# What is the most unusual thing about the American diet to people of other nationalities? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 15, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980 "2012-02-15T23:44:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**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:** [February 16, 2012, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/81 "2012-02-16T12:23:18Z")
Hershey’s is horrible. I’ve seen marshmallow fluff at the supermarket my whole life. But I’ve never seen anyone actually eating it. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/82 "2012-02-16T12:32:32Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > I don’t understand and will never understand how anyone could enjoy a bar of Hershey’s. Different tastes. I’m not starting a Hershey’s vs Cadbury’s squabble but many Hershey’s products are delicious. Plus Cadbury’s chocolate is terrible in S’mores. Having lived in the UK for 16 years now, here’s what I find weird when I go back to the US even though it used to be the norm for me. 1. Portion size. What I get in a US restaurant is two to three times the size of a normal meal for me at home. I’d take it home but the extra is mostly fries and garlic bread. Also, at McDonalds a UK Large drink is a US small. US large drinks come with optional diving boards. 2. It’s all starch and fat. The last time I went back we visited the bastion of culinary greatness that is Olive Garden. They serve a giant plate of hot cheese. Giant. Just cheese. As a _starter_. 3. Supermarket selection - two things here. One - the sheer diversity of products on offer is staggering. You remember that scene from _Moscow on the Hudson_ where Robin Williams’ character, used to Soviet-level scarcity, walks into a US supermarket and is so overwhelmed by the choice that he passes out? I feel like that when I shop in the US. The cereal aisle alone could fill an entire average UK Costcutter. Two- it’s all crap. If you removed all the heavily processed snacks, ready meals and other convenience foods you’d lose about 90% of the store content. Outside the produce aisle it’s hard to find anything healthy to eat, even including the basic meat and dairy sections. You can of course eat healthily in the US but they don’t make it easy. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/83 "2012-02-16T12:33:44Z")
> [@yams](#): > > According to “Inactivation of prions in daily medical practice,” (PMID 10221166), the Merck Manual Home Health Handbook ([http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/brain\_spinal\_cord\_and\_nerve\_disorders/prion\_diseases/creutzfeldt-jakob\_disease\_cjd.html](http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/brain_spinal_cord_and_nerve_disorders/prion_diseases/creutzfeldt-jakob_disease_cjd.html)), and Wikipedia, bleach does inactivate prions. Who is going to eat a hamburger made from bleach-soaked beef, however, is another matter, and it is probably a sterilization method better kept in the lab than in the kitchen. > > love > yams!! As of 2008, up to [75% of the hamburger patties](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103656.html) in the US had some ammonia treated beef in it. > [@](#): > > About 10 years ago, he and his engineers began working with ammonium hydroxide, a food additive already approved by federal regulators for use in processing cheese, chocolate and soda. It also exists naturally in beef. By increasing the level of it in beef, Roth hoped to reduce its acidity and create less hospitable conditions for bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/84 "2012-02-16T12:35:17Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Topic: > I’ve read that in some urban areas, a lot of people mainly eat fast food. As in at least once or twice everyday. Is this truly exceptional or is it a significant phenomenon? Well, at least inside the city of Detroit it’s a big problem. partly due to the lack of actual grocery stores. convenience stores everywhere, but few actual grocers. When Kroger bought the remnants of Farmer Jack, they opted not to keep the store on Jefferson in Detroit. Caused a minor kerfluffle. > [@](#): > > I’ve only once been to a US diner and it was visually unappealing and tasted horrible. It was a big “fuck you” on a plate. Is this generally the case? question can’t be answered as written. is _what_ generally the case? How was it “visually unappealing?” Was it worse than the average curry which looks like it was scooped out of a used diaper? what tasted bad about it? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/85 "2012-02-16T12:35:53Z")
> [@DarkFire](#): > > Peanut butter itself is not much of a surprise. We have that here. > If it tastes the same and/or if the American variety is comparable depends on the brand and type imo. > But.. > I’ve noticed that a LOT of candy items come in a peanut butter variation. > Basically every chocolate bar has a peanut butter filled version. Same for many cookies and snacks. > That’s something I haven’t seen or heard about in other countries. Confession time: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are very rare where I am living overseas. So occasionally I’ll buy some sticks of dark chocolate and dip them into a jar of peanut butter. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/86 "2012-02-16T12:46:56Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I did find canned tomato products in supermarkets but > a) they were not the kinds I was used to, and > b) I did say myself that the kinds I was used to might be common in other places. Last I checked, the distance between Boston and Philadelphia was considerable, to Miami it’s a tiny bit further. > > All I found in supermarkets were canned unpeeled tomatoes and tomato pastes that were a lot thicker than what I’d use for sauce. I can’t speak about Miami, but I suspect the reason you couldn’t find at least the canned, peeled tomatos in Philadelphia was because the supermarkets you tried weren’t in the right neighborhood. Someone said earlier that there really isn’t an standard American diet, and that person was right. If I go to a supermarket in a Chinese neighborhood, I’ll find products used in Chinese cooking. If the supermarket is in an Italian neighborhood, I’ll find ingredients used in Italian cooking and the canned tomato products will include peeled, crushed,and puree, along with paste and sauce although I won’t find that much variety in a non- Italian neighborhood ---
