# People who live outside the USA: Do you routinely eat grape jelly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 20, 2024, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893 "2024-12-20T00:09:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2024, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/141 "2024-12-29T19:27:13Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Grape jelly isn’t a thing here in England And of course referring to it as “Jelly” will trigger the UK “spot the American” response as Jelly in England is Jello (or something like it). Jam or preserves. Then there is pudding… I couldn’t find it in Melbourne when I lived there so was not surprised not to find it in Ireland or the UK. ETA: Or St. Petersburg, Russia ---
**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:** [December 29, 2024, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/142 "2024-12-29T19:32:37Z")
Correct, but jelly is also the thing that Americans call ‘Jelly’ here (a preserve made from the clear strained juice of cooked fruit, boiled with sugar and set). As far as I understand it (and ignoring the jello angle), jelly and jam are the same on both sides of the pond, it’s just that the catch-all term differs - in the UK, people are likely to say ‘jam’ when they mean preserves in general (including jam, jelly, conserve, compote etc), whereas (I think) people in the USA are likely to say jelly when they mean preserves in general. Pudding is indeed a weird one; it means pretty much anything here in the UK including things that are sausages, pies, gateaux, dumplings, cakes and other desserts (as well as being a synonym for ‘dessert’ as a meal course) the one thing it _never_ means is the milk custard thing that Americans call ‘pudding’. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2024, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/143 "2024-12-29T20:04:03Z")
In my experience, I’ve never heard anyone outside the USA call any jams or preserves “Jelly” unless they’re being somewhat condescending and “translating”. I guess I don’t know what ~~“Jello”~~ “Jelly” is here if it’s not the stuff from a little carton you add hot water to and pop in the fridge to set. A car is a car everywhere yet often in the UK someone might say “You’ve got a good motor” and they’re talking about the entire auto-mobile and not just what’s under the ~~hood~~ bonnet. Yet all that is another thread. Though I’ll have to check out whatever English Jelly is if it’s not Jello and animal hooves aren’t an essential ingredient. ---
**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:** [December 29, 2024, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/144 "2024-12-29T20:11:02Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > In my experience, I’ve never heard anyone outside the USA call any jams or preserves “Jelly” I think that’s just because, as I say, the generic or category term for preserves here is ‘jam’, but when you get down to specifics, ‘jelly’ is a thing - here’s an example: > **[Tiptree Blackberry Jelly | Ocado](https://www.ocado.com/products/tiptree-blackberry-jelly-10533011)** > > Buy Tiptree from Ocado. Find your favourite groceries, household essentials, and value delivered at Ocado. Traditionally, the making of preserves is a competitive event at English country shows and ‘jelly’ is a specific category with very exacting standards - here’s an example of that: [Croxley Green Annual Home & Produce Show - Jelly](https://www.croxleygreenshow.co.uk/schedule/jelly) ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2024, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/145 "2024-12-29T20:17:10Z")
Cool! I was eating a plain Waitrose - best supermarket krumpet - last week and my manager seemed stunned and I just shrugged and said I had no Jelly…err I mean Jam. Ocado is upscale like Waitrose and of course if there’s homemade Jelly I can now firmly say, "Jelly is too a thing here!! ---
**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 29, 2024, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/146 "2024-12-29T23:02:18Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > In my experience, I’ve never heard anyone outside the USA call any jams or preserves “Jelly” unless they’re being somewhat condescending and “translating”. I guess I don’t know what ~~“Jello”~~ “Jelly” is here if it’s not the stuff from a little carton you add hot water to and pop in the fridge to set. It must be jelly ‘cause jam don’t shake like that. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/147 "2024-12-30T00:16:10Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > – Grape pie is a Finger Lakes specialty in season, but only some people make it, and a lot even of those who like it buy it instead of making it themselves. I think there’s probably some equipment or some technique for getting the seeds out, but I’ve never made one – I ate it once and didn’t like it enough to bother figuring out how to make it. There are IMO a lot of things that make better pie and are easier to work with. As I’ve said before, I make grape pie every year – often more than one. To me, there isn’t anything like grape pie. I’ve made it from different varieties, when I can find them, but usually I make concord grape pie. \* have a vine that yields enough for at least two pies. Where do you find anyone else who makes pies? They’re so labor-intensive that I’ve never seen them in any stores. The only people I’ve seen selling them have roadside stands near Naples, NY. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/148 "2024-12-30T00:28:17Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I think that’s just because, as I say, the generic or category term for preserves here is ‘jam’… I’d say it’s the opposite in the US where jelly is used as the generic term. We usually call any sandwich made with peanut butter and any kind of fruit spread a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/149 "2024-12-30T03:41:21Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Where do you find anyone else who makes pies? They’re so labor-intensive that I’ve never seen them in any stores. The only people I’ve seen selling them have roadside stands near Naples, NY. Ayup. Naples, NY or some other places in that general area of the central Finger Lakes. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/150 "2024-12-30T05:19:44Z")
Since this thread has been up I’ve done a fair bit of Xmas grocery shopping and keeping a weather eye out for anything in the grape jam / jelly / conserve / partly gelatinated non-dairy gum-based fruit spread line. I can now confidently report that no such thing exists in the three leading supermarket chains in Australia or any of our fine delicatessens and fancy food shoppes. That is despite every other fruit imaginable being jammed and sold. ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/151 "2024-12-30T05:53:14Z")
We have many different fruit spreads available, but concord grape is comfort food and so common here. I have a giant jar in the refrigerator to go with my honey roasted crunchy peanut butter for sandwiches. ---
**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:** [December 30, 2024, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/152 "2024-12-30T08:04:42Z")
That’what a I thought ( and suggested a bit further upthread) - jam and jelly exist on both sides of the pond and are, within the context of preserves, approximately the same; what differs is the category term ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/153 "2024-12-30T14:15:26Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > there are plenty of Indian and Middle Eastern desserts that use rose water and orange flower water. Also, Sicilians use orange flower water, introduced by the Arabs. It’s called _zagara_, from Arabic زهرة _zahrah,_ ‘flower’. I make some awesome Sicilian cookies with it. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/154 "2024-12-30T17:20:53Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > I make some awesome Sicilian cookies with it. Sounds great! Recipe, please? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/155 "2024-12-30T20:26:59Z")
These’ll go great with your coffee > **[Fiori di Sicilia Spritz Cookies](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/fiori-di-sicilia-spritz-cookies-recipe)** > > Sugar cookies, flavored with aromatic vanilla-orange Fiori di Sicilia flavor, are perfect for the holidays. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/156 "2024-12-30T20:32:38Z")
Thanks! Do you use orange flower water in yours? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893.md?page=7)