# What American cultural stuff is not popular ouside of Nth America? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2008, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853 "2008-04-18T06:09:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/41 "2008-04-18T12:12:08Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Mexican food. Yeah, I know maybe that shouldn’t qualify, on account of originating in _Mexico_ - but I think it could be argued to have become a standalone American cultural object. I’m sure we _have_ Mexican-style restaurants here in the UK. I’ve seen maybe one. [/QUOTE] Mexican food is a HUGE difference. It is something Americans seem to really miss when they are away from home. In NZ you can get exceptional Asian food of many, many varieties but Mexican…not so much. In fact the only “Mexican” resturant in my local vicinity was owned/run and chefed by an Eygptian! The lack of Mexican food seems to be a regular gripe with American Ex-Pats. To me the bigger mystery is why they think Mexican food should be available in NZ. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/42 "2008-04-18T12:14:07Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Does anyone actually _eat_ fortune cookies? I get the impression they don’t. [/QUOTE] ::_raises hand sheepishly_:: Well, they _were_ invented in San Francisco, so I think of it as partaking of the local cuisine… ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/43 "2008-04-18T12:24:40Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] I agree. Nobody (in the UK at least) considers that they are going to an “American” restaurant when they go to McDonald’s, BK, KFC, whatever. It’s just going for a burger. If they want an “American-style” meal then there are plenty of more overtly American-themed diner-type restaurants. [/QUOTE] But Mickey D’s is a try-hard bunch, the “Kiwi burger” features beetroot. I don’t know for sure but I bet there is an “Aussie burger” that also features beetroot. ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/44 "2008-04-18T12:27:49Z")
[QUOTE=calm kiwi] Mexican food is a HUGE difference. It is something Americans seem to really miss when they are away from home. In NZ you can get exceptional Asian food of many, many varieties but Mexican…not so much. In fact the only “Mexican” resturant in my local vicinity was owned/run and chefed by an Eygptian! The lack of Mexican food seems to be a regular gripe with American Ex-Pats. To me the bigger mystery is why they think Mexican food should be available in NZ. [/QUOTE] Have not been there for 10 years but it is still there.[Mexican Cafe](http://www.viewauckland.co.nz/info_restaurant_13389.html) ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/45 "2008-04-18T12:35:24Z")
[QUOTE=blinkingblinking] Have not been there for 10 years but it is still there.[Mexican Cafe](http://www.viewauckland.co.nz/info_restaurant_13389.html) [/QUOTE] It is true you learn something everyday! But I stand by my statement that Americans pine for Mexican food when in NZ. ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/46 "2008-04-18T12:39:46Z")
[QUOTE=calm kiwi] It is true you learn something everyday! But I stand by my statement that Americans pine for Mexican food when in NZ. [/QUOTE] So take them there. Denny’s is in Auckland now too. > **[Coming Soon](https://www.dennysrestaurant.co.nz/)** ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/47 "2008-04-18T12:49:42Z")
American style high school and college athletics. At least it was not that prevelant when I was overseas a number of years ago. Students went to academic institutions for, you know, academics. I have talked to foreign exchange students who are amazed at high school athletes who are given special core classes because they are star athletes. And as for college athletes who don’t even have real classes… ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/48 "2008-04-18T12:56:01Z")
[QUOTE=calm kiwi] To me the bigger mystery is why they think Mexican food should be available in NZ. [/QUOTE] Because it’s delicious! Who doesn’t love Mexican food? We’re all just amazed that you furriners manage to survive without burritos. Dr. Pepper and all brands of root beer are apparently next to impossible to find outside of the US. (And Canada, I expect.) ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/49 "2008-04-18T12:57:17Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] We certainly don’t have “General Tso’s chicken”, which I gather is the cliched American Chinese dish. I had never heard of it apart from on the SDMB. I suppose “sweet and sour chicken” (or maybe pork) is the typical UK Chinese dish, I don’t know how similar that is? [/QUOTE] They have “General Tso’s chicken” on my local takeaway’s menu. It tastes like ass though, and it would suprise me if they were just making it badly as everything else there is excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/50 "2008-04-18T13:00:18Z")
