# Preferring the cheap, gross version of a food to the good, expensive version **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 3, 2009, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819 "2009-04-03T06:34:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/41 "2009-04-03T16:47:22Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I prefer Taco Bell to real Mexican food, and your average American Chinese restaurant buffet fare to authentic Chinese cuisine. I’m not proud of it, but there it is. Most Americans have never had real Chinese or Mexican food so it’s nothing to be ashamed of. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/42 "2009-04-03T19:36:20Z")
Canned iced tea. I can’t say I prefer it to real tea, but to me it is something entirely unlike real tea, it is its own creation. When I crave it, real tea won’t do, nope, give me the can. Nothing is quite like the gas station fried chicken and potato wedges. They are harder to find these days, but yeah, that is some good stuff. Coffee Creamer is probably where I am the most low brow. I don 't want real cream, I don’t want half & half, I don’t even want Cremora. Get me the cheapest non-dairy creamer that is available. It kills my husband to buy it for me, but I really just do NOT like Cremora at all. As far as coffee? Yeah, just a cup of coffee damnit. However, I do want that cup of coffee quite badly, so you half-caf, 1/4 soy, splenda, whipped twits need to get out of the way of people who really need it, you know the one behind you saying “coffee…coffee…” ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/43 "2009-04-03T19:51:23Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I’ll take 7-11 or street vendor coffee over Starbucks any day. And I lurve the cappuccino from the machines at 7-11! ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/44 "2009-04-03T20:23:44Z")
> [@Ro0sh](#): > > Macdonald’s Filet o’ Fish is the MOST delicious sandwich I have ever eaten in fast food. No real fish I’ve eaten in a resturant comes close to that little patty with the half strip of cheese melting on it. Screw the lettuce and all the other things, I just want that fish and the strip of cheese! One day I’m going to eat 10 Filet o’ Fishes in one sitting, then die of citric acid poisoning from the tartar sauce. But, at least I’ll die happy. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/45 "2009-04-03T20:29:39Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > There’s nothing like a cheeseburger grilled to perfection, but sometimes I just have to have a Quarter Pounder. Agreed, although the McD’s double cheeseburger will do just as well (the best burger a dollar can buy). And, as much as I like a block of aged cheddar, sometimes Merkts/Kaukauna cheese spread on a cracker/fries/or burger is all I want. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/46 "2009-04-03T20:32:25Z")
My husband positively adores cheap ice cream sandwiches. The no-name or store brand kind. I got him one of the deluxe ones once and he was very disappointed. If he can’t get half a dozen for $1.69, fuck it. He won’t have any at all. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/47 "2009-04-03T20:37:06Z")
I like Corona beer but I’m told real Mexicans (and many other beer drinkers) consider it utter crap. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/48 "2009-04-03T20:52:44Z")
I adore those little mini chocolate doughnut packs that Hostess makes. I don’t care much for “real” doughnuts, but I’m a sucker for the horrible mouth-coating waxiness of their “donettes”. I think it’s a throwback to college when I’d get one of these packages plus a carton of milk for my between-class snack. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/49 "2009-04-03T21:06:13Z")
Jack’s are the cheapest frozen pizzas on the planet and in every gas station in the Midwest, after cooking it and letting it sit in the ridge over night I’d take that over the best cuisine pizza’s I’ve ever eaten. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/50 "2009-04-03T21:09:41Z")
Spaghetti sauce. To me, no homemade spaghetti sauce or sauce at a nice restaurant has ever tasted as good as when I brown some ground beef at home and then dump in a jar of **Ragu’s** _Bell Pepper and Mushroom_ sauce. This sounds like a commercial, but it’s true: I’ve actually had guests compliment me highly on my spaghetti and ask how I make my sauce. They are surprised when I reveal the empty Ragu jar. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/51 "2009-04-03T21:14:16Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I like Corona beer but I’m told real Mexicans (and many other beer drinkers) consider it utter crap. Ditto. And I usually prefer a good dark beer with a lot of flavor. But on a warm summer evening, I really enjoy sitting on my back porch drinking a Corona with a lime wedge shoved into the bottle. