# What are the "standard" table condiments in other countries? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091 "2010-06-30T17:49:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/61 "2010-07-02T23:16:19Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > In Costa Rica there’s always Linzano, a super-delicious, mildly tart, locally made sauce made from “vegetable essense” (not tomato based). We brought back 2 large bottles from our last trip, but we’re out now. ☹_sad because there’s no Linzano._ Amazon sells Costa Rican sauces from a company named Lizano (without the first “n”). Is that the same stuff? ---
**Author:** ![fighting\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/62 "2010-07-02T23:34:54Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Pink = Sweet’n Low = saccharin > Blue = Equal = aspartame (NutraSweet) > Yellow = Splenda = sucralose The definitive movie scene on this topic: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_drL\_OsIWzQ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_drL_OsIWzQ) ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/63 "2010-07-05T07:02:13Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Of course, tabasco, soy sauce, mustard, and malt vinegar are all ubiquitous table condiments in the US too, depending on style of restaurant. I think we’re talking about condiments that _aren’t_ tied to “style.” Malt vinegar (or any vinegar) certainly is in the U.S., but salt and ground black pepper are not. Chinese restaurants in Ireland have soy sauce, but that doesn’t make soy sauce “standard” in Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/64 "2010-07-05T11:00:55Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Okay, I know what dijon mustard is. Other than that the ‘default’ mustards in America seem to be german/deli (coarse grained brown) and French’s (yellow with tons of turmeric.) Do those match up with your english and lower-cased ‘french’? No, not at all. The german/deli style you describe is what we’d call 'coarse grain mustard. French’s - we’d probably just call that American-style mustard, used for putting on hot dogs. English mustard is very very strong, blows fire through your nostrils and is bright yellow, typically a brand called [Colman’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colman%27s). [French mustard](http://www.amb-cotedazur.com/Did-you-know/just-dont-call-it-french-mustard.html) is a weird, blander, brown thing, unlike anything I’ve ever seen in France. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/65 "2010-07-05T12:22:48Z")
> [@Number](#): > > Amazon sells Costa Rican sauces from a company named Lizano (without the first “n”). Is that the same stuff? That’s the stuff. Tasty too. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/66 "2010-07-05T12:40:31Z")
Many ethnic cultures in India don’t have a long restaurant culture, so it can be difficult to find certain cuisines in restaurants. But if Bengali cuisine were a restaurant cuisine, the table condiments would be: Salt, lemon wedges, small green chili peppers, an oil-based pickle (achar) of some kind. Including slightly modern tastes, you would also have a jar of guava jelly (for breakfast toast) and Maggi tomato ketchup. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/67 "2010-07-05T13:54:33Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Cholula is milder than Tabasco, so that might have something to do with it. Americans are relatively wussy about spice. > > It could also be (and is probably more likely, now that I think about it), that Cholula is simply making better deals with restaurants to put their sauce on the tables. > > Too bad. I think Tabasco is a better quality sauce. Cholula is actually hotter than standard Tabasco. [http://www.chilliworld.com/FactFile/Scoville\_Scale.asp](http://www.chilliworld.com/FactFile/Scoville_Scale.asp) But they are both fairly mild. But Cholula is a much better sauce to me. Tabasco and Franks just taste like one dimensional peppers in cheap white vinegar, and cheap white vinegar is the stronger of the two. Cholula actually has some of flavors and is more of a sauce. Tabasco Chipotle is a damn fine sauce for flavor however. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/68 "2010-07-05T15:19:47Z")
I like both Cholula and Tabasco, but consider them completely different sauces having only mid-level heat in comparison. Cholula’s great on rice and beans and the like, and Tabasco’s great for that vinegary hit where called for. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/69 "2010-07-05T15:43:24Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Any place that has greens on the menu is likely to have that little bottle of [Trappey’s](http://www.latinmerchant.com/images/product/1HotPreserves%20%288%29.jpg). The latter is required on the former. I’ve always wondered… do they reload the bottles with more vinegar after the vinegar’s out, or is that it for the bottle and they get another one? (oh, and I tend to see “Cajun Chef” brand peppers & vinegar more often than Trappey’s here in Texas) I’d say that the divide in Mexican-ish places for Cholula/La Victoria style hot sauces vs. chips/salsa is the sit-down vs. taqueria divide. I can’t think of many sit-down places that bring chips & salsa that also have the bottled hot sauce. Most taquerias tend to have those sauces though. (if their tacos are dressed solely with chopped onions, cilantro and lime, it’s probably a taqueria) ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/70 "2010-07-05T18:20:51Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Down here in SE Louisiana, I wouldn’t know where to find a restaurant that even had malt vinegar on the premises. Is it a regional thing? I’ve lived in Missouri, Georgia, California, and recently visited Texas, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico. I don’t even know what malt vinegar is. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/71 "2010-07-05T20:41:15Z")
They have it at Long John Silver and other places that sell batter fried seafood. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/72 "2010-07-05T20:57:49Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’ve always wondered… do they reload the bottles with more vinegar after the vinegar’s out, or is that it for the bottle and they get another one? > > (oh, and I tend to see “Cajun Chef” brand peppers & vinegar more often than Trappey’s here in Texas) You can refill the bottle a couple of times on one load of peppers. That is, if you don’t eat the peppers first! I’m pretty sure that a restaurant will try to minimize waste by reloading the bottle several times at least. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/73 "2010-07-05T21:08:22Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > I’ve lived in Missouri, Georgia, California, and recently visited Texas, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico. I don’t even know what malt vinegar is. > [@acsenray](#): > > They have it at Long John Silver and other places that sell batter fried seafood. Yeah, Long John Silver has malt vinegar in packets, however, if you order fish they will give you tartar sauce by default, and you have to ask for the malt vinegar. Or at least it was that way a few years ago…I haven’t eaten anything from LJS for some years. Have you SEEN the fat grams and calorie counts on their food? It’s scary, I tells ya, scary. ---
**Author:** ![Ersatz\_Shmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ersatz\_Shmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ersatz_Shmoe)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091/74 "2010-07-06T04:22:38Z")
In Ecuador, every table of every restaurant that I went to, regardless of cuisine, had aji sauce on it. In some restaurants it was like Tabasco, in some it was a bright orange paste, in some it was like a chunky salsa. Apparently the only consistent thing about it is the pepper in it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-standard-table-condiments-in-other-countries/545091.md?page=3)