# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/81 "2014-06-23T09:40:42Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I prefer Skippy peanut butter. (The smooth kind. For me, chunky peanut butter is for cooking.) It most definitely has a lot of sugar in it. _Everybody_ eats a spoonful of peanut butter now and again, but most often it’s eaten in a sandwich. If you’re putting jam on anyway, sugar in the peanut butter doesn’t matter. But peanut butter is also popular as a filling for [pretzels](http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2014/02/20/img_0038-500x3752_wide-40d6c3aad2b5011898b431e3275408249d251c4d-s6-c30.jpg), which I would put in the savoury category. I think it was **chefguy** who recommended peanut butter and sriracha on hot dogs, which also fits in that category. PB is good on pancakes and waffles too. And as a dip for apple slices and celery sticks. And who can resist a [Reese’s](http://miketrimble.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83452205b69e20162fcb36c6d970d-pi)! ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/82 "2014-06-23T09:51:09Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I remember going to a movie theatre in Germany (Freiburg, I think), and getting a box of popcorn. Imagine my complete surprise when something I was fully expecting to be salty turned out to be sweet when I first popped it in my mouth. All kinds of things can happen with the lights down low, but that’s much of the fun. > [@chiroptera](#): > > Are winter squash (pumpkin mainly) and sweet potatoes used in sweet pies or desserts anywhere other than the US? Here in China I’ve seen sweet potato in both sweet and savory dishes, and IME more often in the former, . ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/83 "2014-06-23T15:21:35Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Are winter squash (pumpkin mainly) and sweet potatoes used in sweet pies or desserts anywhere other than the US? My pumpkin/butternut squash fritters are to die for, I assure you. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/84 "2014-06-23T15:40:46Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#): > > PB is good on pancakes and waffles too. And as a dip for apple slices and celery sticks. Yep. Dad’s favourite pancake topping was peanut butter and Karo white corn syrup. I don’t dip apples and celery in peanut butter. I spread it on/in the slices with a knife. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/85 "2014-06-23T15:57:04Z")
If it’s not too late to ask, could I see a list of a variety of foods that are predominantly “savory”? It’s a new word for me in terms of expanding in what I thought were the “basic tastes” of sweet salty bitter sour Is it in the “piquant” region, “spicy” group or just what? Ignorance admitted. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/86 "2014-06-23T16:04:43Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > Is South American sweetened popcorn similar to US kettle corn or caramel corn? A friend from Portugal (Azores) used to just sprinkle sugar on it, the way people in the U.S. would use salt. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/87 "2014-06-23T16:12:41Z")
I always heard the preserves/jam/jelly divide described thusly: Jelly: A spread made from fruit juice, sugar and pectin (if the fruit doesn’t have enough of its own) Jam: A spread made from pureed fruit, sugar and pectin. Preserves: A spread made from chunks of fruit, sugar and pectin. So basically they’re the same thing, but the fruit component is different, or at least in a different form. Generally speaking, you see certain fruits as jelly, jam or preserves. Grapes are usually jelly, berries and plums are usually jam, and berries, peaches and apricots are usually preserves. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/88 "2014-06-23T16:20:00Z")
And then there’s marmalade. I used to like the sweet Smuckers orange marmalade but when I’ve tried imported varieties, they seemed bitter. Wikipedia says that people in the UK use Seville oranges, the rind of which adds a bitter flavor. (So not really savory vs sweet.) ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/89 "2014-06-23T16:45:50Z")
The best marmalade is ‘Tawny’, which is fairly bitter. The sweet ones are too fay. Unfortunately most shop marmalade and jam in Britain is pretty anemic and lacking in succulence: the home-made stuff from church fetes is usually superior. Mary, Queen of Scots did not name it, though she may have enjoyed some form of _marmelada_, in the 17th century people, prolly in Scotland, started using Seville Oranges. The previous Portuguese stuff was made from quinces. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/90 "2014-06-23T17:09:55Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > If it’s not too late to ask, could I see a list of a variety of foods that are predominantly “savory”? It’s a new word for me in terms of expanding in what I thought were the “basic tastes” of > > sweet > salty > bitter > sour > > Is it in the “piquant” region, “spicy” group or just what? > > Ignorance admitted. 🙂 **Zeldar** , “savory” tends to mean not sweet, or possibly even salty. I believe this conversation is about that spectrum, not including the bitter/sour part. BTW, and fortunately this seems to be a dead trend, but has anyone considered “aspic,” a sort of non-sweet Jello/gelatin component? Yuck. ---
