# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/81 "2021-01-26T12:45:28Z")
They’re alluding to the perception that they make (for example) 10,000 lbs of beans with 1 piece of pork. So when canned, the 9,999 of the cans won’t actually have any pork in them at all and the remaining one may or may not (it’s possible for all of the pork to cook away if it was a particularly fatty piece). Anecdotally: I actually don’t recall ever getting a can of pork-n-beans that didn’t have at least one recognizable piece of pork in it, but it may just be that I never really paid attention to it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/82 "2021-01-26T14:38:25Z")
It means “in really miniscule quantities so as to be indistinguishable from the rest of the product” just like homeopathic tinctures. In homeopathic “cures” they make tinctures and keep diluting them until they are indistinguishable from what they’re diluted in. I don’t know how common it is, but I use the phrase “homeopathic amount” quite a bit in this kind ot context. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/83 "2021-01-26T15:04:40Z")
Ah, I get it, I always use homeopathic in the holistic-medicinal sense. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/84 "2021-01-26T16:05:19Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Ah, I get it, I always use homeopathic in the holistic-medicinal sense Frankly (and beans), that’s giving it way more credit than it deserves. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/85 "2021-01-26T16:07:08Z")
The beans or homeopathy in general? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/86 "2021-01-26T17:56:37Z")
Beans are pretty underrated actually. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/87 "2021-01-26T17:58:03Z")
“Beans, beans, great for your heart! The more you eat, the more you fart!” Why, yes, I still am 8 years old sometimes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/88 "2021-01-26T20:52:24Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Baked beans in the way British people use them just aren’t as common in the US, are they? I mean people in the US actually talk about making baked beans. For us, that’s weird. Baked beans come in a ti We (my family) never eat baked beans straight from the can. We always doctor them up to suit our tastes (I like mustard and bacon). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/89 "2021-01-27T04:27:02Z")
Agreed. I’ve just been on a crazy legume kick this past month. I don’t know where it came from, but a few weeks ago I made lentis for lunch every day, usually as dal tadka or dal makhani. Sometimes I’ll use beans or a mix of legumes with that same recipe. Today, I found a copycat Heinz beans recipe online, and I made beans and toast with two over easy eggs for lunch. All these vegetarian, and I’m generally a huge meat-eater. Beans are just so satisfying. And great fiber content! ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2021, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701/90 "2021-01-31T03:17:08Z")
Yeah, I often add some Worcester sauce or something too. But that’s not the same as getting some beans (dried or canned), baking them, making your own sauce, etc, and then they’re “baked beans.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-brits-eat-heinz-baked-beans-when-americans-dont/930701.md?page=4)