# Is there a food that everyone in the world likes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220 "2007-04-15T16:32:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/61 "2007-04-16T19:46:46Z")
As far as I know, most everyone loves some sort of cheesecake. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/62 "2007-04-16T19:59:32Z")
As noted, some cultures find cheese offensive and most cultures don’t like American-style cakes of any kind because of the high sugar content. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/63 "2007-04-16T20:06:25Z")
True. And I did see that earlier discussion in here. I just think it’s best to probably try to find the one most enjoyed, as it just seems that there will always be someone (posting in here too) who either dislikes or knows someone who dislikes the foods named. : p Based on that, I wonder what suggestion is the farthest ahead so far? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/64 "2007-04-16T20:07:06Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] Then pizza isn’t a universal food, because some people eat pizza and others eat focaccia. (BTW, it was my understanding that focaccia is a type of bread. Is that wrong?) [/QUOTE] It is a type of bread. So is pizza crust. In fact, they’ve got basically the same ingredients and are cooked by a similar procedure (not identical, since focaccia usually isn’t made with wet toppings like tomato sauce, AIUI). I’ve certainly had focaccia that had toppings scattered over it before it was baked. It was very much like a thick-crust pizza without tomato sauce or cheese. > [@Devorzhum](#): > > Flour can be made of any grain was one of the first foods ever to be processed. Dumpling dough has generally a low number of universally accessible ingredients that can be stored almost indefinitely. So, the dumpling has my vote for most internationally and historically adaptive and utilized food. But is it really a single food? The dough used may be similar all around the world, but the end products certainly are not all the same, or even that similar in taste. I think dumplings might be a class of foods, like flatbreads. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/65 "2007-04-16T21:14:02Z")
[QUOTE=Nava] … they actually put dextrose in sugar-free stuff? It’s glucose! The worst part is, I can absolutely believe it. [/QUOTE] That was badly worded, sorry. My point is that I can’t eat ANY sugar anymore, real or fake, no matter what it’s in or how much, because it causes my blood glucose numbers to soar. After a two-week long test, with all kinds of products, I was shocked to find out how much both real and artificial sugar affect me in a negative way. It was a sad day in the Equipoise household, I’ll tell you what, because I’ve always been a sugarholic. The piper has come. I even have to make my own mayonnaise now because store bought mayonnaise has sugar in it, and the sugar-free mayonnaise has artificial sugar in it. That sucks. Not that I can’t have sweet things, but I have to make whatever it is myself, using stevia, the only sweet substance I’ve found so far that doesn’t affect me negatively. I’d probably be set perfectly if I lived in Japan or South America (or India, where they’re starting to make sugar-free, stevia-based honey by feeding stevia to bees), or any other place where stevia is accepted and put in all kinds of products, but since it’s illegal in the United States as a food additive, for no damned good reason at all, I have to add it myself. It’s VERY sweet, but doesn’t affect my blood glucose in the slightest. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/66 "2007-04-16T23:17:20Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] Sara Lee [/QUOTE] Ahem, post #12. At least, somebody remembers that commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Mapache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@Mapache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapache)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/67 "2007-04-16T23:44:42Z")
My sixteen year old son won’t eat anything with chocolate in it, and my fourteen year old daughter hates rice. Brown rice, basmati, sushi, makes no difference. At least they both like tortillas. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/68 "2007-04-17T00:40:21Z")
Cabbage. Cabbage is the one of the most widely-grown vegetables, and if you think about it, it gets incorporated into most cuisines in one form or another. From sauerkraut to coleslaw to kimchi. I’d say peppers and potatoes are also pretty high on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/69 "2007-04-17T00:42:29Z")
