# Why Do Brits Eat Heinz Baked Beans when Americans Don't? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 17, 2021, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701 "2021-01-17T01:25:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/21 "2021-01-17T06:23:48Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > A Bostonian would be horrified at tomato anything near his/her baked beans and they would be right. Huh? I grew up in a suburb of Boston. And i grew up eating Heinz vegetarian baked beans, in a thin tomato-y sauce. And I still buy them (in a green can packages for the US, not a blue can packages for the UK) and i think i have a can in the cupboard now. Mostly we cook other bean dishes these days, but a can of baked beans is a cheap and easy lunch that takes about 2 minutes to prepare. I don’t really like the even-sweeter styles of canned beans. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/22 "2021-01-17T09:13:50Z")
I’m an American who doesn’t eat beans and I’m surprised at this topic. I’ve certainly been around other Americans who use and serve baked beans, especially relatives in my childhood. Maybe I’ve never paid particular attention to what brand they use, but I would not have assumed either Bush or Van Camp. I probably just assumed Heinz but I guess I was wrong. BTW, I found Heinz Beans available on the Walmart website, from a 3rd party but inexpensive with free shipping in the US. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/23 "2021-01-17T09:34:28Z")
The beans that Heinz uses come from North America - all two thousand tons of them each year. The y are haricot beans specially developed to have no taste or flavour of their own. They are dried and shipped to the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/24 "2021-01-17T09:52:25Z")
I can even buy Heinz baked beans here in Switzerland along with the other canned goods. Made that mistake exactly once. If I want baked beans, I’m making my own. Those aren’t fit for anything but a fry up. And even then I find them rather bland, as baked beans should have flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/25 "2021-01-17T10:59:53Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > If I want baked beans, I’m making my own. Those aren’t fit for anything but a fry up. And even then I find them rather bland, as baked beans should have flavor. I think the recipe has changed over the years, and I don’t recall recent beans to taste of very much, but I was quite fond of them as a kid. I suspect they’ve had all the sugar and salt taken out of them, so isn’t anything like the product of 30 odd years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/26 "2021-01-17T12:59:52Z")
Maybe it’s how they’re commonly served in Britain. That is, the Heinz recipe tastes better when served as “baked beans on toast”. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/27 "2021-01-17T13:16:17Z")
[https://www.walmart.com/ip/Heinz-Vegetarian-Beans-in-Rich-Tomato-Sauce-16-oz-Can/10294685](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Heinz-Vegetarian-Beans-in-Rich-Tomato-Sauce-16-oz-Can/10294685) This is an American product made for Americans and widely sold in the US. It may not be the most popular brand of beans in the US. But it’s not obscure. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/28 "2021-01-17T13:32:31Z")
Maybe Canada is a different market than the US in that respect, but Heinz beans in tomato sauce, and other varieties, are very common here. Virtually every grocery store has them. I just checked a can and it’s made in Canada by Heinz Canada so maybe it’s less common in the US. [![](https://www.londondrugs.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-londondrugs-master/default/dw268dd880/products/L2640944/large/L2640944.JPG) ](https://www.londondrugs.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-londondrugs-master/default/dw268dd880/products/L2640944/large/L2640944.JPG) I like beans with certain things, like BBQ ribs, but the stuff straight out of the can is inedible, IMO. You need to fry up some white onion in a saucepan, dump in the beans, and then add hickory smoked barbecue sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/29 "2021-01-17T13:51:19Z")
I’m an American, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen baked beans served in a non-tomato-based sauce. And most of the time, when baked beans are served, they’re just straight out of the can. Yes, some folks do have their own recipes, which they’ll use when they’re putting in an actual effort on them, but even those recipes generally start with the canned stuff, and rinsing off whatever existing sauce is already on them. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/30 "2021-01-17T15:13:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m an American, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen baked beans served in a non-tomato-based sauce. And most of the time, when baked beans are served, they’re just straight out of the can. And most of those cans have no tomato. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/31 "2021-01-17T15:17:19Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > And most of those cans have no tomato. Obviously some varieties do. E.g. with a “barbecue” label. But just straight up baked beans, maybe with "original"on the label, no. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/32 "2021-01-17T15:22:00Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I like beans with certain things, like BBQ ribs, but the stuff straight out of the can is inedible, IMO. You need to fry up some white onion in a saucepan, dump in the beans, and then add hickory smoked barbecue sauce. Curry powder works a treat. j Confessional postscript: no, they have no redeeming quality whatsoever… except… they’re _comfort food_. As much as I regret it, as much as I am embarrassed by it, sometimes - just now and then - I want beans with it. It shouldn’t be like that but it is. (But yeah, add curry powder). ---
**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:** [January 17, 2021, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/33 "2021-01-17T15:26:27Z")
Or buy these. > **[Heinz | Curry Beanz](https://www.heinz.co.uk/beanz/flavoured/product/100185200043/curry-beanz)** > > Heinz | Curry Beanz ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/34 "2021-01-17T15:41:07Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > > [@Chronos](#): > > > > I’m an American, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen baked beans served in a non-tomato-based sauce. And most of the time, when baked beans are served, they’re just straight out of the can. > > And most of those cans have no tomato. Every can I’ve ever purchased had tomato. 🙃 I think this probably varies regionally, and probably from family to family. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/35 "2021-01-17T16:06:29Z")
I was once told that the surest way for a Yank to get into a fight in a British pub is to insist that Heinz Baked Beans or Kellogg’s Corn Flakes are American products. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/36 "2021-01-17T17:22:26Z")
OK, looking at one of the cans from my pantry: Wylwood Pork & Beans in Tomato Sauce (a cheap store brand). The ingredients are “Prepared navy beans, water, sugar, tomato paste, pork fat, salt, seasoning (dextrose, onion powder, natural flavor with color, spices)”. Definitely tomato, and definitely no molasses. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/37 "2021-01-17T17:25:07Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I was once told that the surest way for a Yank to get into a fight in a British pub is to insist that Heinz Baked Beans or Kellogg’s Corn Flakes are American products. Must have been tough to be American in England in the sixties. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/38 "2021-01-17T17:25:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > definitely no molasses. But plenty of sugar to make up for its absence. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/39 "2021-01-17T17:29:22Z")
Well of course plenty of sugar; this is America after all. And Kellogg’s Corn Flakes don’t have market dominance here, because Americans eat a wide variety of different breakfast cereals (which also mostly have plenty of sugar), but they’re still common enough to be unremarkable. I don’t have the numbers, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Kellogg’s corn flakes were the second-most common single brand/variety (after Cheerios). ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/40 "2021-01-17T17:40:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, looking at one of the cans from my pantry: Wylwood Pork & Beans in Tomato Sauce If it doesn’t explicitly say “tomato sauce”, baked beans likely won’t have any tomato. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701.md?page=3)