# Which country has the worst cuisine? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2011, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821 "2011-03-24T07:16:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/21 "2011-03-24T10:12:33Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > The way I’ve been looking at it is: if I went to a small pub/cafe/restaurant in a small town/village, what would I expect to get? To clarify, I (the OP) is talking about “ethnic” cuisine. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/22 "2011-03-24T10:13:34Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > How on earth do you guys dress a salad without a decent vinagrette? Ranch! USA! USA! USA! ---
**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:** [March 24, 2011, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/23 "2011-03-24T10:18:38Z")
American fast food sucks, _but_ some american foods can be sublime - [Shrimp and Grits](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlzWLrdQX9Y) - [Gullah](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gullah) peasant food, but absolutely fantastic. Warm, creamy, full of flavor, a filling breakfast. [American Pit BBQ](http://xroads.virginia.edu/~class/MA95/dove/bbq.html) - it changes with the ethnicity of the location, because of historic food preferences. Doesn’t matter if it is beef, pork, chicken, sausage or ribs. What does matter is the way it is cooked, and how it is served. My personal preference is for [st louis ribs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis-style_barbecue) while mrAru is from California and prefers [cow based BBQ](http://www.gadling.com/2010/08/18/a-taste-of-california-history-santa-maria-style-barbecue/), which is more mexican/south american [churrasco](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churrasco) than proper slow cooked BBQ. [Seafood boil](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seafood_boil) - crab based, lobster based, crawfish based, clam based all good. Cover a table outside under a tree in the summer with newspaper, put out a few rolls of paper towel, have a garbage barrel to hand - pour a huge heap of seafood and sides like corn on the cob, new potatoes onto the table, settle in with your choice of a cold drink and dig in. I did crab boils in Virginia, and I do lobster boils here in CT, and when I lived in NoLa, I did crawfish =) add some deep fried hush puppies and it’s all good. If you notice, all these are peasant foods, cheap [originally] and very comfort food-y. Churrasco and barbeque and seafood boil/bakes [there is a variant where a pit is dug, and stuff layered in with hot rocks, or even buried in stuff and set on fire. Fascinating food history =)] are very new world. When the settlers arrived in the new world, they generally did not have access to all the conveniences they were used to from home, and used local cooking techniques and ingredients. [Indian pudding](http://www.roadfood.com/Recipes/36/indian-pudding) is very uniquely american new england cooking and the same goes with [Boston Baked Beans](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_baked_beans), which tend to be sweeter than other baked beans as they have a heavy dollop of molassas added. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/24 "2011-03-24T10:27:28Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > To clarify, I (the OP) is talking about “ethnic” cuisine. I’m not sure that I could say what is ethnic UK food anymore. As I’ve said, there are regional specialities, but you’d be pushed to make a whole meal out of them in any one place. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/25 "2011-03-24T10:28:12Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Why do you guys think vinegar goes well on everything? We don’t. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/26 "2011-03-24T10:35:20Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Quantify it however you want. > > I’m leaning towards British. Why do you guys think vinegar goes well on everything? Why do you think that we put vinegar on everything? Vinegar gos only on chips in my world. I don’t see any of my firends throwing vinegar on everything either. ---
**Author:** ![ekweizn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7c8e57/32.png) [@ekweizn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekweizn)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/27 "2011-03-24T10:43:02Z")
The only candidates for this dubious honor are cuisines who don’t have fatty pork/bacon, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/28 "2011-03-24T10:52:22Z")
**aruvqan** mentioned some, but to further the point about real American cuisine and the many great and distinctive foods originating here, Blackberry cobbler Buttermilk biscuits Chicken and dumplings Chocolate chip cookies Clam chowder Cornbread Crab cakes Cranberry relish Fried chicken Gumbo Hush puppies Jambalaya Pecan pie Pumpkin pie Succotash Thanksgiving turkey Three bean salad Zucchini bread Notice that virtually all of these involve native American ingredients, and particular intersections of cultural influences that only/first happened here. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/29 "2011-03-24T10:55:21Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Well, my knowledge of UK food is pretty slim. But, looking at my post above, I really, really doubt that the UK has anything that could match say Coca Cola. So let me get this straight – you’ve nominated a cuisine you know little to nothing about, and then invented a characteristic in order to justify your choice? I hope you don’t mind me saying that I find that an odd way of going about things. And Dandelion and Burdock knocks Coca Cola into a cocked hat, kicks it into touch, and stamps on it. So there. > [@Wallenstein](#): > > The following vinegars should be a staple in any decent cook’s pantry: > > - red wine vinegar > - white wine vinegar > - rice wine vinegar > - malt vinegar > - cider vinegar > - balsamic vinegar > - sherry vinegar > - raspberry vinegar > > Utterly and completely essential in French, Italian and Spanish cuisine, and very widely used in English cuisine. > > How on earth do you guys dress a salad without a decent vinagrette? No-one’s disputing the general utility of vinegar in cookery. The claim was that the British put vinegar on _everything,_ which isn’t even a gross exaggeration. It’s just pointlessly untrue. