# Are there no English muffins in England? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402 "2004-12-17T19:39:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/1 "2004-12-17T19:39:56Z")
How about French toast or fries in France? German potato salad in Germany? I know that in France, French fries are pomme frites (fried potatoes, I believe), how about other dishes named after countries? P.S. This seemed too stupid for GQ and just foody enough for CS. Hope I guessed right. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/2 "2004-12-17T19:43:11Z")
There are no English Muffins in England because in England they are just ‘Muffins’. (actually I’m not even sure what an English Muffin is, what it consists of) We have baps, buns, balms. We do have ‘Full English’ breakfasts here. Named so. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/3 "2004-12-17T19:48:27Z")
Reminds me of how Bob and Doug MacKenzie were talking about how back bacon was called Canadian bacon in the US and then wondering if we called American cheese back cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/4 "2004-12-17T19:50:12Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > (actually I’m not even sure what an English Muffin is, what it consists of) English Muffin (US) = Crumpet (UK) ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/5 "2004-12-17T19:58:29Z")
> [@Pork Rind](#): > > English Muffin (US) = Crumpet (UK) Really? That’s what crumpets are? I always thought they were a kind of pastry. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/6 "2004-12-17T20:01:14Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > Reminds me of how Bob and Doug MacKenzie were talking about how back bacon was called Canadian bacon in the US and then wondering if we called American cheese back cheese. My Og. Suddenly things are making sense… I could never understand why, when I first moved here, people were asking me all sorts of weird questions, and among them was this one, that I couldn’t understand for the life of me - while I was eating a normal (though unusually hearty) breakfast of bacon and eggs, I kept getting teased about how I must have never had bacon like this before, but “Canadian bacon” instead. I kept insisting it tasted exactly the same as the bacon I always ate, all my life. I was told that they didn’t think we “got” bacon like that “up there”. News to me. Pig’s a pig, right? Eh? And now a light has been turned on for me. _Back bacon_. The stuff that tastes more like ham. Ahhh. Do people in the US just not eat that stuff? Or do they call it something different? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/7 "2004-12-17T20:03:08Z")
> [@Anastasaeon](#): > > And now a light has been turned on for me. _Back bacon_. The stuff that tastes more like ham. Ahhh. Do people in the US just not eat that stuff? Or do they call it something different? Yeah, we call it Canadian bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/8 "2004-12-17T20:04:38Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Yeah, we call it Canadian bacon. :smack: Pardon my brain fart, please. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/9 "2004-12-17T20:07:36Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Yeah, we call it Canadian bacon. Is this anything like our ‘Danish Bacon’? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/10 "2004-12-17T20:08:55Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Is this anything like our ‘Danish Bacon’? I dunno, what’s Danish bacon like? I would have a hard time distinguishing between Canadian bacon and ham. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/11 "2004-12-17T20:30:37Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > Really? That’s what crumpets are? I always thought they were a kind of pastry. A crumpet is like an English muffin, but not quite. Crumpets are fried. English muffins are baked. Crumpets are relatively sweet while English muffins have a bit of an acidic taste them which I assume comes from baking powder. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/12 "2004-12-17T20:51:03Z")
**BobT** beat me to my essential point (i.e., that English muffins and crumpets are not quite the same thing). English muffins were new to me when I came to this side of The Pond; not unwelcome, just different. It is easier to find English muffins here in Canada, but I believe most grocery stores carry crumpets, too. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/13 "2004-12-17T20:56:36Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > How about French toast or fries in France? German potato salad in Germany? > I know that in France, French fries are pomme frites (fried potatoes, I believe), how about other dishes named after countries? > > P.S. This seemed too stupid for GQ and just foody enough for CS. Hope I guessed right. I’ll probably get nailed by someone bilingual but here it goes. pomme frites comes from the French term for potato, pomme de terre. It literally means apple of the earth. It is shortened to pomme frites as slang. Literally translated it is fried apple but it means fried potato. How about Brazil nuts? Belgian waffles? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/14 "2004-12-17T20:59:36Z")
Well, we have back bacon, which is just named after the cut of meat. And Canadian and Danish bacon are simply any bacon from Canada and Denmark. The only thing I can think of that’s more like ham that bacon is gammon steaks. ANd [English Muffins](http://www.wholepop.com/features/toasters/othertoaster3.htm) are partly a product of successful branding. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/15 "2004-12-17T21:00:24Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > We have baps, buns, balms. Baps! I am so making baps for breakfast on Christmas morning. Fresh from the oven with strawberry jam. Mmmm. Who knew something with a giant thumbprint in the middle could be delicious? ---
**Author:** ![Callmeteem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Callmeteem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Callmeteem)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/16 "2004-12-17T21:43:40Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > Really? That’s what crumpets are? I always thought they were a kind of pastry. I was in England a year ago and saw nary a crumpet. I saw a few strumpets but not a crumpet. I saw other uniquely British or Scottish food and drink–haggis (not all that bad really); blood sausage (didn’t try it); fried bread (pretty good if not overly greasy); shandie, which is a mixture of beer and lemonade (refreshing actually). ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/17 "2004-12-17T21:58:09Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > …how about other dishes named after countries?.. Even better than Mr. Softee: Belgian Waffles smothered in French Vanilla Ice cream ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/18 "2004-12-17T22:02:56Z")
Manx Kippers. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/19 "2004-12-17T22:08:33Z")
> [@Callmeteem](#): > > blood sausage (didn’t try it) Blood sausage is tasty. Next time give it a try. Mmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402/20 "2004-12-17T22:12:58Z")
Scottish haggis. I suspect it was run out of Scotland at gunpoint. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-english-muffins-in-england/280402.md?page=2)