# Foods that are "savory" in one country, "sweet" in another **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 22, 2014, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352 "2014-06-22T05:14:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/61 "2014-06-23T01:02:09Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t think people use jam and jelly interchangeable, as they are different. And Smuckers actually sells preserves and “fruit spreads” in addition to jams and jellies. (I used to put Smuckers strawberry jelly on my buttered toast but not strawberry jam.) And don’t forget marmalade. I use jam and jelly pretty much interchangeably, although I’m not likely to have jelly around, as I prefer jam. I still call it a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, though. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/62 "2014-06-23T01:05:22Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Biscuits are almost never sweet in America. (Other than the way our bread products are generally sweet.) > > A biscuit is something like [this](http://foodimentaryguy.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/buttermilk-biscuits.jpg) and you might use it to make a small [sandwich](http://media.chick-fil-a.com/Media/Img/catalog/Food/XLarge/Sausage-Egg-Cheese-Biscuit.png) or serve it with a [meaty gravy](http://americancowboy.com/sites/default/files/3226694151_c17c059d9b.jpg). > > The other meaning of a biscuit is a [small treat](http://cf.ltkcdn.net/dogs/images/std/128943-318x211-Crunchy-dog-biscuit.jpg) you’d give a dog. Of course you could also put butter and jelly on a biscuit, just like you might on toast. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/63 "2014-06-23T01:05:29Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Unless it’s made out of cranberries, in which case we call it [jelly](http://www.neilpeart.net/bng/recipes/images/cranberry_jelly/cranberry_jelly_01.jpg) even if it’s actually [jello](http://media.onsugar.com/files/ed3/192/1922195/47_2009/687b8510bd3e158f_3064763866_ceb4d8fed6.xlarge.jpg) or [jam](http://zestycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/cranberry.jpg). I’ve never heard the second one referred to as cranberry jelly. That’s cranberry sauce in my lingo. So is the first, usually, but that one can be “cranberry jelly,” although it still doesn’t sound particularly familiar to me. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/64 "2014-06-23T01:11:25Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Biscuits are almost never sweet in America. (Other than the way our bread products are generally sweet.) > > A biscuit is something like [this](http://foodimentaryguy.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/buttermilk-biscuits.jpg) and you might use it to make a small [sandwich](http://media.chick-fil-a.com/Media/Img/catalog/Food/XLarge/Sausage-Egg-Cheese-Biscuit.png) or serve it with a [meaty gravy](http://americancowboy.com/sites/default/files/3226694151_c17c059d9b.jpg). > > The other meaning of a biscuit is a [small treat](http://cf.ltkcdn.net/dogs/images/std/128943-318x211-Crunchy-dog-biscuit.jpg) you’d give a dog. Yep. As Eliahna said, those biscuits look like what we’d call a scone. This is a [biscuit](http://loseweightwithsue.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/tim-tam_html.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/65 "2014-06-23T01:19:57Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Chocolate goes into the very savory _mole poblano_. Unsweetened chocolate goes into some moles and in very small amounts. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/66 "2014-06-23T01:31:28Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Chocolate goes into the very savory _mole poblano_. Also, you’ll find in American cuisine as a “secret” ingredient to some chilies. I’d venture to guess that it was inspired by mole poblano. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/67 "2014-06-23T01:38:19Z")
I was quite accustomed to fried chicken as a savory or even spicy dish, but it is served with honey as a standard condiment in Colombia. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/68 "2014-06-23T01:56:57Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Chocolate goes into the very savory _mole poblano_. > [@CBEscapee](#): > > Unsweetened chocolate goes into some moles and in very small amounts. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Also, you’ll find in American cuisine as a “secret” ingredient to some chilies. I’d venture to guess that it was inspired by mole poblano. I tried a [chocolate curry](http://groceries.iceland.co.uk/iceland-limited-edition-chocolate-chicken-curry-375g/p/56050)recently. Quite nice, actually. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/69 "2014-06-23T02:05:00Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I tried a [chocolate curry](http://groceries.iceland.co.uk/iceland-limited-edition-chocolate-chicken-curry-375g/p/56050)recently. Quite nice, actually. Interesting. Not something I would ever have thought of myself, but I could see how it would work. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/70 "2014-06-23T02:30:42Z")
Tomatoes in China are considered fruits in the se way that apples or grapes are fruit. They are found in fruit salads, atop cakes and served candied or sprinkled with sugar. You can even buy tomato birthday cakes. There is also the small matter of a thing called “meat floss,” a kind of pork cotton candy found atop pastries. ---
