Breaded oysters. My mom used to love them. She didn’t make them often because the very smell drove my dad out of the house (she’d make them on nights when he had Masonic meetings so the smell would be gone by the time he got home) but I loved 'em. That would be our little shared indulgence.
Also, lima beans. The frozen kind. Very tasty with butter.
Caffeine-Free Diet Coke. Even moreso since I utterly loathe Diet Coke. I don’t go out of my way to buy it or anything, but my grandparents lived on the stuff when I was a kid, and I drank so much of it that I eventually disassociated the two flavors — I can drink the decaf version with no problems, but if I get served Diet instead of regular at the drive-thru, that shit’s going straight down the sink.
(And anyone wanting to tell me I can’t tell the difference in a blind taste-test is welcome to add to my wager winnings on that point.)
I’d guess most Americans don’t know what it is either. I’m from Maryland. Most of our scrapple came from Delaware. Outside of these areas, I don’t know anyone who eats it. I think some parts of Pennsylvania, but even most of the PA kids who came to my town during the summer had no idea what it was. I live in Ohio now, and no one knows what it is. I found it at exactly one store in the general vicinity of my city, and it’s not a well-known brand. I have to buy it sometimes, and I might be the only person in town. I’ve been stopped by grocery store workers who questioned me about it.
I also notice someone mentioned creamed chipped beef, and I will add that to mine. Creamed chipped beef and scrapple were both very popular breakfast foods that were ordered a lot at restaurants where I grew up. There was at least one breakfast restaurant in my town that was primarily known for serving chipped beef to golfers and fishermen.
Cinnamon raisin bread. Apple butter on one slice, cream cheese on the other. Slap together and you have something I’d never dream of trying if I hadn’t had it since I was a little kid.
Anyone else grow up with pot roast cooked so long that it flaked apart with a fork? No knife needed. A big serving fork would easily break off a piece for the plate. The outside fat had this very tasty crisp crunch.
It wasn’t until many years later that I learned pot roast was supposed to be firm and require a knife to slice it. Even a hint of pink in the center is considered perfect by many.
Once in awhile we still cook pot roast until its falling apart. It’s so darn good that way.
One of the pictures with the Wiki article on scrapple, was of a scrapple sandwich at the Delaware state fair. From that picture, I thought it looked revolting – something that I’d be ready to pay not to have to eat ! I do have in mind that this stuff could well be nicer than it appears…
? But pot roast is supposed to be cooked for hours until it is falling apart. Are you mixing it up withlondon broil? Though it is braised, not baked and generally doesn’t crunch.
Butter, and a bit of salt and lemon juice. Got to have a touch of salt and lemon juice.
Morcilla. Delicious, spicy Puerto Rican sausage stuffed with some rice and hot and goodness. I was in my twenties when I found out it was blood sausage. It freakin’ looks like it has a bunch of fried blood in it. There’s no way I would have eaten it if I hadn’t been given it when I was a child.
Vienna sausage and potted meat. Admittedly I rarely eat them but when I do I legitimately enjoy the taste. It’s gotta be the childhood memories, since they’re only marginally even food.
Bologna (always pronounced baloney) and apple butter sandwiches. Although it’s been years since I’ve bought bologna, I make one of these sandwiches at some point when I visit my parents. Had I not carried these in my lunch as a kid, I would have turned up my nose.
Hominy. I love the stuff. Heated up in a skillet with a bit of butter, lots of black pepper, and just a mere dash of salt. Delicious.
My husband thinks it’s vile, so I really never made it very often. I just introduced it to our 26 year old daughter. She never tried it, after so many years of listening to her dad condemn it. She really enjoyed it! Win for me!
Bawahahaha!