The ***OFFICIAL*** Weekend Singles' Thread US/British food and confectionery (October 13-15, 2006)

13th October 2006 | Snugs

[snugs]

Winston Churchill famously said that American and Britain were 2 countries divided by a common language nor more so is this true than when it comes to food. We can eat the same sort of things but at completely different times of the day and serve it with completely different type of food.

A dessert in Britain is often looked upon as a breakfast dish in America.

American cookies are similar to British biscuits, American biscuits are similar to British sconces.

What is called a grill in England is a broiler in America.

A stove is a cooker and a cook book is a cookery book in England.

I thought it might be interesting to look at foods and confectionery that are identified with both countries, where they overlap, where they are different and personal tastes and traditions that have over the years shaped what we eat and when.

I posed the following questions to some American freepers and the following graphics reflect their answers.

1) What would you consider to be typical English food
2) What would you consider to be a typical English meal
3) What sweets (candies) do you identify with England

4) What would you consider to be typical American food
5) Would you consider to be a typical American meal
6) What candies do you consider are American

I have also compiled graphics from an English point of view regarding the above points.

Come and take a look at the food remember favourites from yesteryear and add your own thoughts and tastes. Lets make this an interesting, fun thread full of great memories of the past and present and that friendly homely feeling that familiar food conquers up. The memories and warm feelings of giving and sharing with the festivities that go with it or simply the pleasure of well cooked meal at the end of a busy and tiring day.

Food is also associated with different seasons and events such as Easter, Thanksgiving (US) Bonfire Night (UK) Christmas, New Year and of course birthdays and family traditions.

These events for singles can be fun time when they get drawn into a larger group plus made to feel part of a family but on the other hand often it can be the reverse. Christmas, New Year and Easter and of course for Americans Thanksgiving can be very lonely times for singles not fitting into any particular group and also sad for those who in the past have been part of family groups at these particular times of the year.

Below are Dolly's thoughts on this very point

[BigSkyFreeper]

LOL! The Kit Kats in Canada are probably closer to what you have in England. There is a definate difference! :) And if I recall, the wafers were just slightly bigger on the Canadian variety.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I like toffee with brazil nut in it complete with the little hammer to break it :0)

My mother's mom makes that for Christmas! She keeps a little hammer in her utensil drawer for such an occasion and places it on the serving tray! :)

[snugs]

Do you get some of the real ale in the States such Old Speckled Hen, Old Thumpers and Ruddles?

You might find these 2 websites interesting

http://www.enjoyengland.com/ideas/inspirational-ideas/food-and-drink/drink/brewery-tours/index.aspx

http://www.quaffale.org.uk/

Also Camra's site (Campaign for real ale)

http://www.camra.org.uk/

[BigSkyFreeper]

Here's some candy bars commonly found in Canada that I really enjoy.

As the picture shows, this bar consists of whipped chocolate that sets with bubbles trapped in the chocolate, hence, "Aero". The bubbles create a lighter texture so that the bar is not too filling/heavy, and provide a distinct eating sensation compared with solid chocolate. The result is a scrumptious chocolate bar that quickly melts in your mouth.

These are similar to M&M's found in the US, but with a distinct flavor, as some "Smarties" already know. Like M&M's, Smarties are milk chocolate pieces covered with bright candy shells. There are eight vibrant colors.

This unique combination of light crispy wafers, bubbly coffee cream and milk chocolate coating satisfies without filling you up. This is the #1 selling candy bar in Canada.

[snugs]

I prefer Mint Aero to just chocolate aero, smarties I prefer to M & Ms we used to have chocolate treats instead of M & Ms but Mars decided that they wanted to make their sweets (candies) go by the same name in all countries so changed them to M & Ms. At the same time made them multi coloured they used to be just dark brown. They still do large version in dark brown called Minstrels.

Have you noticed in Smarties the orange one is actually orange flavour all the others are just milk chocolate.

Do not know Coffee Crisp never seen that in Britain.