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2011, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/30 "2011-03-24T10:57:58Z")
> [@ekweizn](#): > > The only candidates for this dubious honor are cuisines who don’t have fatty pork/bacon, IMO. I beg to differ. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/31 "2011-03-24T11:06:49Z")
While fast food is pretty horrible, America absolutely cannot be on this list because Cajun cooking and southern cooking alone stand out so far ahead of the pack. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/32 "2011-03-24T11:09:27Z")
> [@ekweizn](#): > > The only candidates for this dubious honor are cuisines who don’t have fatty pork/bacon, IMO. I beg to agree. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/33 "2011-03-24T11:55:25Z")
I think it’s worth pointing out that the British do not put vinegar on everything. ---
**Author:** ![OtisCampbellWasRight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@OtisCampbellWasRight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtisCampbellWasRight)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/34 "2011-03-24T12:05:30Z")
“Now now boys, fightin’s outta style - fun’s where the fair’s at.” Let me come to the defence of our buddies across the pond, food-wise. A few years ago, I had to go to Ireland on business. I thought to myself “Oh great, ten days of food that’s been boiled to death.” Boy was I pleasently surprised! The food was outstanding. Except that they were in the middle of a mad cow scare, so all the beef was (to my taste) overcooked. We here in 'Merika have no reason to be all high and mighty when it comes to cuisine. Even though we have so many great food resources here, many people make the lazy choice of McMediocre burgers and fries or some similiar pig vomit. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/35 "2011-03-24T12:07:15Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > Vinegar’s traditional on fish and chips, but you’ll have to give me a clue about what else you think we put it on, because I’m drawing a blank. Whelks and cockles are usually doused in vinegar. Those are very traditional British snacks. ---
**Author:** ![dawson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@dawson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dawson)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/36 "2011-03-24T12:16:02Z")
Not to derail the thread but a question for our British dopers - Is it still common practice to cook your meat to well - done in Britian? Living in Canada most British born, most European born people I’ve met in fact, seem to like there meat cooked well done. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/37 "2011-03-24T12:29:37Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > **aruvqan** mentioned some, but to further the point about real American cuisine and the many great and distinctive foods originating here, > > Blackberry cobbler > Buttermilk biscuits > Chicken and dumplings > Chocolate chip cookies > Clam chowder > Cornbread > Crab cakes > Cranberry relish > Fried chicken > Gumbo > Hush puppies > Jambalaya > Pecan pie > Pumpkin pie > Succotash > Thanksgiving turkey > Three bean salad > Zucchini bread > > Notice that virtually all of these involve native American ingredients, and particular intersections of cultural influences that only/first happened here. I’d re-emphasize this list with a rare exception (um, three bean salad?) along with barbecue. Barbecue alone exempts America from being topping any list of countries with bad food. Somebody mentioned shaved ice awhile back. Have the Brits made any progress towards a proper amount of ice in iced drinks? Or does the Great Ice Shortage continue? I mean, I like lukewarm iced tea as much as the next person, but really… ---
**Author:** ![Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee7513/32.png) [@Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kim_o_the_Concrete_Jungle)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/38 "2011-03-24T12:30:08Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > How on earth do you guys dress a salad without a decent vinagrette? A question to which the British and Americans stand together and answer all in one voice: what is this “salad” you speak of? ---
**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:** [March 24, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/39 "2011-03-24T12:34:50Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Somebody mentioned shaved ice awhile back. Have the Brits made any progress towards a proper amount of ice in iced drinks? Or does the Great Ice Shortage continue? I mean, I like lukewarm iced tea as much as the next person, but really… When most people around the world order a drink they want the drink, not half a drink and half a cup of water. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821/40 "2011-03-24T12:35:32Z")
> [@dawson](#): > > Not to derail the thread but a question for our British dopers - Is it still common practice to cook your meat to well - done in Britian? Living in Canada most British born, most European born people I’ve met in fact, seem to like there meat cooked well done. Not anywhere I’ve been recently. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-has-the-worst-cuisine/575821.md?page=3)