# UK Dopers: What Foods Do We Have in the US That You Don't Have Over There? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570 "2003-07-01T13:40:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/1 "2003-07-01T13:40:21Z")
Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=194279). I’m curious to know if UK Dopers have visited the US and found foodstuffs here that can’t be found over there. This, of course, excludes local brands that have equivalents in the UK; and it will exclude candy products (because every country in the world has candy bars in various and sundry shapes, sizes and combinations). The only thing I can think of (and I got this by reading an older thread about a different subject) is lemonade. Note that what is called “lemonade” in the UK is called “lemon-lime soda” (7-Up®, Sprite®) in the US. Apparently, real lemonade (water with sugar & lemon juice, like Country Time®) is hard to find in the UK. I’m sure there must be dozens of other things, but for the life of me I can’t think of any offhand. UK Dopers? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/2 "2003-07-01T13:42:43Z")
[Fixed link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=194279). ---
**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:** [July 1, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/3 "2003-07-01T13:56:07Z")
I’ve never been to the USA, but I know that _biscuits_ (the kind you have with gravy for breakfast) are something we don’t have here, likewise grits. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/4 "2003-07-01T13:58:47Z")
Well, I spent the Fourth of July in the UK a few years ago, and got inspired to make a classic American dish for my British friends; my first though was cornmeal-battered catfish. No go. I found the cornmeal after a while (labeled “polenta”), but nobody seemed to be selling catfish. I ended up making chocolate chip cookies instead. I also noticed a distinct shortage of all things Mexican, but with plenty of good, cheap Indian food I wasn’t about to complain too much. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/5 "2003-07-01T14:04:49Z")
Do you Britishers have REAL pie? The ones with Pumpkin or Apple in it, not this bulky meat stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/6 "2003-07-01T14:11:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Do you Britishers have REAL pie? The ones with Pumpkin or Apple in it, not this bulky meat stuff? Yes we do, **smiling bandit** 🙂 I don’t think I’ve ever come across **root beer** over here in the UK - what is it exactly? Julie ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/7 "2003-07-01T14:13:46Z")
I had root beer in a McDonald’s in London once. ONCE. It appears to be a Germolene® flavoured soft drink. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/8 "2003-07-01T14:17:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shrinking Violet \* > \*\*Yes we do, **smiling bandit** 🙂 > > I don’t think I’ve ever come across **root beer** over here in the UK - what is it exactly? > > Julie \*\* I thought root beer was the same as ginger beer 😕 We don’t have oreos over here. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/9 "2003-07-01T14:23:17Z")
I can’t find those 24 packs of stubbies, you know the little 330ml cans of cooking lager like MGD. It’s a great ‘filler’ beer and good for parties. A1 steak sauce. It’s one of those things you don’t really notice at the time, and although I’m sure you _can_ buy it somewhere, I’ve never seen it anywhere except Jerry’s Home store…and it was something like £7-50 for a tiny little bottle. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/10 "2003-07-01T14:25:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MC Master of Ceremonies \* > \*\*I thought root beer was the same as ginger beer 😕 \*\* That’s what I thought, too. Imagine my surprise. :eek: > [@](#): > > \*\*We don’t have oreos over here. \*\* Well, I’ve seen Oreos in the UK. We don’t need them though – we have lots of much nicer biscuits of our own. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/11 "2003-07-01T14:34:09Z")
Yeah, we have oreos here, but only in boxes of odd little twin-packs. I’ve never seen pumpkin pie available on retail sale (I’ve made it myself), same with pecan pie. McDonalds don’t seem to do rootbeer any more, it really was Germolene flavoured (but I liked it) - it isn’t the same as ginger beer - Dandelion and Burdock is similar (but far superior IMO). ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/12 "2003-07-01T14:38:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shrinking Violet \* > \*\*I don’t think I’ve ever come across **root beer** over here in the UK - what is it exactly? > > Julie \*\* Root beer is a carbonated soft drink flavored with the bark of the sassafrass tree (well, originally it was. And the high-end root beers probably still are; most of the rest is made with artificial flavors). More info [here](http://www.root-beer.org/questions.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/13 "2003-07-01T15:24:10Z")
