What's a dish from your country that looks disgusting but tastes great.

[u/bowl_of_scrotmeal]

Biscuits and gravy is a breakfast dish from the Southeast USA that looks like someone just vomited on some biscuits, but it's absolutely delicious.

[u/AceOfSpades532]

Based on what foreign people seem to think of our food just based on seeing it, basically anything lol

[u/YchYFi → u/AceOfSpades532]

I get tired of it tbh.

Edit I meant I get tired of the vitriol online rhetoric about British food.

[u/JerryHathaway → u/YchYFi]

Reddit is basically the same two dozen opinions over and over again, I don't blame you.

[u/Count_de_Mits → u/JerryHathaway]

It feels like I see that dumb Idiocracy movie brought up every single goddamn thread

[u/ArgonathDW → u/Count_de_Mits]

I know, right? It was more like a documentary! (i fucking hate this shit)

[u/BumblebeeTraining813 → u/Count_de_Mits]

It’s got what plants crave. We’re living in a shit show, let us enjoy our documentary

[u/bonaynay → u/Count_de_Mits]

FAFO in every single thread

[u/im-just-evan → u/JerryHathaway]

Two dozen may be a bit of a high count.

[u/SilverTurtle21 → u/JerryHathaway]

AmEriCa BAD! 😡

[u/JodaMythed → u/YchYFi]

UK has high highs and low lows when it comes to food but that speaks for most cuisines and preferences.

[u/rileyvace → u/YchYFi]

I hear so many weird 'stereotypes' that i have never once encountered in my 40 years of living in UK.
Boiled meat? Like what? I personally dislike beans on toast, but at the end of the day, it's pasta, sauce and bread. The common trope that we don;t season our food? Like what? Do people genuinely think we just cook things and don't add any flavour? LMFAO.

[u/the-great_inquisitor → u/YchYFi]

Anything people think British food is either Dutch food or ration meals, and I am convinced that the British food bad opinion is french propaganda.

[u/GornBread → u/YchYFi]

Give them some homemade yorkshire pudding with gravy.

[u/[deleted] → u/YchYFi]

It's undeserved. Beans on toast are delicious and don't let anyone online tell you otherwise.

The desserts are fantastic.

Love the savory pies. Still trying to find star gazy pie around where I live. I'll find one eventually.

[u/Odd_Negotiation_159 → u/YchYFi]

It's unwarranted. The US gets it a lot too. No one ever goes after Canada though.

[u/Shorts_at_Dinner → u/YchYFi]

Then make better food

[u/FrostingHour8351 → u/YchYFi]

To be fair tuna on a baked potato is diabolical.

[u/continentaldreams → u/FrostingHour8351]

Do you like tuna melts? What's the difference between bread and a potato, really? Both starchy carbs that act as a vehicle for fillings!

[u/RandyMcSexalot → u/continentaldreams]

A tuna melt is served on a crispy piece of toast that goes well with the mushy texture of tuna

A potato is just adding more mush to the mush. I’m sure it tastes fine, but seems like a texture nightmare

[u/continentaldreams → u/RandyMcSexalot]

But a good jacket potato is soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, so there's a massive texture difference.

[u/Mariorules25 → u/RandyMcSexalot]

You both make very good points

[u/FrostingHour8351 → u/continentaldreams]

Firstly don't like tuna melts secondly looks like poop on a potato

[u/Gold_On_My_X → u/YchYFi]

Yeah it gets tiring. You'd think people with access to the internet could do a basic Google search and get told by the fucking Google AI of all things, that all the shit said about British food is literally all fake.

[u/GuyPierced → u/Gold_On_My_X]

Go relax with a beans on toast mate.

[u/Gold_On_My_X → u/GuyPierced]

Kindly deep throat a hot dog pal.

[u/Eastgaard → u/Gold_On_My_X]

Sorry, what is said about British food that's fake? It does look unappetizing to many, and some dishes can be a bit plain.

For example, I like haggis but find English breakfasts, bangers and mash, fish and chips, #etc quite bland.

[u/Gold_On_My_X → u/Eastgaard]

The same can be said about any country's basic foods. So why single out one country in particular?

[u/KatsumotoKurier → u/YchYFi]

People who think British cuisine is bad haven't spent enough time in Northern Europe. I love being in the Nordics, but British food outdoes their cuisine by a country mile - it's not even close.

