# 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:** 17\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![big\_alex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e56c9b/32.png) [@big\_alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/big_alex)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/81 "2003-07-05T17:28:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eva Luna \* > \*\*My poor college roomie is living in Middle of Nowhere, Kent, which is not the land of culinary diversity. To top it off, she is Salvadoran, so the soul food of her youth is largely unavailable. When I went to visit her last year, she begged me to bring pigeon peas, achiote (annatto seeds), and a few other things. I ended up with half a suitcase of Latin groceries, including > > 4 different kinds of dried chilies > Pigeon peas > Membrillo (quince paste) > Achiote > Mexican hot chocolate, which she says is pretty much the same as the Salvadoran version > Various dried beans unavailable where she lives > > \*\* If she’d come up north at Easter time she could have found pigeon peas, but they would have been called carlins instead. Don’t know if they are sold at any other time though ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/82 "2003-07-05T18:18:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TERRA Rising \* > \*\*I know that they have Guiness on tap, while we have to settle for the bottles or the cans (Cans preferred). > > I do wonder something though. How in the **WORLD** can Europeans drink beer warm? \*\* I think it’s because theu aren’t beer heathens. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/83 "2003-07-05T18:20:14Z")
They… dammit. ---
**Author:** ![wooba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@wooba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wooba)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/84 "2003-07-06T05:55:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WotNot \* > \*\*That may be the case, I suppose, though it’s frustratingly difficult to get a definitive answer. > \*\* WotNot. As a Brit that now lives in Canada, I can tell you with 100% certainty that what you call a Muffin is indeed what is known in North America as an English muffin. Like you said, available all over the UK, right next to the crumpets. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/85 "2003-07-06T09:51:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pjen \* > \*\*British Ginger Beer is most certainly not ginger ale! > > Available in most supermarkets are: > > Traditional Ginger Beer (premium and well made) > > Ginger Beer (commercial and drinkable) > > Ginger Ale- Dark and gingery like commercial Ginger Beer but more dilute- used as a mixer with whisky > > American Ginger Ale- lighter still and less strong- used as a mixer again. \*\* Here in Dubai, they sell the wonderful Bundaberg Ginger Beer from Australia, which is the traditional variety. However, it’s called “Ginger **Bev**.” When I first noticed this, I thought perhaps it was different - maybe still not sparkling. But it’s nice and fizzy. Now I think it’s been done so as not to offend (or confuse?) muslims with the word “beer”. Very stupidly, they sometimes describe wine as “grape beverage” on menus here. I nearly ordered it once, thinking it was grape juice (I don’t drink alcohol). Why they can merrily print the word “alcohol” on the same menu that they shrink from printing the word “wine” is anyone’s guess… ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/86 "2003-07-06T09:57:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eva Luna \* > \*\*Mexican hot chocolate, which she says is pretty much the same as the Salvadoran version \*\* What is Mexican/Salvadoran hot chocolate? ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/87 "2003-07-06T12:10:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rob V \* > \*\*Yes indeedy, it’s called "Cheez-Whiz"™. The only thing I find it’s good for is when snorkleing in Hawaii. The fish at Hanauma Bay went WILD fo the stuff. Frozen peas, too. \*\* Actually, Cheez-Whiz (sp?) is a jarred processed cheese spread. Much like [Easy Cheese](http://www.cockeyed.com/inside/cheese/cheese.html), but Easy Cheese is the aerosol equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/88 "2003-07-06T12:12:44Z")
Aha! [Cheez Whiz!](http://web.kraftfoods.com/cheezwhiz/). > [@](#): > > Glad you made it. Now sit back, relax and enjoy an eyeful of tasty CHEEZ WHIZ treats. Remember, no matter how tempting it is do not lick your computer screen. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/89 "2003-07-06T14:37:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by istara \* > \*\*What is Mexican/Salvadoran hot chocolate? \*\* It comes in the form of round disks about 1" thick and 3" wide, which break into six pie-shaped tablets; each tablet makes 1 cup of hot chocolate. It’s the kind that you have to dissolve in hot milk. Unlike American/regular English hot chocolate, it is flavored with cinnamon and sometimes a bit of vanilla and/or nutmeg. In Mexico, traditionally the heated chocolate is beaten into a froth with a \* molinillo,\* a traditional wooden utensil that works something like a wire whisk, except that you roll it rapidly between the palms of your hands. Most people use a whisk these days, or even a belnder (especially for larger batches). Try it sometime; it’s yummy and very aromatic! The two main brands are Abuelita (Grandma) and Ibarra. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/90 "2003-07-06T14:45:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by venterap \* > \*\*Do the US have banoffy pie or sticky-toffee pudding? I had that in the UK and I’m hooked! > \*\* There’s an Irish pub/restaurant in Evanston, the first suburb north of Chicago, that has an absolutely mind-blowing sticky toffee pudding. I seem to recall seeing it a couple of other places, but you won’t find it in supermarkets or bakeries. Bannoffee pie: I’ve heard of it, but never seen or tasted it. But the ingredients were nothing unusual, so if you lived in the U.S. and needed a fix, you could certainly make one or convince someone to make one. (Same for sticky toffee pudding.) I’ve got recipes for both, and if my books weren’t still packed up in boxes, I’d post them for you. I’m sure you can find a recipe online, though, if you’re really curious. ---
**Author:** ![LSD-25](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@LSD-25](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSD-25)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/91 "2003-07-06T19:13:21Z")
Mountain Dew was introduced to Britain with a huge marketing campaign in the mid-90s , but for some reason it was withdrawn after a couple of years. I really like it as well. Graham Crackers aren’t sold here either. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/92 "2003-07-06T19:49:26Z")
Is there seriously still a General Question here? ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/93 "2003-07-06T20:04:58Z")
seems the question is “UK Dopers: What Foods Do We Have in the US That Youd Don’t Have Over There?” ---
**Author:** ![Amberlei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Amberlei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amberlei)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/94 "2003-08-01T22:54:30Z")
American cheese…is that just a US thing, or is it available elsewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Sonyadora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sonyadora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonyadora)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/95 "2003-08-01T23:46:12Z")
**Do Americans have rhubarb/apple crumble? Much nicer than pie.** Yes, but I’ve never seen it in a store. Everyone I know just makes it themselves. **What is honey butter?** Take butter, add honey, whip. Very tasty. Ostrich meat is unusual, but not impossible to find in the US. Oddly, a fast food joint in my town advertises it’s ostrich burgers like mad. Likewise Marmite, although I can’t think of why this qualifies as food. 😛 South African red tea is easy to get, but I never saw it before a few years ago. **How 'bout Crab Cakes? Of course, in the US they’re difficult to come by unless you’re near the Chesapeake Bay, or Pamlico sound, or some such, but I believe they are something truly “american” in origin.** I’ve never had the American kind of crab cakes anywhere but the Chesapeake and fancy seafood restaurants in the US, but there are other versions of crabcake scatter across various cuisines. The Thai kind are very good. Please tell me that the abomination known as American cheese has never left this country? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/96 "2003-08-02T01:45:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sonyadora \* > \*\*\*\*Please tell me that the abomination known as American cheese has never left this country? \*\* I hope not. The UK has Kraft Cheese Slices, which similarly bear little resemblance to cheese, but you will never get them unexpectedly in something that advertises itself as containing cheese, unlike two recent experiences of mine here in the US. Last weekend I stopped at a Waffle House and had a cheese omelette and they made it with American “cheese”. I still literally shudder at the memory of the taste. I also once ordered a loaded baked potato from O’Charley’s and the cheese was American. Yeeuck! I sent that back and it reappeared with cheddar. So why didn’t they use proper cheese in the first place, as they obviously had some? ---
**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-what-foods-do-we-have-in-the-us-that-you-dont-have-over-there/185570/97 "2003-08-02T09:41:47Z")
Say what you will about American Cheese, but it’s damn good melted in a grilled cheese sandwich and served with campbell’s tomato soup (and don’t give me that “but REAL cheese and home-made tomato soup would be better!” yes, it would, but this is something I and a lot of other American kids grew up with so it’s a comfort food that brings back a lot of pleasant associations for me. I wouldn’t have it any other way. [Previous 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=4)