**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:** [February 16, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/87 "2012-02-16T12:48:57Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Anyone else want to try champagne-flavoured processed cheese spread now? Just me? Actually it turns out, I was thinking of the [port wine cheese spread](http://www.sandiegogroceries.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=538). ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/88 "2012-02-16T12:53:12Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > That was my guess as well. Don’t judge the whole US by it, though, it’s a regional product, produced in the northeast. There are a great many people in the US outside the east coast who have never gotten to try it and have had to rely on the Kraft’s vastly inferior “Marshmallow Creme” instead. So sad, no one ever raves about fudge made with marshmallow creme. > > I mean to add that the raspberry kind you tried is much worse than the plain, IMHO. Haha, I do understand, obviously what people bring back are the things that to us are the most outrageous. And as I said, I genuinely enjoyed it 🙂 If you come back from the UK you might bring back Marmite, and everyone would hate it. Or strong salty licorice from the Netherlands. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/89 "2012-02-16T13:04:07Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Hershey’s is horrible. There’s a reason for this… most people don’t know but actually a Hershey bar was good chocolate once upon a time, then recently they started using inferior ingredients to save money. there was a thread about in GQ recently I think, but I can’t be arsed to find it. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2012, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/90 "2012-02-16T13:17:33Z")
I’ve never liked Hershey’s. And according to a book I read about the Hershey-Mars rivalry, there are people who believe that Hershey’s off putting flavor is the result of their use of spoiled milk. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/91 "2012-02-16T13:33:32Z")
> [@Ken001](#): > > **The choices!!!** Dang. It was like learning a whole new language: Yeah, I’ll concur with that. A lot of it’s just the terminology, so I imagine once you learn it all you’re OK. I don’t know what half those egg choices mean, for example, but I’m sure they’re all perfectly normal things just called something else. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/92 "2012-02-16T13:43:33Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > I concur with what others have said about everything being really sweet though. It really struck me as weird when I first visited the states (mid 90s) - even the bread and butter seemed weirdly sweet. As an American who cooks mostly from scratch, often out of my own backyard garden, I have to agree with you. When I eat processed or restaurant food I, too, find it oddly sweet. And often way too salty. > [@](#): > > Also, how much processed food was about - I recall staying in a Marriott in Chicago where the chef making omelettes to order poured ‘egg mixture’ out of a carton. What, it’s too much trouble to crack an egg? Some restaurants use carton eggs because, at least in theory, you can serve out more consistent-sized portions, eggs being a little variable in size, and because it’s often pasteurized, reducing the chances of food-borne illness which can result in large lawsuits. Of course, this leads to the question of “why don’t you produce eggs in a manner in which contamination is less likely to start with?” but that might be more expensive, and we can’t have that! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/93 "2012-02-16T13:48:07Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Confession time: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are very rare where I am living overseas. So occasionally I’ll buy some sticks of dark chocolate and dip them into a jar of peanut butter. Those tiny Kinder bars also work well. I mean, so I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/94 "2012-02-16T13:51:38Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > On the same trip, I had dinner at a friend’s cousins house. We were served Spaghetti Bolognese (all normal so far…), but in the middle of the table was a big bowl of fruit salad. All 4 Brits at the table ignored this, assuming it was for dessert, until our host prompted us to pile some fruit salad on our plate with our spaghetti. Really?? No. There is nothing normal about piling fruit on a plate with spaghetti. How about cold pizza? I had a classmate from Peru convinced that eating cold pizza was a put on, we were saying something totally ridiculous to see if the foreigner would buy it. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/95 "2012-02-16T13:52:35Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Anyone else want to try champagne-flavoured processed cheese spread now? Just me? Not really, but I occasionally like a decent [port wine cheese spread](https://www.wisconsincheesemart.com/item/port-wine-cheese-spread-rdA/). It can be very nice as a cheese ball rolled in slivered almonds as a party contribution with some nice [stone ground wheat crackers](http://www.amazon.com/Back-Nature-Organic-Crackers-6-Ounce/dp/B00283A9H6). ---