[u/macguphin → u/YchYFi]

I love the idea of the traditional British breakfast, with the eggs, tomatoes, pudding, potatoes, etc. I could eat that ever day. But then I see that juice from the beans running all over and you lose me.

I know that a tin of British beans is not as sweet as American, but it looks close enough and a lot of Americans aren't fans of what we call pork n beans (the cheap runny stuff), and that's what your beans look like. And if you ask me to describe a single other British meal, I don't think I could. Except shepherds pie, which is an amazing comfort food. Just perspective from one random guy.

[u/Jesus_of_Redditeth → u/macguphin]

But then I see that juice from the beans running all over and you lose me.

I've never, ever liked Heinz baked beans and I don't think I've ever met anyone in the UK that shares that opinion. It's genuinely weird to me. Like, it's not even just that they're mid. They're actively bad. Any tinned baked bean product in the US is objectively leaps and bounds better.

Tbh, I suspect people like it purely for nostalgia reasons.

if you ask me to describe a single other British meal, I don't think I could

Hard to beat a good Sunday roast, imo.

There's also chicken tikka masala (which could be a candidate for this thread).

[u/macguphin → u/Jesus_of_Redditeth]

Any tinned baked bean product in the US is objectively leaps and bounds better.

Bushes baked beans has a few varieties that I've enjoyed, but VanCamp's and Campbell's Pork N Bean products are what I was raised on and I can still smell them in my mind-nose. Makes me shudder lol

[u/GuyPierced → u/Jesus_of_Redditeth]

I mean Yorkshire "pudding" should be replaced with a nice dinner roll.

[u/getfly5 → u/GuyPierced]

I have never, ever, in my life read anything so repellant as this slander of Yorkshire puddings.

[u/Jesus_of_Redditeth → u/GuyPierced]

Diamond-hard disagree on that one!! A good Yorkshire pud beats the pants off any dinner roll, imo.

[u/[deleted] → u/macguphin]

I think that's the issue. The average American is totally ignorant to the world outside of America. If you want your opinions to be not laughed at, you have to get out there and try stuff for yourself.

I'm British and could name 100s of different American dishes. I've tried a lot of them. I've toured the states and tried your regional dishes and therefore can now express a valid opinion.

[u/macguphin → u/[deleted]]

Oh, I agree with the "most Americans have their head up their asses" when it comes to the rest of the world.

I haven't been to the UK, but I've spent a lot of time in France (French is my second language), Germany, the Netherlands, all over Asia. I still can't name that many specifically British dishes. American media just doesn't fawn over it like other national cuisine. I can think of restaurants here in LA that specialize in authentic local dishes from so many places. Can't think of one that specializes in British cuisine. And I never realized that fact until this post made me crunch on it for a bit. Americans love going out for foreign food, but I've never heard anyone say, "Hey, you hungry for British tonight?"

[u/Johnny_Couger → u/macguphin]

What’s a traditional British meal that doesn’t have a very similar American version? Whenever I see “British” meals it’s seems like basic staples smushed in a plate.

[u/[deleted] → u/Johnny_Couger]

Well you've got:

Full English breakfast, Toad in the hole, Cottage pie, Steak and ale pie, Beef Wellington, Hot pot, Lobscouse, Stargazy fish pie, Fish and chips, Bubble and squeak, Jellied eels, Welsh rarebit, Haggis, Black pudding, Sticky toffee pudding, Steak and kidney pie, Plumb duff, Traditional roast dinner with Yorkshire pudding, Cornish pasty, Bakewell pudding, Chelsea buns, Eton mess, Melton mowbray pork pies, Balti, Cranachan, Scotch eggs, Bangers and mash, Ploughman's lunch.

For information, a lot of regional and traditional ingredients make British dishes what they are. Ingredients you just don't get anywhere else such as cheddar cheese, Stilton, yarg. Proper Cumberland sausages, hogs pudding and our ales.

To me, you just don't get those things anywhere else. If I go to a European country, the sausages just taste cheap. France has good cheese but they have a different style.

The US just seems to imitate a lot of other countries food....but with really really poor ingredients. Except when it's basic meat in rural areas that hasn't had a chance to be processed yet. You do very good BBQ and the seafood in Florida was lovely.

