# Why do many Americans think British food is awful?



## Caveat (15 Sep 2009)

It seems to be a fairly common perception and I don't really understand it. 

Like the average US meal is such _haute cuisine_ anyway 

Is it because they don't get enough calories per plate or something?!


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## Sue Ellen (15 Sep 2009)

Not enough supersizing.


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## liaconn (15 Sep 2009)

I suppose a lot of them are eating in inexpensive/traditional type hotels where the food is probably overcooked roasts, soggy veg and watery potatoes. Bit like here, really.


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## Vanilla (15 Sep 2009)

Maybe it's because you can eat well at many inexpensive delis and diners in the States but not in greasy spoons. At least that would be my experience of dining out in the States versus UK.


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## Purple (15 Sep 2009)

vanilla said:


> maybe it's because you can eat well at many inexpensive delis and diners in the states but not in greasy spoons. At least that would be my experience of dining out in the states versus uk.



+1


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## Caveat (15 Sep 2009)

Vanilla said:


> Maybe it's because you can eat well at many inexpensive delis and diners in the States but not in greasy spoons. At least that would be my experience of dining out in the States versus UK.


 
Maybe, a bit.  But I've had bad café type food in the states too.

So a case then of Americans being parochial and narrow minded and basing an entire nation's food on a handful of cheap cafés?

Not impossible I guess.


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## Vanilla (15 Sep 2009)

Caveat said:


> So a case then of Americans being parochial and narrow minded and basing an entire nation's food on a handful of cheap cafés?


 

Are they? Actually I've never heard that about Americans thinking British food is rubbish but I guess you're getting it from somewhere?

I've always found Americans to be pretty open and enthusiastic in general so that suprises me.


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## Caveat (15 Sep 2009)

Well they _can_ be IME but just stirring it a bit. 

But yes, I've heard the 'British food is bad' thing a lot.

I'd understand it maybe if they were visiting some provincial small town or something and all that was available was the aforementioned greasy spoon and a Chinese but they tend to visit e.g. London, Edinburgh etc - no shortage of nice places to eat. In fact, you'd have to go out of your way to find a 'greasy spoon' type place IME.


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## Staples (15 Sep 2009)

Slightly off topic but an elderly US relative of mine (think Abe Simpson) rks me greatly every time by always saying that McDonalds' burgers are so delicious and nutricious and how it would be impossible to get a good burger in Ireland in they weren't here.

The most annoying aspect is that when challenged, he thesis relies on his experience of buying a burger from a trailer van in the West of Ireland back in the 1970s.  I try to point out the significant improvements that occurred in Ireland since (education, sanitation, tarmacadam, etc) but he's not having any of it.


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## mathepac (15 Sep 2009)

Americans make so many pronouncements on so many issues that they have to be right about something eventually. 

Brits can't make decent tea, bread, coffee or ice-cream; their stew, chips, pork sausages, lamb (from NZ?) leave a lot to be desired. Even the curry and kebab capitals of the world, Birmingham and Glasgow, are pale imitations of what they used to be. Last year and 2007 a full Irish brekkie on the ferries coming home was like a manna from heaven after a few days on the hotel / motorway services circuit over there.


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## so-crates (15 Sep 2009)

Caveat you'll have to find an American forum to get an informed answer there methinks 
Anyway I thought it was always the French that poo-poohed British food.


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## Vanilla (15 Sep 2009)

so-crates said:


> Caveat you'll have to find an American forum to get an informed answer there methinks
> Anyway I thought it was always the French that poo-poohed British food.


 
Yes, but the French poo-pooh everyone elses food except their own- they don't discriminate...


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## Chocks away (15 Sep 2009)

I just spent two weeks touring the UK and Ireland with some American friends and my Irish husband. We had some exceptional dinners, some just good but none under par. Our friends tried lots of different food for the first time and enjoyed it all. In Ireland they had full Irish each morning and raved about the rashers. As they did in the UK. My only complaint was a meal on the Innishowen peninsula where the "boiled bacon" was baked ham. But even that was good - even if not what was ordered. In Dorset we had American sized portions but, alas, no doggy bags . In Scotland they were bowled over with the Kedgeree and fish dishes. These people I know all of my life and they were not just being nice - they really enjoyed all the food. And they are widely travelled.


