# Your National Dish Of Shame **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 20, 2022, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784 "2022-05-20T19:31:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/262 "2022-05-25T08:43:58Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Hungarians kind of do a savory version of this called _langós_ . Yeah, I know about langos (been to Hungary about 20 times, a lot to rural areas where my friends lived). Those are lighter and more like savoury doughnut dough. The cheese and cream are the additional delight. The hungarians also cover bread with lard and pieces of pork fat, a horrorshow for westerners with their church of unsaturated fats. I never really noticed Langos for sale around Budapest, but very much a feature of the countryside. They started a stall in Wolverhampton selling them about a year before the pandemic. It didn’t come back. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/263 "2022-05-25T09:04:29Z")
Australia has been bastardising other other nations cuisines as long as many older countries. What we can do to a Pizza would make any self respecting Italian hang their head. But apart from the Meat Pie, Vegemite and fairy Bread, I give you the Chiko Roll [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CmcUeJZveGQ/hqdefault.jpg "Chiko Roll: An Australian Odd-yssey") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmcUeJZveGQ) Honourable mention to the humble Aussie Dim Sim. Everyone loves a bite of deep fried cat and cabbage with soy. Coming fast with a bullet is the HSP. Halal Snack Pack. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEJd2u49ZiE) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/264 "2022-05-25T09:12:48Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > Coming fast with a bullet is the HSP. Halal Snack Pack. Which I’m pretty sure is a close cousin of San Diego’s best known guilty pleasure, carne asada fries. [![](https://hildaskitchenblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/29133846_1991482334199725_7392466335738995351_n.jpg) ](https://hildaskitchenblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/29133846_1991482334199725_7392466335738995351_n.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/265 "2022-05-25T12:06:34Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > > [@DrDeth](#): > > > > Almost. in Gilroy they have garlic ice cream. That _is_ a Dish of shame. > > I must try this. Don’t forget to have some garlic wine with the garlic ice cream. No, I’m not kidding. BTDT. I lurves me some garlic but cannot recommend except as a bucket list item. IOW something you do just so you can later say you’ve done it. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/266 "2022-05-25T13:21:05Z")
In my experience, if you ask for pigs in a blanket in the US, you’ll be given links of breakfast sausage wrapped in pancakes. They’re eaten like regular pancakes, with butter and maple syrup. The International House of Pancakes (aka IHOP) is famous for these. American breakfast sausage, whether in the form of links or patties, usually consists of ground pork seasoned with sage, cloves, and brown sugar (at least, that’s the recipe I use). Red pepper flakes can be added to give it a little kick. In one of his Christmas specials, Gordon Ramsey or Jamie Oliver (I don’t recall which) served what he called pigs in a blanket for breakfast on 25 December. They were British bangers wrapped in bacon. Forget Christmas dinner; these would have been enough to keep me going until Boxing Day. The Wiki link is incorrect, BTW. _Sosiski_ is what Russians call hot dogs. Sausages are _kolbasy_. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/267 "2022-05-25T13:45:17Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > In my experience, if you ask for pigs in a blanket in the US, you’ll be given links of breakfast sausage wrapped in pancakes. They’re eaten like regular pancakes, with butter and maple syrup. The International House of Pancakes (aka IHOP) is famous for these. If you’re _at_ a breakfast place, I guess they’d be what you described, but in general when I hear “pigs in blankets” it refers to mini hot dogs in pastry dough ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/268 "2022-05-25T13:53:04Z")
Pillsbury calls them “wiener wraps.” 🤭 ---
**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:** [May 25, 2022, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/269 "2022-05-25T13:57:07Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > The hungarians also cover bread with lard and pieces of pork fat, a horrorshow for westerners with their church of unsaturated fats. Actually, that may be a good nomination for a “dish of shame.” (Though I don’t believe in shaming any dish, really.) Are you talking the stuff you make on the campfire where you skewer the fat and cook it and pour the drippings over the bread (_szalonna_) or the old-school pub treat that is a thick slice of white bread spread with lard, topped with onions, salt, and paprika (and sometimes a poultry liver if there’s a “deluxe” version of it)? That one’s called _zsirós kenyér_. At any rate, I love the stuff after a couple of pints, but most new-to-Hungary Americans absolutely shuddered at the thought (though some became converted after awhile.) I love the stuff but apparently it is disappearing: > **[Elegy to Zsiros Kenyér: A Good-bye to Budapest’s Classic Pub Grub](https://tastehungary.com/journal/elegy-to-zsiros-kenyer-a-good-bye-to-budapests-classic-pub-grub/)** > > In Budapest, some dishes go out of style, only to be re-introduced years later as more expensive ‘retro’ fare. It also happens that some dishes disappear not to be seen again. As for langós in Budapest, you can still find it. Looking it up on Google, there appear to be a good number of trendy langós places these days, but back in the 90s and early 00s, you can find a stand at many outdoor grocery markets and any type of fair/festival, and of course during the Christmas market, where you can also find a hearth oven baked version (_parasztlángos_ or _kenyérlángos_) that is more like a focaccia or pizza al tagio. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/270 "2022-05-25T13:57:45Z")
I am a bit confused at the shame for poutine, but I must have had good poutine - although I live and have only eaten poutine in Atlanta. One place used duck gravy (it has sadly closed). Another place is a Jewish deli and they use the gravy from the pastrami they make in house. Also another vote for pigs in a blanket being small hot dogs in pastry dough… they are quite tasty at a party. ---