**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:** [February 16, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/96 "2012-02-16T14:15:34Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Slightly related: As a Scandinavian, I’m used to paying for things what it actually says on the damned menu, especially for something like fast food or a cup of coffee. When I visited the U.S. a while back, I quickly lost all comprehension of what anything actually cost. There’s the price on the menu, sure, but then there’s tax on top of that, and then you have to tip… so I was constantly confused, because nothing actually cost what I thought it did, and getting the actual price apparently involved applying some bizarre set of equations every time that I could never get right. Especially if I was distracted or in a hurry, it would just make my brain melt. After a while, I was reduced to just handing over a pile of dollar bills with a hopeful look on my face, then wait to see if I got some change back, and if none seemed to be forthcoming, hand over some more bills. How you guys do it, I don’t know. > > So, if you think tourists are all idiots… I can sympathize. Well, the tax amount depends on the state, here in Connecticut I believe it is 7% of the total bill is tax, so you sort of mostly double the tax and then add a little more until it evens out the bill, so $10.00 + $0.70 = 10.70+$1.40=$12.10 + another $0.90 to make it an even $13.00. It is theoretically either 10% or 20% of the base cost without the tax. They have little [wallet cards](http://www.itipping.com/free-tip-table.htm) for figuring out the tip for math impaired people like me :smack: > [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > I don’t understand and will never understand how anyone could enjoy a bar of Hershey’s. You grow up eating it? 😃 > [@Gyrate](#): > > 1. Supermarket selection - > Two- it’s all crap. If you removed all the heavily processed snacks, ready meals and other convenience foods you’d lose about 90% of the store content. Outside the produce aisle it’s hard to find anything healthy to eat, even including the basic meat and dairy sections. > > You can of course eat healthily in the US but they don’t make it easy. No the meat and dairy aisle are not all crap. I think you may be referring to yoghurt for the dairy aisle? You can get plain unsugared unflavored yoghurt in the US, not going to run to the fridge to look to see if I have any but Brookstone is a common north east brand and it is made with whole milk and yoghurt culture. No sweeteners, texturizers or anything like that. Meat is meat. A slab of cow, pig or lamb is pretty much universal. Veggies and fruit are also pretty universal, a tomato or apple is the same everywhere. And dry goods like flour, rice, barley or lentils are the same everywhere. True they do not make it easy for people in the depressed inner city to eat healthy easily, but here in the suburbs we have a good choice of groceries. > [@Koxinga](#): > > Confession time: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are very rare where I am living overseas. So occasionally I’ll buy some sticks of dark chocolate and dip them into a jar of peanut butter. [Make your own =)](http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-peanut-butter-cups/) > [@gracer](#): > > Haha, I do understand, obviously what people bring back are the things that to us are the most outrageous. And as I said, I genuinely enjoyed it 🙂 > > If you come back from the UK you might bring back Marmite, and everyone would hate it. Or strong salty licorice from the Netherlands. Hey, some of us like vegemite, promite, marmite and such … though I do agree that doublezout tastes like ass … 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/97 "2012-02-16T14:16:50Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > How about cold pizza? I had a classmate from Peru convinced that eating cold pizza was a put on, we were saying something totally ridiculous to see if the foreigner would buy it. That reminds me: a friend from Venezuela thought I was playing a prank on him when I offered him a glass of water _from the faucet_ - and was horrified when I proceeded to drink a glass of it myself. Even after me explaining that it was totally fine and I’d been drinking it my whole life, he still couldn’t bring himself to drink it. He believed me; he was just too grossed out. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/98 "2012-02-16T14:30:27Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I did find canned tomato products in supermarkets but > a) they were not the kinds I was used to, and > b) I did say myself that the kinds I was used to might be common in other places. Last I checked, the distance between Boston and Philadelphia was considerable, to Miami it’s a tiny bit further. > > All I found in supermarkets were canned unpeeled tomatoes and tomato pastes that were a lot thicker than what I’d use for sauce. I have to agree with **doreen** in that it must have been due to where you were. if I go to the supermarket (Detroit area) I can find tomato sauce (puree,) tomato paste, canned whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, and “crushed” tomatoes (whatever that is.) ---
**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:** [February 16, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/99 "2012-02-16T15:10:36Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > I have to agree with **doreen** in that it must have been due to where you were. if I go to the supermarket (Detroit area) I can find tomato sauce (puree,) tomato paste, canned whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, and “crushed” tomatoes (whatever that is.) Same in New York, Ann Arbor, MI, Southern Virginia and every other place I’ve lived. The “fancy” stores have the fancy grade imported from Marzano, or Pomi tomato sauce base in the carton, but you can get tomatoes as puree, dice, whole peeled (I’m not certain I’ve ever seen whole unpeeled tomatoes in a can), or crushed at almost any grocery store, as well as “plain sauce” (no spices, just cooked extra smooth tomato puree). “Rotel” tomatoes - which are diced tomatoes with green chiles - used to be a regional specialty along the Mexican border but now are available in many places. I cannot imagine going anywhere in the US and being unable to find the large (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes. It’s a staple item. I wonder if you were looking for smaller, single-serve size cans, and were unable to find them. THAT I could see. ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980/100 "2012-02-16T15:28:40Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > American cheese and velveeta As an American, I’m offended that it’s called “American” cheese. As a cheese lover, I’m offended that it’s called “cheese.” Velveeta is equally disgusting, but I’ll concede that it’s occasionally useful for sauces if you’re in a hurry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unusual-thing-about-the-american-diet-to-people-of-other-nationalities/612980.md?page=6)