**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:** [June 23, 2014, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/71 "2014-06-23T02:44:30Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Tomatoes in China are considered fruits in the se way that apples or grapes are fruit. They are found in fruit salads, atop cakes and served candied or sprinkled with sugar. You can even buy tomato birthday cakes. And [tomato ice cream](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SFcWts1VcBM/SkCZsXbOzMI/AAAAAAAAAuw/9y-bkNm09J8/s400/tomato+ice+cream.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/72 "2014-06-23T03:21:35Z")
I always think of corn, or maize if you prefer. In the South we make cornbread that is not sweet, but other places in the US make a very sweet, almost cakelike cornbread. Roasted fresh corn is savory, served with butter, salt and black pepper but often with other spices and herbs. Corn kernels are part of savory dips such as Texas caviar, often served with savory corn tortilla chips. And then there is sweet corn ice cream and all the much-maligned high fructose corn syrup to round up the sweet side. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/73 "2014-06-23T05:46:11Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > I was quite accustomed to fried chicken as a savory or even spicy dish, but it is served with honey as a standard condiment in Colombia. Southern style chicken and waffles might be served with honey or maple syrup. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/74 "2014-06-23T06:08:37Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Southern style chicken and waffles might be served with honey or maple syrup. And, relatedly, one of the standard dipping sauces for Chicken McNuggets is honey. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/75 "2014-06-23T06:21:20Z")
Now should we get into a discussion of sweetbreads? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/76 "2014-06-23T06:49:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I don’t know what everyone else calls jelly and jam; but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are always called peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (or 'PBJ’s) whether they are made with actual jelly or jam. Yeah, I think this is the source of confusion. “Peanut butter and jelly” is treated as the name of the dish, but many folks would use preserves or jam instead. But you’re never going to call it a “Peanut butter and jam.” Jam and jelly are both very common here, but purple grape jelly is exceedingly common and is almost certainly the default for a PB&J sandwich. Bread is an interesting addition to this category, because even though American white bread _is_ chock full of sugar, I’d say it’s still considered a savory (or, perhaps, neutral) item by most. It’s not considered sweet, even though it’s probably fair to say it is. Same for commercial tomato sauces, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and lots of salad dressings. Made of sugar, but not seen as a sweet. As somebody who tries to make everything from scratch at least occasionally, it can be disconcerting how much sugar I have to add to certain things to make them taste “normal” sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/77 "2014-06-23T07:01:15Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > How would a Biscuit fit into the discussion? > > The word seems to mean something completely different in the USA to in the UK, Australia etc. > > In Aus, a biscuit could be either sweet or savoury. Both a cookie and a cracker are a biscuit. I think this is more a case of one word simply referring to actually different items. What UK calls biscuits, US calls cookies. What US calls biscuits don’t exactly exist in the UK, but are closer to a scone or a soda farl. UK and US use “cracker” pretty much the same, I think. So the foods (more or less) exist the same in both countries, just the names are messy. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/78 "2014-06-23T07:02:03Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > And [tomato ice cream](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SFcWts1VcBM/SkCZsXbOzMI/AAAAAAAAAuw/9y-bkNm09J8/s400/tomato+ice+cream.jpg). Perhaps served alongside a scoop of Heston Blumenthal’s Bacon and Egg Ice Cream for a Full English Breakfast dessert? > **[Bacon ice cream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacon_ice_cream)** > > Bacon ice cream (or bacon-and-egg ice cream) is an ice cream generally created by adding bacon to egg custard and freezing the mixture. The concept of bacon ice cream originated in a 1973 sketch on the British comedy series The Two Ronnies as a joke; it was eventually created for April Fools' Day by a New York ice cream parlour in 1982. In the 2000s, the English chef Heston Blumenthal experimented with ice cream, making a custard similar to scrambled eggs and adding bacon to create one of his ... ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/79 "2014-06-23T07:35:19Z")
> [@syncrolecyne](#): > > In the US and Mexico, avocados are mainly an ingredient for guacamole, or filling for tacos with meats and cheeses. > > However, in Brazil and Asia, avocados are generally sugared, and are a dessert dish. > > Are there other instances where unspoken “rules” of what is sweet and savory are radically inverted? We used to eat avocado with a spoon of sugar, as children.😛 ---
**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:** [June 23, 2014, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/80 "2014-06-23T07:47:37Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > Perhaps served alongside a scoop of Heston Blumenthal’s Bacon and Egg Ice Cream for a Full English Breakfast dessert? Served with [oatmeal ice cream](http://theurbanwire.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/oatmeal-cookie-chunk.jpg), it’s part of this complete breakfast. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352.md?page=5)