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

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Can't argue about that

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Do they sell crunchies in the States I cannot remember seeing them when I visited all I could seem to get was your version of KitKat in the touristy tuck shops.

[Army Air Corps]

Do I earn a "spot on!"? ;-)

As an anglophile and an epicure, I am enjoying this thread.

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Absolutely spot on LOL

[A knight without armor]

Never heard of bed sit. Sounds like you describe a rooming house.

[Cagey]

Am I allowed in here?

[Army Air Corps]

"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."

Yes, we have gas ovens in the US. All the gas ranges that I have seen have a knob for the oven marked with Fahrenheit temperatures. However, the knobs for the surface burners are usually marked with "Low", "Med", and "High" with tick marks in between. I have seen some units that feature surface unit knobs that include settings such as "Simmer" and "Boil".

[MotleyGirl70]

That's the one I was looking for. Thanks...and I saved it this time for future posting.

Am I allowed in here?

Lol! Well....we let married folks in here once in a while for a small fee or a piece of candy ;)

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I guess so I think maybe we think bed sit sounds posher. Basically it is a bedroom but it also doubles as your sitting room as it is the only room you get. Hence bed sit.

What has become popular in recent years is private homes letting out a room to help out with house hold costs.

Often a single person will let out one or even 2 rooms to help with the mortgage. In this case it almost becomes like a house share but of course the owner is there so they have the last say in matters.

Sometimes couples will also let a room out after their children have left home sometimes because of money issues but also not liking the empty nest feeling. This is often the case in University towns.

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I thought it must be the case because all your recipes mention temperature and not mark thanks for confirming. Most gas burners do not usually have any marks on the knobs occasionally graphics indicating which way is higher or lower. With electric hobs though they are normally in numbers mine have 6 settings.

I recently got a new second hand cooker (stove/oven whatever you call it) and I am enjoy ceramic hot plates for the first time.

I need a new switch for the main oven door so cannot really use this until that is fixed but apart from that it is a lovely unit and has been well looked after.

Here it is installed in our kitchen. By the way our temperatures are now all centigrade for ovens.

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I recognise the Snickers bar but the rest I do not, I assume the juniors are peppermint creams but what is the giant chunky.

[toothfairy86]

My sister-in-law has family in England, and whenever they go visit, they always bring back a ton of chocolates and digestive buisquits. I like the dark chocolate Aeros.
I live in the Pittsburgh area, and our local Giant Eagle supermarket carries many of the Heinz products that are made specifically for the UK, including salad cream, marmalite and baked beans.

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Are baked beans made especially for the UK market then? I know most Americans think it is strange that we serve them with our cooked breakfast or on toast.

[Cagey]

The Jujyfruits are one of my favorites. Hard, yet somehow soft, fruit candies. Very chewy.

Chunky is another favorite. It's a mixture of chocolate with nuts and raisins.


There's also a Pez dispenser in the mix and a Snickers bar.

To quote the great Arnold Stang................." Chunky, what a chunk of chocolate!".

[toothfairy86]

I think the Heinz baked beans for the UK taste differently that the kinds commonly sold in the US.

[Cagey]

Funny you should mention that. They make a Baked Beans candy here and they're horrid.

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We have Snickers and Pez dispensers but the others I have not heard of.

We have chewits and starburst which I fruit juice chews. They start sort of hard and then get very chewy and soft.

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In what way sweeter or what? We also have baked beans and sausages do you have those?

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Sounds dreadful

[posterchild]

Are shrimps and prawns indeed the same thing? They look and taste the same, but I thought they were different species, like crocodile and alligator.

Hadn't spent much time in the UK but did live on the continent for about a year. Would transit through the UK on occasion and enjoyed the chance to pick up a bit of marmite. Miss the stuff:(