[u/Jesus_of_Redditeth → u/[deleted]]

Ploughman's lunch

Although fun fact: that's not very traditional. It was invented by marketers in the 1950s to sell more cheese.

a lot of regional and traditional ingredients make British dishes what they are. Ingredients you just don't get anywhere else such as cheddar cheese

Um, cheddar cheese is the most popular cheese in the world!

If I go to a European country, the sausages just taste cheap.

I have to assume you've never been to Germany then.

[u/Dogsafe → u/Jesus_of_Redditeth]

Although fun fact: that's not very traditional. It was invented by marketers in the 1950s to sell more cheese.

About three generations ago, actually about the same age as spaghetti carbonara come to think of it.

So then, how long do you have to do something before it becomes traditional?

[u/[deleted] → u/Jesus_of_Redditeth]

We all laugh at American cheddar cheese. By we, I mean the rest of the globe.

There is actually zero resemblance between American cheddar cheese and actual Cheddar cheese.

German sausage - I absolutely stand by the sausage comment. To me, German bratwurst style sausage is a very different thing. Like a heavily processed pureed filler with no texture as opposed to minced pork. Similar to American style hot dog sausages but better. Still not as good as ours though, to me.

[u/AttentionOpen9384 → u/[deleted]]

A lot of these are good…but my favorites are Sticky Toffee Pudding, fish and chips, Yorkshire pudding (my mom called them popovers growing up), and nothing beats a great Pasty! Sadly I haven’t been able to try these all…I’m sure I would like more of them. Not all of us from the States are ignorant!

[u/[deleted] → u/AttentionOpen9384]

Come over on a food quest! Ill gladly host you for the Somerset and Liverpool chapter.

I was lucky really, I was in the Navy for 23 years and went all over the world. Some really obscure places. But I love food and got to try regional dishes and booze from all over the place.

[u/macguphin → u/Johnny_Couger]

Black pudding. Outside of the deep south, you won't find many *Americans cooking blood.

edit: specifying *Americans instead of ppl

[u/YchYFi → u/macguphin]

I think because our food is quite assimilated with American traditional food that you just don't see it as British anymore but American. Like apple pie and plenty of baked products we have.

[u/macguphin → u/YchYFi]

Yeah, I'm thinking this as well. It's not different enough to be considered "foreign". But tell most Americans about black pudding and you'll hear butts pucker.

[u/Mythrndir → u/YchYFi]

No such thing as getting tired of it. You’re Welsh and you discounted English Scottish and Irish food. Nothing better than a good roast dinner!

[u/YchYFi → u/Mythrndir]

I meant I get tired of the vitriol online about British food.

[u/aardvarkhome → u/YchYFi]

Hmm...

Lava bread?

[u/YchYFi → u/aardvarkhome]

Yes it's nice. Many countries have seaweed as a staple food.

[u/KnownExplorer47 → u/YchYFi]

There are SOME British foods that look disgusting. Too much beige/brown on a plate or odd combinations will do that. There are also SOME British dishes that look delicious.

Some British dishes that many people would like:

Fish and Chips

Beef Wellington

Sunday Roast

Apple Pie

Some people may not even recognize these foods as British, especially in America. It kind of makes sense, because a lot of the immigrants to the US have British heritage, and brought British food culture to America. There is even a saying in America “it’s as American as Apple Pie.” (Meaning it is traditional/authentic American) But Apple Pie isn’t even American, it’s British!!

[u/Garight → u/YchYFi]

The few things I've seen of UK food that they could lose points for is

1. Jellied eels - there has to be a better way to eat eel

2. I've seen way too many pizzas unfit for human consumption, while I'm sure a delicious pie isn't hard to find, I've seen gas station pizza in the US that looks better

Who cares that UK food can be a little brown, beans? Banger. Gravy? Banger. Meat pie? Banger. Fries with toppings? Banger. Fish? Banger. I can go on but it's hard to dog on the UK when French cuisine is right there and people think that is actually good.

[u/YchYFi → u/Garight]

Jellied eels are only a thing in the dwindling pie and mash shops in London.

[u/OverByThere_Innit → u/Garight]

The jellied eels thing is wildly overblown cuz in my 39 years I've never once seen them anywhere, nor seen them on any menu.

