funny or at least a novelty to Europeans. I'm thinking peanut butter pretzels, or super fruity bubble gum. I don't think one taste will lead your friends to storming their local grocery store demanding these imports. But I think they will try them, enjoy the experience of something new or different, thank you and move on to enjoying your company.
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 05:21 AM
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Peanut butter pretzels it is!
At least I can offer first-hand experience that one colleague of mine wrestled the pack which I had brought for myself from my hands and declared it her property.

P.S.
Otherwise I second BKP's first paragraph.
What makes people go nuts when they read one silly comment that no one right in his mind will take seriously?
Engaging in an argument with someone who thinks that, for example, Americans feed their kids only Coke & fries is fruitless and will leave you look at least as stupid as the troll.
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 07:39 AM
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I was in Madrid two years ago and was asking a man that spoke very broken english where to find a pharmacy. The few words that I got were turn by McDonalds , two blocks and right across street from Burger King.
In a way kinda sad.
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 08:54 AM
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If you just resolve yourself to the idea that logos woke up on the wrong side of the cave, this will go a lot easier.

Every Brit I know seems to like peanut butter (with extra corn syrup). It makes me wonder why it's not available in the UK.
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 08:57 AM
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Logos: Where in the world did you get the idea that the vast majority of Americans survive on junk food? Do I sense some trollish behavior here?

Your comments remind me of a waitress in a Gasthaus in Schwábisch Gmund who had lived in the the U.S. for a while. She told me that she'd been arguing with her customers about the variety of American food. The customers kept insisting that Americans live on hamburgers and other fast food. Having lived in the States, she knew otherwise, but she couldn't budge them from their preconceived ideas.

I never eat at McDonald's or Burger King, pizza joints or any other fast food restaurants in the States. That type of food is loaded with fat, and it really doesn't taste very good. For me, the only exception is a pastrami sandwich from Subway, but that's a rare treat.

I had a restaurant lunch last week. I ordered a shrimp dish. I also had dinner with friends at a nice restaurant that week. I ordered filet mignon, their special mashed potatoes (delicious!) and green beans. It was very rich and filling, so I took half of it home and had it for lunch the next day.

I do eat at fast food places occasionally in Europe. Last year in Spain, I kept trying to convince my travel partner to eat at McDonald's because I was tired of expensive Spanish food. We paid over $100 (for two) for one meal, more than $80 for another. They were both acceptable, but neither was delicious.

I've traveled a great deal in Europe (though you've undoubtedly traveled more, of course.) I've eaten delicious food and mediocre food in every country and every city in which I've traveled, even in Paris. The only truly horrible stuff was the Maultasche in Schwábisch Hall. It was so bad that it was memorable.

For me, the key to finding really good food is to ask for a recommendation, usually from staff at my hotel. I think that applies in the U.S. too.
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 09:05 AM
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Chartley, maple syrup in the U.S. is measured in FLUID ounces (not ounces of weight), so you can't make a direct comparison to your syrup which you state is measured in grams (weight).

You would need to know how much 1 fluid ounce of maple syrup weighs in order to see how the prices in the U.S. and in Britain compare.

I see the price of real maple syrup costs around $7.00 at Walmart for 12.5 fluid ounces. For an American, that's still pretty pricey because we can get good quality maple-flavored syrup for about 1/3 of that price.
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 09:35 AM
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To the OP: Haven't you missed the obvious? If your friend loves buffalo wings, why not bring them some Frank's or Crystal, so they can make their own?

Otherwise, get them some good wine. Or maybe a nice bottle of bourbon.

So why does everyone think maple syrup is much more expensive outside the U.S.? Or is my maths wrong?

There is maple syrup and there is maple syrup. The stuff at Walmart looks to be Vermont Maple Syrup, which attracts a price premium relative to the Canadian stuff being sold at Waitrose.

But also, your math is wrong. The stuff at Walmart is 12.5 fluid ounces, or 494 grams. At £1.67 per 100 grams, that would be roughly £8.25 for an equivalent bottle, or $13.05, so 75% more than the cost in the US.

Still, I can't imagine one eats enough of the stuff to make it that worthwhile.

Speak for yourself. As far as I'm concerned, German food is some of the worst, and least healthy, on the planet. It's amazing you're that close to Italy and France and still haven't picked up any decent culinary habits.

Oh, that might be a bit harsh. But, I think we can all agree that logos needs to get out more. Or at least open the pocketbook and stop eating at McDonald's. It is strange he is so tight, as I thought he was some sort of financial wizard making huge money trading currency.

And people who live in the US (and are born in the US) are not considered citizens? That may be the German way, but it is not the way for many in the US.

The US is one of the few countries that confers citizenship based upon being born in the country. Most of Europe (and certainly not the Germans) are simply not that enlightened. What is amazing is that they continue with such a silly policy despite the fact that they have a huge demographic crisis looming. European politicians are as short-sighted, it seems, as American politicians.

I travel to the States two to three times a year and the only thing that I really look forward to eating is a really huge burger. It doesn't have to be an especially good one, but there's something about the way a decent burger is presented in the U.S. that brings a smile to my face.

I've yet to find a burger in Europe (save those I make myself) that comes close to even an average burger in the US.
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 09:57 AM
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Was wondering when someone would mention a burger, travelgourmet.

Poutine was an entirely new word to this American-googling it says it started in Canada. Is Alberta beef also from Canada?

What foods are actually native to this country? Buffalo, turkey, maize, peanuts, crabs and other seafood...what else? Most everything else was imported by the folks who moved here, eh?
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 10:14 AM
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I thought that peanuts came from Africa.
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Old Feb 6th, 2012, 10:24 AM
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I don't know about peanuts. They just popped up in my thoughts because our George Washington Carver did so much with them. Off to google!
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