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## mathepac (15 Sep 2009)

Chocks away said:


> ... And they are widely travelled.


Excellently educated pallettes, McDonald's *and* KFC


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## Chocks away (15 Sep 2009)

mathepac said:


> Excellently educated pallettes, McDonald's *and* KFC


 He hee  And they loooooved the Wexford strawberries.


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## Caveat (15 Sep 2009)

OK, maybe not the best example but after a very quick google here is a thread from armchairgeneral where British food gets a fair bashing by the predominantly US posters:



...and aren't you Canadian Chocks?  Your American friends were probably just being polite - they wanted to appear sophisticated in your presence


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## Chocks away (15 Sep 2009)

Had a quick peek at your link Caveat and I'd surmise that a few of the contributors are from, shall we say, the Appalachians or the southern states. Nothing wrong with that in general, 'cept they don't squeeze as much Ketchup on their grub as the north eastern states or California. Butter 'n Sugar Corn followed by Potato&Egg salad and Hot Dogs or Hamburgers and loads of Coors or Bud is the culinary lofty height that a lot of these aspire to. And remember, don't forget the peanut butter and ice cream


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## mathepac (15 Sep 2009)

Caveat said:


> ...and aren't you Canadian Chocks?  ...



Really - I love Canadia, its a little-known province of Newfoundland, the westernmost part of Ireland, eh. A very sensible bunch of people, they are reasonable in their approach to the smoking of tobacco products, give Americans an extra tough time at border check-points, are close to fluency in two languages and don't appear to have any ambitions to rule the world. Now if we could just do something about this Queen fixation some of the population have, they'd be grand, eh.


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## Latrade (16 Sep 2009)

I still think any country that invents cheese in a spray can should be banned from any gastronomical discussion. However, I think there is a point to be made to some extent if you are to compare average American Diner to Average British pub grub. 

Mind I tend to find american food overly seasoned, so maybe it's a taste thing. Their chocolate is pathetic and I would say their McDonalds is actually among the worst in the world. Thanks to Europe's stringent food regulation at the least the burgers here resemble and taste like meat, however I've yet to discover the origin of the grey, salted cardboard meat they use in the states.


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## Caveat (16 Sep 2009)

Latrade said:


> I still think any country that invents cheese in a spray can should be banned from any gastronomical discussion.


 
Indeed. Cheese as we know it almost doesn't exist in the states - the standard 'cheese' is generally Easi-singles type stuff.

Other dairy produce is pretty bad too.

Their meat generally leaves a lot to be desired IME - although I'm assuming that it would be better in cattle country at least - I have only been to the east coast. 

You would think that they would be good at junk food at least but they aren't really. If you exclude 'ethnic' type snacks, a lot of the stuff is really bland and fatty - generic 'fries' which taste of cheap oil and plastic, hot dogs are usually no better than the ones you get from an 80c tin over here...

BUT, pizzas - I'll give them that anyway.


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## Chocks away (16 Sep 2009)

_Why do many Americans think British food is awful? _It may be that they have tasted one of _PizzaPizza's_ pizzas in Calgary before flying east. Sitting by the side of the river (try the Inside Out Experience there), Rockies to the west, crisp blue skies overhead, wedges of _PizzaPizza's_ pizza in plates  and a bottle of Canadian Rose wine shimmering in glasses. Ummmmm! Yummy yummy. And yes, boys and girls, we DO have wineries in Canada.


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## Caveat (16 Sep 2009)

Chocks away said:


> And yes, boys and girls, we DO have wineries in Canada.


 
_And_ proper cheese.  _And_ it's nice too. 

In fact, I really like Canada and Canadians TBH.  It is my genuine wish to live either there or in Spain in my later years. Preferably Montreal but anywhere considered.


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