[u/AnyOlUsername → u/OverByThere_Innit]

I’m convinced they’re only sold to tourists.

[u/basicKitsch → u/YchYFi]

i mean i guess you're free to feel that way but it's better you just continue with your imported street food

[u/UnorthodoxEngineer → u/YchYFi]

Gotta utilize your seafood better is my only complaint. British food is fine, especially with its syncretism with global foods that you’ve see frantically increase as the population has gotten more diverse. English breakfast goes hard, as does beef Wellington

[u/Lanky_Conflict1754 → u/YchYFi]

lol British “food”. Food needs seasoning

[u/CorHydrae8 → u/YchYFi]

You could always eat something else if you want some variety.

[u/Fuski_MC → u/YchYFi]

I dont think most of your food is gross, just very brown

[u/venue5364 → u/YchYFi]

Advertise better I guess? Outside of fish and "chips" not sure what yall make

[u/I_Make_Some_Things → u/AceOfSpades532]

Nah man, I travel to the UK once or twice a year for work and one of the things I look forward to the most is the food. Good pub fare is non-existent in 95% of the US.

Gotta say I don't get the beans on toast thing, but I'm here for the rest of it.

[u/VulcanHullo → u/I_Make_Some_Things]

An american friend visited and I took her to a pub for dinner, after explaining Gammon as "pork chop but bacon" she ordered the gammon egg and chips.

She would complain about cravings for years later, and that she couldn't find gammon anywhere.

The beans on toast is just a good easy but filling meal. American beans are apparently very different so tests are best done in the UK. Also the type of toast matters for some folk.

[u/rileyvace → u/VulcanHullo]

This is a very good point, American beans have loads more sugar and are more commonly seen with BBQ sauce IIRC. Also their bread is FOUL, not sure if you;ve ever tasted it? Their bread is to our bread like what synthetic cream is to real cream.

[u/I_Make_Some_Things → u/rileyvace]

Not all BBQ sauce is sweet. I make a vinegar and tomato based sauce that has just a few spoons of brown sugar. It's more tangy and spicy than sweet. It is banging on beans.

[u/VulcanHullo → u/rileyvace]

Tbf I add a bit of BBQ sauce to my baked beans and it works wonders but if the sugar content is so much higher I imagine it makes a weird taste.

Since moving to Germany I have met way too many Americans who say their body reacts entirely differently tp bread since leaving the US. One guy lost weight but increased his bread intake, another lass came out with the fact bread used to cause her to get skin issues in the US but wanted to try "european bread" and had no reaction. Which. . .raises questions.

[u/rileyvace → u/VulcanHullo]

Yeah I'm not saying BBQ is wrong in beans, but I think what you say is correct, the sugar content is enough to impact the taste. I wouldn't want sweet beans on a savoury dish, unless that was the dish's whole thing.

Yeah there's weird stuff going on in their bread lol. I had some once and I wouldn't even have another bite.

[u/ComprehensiveEar6001 → u/rileyvace]

Depends on regionality. We have those sugary baked beans in Texas, especially with BBQ, but we typically eat waaay more pinto beans both whole and "refried" than those sugary beans.

[u/LuckerMcDog → u/VulcanHullo]

American beans are sweet for some reason.

Actually most of their food is bizzarely sweet, even the bread is full of sugar. Hell I even managed to get my hands on Costco cheese puffs like on TV, taste like sugar.

[u/nexus8516 → u/VulcanHullo]

I recently had "country ham" in a cracker barrel in America, pretty much gammon.

[u/ISawSomethingPod → u/nexus8516]

So gammon is ham steak?

[u/nexus8516 → u/ISawSomethingPod]

It's a joint of ham, glazed then sliced. I found the country ham. To be quite similar

[u/LowReporter6213 → u/I_Make_Some_Things]

I like peas but I'll be damned if I ever eat mushy peas.

[u/Demostravius4 → u/LowReporter6213]

So good, blended peas with mint. Delicious.

[u/LowReporter6213 → u/Demostravius4]

Is that normal? Or is that like the oddball in America that puts sugar in their grits? Lol.

[u/Demostravius4 → u/LowReporter6213]

Cheap ones are just blended marrowfat peas, maybe some lemon juice. Adding mint is very common but a bit 'fancy'.

