# What country would you starve in? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075 "2010-08-31T01:19:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/21 "2010-08-31T03:34:29Z")
Any Scandinavian country. I’m not a fish person, and I believe their diets consist mainly of fish in various forms. Although I’m sure there are other, more obsure cuisines that could beat fish hands down. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/22 "2010-08-31T03:43:36Z")
_Deleted by poster._ ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/23 "2010-08-31T05:53:04Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > > [@suranyi](#): > > > > There are plenty of Italian restaurants in Tokyo. Also McDonald’s. Just saying. > > No there aren’t. I’m willing to bet that any Italian place in Japan doesn’t even remotely resemble real Italian food. And fast food is verboten. And yet you think that the ‘Japanese’ food you’ve eaten in (whatever country, USA I presume) is just like Japanese food in Japan? Double standard methinks. And I doubt you’ve had very good Kobe beef. ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/24 "2010-08-31T07:27:32Z")
Okay, how come every other poster can go and unilaterally malign the entire cuisine of a country/peoples, but **silenus** is given such shit for saying he doesn’t like Japanese food? Get over it people. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/25 "2010-08-31T07:34:00Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > Probably India. All of the Indian food I’ve tried has been way too strong for my palate or has had spices I can’t abide (like cumin). I spent a couples of weeks in India and I was all over the place. I hated all the Indian food. A few weeks before I went a good friend of mine, who had been there several times, advised me to pack things like Chef Boyardee microwaveable stuff as I’d probably hate the local faire. He was right. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/26 "2010-08-31T08:09:26Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > Okay, how come every other poster can go and unilaterally malign the entire cuisine of a country/peoples, but **silenus** is given such shit for saying he doesn’t like Japanese food? Get over it people. No, we (I) just think he might be mistaken. I could understand someone not being able to survive in Japan for the reason that they are a vegetarian (that could make life tougher), but because they hate sushi is not a really great reason. Tempura, okonomiyaki, udon, soba, nabe, shabu-shabu, rice, miso soup, steamed vegetables, curry, tonkatsu, just to name a few nice dishes available everywhere, and in addition any big city has very good quality French (yes I’ve been), Italian (yes I’ve been) and Chinese restaurants that are as good as anything you can get in those countries. There is a reason why the Michelin Guide said that Tokyo has the worlds best restaurants (Tokyo has 11 3-star restaurants, while Paris has only 10). > **[Find How-to instructions, Inspiration and Other Ideas to Try](https://suite101.com/)** > > Suite101 is the go-to source for how-tos, home inspiration, DIY, and other ideas to try. Our team of experts is here to help you improve your home and life. Let's explore our site below: Home Improvement Discover expert home improvement instructions,... ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/27 "2010-08-31T08:35:18Z")
Yeah, and India has a ton of McDonalds, but the point of this thread is, “what countries’ traditional cuisine do you find unappetizing?” **silenus** has stated that he doesn’t like any of the japanese food he has tasted, giving sushi and Kobe beef as examples. I could go on and on about how the poster who doesn’t like Thai and Vietnamese food just hasn’t had enough variety of it, but I’m trusting that they’ve sampled enough that they’ve determined that the particular combination of veggies/meat/spices/etc in that traditional cuisine is not to their taste. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/28 "2010-08-31T09:17:48Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > Any Scandinavian country. I’m not a fish person, and _I believe their diets consist mainly of fish in various forms_. > > Although I’m sure there are other, more obsure cuisines that could beat fish hands down. Not true. Do you know the price of fish these days? I know very few people who eat fish more than once a week. [Dane, BTW]. Japan is a lot bigger on fish than Scandinavia. As for the question in the OP: Nowhere, probably. I have yet to find anything considered “food” by another culture that I couldn’t or wouldn’t eat. I might not always like it, but _starve_? That’s crazy talk. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/29 "2010-08-31T09:19:58Z")
I can’t abide German(ish) cooking. All that means is that when I lived in Switzerland I did most of my shopping in France, and when I lived in Germany I ate too much Italian. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/30 "2010-08-31T09:58:21Z")