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/52 "2009-04-03T21:41:45Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > Ditto. And I usually prefer a good dark beer with a lot of flavor. But on a warm summer evening, I really enjoy sitting on my back porch drinking a Corona with a lime wedge shoved into the bottle. Pacifico is an exceptional Mexican beer, with a little more substance than Corona, while still being light and refreshing for summertime enjoyment… (its also good with or without lime) ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/53 "2009-04-03T21:57:41Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Pacifico is an exceptional Mexican beer, with a little more substance than Corona, while still being light and refreshing for summertime enjoyment… > > (its also good with or without lime) I love Pacifico and drink it often. I also like Carta Blanca but it’s harder to find around here. The difference is those two don’t get slammed in internet beer threads like Corona usually does. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/54 "2009-04-03T22:11:30Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > “salad dressing” tastes better than mayonaise Quite. I really like the kind you can get in Mexico (sometimes to be found in Hispanic food stores) with lots of lime juice in it. > [@bibliophage](#): > > I much prefer chicken thighs to chicken breasts, at a third the price. White meat has absolutely no flavor for me, and I wouldn’t buy it even if it were cheaper than dark meat. White meat isn’t more expensive because it’s better; it’s more expensive because it’s light-colored and more uniform in texture and easier to cook. There’s no way you can claim it’s _better_. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/55 "2009-04-03T22:33:28Z")
Not that I prefer it, but when I open a can of Goya black-eye peas, I’m not just settling for convenience either. These things actually taste good – and this from somebody who was raised on autthentic soul food everything. > [@JR\_Brown](#): > > Quite. I really like the kind you can get in Mexico (sometimes to be found in Hispanic food stores) with lots of lime juice in it. Right now it way cheaper than namebrands too. I first tried this a few months ago on some ham sammiches. Uhn, uhn, uhn. Slurp. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/56 "2009-04-03T22:41:33Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I adore those little mini chocolate doughnut packs that Hostess makes. I don’t care much for “real” doughnuts, but I’m a sucker for the horrible mouth-coating waxiness of their “donettes”. I think it’s a throwback to college when I’d get one of these packages plus a carton of milk for my between-class snack. Mr. K is a sucker for these, too. Gems, I think they’re called. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/57 "2009-04-03T22:59:32Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Mr. K is a sucker for these, too. Gems, I think they’re called. Likewise Hostess fruit pies can’t compare to a good home baked pie but at times they can really hit the spot. ---
**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:** [April 4, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/58 "2009-04-04T00:35:56Z")
> [@JR\_Brown](#): > > White meat isn’t more expensive because it’s better; it’s more expensive because it’s light-colored and more uniform in texture and easier to cook. There’s no way you can claim it’s _better_. I would say it’s supply and demand. White meat is more expensive, at least in America, because it’s more in demand than white meat. Blame it on the advertising industry, blame it on the lean protein people, blame it on the blandification of the American palate, blame it on whatever you want, but American consumers prefer white meat to dark meat (so much so that scientists figured out a way to [turn dark meat into white.](http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2005-08-28-chicken_x.htm)). Luckily, I’m a huge fan of dark meat, although chicken breasts have their culinary purposes. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/59 "2009-04-04T01:04:19Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > **White meat is more expensive** , at least in America, **because it’s more in demand than white meat**. That’s an edvertising coup if I ever saw one. ---
**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:** [April 4, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819/60 "2009-04-04T01:51:29Z")
> [@5-4-Fighting](#): > > That’s an edvertising coup if I ever saw one. Oopsie. That’s a little recursive, ain’t it. I meant "dark meat’ at the end there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferring-the-cheap-gross-version-of-a-food-to-the-good-expensive-version/491819.md?page=4)