**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, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/91 "2014-06-23T17:18:40Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > **Zeldar** , “savory” tends to mean not sweet, or possibly even salty. I believe this conversation is about that spectrum, not including the bitter/sour part. > > BTW, and fortunately this seems to be a dead trend, but has anyone considered “aspic,” a sort of non-sweet Jello/gelatin component? Yuck. Yeah, it’s basically just a contrast to the general sense of “sweet.” So, for example, “sweet” crepes are crepes that are served with chocolate, fruit, lightly sweetened curd cheese, whipped cream, that sort of stuff, while “savory” crepes might have salmon or ham or mushrooms in a white sauce, or beef stew in them. So, not sweet stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/92 "2014-06-23T18:36:33Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > **Zeldar** , “savory” tends to mean not sweet, or possibly even salty. I believe this conversation is about that spectrum, not including the bitter/sour part. > > BTW, and fortunately this seems to be a dead trend, but has anyone considered “aspic,” a sort of non-sweet Jello/gelatin component? Yuck. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, it’s basically just a contrast to the general sense of “sweet.” So, for example, “sweet” crepes are crepes that are served with chocolate, fruit, lightly sweetened curd cheese, whipped cream, that sort of stuff, while “savory” crepes might have salmon or ham or mushrooms in a white sauce, or beef stew in them. So, not sweet stuff. Thanks a bunch, y’all. I had about decided something like that but just wasn’t sure how to differentiate “sweet and sour” or “hot and spicy” and such. A Cajun buddy makes a fine [Sauce Piquant](http://www.cookinglouisiana.com/Cooking/Meats/Sauce%20Piquant.htm) (that’s not his exact recipe) and I’m wondering how far that is from a “savory” dish. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/93 "2014-06-23T22:07:12Z")
I’m shocked that Bananas/Plantains haven’t come up (I searched but didn’t find any references to it). ---
**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, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/94 "2014-06-23T22:32:30Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Thanks a bunch, y’all. I had about decided something like that but just wasn’t sure how to differentiate “sweet and sour” or “hot and spicy” and such. A Cajun buddy makes a fine [Sauce Piquant](http://www.cookinglouisiana.com/Cooking/Meats/Sauce%20Piquant.htm) (that’s not his exact recipe) and I’m wondering how far that is from a “savory” dish. For the purposes of sweet vs savory, yes, that would be considered “savory.” Almost anything you’d normally eat in the US for dinner would be “savory,” and almost anything you’d eat for dessert would be “sweet.” And there’s plenty of dishes that are a combination. [Here’s a reasonable explanation.](http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-difference-between-sweet-and-savory.htm) So, for example, here in America, we tend to think of peanut butter as something to go with sweet stuff. Like peanut butter and jelly. Or peanut butter and chocolate. Or in dessert cakes. Stuff like that. In other parts of the world, you will find peanut butter used in non-sweet dishes, like in a chicken stew. That is definitely not a sweet use for peanut butter. Oatmeal, that’s another one. Most people in the US like their oatmeal sweet, with stuff like fruit, maple syrup, brown sugar, etc. I like my oatmeal with savory ingredients, like a poached egg, hot pepper, diced scallions, etc. ---
**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 24, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/95 "2014-06-24T01:11:58Z")
It builds off yogurt, but lassis offered by US Indian restaurants are usually sweet and fruity. But in India they are just as likely to be salted. Butter was hard to get in China, but one day my local supermarket had big, enticing, delicious looking tubs of butter. I bought one, dreaming of frying up some steamed buns in butter and pretending like it was American toast. That is, at least, until I got home and discovered it had been whipped with sugar. Blech. To add insult to injury, I them got to hear Chinese people lecture me on how American food was too sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/96 "2014-06-24T01:42:40Z")
Tamagoyaki, a Japanese style omelette, usually is a sweet dish when made “plain”. There’s both soy sauce and mirin/sugar in it, but usually there’s about twice as much of the sweet stuff. It’s too sweet for my poor taste buds that are used to savory eggs, so I adapt mine to have about equal levels of salty and sweet. I never really liked eggs much before, but I could eat this stuff all day! Adding sugar to my eggs (and the act of them carmelizing slightly in the pan) really opened up a whole new eggy world for me. ---
**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 24, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/97 "2014-06-24T02:09:39Z")
My great-uncle and my grandfather always salted their watermelon. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/98 "2014-06-24T02:11:53Z")
My father did that, and I picked up the habit. But it’s still sweet. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/99 "2014-06-24T17:04:41Z")
Cornbread comes to mind. They aren’t different countries anymore but southern (USA) cornbread is usually savory and northern is usually sweeter. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352/100 "2014-06-24T17:34:52Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I just ran across an ad for an avocado milkshake at a local Vietnamese restaurant. [Avocado Margarita Recipe](http://www.cookincanuck.com/2013/04/kicked-up-avocado-margarita-recipe-for-cinco-de-mayo/). 🆒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-are-savory-in-one-country-sweet-in-another/691352.md?page=6)