Root Beer is not legally flavored with sassafrass root bark (note that it used to be the bark of the root of the tree) anymore. That particular material is chock-full-o-carcinogen. In any case, sassafrass was never a mandatory ingredient for the concoction. As the name implies, it is a beer made from roots. That root could be sassafrass or burdock root, and I’ve even seen one old recipe with dandelion root. Many other spices like birch bark, wintergreen, cloves, just about anything imaginable, can go into it. The real stuff (even without sassafrass) is simply delightful and is made by many small companies, including some beer brewers like Sprecher and Saranac. The industrial drek that is marketed under brand names like “Hires” or “A&W” is a miserable travesty, weakened of all character and real flavor. Originally, as far as I can tell, it was a fermented beverage, but the fermentation was only allowed to go on for a short time before drinking, so it was fairly low-alcohol. Some recipes can be found here: [http://www.stoutbillys.com/stout/infonsf/Library/0FF30A5F.htm](http://www.stoutbillys.com/stout/infonsf/Library/0FF30A5F.htm) ---
**Author:** ![wooba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@wooba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wooba)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/14 "2003-07-01T15:56:58Z")
The first time I visited the USA from the UK my family and I ate at Denny’s almost everyday for breakfast. You can’t get pancakes like that in the UK… they are totally differen… I don’t think you can get Dr. Pepper there, but that may have changed. I also thought most American cereal was superior to UK cereal… of course this was when I thought Captain Crunch and Fruity Pebbles were the holy grail of cereals. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/15 "2003-07-01T16:56:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Andy \* > \*\*I can’t find those 24 packs of stubbies, you know the little 330ml cans of cooking lager like MGD. > It’s a great ‘filler’ beer and good for parties. > \*\* Wait–do you mean you don’t have 24-packs of beer (“cases”) or you don’t have 12-ounce cans of beer? (Or that you don’t have cases of bad, mass-market beer?) ---
**Author:** ![aenimiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df788c/32.png) [@aenimiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenimiac)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/16 "2003-07-01T17:21:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HeyHomie \* > \*\*The only thing I can think of (and I got this by reading an older thread about a different subject) is lemonade. Note that what is called “lemonade” in the UK is called “lemon-lime soda” (7-Up®, Sprite®) in the US. Apparently, real lemonade (water with sugar & lemon juice, like Country Time®) is hard to find in the UK. \*\* That’s not strictly true. What we call lemonade is indeed like 7-Up and Sprite, without the lime. It does taste different. And it’s quite easy to get water with lemon juice and sugar version of lemonade over here. Most supermarkets have cartons of it and call it “Fresh Lemonade” or “Old Style Lemonade” And yes, we do have Oreos over here, unfortunately 😛 Oh, and Sainsbury’s sell their own brand of root beer, thankfully I haven’t tried it but according to people who have the likeness with disinfectant is uncanny. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/17 "2003-07-01T17:30:13Z")
Root beer _does_ taste somewhat like Germolene! I had never thought of that comparison but it’s true. I wish we had Germolene over _here_. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/18 "2003-07-01T17:38:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by toadspittle \* > Wait–do you mean you don’t have 24-packs of beer (“cases”) or you don’t have 12-ounce cans of beer? (Or that you don’t have cases of bad, mass-market beer?) Sorry, what I should have added, and is the real point, is the uber low price of those cases of crappy beer. I think you can get those little cans over here not in many brands, maybe in heineken. Cases of bottles hold similar amounts, but it’s not the same. It’s really hard to shotgun a bottle;) ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/19 "2003-07-01T17:58:09Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s really hard to shotgun a bottle Ah, yes. (We called them “ripcords” in my college years … since you’d cut a hole in the bottom of the can and then “pull the cord”–crack the tab-top). Perhaps a well-placed blowtorch? (let it cool, first!) Or a skillfully used glass cutter… I’m sure you folks must get the Foster’s oil cans, too. Now THERE’S a shotgun challenge… ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/20 "2003-07-01T20:20:03Z")
Dr Pepper is available in some places in the UK, but it’s different - it’s got fruit flavoring added. Tasty, but just not right. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570.md?page=2)