[QUOTE=Kyla] Dr. Pepper and all brands of root beer are apparently next to impossible to find outside of the US. (And Canada, I expect.) [/QUOTE] Dr Pepper is available freely in London..err I mean, it’s easy to get, it’s not free. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/51 "2008-04-18T13:04:17Z")
[QUOTE=CairoCarol] Moral of the story: many things in the modern world are so universal that we don’t even think about where they originated. But absent real information, we may very well assume that something popular in our home country originated there, even if it is an import. [/QUOTE] There’s the opposite phenomenon in Buffalo, my hometown. Chain and formula businesses are far less common there than in other American metropolitan regions. Buffalo is usually the last major city where a chain will open an outlet, often they’ll be “EBB” – Everywhere But Buffalo – for years or decades. When chains to make it to Buffalo, the natives often think that they’re local businesses. When they travel elsewhere, many are surprised to see places like Applebee’s and Olive Garden: “Wow! They expanded from Buffalo to Orlando!” ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/52 "2008-04-18T13:08:37Z")
[QUOTE=calm kiwi] The lack of Mexican food seems to be a regular gripe with American Ex-Pats. To me the bigger mystery is why they think Mexican food should be available in NZ. [/QUOTE] I got into Mexican food in Christchurch, of all places. There was (and still is, I’m glad to see) a Spanish restaurant called [Pedro’s](http://www.pedrosrestaurant.co.nz/), who did (when I lived there) excellent Spanish & Mexican food. Here in Australia there is some Mexican-style food, but it’s not Mexican; it’s kind of like someone from Australia (besides me) spent a weekend in Tijuana and said “Y’know, these Burrito and Taco and Enchilada things are pretty good; I reckon there’s a market for these back home” but couldn’t find quite all the ingredients when they went to the supermarket upon their return home and decided to make do with what they could get. That doesn’t mean it isn’t tasty and different, but it’s about as Mexican as Toohey’s New. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/53 "2008-04-18T13:12:18Z")
[QUOTE=TV time] American style high school and college athletics. At least it was not that prevelant when I was overseas a number of years ago. Students went to academic institutions for, you know, academics. I have talked to foreign exchange students who are amazed at high school athletes who are given special core classes because they are star athletes. And as for college athletes who don’t even have real classes… [/QUOTE] That is a great example **TV time** , the college sport scene. It is culturally shocking to see that 100000 people will turn up to watch a college football game in places like Ohio or Nebraska. Nothing comes close to emulating this phenomenon in higher education elsewhere AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/54 "2008-04-18T13:40:09Z")
[QUOTE=Alive At Both Ends] Am I right in assuming that this is purely a Chinese-American thing and it is not routinely done anywhere else but the US? [/QUOTE] Not to pick on this particular post, but it does illustrate something that, in the name of fighting ignorance, I have to bring up. Much of what is being said in the thread is _not_ exclusive to the United States. The OP got it right when he or she used “North America” in the title of the thread, since much of what is being mentioned here is also popular in Canada. Peanut butter, pumpkin pie, American football, high school and college sports (though perhaps not to the same extent as in the US), Dr. Pepper, baseball, country music, high school proms, root beer, fortune cookies, and for Og’s sake, _maple syrup_ (seriously, when you think of maple syrup you _don’t_ think of the country _with a maple leaf on its flag_?), and most other things mentioned in this thread–yep, guess what? They’re popular outside the US too. But in Canada. Which, last I checked, was still in North America. The OP asked “outside of North America,” so statements using the phrases “only in the US” or “anywhere else but the US” may not be answering the OP’s question, in addition to being factually incorrect. Let’s fight ignorance, not perpetuate it. Besides, the US forgets about us often enough. Don’t you overseas folks forget us too! 🙂 ---