The Arctic regions. You can’t grow vegetables there much, so you have to get your vitamins and minerals from innards of seals, whales, etc. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/31 "2010-08-31T11:04:28Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > No shit. KFC in China isn’t fried It isn’t? > [@Sitnam](#): > > it isn’t chicken It isn’t? > [@Sitnam](#): > > and it sure as hell didn’t come from Kentucky. Well, that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/32 "2010-08-31T11:04:52Z")
India. I love westernised versions of indian food, but I react quite badly to chili so authentic Indian would have me spending most of the year on the loo. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/33 "2010-08-31T11:18:50Z")
Can’t imagine starving anywhere, but I had a hard time eating out in Ireland, other than in “ethnic” restaurants. Irish restaurants were of poor quality and extremely overpriced. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/34 "2010-08-31T11:21:09Z")
I’m slightly surprised German food gets such a bad rep here. Sure it’s a bit bland and high on potatoes, but they sure know how to cook meat. Same thing can probably be said about English/UK food too. If I had to live on typical German food, I’d probably just make sure I didn’t eat the full portions and get some extra fruit or veggies during the day. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/35 "2010-08-31T12:22:04Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > Okay, how come every other poster can go and unilaterally malign the entire cuisine of a country/peoples, but **silenus** is given such shit for saying he doesn’t like Japanese food? Get over it people. ‘Such shit’? I must have missed the posts were people were calling him names! I’m another one who reckons that silenus is talking about too narrow a range of Japanese cuisine, however. I mean, he doesn’t consider ramen to count as part of Japanese cuisine. It’d be like disliking American cuisine because you’ve tried a hamburger, fried chicken and fries and refusing to accept that there’s more to American cuisine than that. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/36 "2010-08-31T12:35:45Z")
The USA is the only country I’ve been to where almost everything I ate made me feel queasy. I think it was the richness and sauciness of the dishes that just didn’t agree with me. Obviously I’m not talking about all American food, and I’m sure I would have got used to it (except that cheese…) after a while. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/37 "2010-08-31T12:43:51Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > I’m slightly surprised German food gets such a bad rep here. Sure it’s a bit bland and high on potatoes, but they sure know how to cook meat. Same thing can probably be said about English/UK food too. > > If I had to live on typical German food, I’d probably just make sure I didn’t eat the full portions and get some extra fruit or veggies during the day. German food is excellent. I lived there for three years and enjoyed the local food. It tends to be basic, but it’s fresh and prepared well. By far some of the worst food in Europe is in Portugal, but I wouldn’t starve there. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/38 "2010-08-31T13:37:35Z")
Not because of dislike for the food, but I imagine in India I’d find little to eat 'cause I’m a Paleo-very-low-carb type eater and I imagine India to be all about rice rice rice rice rice rice, little if any meat. I’d be stuck at the aforementioned McDonald’s every day. Of course I’m probably way off base and out of date on this idea, so enlighten me! I’m intrigued by India. ---
**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:** [August 31, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/39 "2010-08-31T13:39:11Z")
I was going to go off on everybody who ate a bowl of literal for breakfast, but **Gestalt** said it for me in post #27. The OP was almost phrased along the lines of “What country’s cuisine do you dislike so much that you’d pass up the best blowjob of your life to avoid eating?” but I thought it would be crass. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bahimes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@bahimes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahimes)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075/40 "2010-08-31T13:41:59Z")
No one has mentioned the middle eastern cuisine. After 5 years iin Jordan and Turkey (this is the interior, not the tourist playgrounds), I think I would have lost plenty of weight eating the local dietary offerings, if I hadn’t lived in capital cities with lots of variety. And of course the ability to purchase produce and cook for myself. By “typical” am referring to heavy reliance on lamb/mutton, dehydrated yogurt, minimal vegetables and really odd seasoniing (if any). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-would-you-starve-in/552075.md?page=3)