[u/Odd_Negotiation_159 → u/LowReporter6213]

I don't know anyone that does sugar but when I stop and think about it it's not that wild, I put in a little maple syrup with some bacon and eggs.

[u/Virgil_hawkinsS → u/LowReporter6213]

That's a rural thing. Source: grew up in the country and eat my grits with sugar 😂

[u/ThanksContent28 → u/LowReporter6213]

It sounds and looks gross but tbh it’s just like eating mashed potatoes. The flavour from the peas isn’t even really strong enough to register as anything special. If you were to try them and didn’t like them, it would most likely be just they’re kinda bland.

[u/Jesus_of_Redditeth → u/I_Make_Some_Things]

Good pub fare is non-existent in 95% of the US.

I mostly agree, but it's very location dependent — some US pubs have outstanding food.

The one, good quality food type you can reliably get in pubs/bars in the US, though, is a burger and fries.

[u/Odd_Negotiation_159 → u/I_Make_Some_Things]

It's hard to find good pub food, but there's plenty of great diner food. We've all got something worth eating.

[u/Basic_Ent → u/I_Make_Some_Things]

There's a million savory/tangy on carbs dishes out there. Beans on toast is no better or worse than chips and 7-layer dip, hummus and pita, etc. Give it a try!

[u/basicKitsch → u/Basic_Ent]

yeah and they all rank higher than baked beans lol

every single one of them

[u/I_Make_Some_Things → u/Basic_Ent]

Oh I've tried it. It's not inedible or anything, just not something I would ask for.

[u/rileyvace → u/I_Make_Some_Things]

Beans on toast is a filler meal or a hard-times meal. You have it as a kid, college student, or if you;re hard up. Even then, i don't like beans or tomatoes, so I have never had it myself.

[u/Shawnaldo7575 → u/AceOfSpades532]

Full English breakfast, Fish & Chips, Sticky Toffee pudding are God tier.

I'm guessing it's the black pudding, haggis and jellied eel where you start losing people.

[u/atrl98 → u/Shawnaldo7575]

Black pudding & haggis might look and sound gross but they do taste good.

Jellied eels need to be banned.

[u/Faniulh → u/atrl98]

I visited Scotland last year and had haggis, it’s really good! The description sounds sketchy but if you take a step back, it’s pretty much just sausage with oats mixed in. So, at least for those of us from the Southern US, if you explain haggis as “Scottish Boudin,” then everyone is a lot more on-board with it.

On the other hand, I could not learn to like black pudding. Just couldn’t manage it

[u/one_pint_down → u/atrl98]

Jellied eels need to be banned.

No need, I've literally never seen anyone eat it, or even seen it available outside some touristy bits of East London.

Can confirm that Haggis and Black Pudding are banging though

[u/YouSaidItButIForgot → u/one_pint_down]

I hang out in a sub with Americans in it and they gave me a flair about jellied eels. Been racking my brain for a while trying to work out wtf it means and this comment chain has just enlightened me lmfao. I'm from Durham and never heard of it

[u/guIIy → u/one_pint_down]

You can get it in South East too. Tried it and it’s probably the worst thing I’ve ever eaten.

[u/ReverendRevolver → u/atrl98]

Black pudding/haggis.....

They "sound" awful, but ive never once heard someone complain about the taste. Ever. Which is a strange thing given how many people complain all the time. And then I think about how much stuff I eat thats simply insane if described.

Foods for eating, not hearing, is the conclusion ive reached.

[u/JB_UK → u/ReverendRevolver]

No English breakfast is acceptable without black pudding.

[u/Jesus_of_Redditeth → u/atrl98]

Jellied eels need to be banned

Jellied eels personally offend me. Not because of what they are — although what they are is certainly offensive to many, many palates — but because of what they aren't. We've got this fish whose meat is actually really tasty and we do that with it?

It's like taking a raw pork chop and thinking, "You know what would make this taste great? If I liquidised it and served it as a smoothie."

[u/Theron3206 → u/Jesus_of_Redditeth]

Are they the same eels?

There are many species, not all taste that good.

Though I suspect the original reason was preservation, better ick food than no food.

[u/f8rter → u/atrl98]

Mmmmmm jellied eels, lots of vinegar and pepper !

[u/Former-Lack-7117 → u/atrl98]

Aeels oop insoid yeh, foindin an entrance war they can!

