# what (if anything) do other cultures think is gross in American diets? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 8, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271 "2004-10-08T21:29:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/221 "2004-10-19T09:56:57Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > On what planet is mint sauce sweet? On what planet is it not? Yes; I see we could go on like this forever, but let’s not! Any mint sauce I’ve ever had with lamb is sweet. Maybe they make it not sweet where you live. That’s allowed, I’d say, even on the same planet. 😛 ---
**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:** [October 19, 2004, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/222 "2004-10-19T10:03:09Z")
Ooops you are right. On this end of the planet it is minty and vinigery. I apologise to those sweet loving mint sauce-ers. We get all the sheep jokes. I just felt like I had the right to “Give the word” about lamb 😃 Bad bad me. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/223 "2004-10-19T13:13:38Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > Ooops you are right. On this end of the planet it is minty and vinigery. As it is in the UK, too - definitely not sweet! Re Worcestershire sauce - as **jjimm** says, it’s usually pronounced wuss-ter, though some pronounce it the same as the actual county is pronounced - “wuss-ter-sheer”. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/224 "2004-10-19T14:01:00Z")
I think **Curly Chick** is thinking of mint jelly, not mint sauce (which I have in my fridge, bought in Ireland, and is definitely not sweet). Though I back her up anyway by saying that we used to have redcurrent jelly with lamb or poultry, and everyone has cranberry sauce with their turkey at Xmas. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/225 "2004-10-19T15:15:03Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > I’ve found great variations in American coffee from the really quite nice to the disgusting. > > However, you say you drink coffee _throughout_ a meal. A good American friend of mine does this too. From a sample of two, can I conclude that that is an American thing? > > Personally I like the coffee _after_ the meal, or just on its own. Anything alongside coffee has to be a sweet like chocolate, cake etc. (and then not even all sweet things will go well) or possibly a croissant that doesn’t have anything savoury on it. I think **Incubus** was talking about breakfast, but having coffee with lunch or dinner seems to be a regional/generational thing. I remember driving from California to Pennsylvania once, at at a certain point in the midwest, coffee cups started appearing as part of the basic restaurant table setting. While we lived in PA, I noticed that it seemed to be mostly older people who had coffee with their meals. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/226 "2004-10-19T16:51:05Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > No, i’m not talking about individually wrapped, processed slices. I’m talking about that vile yellow-orange crap that gets passed off as cheddar. > > Even mild cheddar is supposed to have _some_ flavor to it. My sister lives in Baltimore, and I seem to remember her complaining about the quality of supermarket cheddars. No such thing as white or even marginally sharp cheddar to be found outside a gourmet shop. She stocks up when she visits me, because there are lots of decent cheddars 'round these parts without paying outrageous prices. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/227 "2004-10-19T18:17:42Z")
I recently bought an American 1950’s cook bokk. “Culinary Arts Institute, ENCYCLOPEDIC COOKBOOK by Ruth Berolzheimer” and I can say from reading this tome, that most American food (from the 50’s) is gross. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/228 "2004-10-19T19:24:44Z")
You know, a lot of that book is terrifying, but for baking it is unsurpassed, even by The Joy of Cooking, IMHO. Plus, the captions alone are worth the price of admission. “Hubby will love these liver and olive canapes!” Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/229 "2004-10-19T19:36:34Z")
[Popular American foods by decade.](http://www.gti.net/mocolib1/kid/fooddecades.html) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/230 "2004-10-19T21:22:35Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > My sister lives in Baltimore, and I seem to remember her complaining about the quality of supermarket cheddars. No such thing as white or even marginally sharp cheddar to be found outside a gourmet shop. She stocks up when she visits me, because there are lots of decent cheddars 'round these parts without paying outrageous prices. Ah, the joys of living in my state! I’m surrounded by 1,2,3 and 4-year old cheddars, white, yellow, marbled, pimentoed, peppered… Even [fresh cheese curds,](http://doorbell.net/tlr/cheesecd.htm) made the same day they are sold. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/231 "2004-10-19T22:26:29Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > I recently bought an American 1950’s cook bokk. “Culinary Arts Institute, ENCYCLOPEDIC COOKBOOK by Ruth Berolzheimer” and I can say from reading this tome, that most American food (from the 50’s) is gross. Ah, but for truly [Regrettable Food](http://lileks.com/institute/gallery/index.html) you must visit Mr. James Lileks. [This](http://lileks.com/institute/gallery/meat/2.html) and [this](http://lileks.com/institute/gallery/misc/krups1.html) are but two examples. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/232 "2004-10-19T23:58:22Z")