Another interesting thing on names Snickers was another product that Mars decided they wanted to call the same name worldwide because in Britain it was Marathon.

[Billthedrill]

We do. I actually saw a case of Skull-Splitter Ale (from the Orkneys) in my local wine shop yesterday. Here it's served chilled.

(Thumping sound.) Snugs! Snugs! Dang it, Snugs has fainted...

[snugs]

I also believe that Milky Way in the States is what we call a Mars Bar whereas our Milky Way is very similar to your 3 musketeers.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I agree, Smarties are better than M&M's, even though I can usually eat a 1 pound bag of M&M's in one evening. LOL

Many candy shops in Canada don't sell M&M's, and for me Smarties were a viable alternative. I spent a month in Alberta many years ago, and whenever I had a craving for M&M's, I'd buy a box of Smarties. They must've changed the flavor of the orange colored Smarties to orange in recent years, because I recall many years ago, they were all chocolate flavored. The coffee crisp bars are really good. There is a wafer that "floats" inside, on top of a bubbly coffee cream made from coffee beans, which is all wrapped in a layer of chocolate on the outside. So when you bite into it, you see this wafer (like the Kit Kat wafer) surrounded by little bubbles of air. It sort of has a taste of coffee with cream in it. I've never tried the Mint Aero's.

My all time favorite candy bar is the Snicker bar. Could never find it in Canada, and a Canadian friend of mine said to just look for the Marathon bar. Same thing. LOL!!

[A knight without armor]

Thanks! You call the small ones shrimps - LOL!

I think in England they call apartments flats. That reminds me that I found this really cute video called Flatlife. It think it is very well done and downright cute. It lasts 10 minutes and if you watch it be sure to have the volume on for the little sound effects.

It is at: http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=18844

It has it's own website but I cannot get it to work on my computer. The website is: http://www.flatlife.be/

[BigSkyFreeper]

I also believe that Milky Way in the States is what we call a Mars Bar whereas our Milky Way is very similar to your 3 musketeers.

In Canada too oddly enough! :)

[snugs]

I like it cool but not ice cold chilled is OK as long it just makes it cool.

[snugs]

Yes we do call apartments flats we also call a 2 story building divided into flat maisonettes - are you familar with that term.

[snugs]

I think Canada because of its British connection often seems to have things the same as we do whereas the rest of the world tends to go the American way except for weights and measures.

That brings me on to another thing I have noticed that Americans tend to measure by cup or spoon ingredients rather than weigh them.

That is totally alien to us English we always weigh, I am still pounds and ounces for cooking and my own weight but work wise I use the metric system.

Also we are now centigrade not Fahrenheit.

Another thing gas cookers I have never seen an American recipe saying Gas Mark 4 or 5 or whatever - do you not have gas ovens or if you do are the temperature in Fahrenheit not mark.

[A knight without armor]

No, I've never heard of a masionette. What you describe would be a duplex. A house divided into 3 apartments is a triplex and a 4 apt. house would be a quadruplex.

[snugs]

Maisonettes are normally a block not a house. Do you use the term bed sit where a house is divided up into rooms with communal cooking and washing facilities.

[MotleyGirl70]

[MotleyGirl70]

Do you have the picture of the Seinfeld basket of candy? I can't find it. Ping the usual suspects when/if you find it :)

[snugs]

When I was little Woolworth's sold the small Reeses cups loose you either bougth them by the quarter or so many for so much cannot remember now.

What I did not realise though at the time that they were in fact an American import, we do not make it in the UK but we actually import it.

[Hoodlum91]

Thanks for the great pics snugs!

Now I'm hungry....and really want a Crunchie bar!

[Army Air Corps]

1) What would you consider to be typical English food?
2) What would you consider to be a typical English meal?
3) What sweets (candies) do you identify with England?



1) Steak and Kidney Pie
2) Bangers and Mash or Bubble and Squeak
3) Wine Gums