**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:** [May 25, 2022, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/271 "2022-05-25T14:05:43Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I am a bit confused at the shame for poutine I assume because it is just a pile of unhealthy stuff heaped upon each other and looks like a right mess. Kind of like a KFC bowl is made fun of for much the same reason. (I kind of like to think of that as the US version of poutine. On the one hand, at least it has protein; on the other, it’s more deep fried crap.) But it’s not like there’s not scores of other foods that are equally as bad or worse for you (I’m looking at you, Blooming Onion!). Plus the concept exists in various establishments here in the US, like with “garbage fries” or Rochester’s “garbage plate” or here in Chicago we used to have a version called “ghetto fries” until people realized that was pretty offensive. My favorite version of poutine was one I had in Montreal by a place called, IIRC, Chef Guru. It was a South Asian restaurant, but they offered a poutine that had some curry gravy on it and was bespeckled with fresh cilantro/coriander. Quite delicious. I had tried various poutines at La Banquise (the most well-known poutinerie [is that a word?] in Montreal) and a handful of other places, but the Chef Guru version was great. But, like most dishes of this type, it was great for about four bites or so before becoming a Herculean effort to finish. Like, all your tastes buds light up for those initial forkfuls, and then just turn off while your body asks you “why are you doing this to me?” ---
**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:** [May 25, 2022, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/272 "2022-05-25T14:09:33Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > (I kind of like to think of that as the US version of poutine. The US version of poutine is Disco fries. [![](https://alekasgettogether.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/disco-gravy-fries-mozzarella-cheese.jpg) ](https://alekasgettogether.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/disco-gravy-fries-mozzarella-cheese.jpg) ---
**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:** [May 25, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/273 "2022-05-25T14:11:22Z")
Ah. I knew there must have been another variant! Gravy fries are not unknown around here. I’ve not heard the term “disco fries” where I’m at, but this vocabulary is quite regional. (And, yes, those are much, much closer to poutine. The KFC bowl was more of a conceptual similarity of just piling potatoes, gravy, cheese, and other ingredients together.) ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/274 "2022-05-25T14:27:29Z")
I think there might be some confusion with some of the names here. “Sausages” is another thing. In general, apparently, most cultures seem to have them (I think I read that on a CS thread), but they do vary. Pigs in blanket, the UK version, uses a smaller version of the relatively unspiced pork and bread mix popular here. Some people might call those “bangers” but they vary a lot, but mostly are fine, and are not of particularly low quality. Wrapped in bacon they can be lovely. US things called “sausages” tend to be with breakfast, are small but quite spiced with garlic and chilli. Those probably don’t work being wrapped in bacon. You’d probably not be able to taste the bacon. I regard the US sausage as kind of a hybrid of the other sausages from Germany and Italy perhaps made milder, with less garlic etc. Or more salty like the weiners from Germany too. But like “curry”, “sausage” can mean a lot… ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/275 "2022-05-25T14:30:29Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > In one of his Christmas specials, Gordon Ramsey or Jamie Oliver (I don’t recall which) served what he called pigs in a blanket for breakfast on 25 December. They were British bangers wrapped in bacon Yep, that’s what ‘pigs in blankets’ is in the UK, they’re a common party food. Normally they’re mini cocktail-type sausages, but always wrapped in bacon, not dough; using dough would be closer to a sausage roll, which are sausages wrapped in flaky pastry, and extremely common here. ---
**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:** [May 25, 2022, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/276 "2022-05-25T14:32:14Z")
Mashed potato is bland unless you add other stuff. The biggest failure with mash is to over-mash it. You cannot mash potatoes with a mixer - use a masher or a fork. Sausages vary hugely. From cheapo with plastic skins and a filling of rusk mixed with some disgusting “recovered meat” (look it up if you don’t know what it is) to, as terentii says, a good quality hand-made regional sausage in a tender skin and with 80% real meat and some spices (but not too much pepper). In Scotland, sausages look like square burgers. They are actually similar to the contents of an English sausage (ie - highly variable) but sans skin. ---
**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:** [May 25, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/277 "2022-05-25T14:33:22Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve not heard the term “disco fries” where I’m at, but this vocabulary is quite regional. It seems to be mostly New Jersey based. I’m pretty sure I picked up the usage from students who watched “Jersey Shore” and other such trash TV. Out here we use chili in place of gravy: [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/The_Hat%2C_chili_cheese_fries.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/The_Hat%2C_chili_cheese_fries.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/278 "2022-05-25T14:45:14Z")
In the US, there’s a great difference between “breakfast” sausage (which is seasoned as I described above) and other “Wurst-type” sausages, which can vary from relatively bland (like Weisswurst or Knockwurst) to quite spicy (like salami or chorizo). In my experience, “Wurst-type” sausages are not normally eaten for breakfast (except maybe in certain ethnic communities). ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/279 "2022-05-25T15:12:37Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > I’m not sure where you’re from, you might not realise the size of UK chip shop fryers. Thanks. I was thinking the fryers are more compartmentalized closer to the size of the baskets. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/280 "2022-05-25T19:36:29Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Out here we use chili in place of gravy: Yes, Chili fries. Wonderful if done right. First time I had them was in the late 1970’s in a little all nite shack called “Arlene’s” in Santa Monica. Iirc they claimed to have invented them. ---
**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:** [May 25, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784/281 "2022-05-25T19:48:32Z")
I remember an Arlene’s Donuts on Santa Monica Blvd (but I think technically they were in West LA). It was an outside counter mostly and definitely could be described as a shack. I think they had food beyond donuts. Where was your Arlene’s? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-national-dish-of-shame/964784.md?page=15)