> [@](#): > > This thread just made me make a baked lemon cheesecake for my Sunday dinner. I hope you’re happy now. I, personally, won’t be happy until you give me the recipe. It sounds dee-lish. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/233 "2004-10-20T00:01:25Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > On what planet is mint sauce sweet? british mint sauce is mint in vinegar, mint jelly as served in the us is mint infused apple jelly, no solids, just an intense sweet mint flavor and funky artificial green color. I make and prefer mint sauce of cider vinegar, a touch of honey, and enough mint infused to knock your socks off. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/234 "2004-10-20T12:04:01Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > I, personally, won’t be happy until you give me the recipe. It sounds dee-lish. Tried to mail you because I didn’t want to hijack the thread, but couldn’t. Sorry to everyone else! You’re going to have to do any conversions yourself: 250g digestive biscuits (?graham crackers?) 40g butter Melt butter in a pan, crush biscuits/crackers to powder, stir them into butter, press into 10" or 12" cake tin with removable base. 500 g cream cheese (ricotta or Philadelphia) 250 g caster sugar 3 large eggs (beaten) 1 tsp vanilla essence 2 lemons, juice and zest 80 ml cream 200 ml sour cream In a food mixer, beat together cheese and caster sugar until creamy. Pour in beaten eggs and beat into mixture on low speed. Add vanilla, lemon juice and zest, then the cream and sour cream. Pour the mixture (it’s quite runny) onto the base, and bake at 180C for 40 minutes. Reduce temperature if it looks like the edges are drying out. The top will be brown and peeling away from the edges of the cake tin; the centre should be a bit wobbly, but not liquid. Cool for a while at room temperature, then remove cake still sitting on base of tin and refrigerate, overnight if possible, as for some reason this intensifies the lemon flavor. Apologies to all for the hijack, but no apologies for the recipe, which is really lovely (got a slice waiting for me for my lunch). It’s calorietastic - in fact, it’s calorific. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/235 "2004-10-20T14:09:45Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > 1. It’s **Worcestershire** Sauce (pron “Wuss-tur”). 2) A whole bottle? Are you mental? Maybe you have pansy-ass Worcestershire sauce where you are, but the stuff I’ve got is so strong tasting that more than a tablespoon of the stuff would obliterate the taste of absolutely everything in the dish, if not everything else you taste for the rest of the week. It’s made from fermented fish, don’tcha know! I like anchovies myself but I wouldn’t want huge mouthful of anchovy paste or a whole tin at one time. I don’t even use the sauce anymore. I might rub a piece of meat down with some soy sauce instead but a whole bottle. ooo-wee :eek: Good meat doesn’t really need anything IMHO. But as they say, to each his own. just…w-w-WOW Yeah there are some weaker Anchovy sauces out there…But Lea & Perrins ain’t one of 'em. Some folks like A-1 and Heinz57 and what’s that other nasty ass steak sauce they use? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/236 "2004-10-20T14:35:31Z")
Nasty abominations like A-1 aren’t worchestershire. They’re some kind of tomato-based (I think, I’ve never tried them) glop that’s primarily used to screw up the flavor of perfectly cuts of beef. People who use that stuff are only slightly less misguided than those who put ketchup on a ribeye. _Those_ people should be dragged out into the street and shot. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271/237 "2004-10-20T19:26:02Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > Nasty abominations like A-1 aren’t worchestershire. They’re some kind of tomato-based (I think, I’ve never tried them) glop that’s primarily used to screw up the flavor of perfectly cuts of beef. Oh, I know the difference… I just wanted to see who I could fuck with by mentioning good steak and A-1 in the same breath. 😃 I know that’s almost tantamount to trolling. But in this thread I figured WTF 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-do-other-cultures-think-is-gross-in-american-diets/268271.md?page=11)