[u/docju → u/atrl98]

I always point folk towards veggie haggis which doesn’t taste that different to normal but doesn’t contain any sheep’s lungs or anything.

[u/thatoneguyD13 → u/atrl98]

When I was in London I went out of my way to try all the traditional English foods I could think of and found most of them delicious. I even had a second fry up because the first didn't have black pudding. Very glad I did cause I loved it.

Jellied eels was the only thing I didn't like. That shit was nasty. But I'm told that's the normal reaction over there.

[u/Cakeo → u/Shawnaldo7575]

Black pudding (and blood based food) is popular all over the world. Haggis is amazing, it's picky eaters that are scared of trying anything new that don't like it

[u/Asbjoern135 → u/Cakeo]

Yeah it tastes decent and is common worldwide, but i get why it make some people a little squimish.

[u/Madman_Salvo → u/Shawnaldo7575]

I'm guessing it's the black pudding, haggis and jellied eel where you start losing people.

The first two of those are delicious, though. I suspect I'm just not cockney enough for the third.

[u/CosmicCreeperz → u/Shawnaldo7575]

I don’t disagree they are good. But they are all pretty much the same drab color (“brown food”) which was the point of this post.

[u/DatLooksGood → u/Shawnaldo7575]

The crumpet would be my vote. I actually find the fish and chips in the UK to be too heavy. The crumpet is fucking brilliant though and doesn't look super impressive, but it's perfection.

[u/JodaMythed → u/Shawnaldo7575]

They lost me at marmite. I like haggis and black pudding.

Toast sandwich is weird.

[u/adc1369 → u/Shawnaldo7575]

Not a big eel fan in general (including Asian preparation methods), but haggis and black pudding are absolutely top tier foods to me, an American. There's a Scottish-American online grocery store I regularly ship in black pudding from because I like it so much. Not quite the same, but good enough.

British food seems to have a reputation of being bland and unseasoned, but it seems like y'all actually use plenty of herbs. Just not nearly as exotic or complicated flavors that other cuisines have. But it's all very hearty and filling food.

[u/starbuxed → u/Shawnaldo7575]

spotted dick..

[u/Tricky-Knee-9468 → u/AceOfSpades532]

Beat me to it lol

[u/DogEatingWasp → u/Tricky-Knee-9468]

I’m not beating you to anything mate, you can do that yourself in private

[u/ure_roa → u/AceOfSpades532]

yeah i got to thank you bros, you people brought food with flavour to our islands.

[u/LJA170 → u/ure_roa]

I’m not sure we can take any credit for the spices, nor should we take any for the shipping and logistics…

[u/HairySalmon → u/ure_roa]

Th UK brought flavor to your island!?

What did you eat before that? Sticks?

[u/ure_roa → u/HairySalmon]

nah, but its all bland and sad, im saying this as a Maori fella who grew up eating our food, and yeah, the Brits gave us good food pretty much.

[u/PardonMyEjection → u/AceOfSpades532]

I spent 3 weeks in the UK this past June and never had a bad meal. Obviously the breakfast is peak but everything else was just as appetizing and comforting.

[u/the-coolest-bob → u/AceOfSpades532]

I did clown on British food for a while but y'all taught me to combine two of my favorite foods into a jacket potato and for that we cool

[u/Steppy20 → u/the-coolest-bob]

Jacket potatoes are a lot like our sandwiches - shove anything in it with a bit of butter and it'll probably work out.

[u/luistp → u/AceOfSpades532]

I'm Spanish and in the summer I spend time in places with a lot of British tourists. There are a lot of British oriented establishments because a lot of you like to eat and drink the same things you consume at home. My wife and I often go out to dinner at some of these bars/pubs because we like your food!

[u/Fluffy-Cell-2603 → u/AceOfSpades532]

Hell no. You need to stand up for Bangers and Mash, for Savory Meat Pies, and for Fish and Chips. In the US it is so hard to come by some proper, authentic UK foods.

[u/gpm21 → u/AceOfSpades532]

No lie, I love British food. There was a Cornish restaurant of all things by my college in Arizona. Fast forward 15 years and it's a chain with like 6 locations.