**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 18, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/55 "2008-04-18T13:47:20Z")
Foreigners who do like peanut butter tend to draw the line at peanut butter and jelly (our jelly is a spread similar to jam, not gelatin like some of you assume). Or they think the idea of peanut butter and chocolate is disgusting. > [@Mangetout](#): > > Does anyone actually eat fortune cookies? I get the impression they don’t. I do. [QUOTE=Kyla] Because it’s delicious! Who doesn’t love Mexican food? We’re all just amazed that you furriners manage to survive without burritos. [/QUOTE] A while back, I read a kid’s book published in the UK about the Aztecs and Incas. It mentioned tortillas as if they were not a part of daily life that you can find at every supermarket (as they are in many parts of the US). It also said that people in the US eat burritos, and assured the readers that, despite the name, burritos do not generally contain donkey meat. I take it from that that they’re not a terribly familiar thing to a lot of people in the UK. > [@CairoCarol](#): > > I bet there are Americans who think that the karaoke or Hello Kitty crazes began on American soil. It’s hard to tell sometimes if you don’t know the history of these things. Chop suey, for example, is an American dish, though people think it’s Chinese (it did originate with Chinese Americans) and it has a Chinese name. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/56 "2008-04-18T13:47:32Z")
[QUOTE=Spoons] Besides, the US forgets about us often enough. Don’t you overseas folks forget us too! 🙂 [/QUOTE] But – I’ve stood at the northern border of the US (on the shores of Lake Erie) – and there’s nothing there but water! Are you telling me that if I took a boat there, and sailed to the horizon, I’d find another country? Just like Columbus did, but going north instead of west? On a more serious note, I’ve eaten plenty of “Chinese” food in Australia and in the US, and I’ve also eaten it in Hong Kong and Beijing. Australian Chinese and US Chinese food are similar, but not quite the same, and they are both quite different from the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![chocolatefrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/41988e/32.png) [@chocolatefrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chocolatefrog)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/57 "2008-04-18T13:49:08Z")
American football. Have never watched a game and I don’t really care to anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/58 "2008-04-18T13:51:50Z")
[QUOTE=The Cocky Watchman] That is a great example **TV time** , the college sport scene. It is culturally shocking to see that 100000 people will turn up to watch a college football game in places like Ohio or Nebraska. Nothing comes close to emulating this phenomenon in higher education elsewhere AFAIK. [/QUOTE] I grew up in the United States and it still shocks me. People want to believe that college sports are pure and unsoiled but make no mistake, it’s just as big a business as their major league counterparts. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/59 "2008-04-18T14:02:30Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] A while back, I read a kid’s book published in the UK about the Aztecs and Incas. It mentioned tortillas as if they were not a part of daily life that you can find at every supermarket (as they are in many parts of the US). It also said that people in the US eat burritos, and assured the readers that, despite the name, burritos do not generally contain donkey meat. I take it from that that they’re not a terribly familiar thing to a lot of people in the UK. [/QUOTE] How far back was it? Mexican restaurants are a rarity, but these days, you can buy the ingredients to make your own Mexican/Tex-Mex food (or at least a sub-set of it) from any supermarket – tortillas, taco shells, salsas, re-fried beans, fajitas etc. I’m sure it’s not the variety (and, perhaps, in some cases, the quality) that you’d be used to in North America\* but it’s no longer unknown. - He said, carefully. ---
**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 18, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853/60 "2008-04-18T14:29:15Z")
I remember going to London in 2000, going to a Starbucks, and asking for my coffee drink with skim milk, like I would at home. I got a weird look from the guy behind the counter. Do you guys just call skim milk something different, or do you really get full-fat milk in your coffee drinks most of the time? I’d say it’s becoming rarer and rarer here for anyone other than very young children to drink full-fat milk, and skim or 2% milk are much more common for adults to drink. Only really old people drink half-and-half or cream in coffee- most younger people who don’t take their coffee black put skim milk, 2% milk, or nondairy creamer in it. [QUOTE=WotNot] How far back was it? Mexican restaurants are a rarity, but these days, you can buy the ingredients to make your own Mexican/Tex-Mex food (or at least a sub-set of it) from any supermarket – tortillas, taco shells, salsas, re-fried beans, fajitas etc. I’m sure it’s not the variety (and, perhaps, in some cases, the quality) that you’d be used to in North America\* but it’s no longer unknown. [/QUOTE] The book was written in 1997 (I read it a couple of years ago). Tortillas are more common _here_ now than they were when I was a kid, come to think of it. You can get a wrap sandwich just about anywhere now. McDonald’s and Subway have them. That wasn’t true 20 years ago. Back then, you generally saw tortillas only in Mexican restaurants. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-cultural-stuff-is-not-popular-ouside-of-nth-america/445853.md?page=4)