Dumplings are just very lumpy porridge. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/70 "2007-04-17T00:50:15Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Cabbage. Cabbage is the one of the most widely-grown vegetables, and if you think about it, it gets incorporated into most cuisines in one form or another. From sauerkraut to coleslaw to kimchi. [/QUOTE] But there are a _lot_ of people who don’t like a lot of those forms. I wish that every American who hates brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, or sauerkraut would send me a dollar. Cabbage, with the exception of coleslaw, is a bit of a hard sell to Americans these days. ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/71 "2007-04-17T00:54:56Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Cabbage. Cabbage is the one of the most widely-grown vegetables, and if you think about it, it gets incorporated into most cuisines in one form or another. From sauerkraut to coleslaw to kimchi. [/QUOTE] I’d argue that onions are a better fit for this. While we probably don’t eat as many onions as we do, say, potatoes, onions are used in almost every savoury dish. In fact, it would probably be more challenging to name a savoury dish that doesn’t use onions. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/72 "2007-04-17T01:10:31Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] But there are a _lot_ of people who don’t like a lot of those forms. I wish that every American who hates brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, or sauerkraut would send me a dollar. Cabbage, with the exception of coleslaw, is a bit of a hard sell to Americans these days. [/QUOTE] Name an American who doesn’t like egg rolls! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/73 "2007-04-17T01:36:22Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Name an American who doesn’t like egg rolls! [/QUOTE] Hubert. (Cool–I’ve never gotten to name anybody before!) Daniel ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/74 "2007-04-17T01:37:11Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Name an American who doesn’t like egg rolls! [/QUOTE] Me. I’m going to have to vote for “dumplings.” in some form or other. or “bread” in some form or other. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/75 "2007-04-17T02:52:50Z")
[QUOTE=Idle Thoughts] As far as I know, most everyone loves some sort of cheesecake. [/QUOTE] I’ll eat cheesecake, but I certainly don’t love cheesecake. One of the best things for Brainiac4 about me being gluten intolerant is that we will now split cheesecake for dessert - but only if there isn’t creme brulee. Otherwise, we never ordered cheesecake, there are about a zillon desserts I perfer (almost all which have gluten in them - cheesecake does too - if you eat the crust.) I’m not sure you can say bread (miss bread, miss pizza). I love bread, but its such a big category. When I was a kid, I couldn’t stand crusty breads. Now as an adult I can’t stand the Wonder type whites (well, now my digestive system balks at bread in any form, but you know what I mean). Bread is a little like saying “everyone likes fruit” My guess is that while some things are near dietary universals - on an individual level you’ll always find someone not fond of something. (BTW, cakes are sweeter in the Southern U.S. (IME) than in the Northern U.S. They use way too much sugar down there). ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/76 "2007-04-17T04:06:33Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] As noted, some cultures find cheese offensive [/QUOTE] I must be blind. Can you point out where this was said? ---
**Author:** ![Puzzler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@Puzzler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Puzzler)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/77 "2007-04-17T06:47:21Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] Lots of people eat pizza without pepperoni, but a pizza with neither tomato sauce nor cheese would probably be considered unsual by most Americans, don’t you think? [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Anne Neville] Only because those of us who do eat such things would call them focaccia, not pizza. [/QUOTE] How about Pizza Bianca? Yummy! ---
**Author:** ![Puzzler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@Puzzler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Puzzler)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/78 "2007-04-17T06:48:37Z")
[QUOTE=adam yax] I must be blind. Can you point out where this was said? [/QUOTE] Post #16: [QUOTE=fetus] You think so? **From what I hear many Chinese find dairy offensive.** Two of the world’s biggest religions don’t eat pork. Though I can’t name one, I would be surprised if there weren’t a couple of major countries or even continents that don’t like tomatoes. [/QUOTE] Bolding mine. ETA: I vote for salt, given that integrends are allowed. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/79 "2007-04-17T06:59:01Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] What are Jaffa Cakes? [/QUOTE] You don’t know what Jaffa cakes are :eek: Chocolate biscuits (cookies) with a filling of orange jelly Is pussy classed as food? just askin’ ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220/80 "2007-04-17T07:08:54Z")
[QUOTE=Mbossa] I’d argue that onions are a better fit for this. While we probably don’t eat as many onions as we do, say, potatoes, onions are used in almost every savoury dish. In fact, it would probably be more challenging to name a savoury dish that doesn’t use onions. [/QUOTE] I found out recently that some Indian cuisines don’t use onions or garlic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-that-everyone-in-the-world-likes/400220.md?page=5)