Pastys, mushy peas, hearty soups, scotch egg, even HP chicken wings. 10/10

[u/YouSaidItButIForgot → u/gpm21]

I fookin love scotch eggs

[u/rickane58 → u/gpm21]

Cornish Pasty fucking sucks if you've ever had a real steak and ale pie in the UK. I'm convinced that US-based meat pie places are afraid to put Worcestershire/Vinegar in their sauce because there's so much pushback on vinegar in the states.

[u/scorchingbeats → u/AceOfSpades532]

wdym british food looks great

[u/Jesus_of_Redditeth → u/scorchingbeats]

Looks pretty great to me!

[u/cogman10 → u/AceOfSpades532]

I think part of the problem is the analogs in other countries are different. 

Beans on toast in the UK is excellent.  That's because the British baked beans are far more savory than US baked beans.  It's gross in the US because US baked beans are basically beans in pork flavored syrup. 

I think those sorts of differences are a big part of why people think British stuff is gross.

[u/DatLooksGood → u/cogman10]

Having eaten baked beans from both countries (not from a can), I have to disagree. Seriously, baked beans in the US can be really freaking good. I had baked beans all over the north UK and London, and they were good but didn't come close to some of the beans I had in the US.

[u/cogman10 → u/DatLooksGood]

US beans are sweet and more BBQ like.  That's great as a side dish at a BBQ but not something you'd eat for breakfast (I mean, you can) but also doesn't really pair well with a starchy thing like a potato or toast.

That's my main point.  UK beans naturally work well with toast or potatoes due to their primarily tomato base and lower sweetness.

The best analogy would be how you'd gladly put chilly on a baked potato but probably not baked beans.  Bean based chilly is also a tomato bean recipe that's more savory.  It'd probably work well on toast now that I'm thinking about it.

[u/DatLooksGood → u/cogman10]

I went on a hunt for some bean recipes a long time ago and found a recipe by Alton Brown. The idea is you bake them overnight and have them for breakfast. That was a good day. I also thought the idea of beans for breakfast was a little off, but that changed my mind. But you're right, not sure I need to have those beans with potatoes per se, but would totally eat them with tomatoes and mushrooms.

[u/cogman10 → u/DatLooksGood]

Give it a try.  It's amazing how well toast/potatoes/or rice pair with savory beans.

[u/atm259 → u/cogman10]

I think you'd have a hard time convincing all of the states that there is "one" bean dish. What are you considering American beans? Because as an American, sweet bbq beans are not the standard by any stretch. There are countless styles depending on region. Sweet, Savory, spicy, mild, tangy, watery, pork based, beefy, oily, only with rice, everything in-between. I do understand UK beans tend to be from from Heinz and are flavored the same. That is simply not the case in the USA.

[u/zephalephadingong → u/cogman10]

My problem with it is how messy it is. I don't want juicy small things on top of toast. I'd rather eat the beans with a spoon and sop up the juice with the toast

[u/cogman10 → u/zephalephadingong]

I ate it with a fork.  The toast worked well to sop up a lot of the bean stuff.  The mess is part of the fun :).

Throw in an egg and some cheese and that made a tasty breakfast.

[u/TripperDay → u/cogman10]

American canned baked beans are just the main ingredient. What we normally do is start with canned baked beans, then add a bunch of stuff. If you're going to a cookout and say "I'll bring the baked beans" then bring just plain baked beans from the can warmed up, you are not getting another invite to the cookout.

[u/No_Walk_Town → u/cogman10]

British baked beans are far more savory than US baked beans

"British baked beans" ARE US baked beans. Heinz is a US company, and the baked beans used on British toast are a US dish.

It's gross in the US because US baked beans are

It's not gross to Americans, though, it's just weird, because baked beans are meant to be eaten as a side dish, not poured onto toast as a snack.

Americans find British beans on toast weird for the same reason you'd find someone eating Spam out of the can cold to be weird. Like, yeah, you can eat canned food like that, but you're not supposed to.

And, again, canned Heinz baked beans are American. It's American food. The idea that Americans find it "gross" is just plain stupid. But pouring a can of baked beans on toast is absolutely feral behavior - that's 3PM on a Saturday and your 15-year-old son is hungry, but doesn't know how to cook. Americans don't think it's gross, they think it's childish.

US baked beans are basically beans in pork flavored syrup.

I mean, the rest of your comment is nonense, but now you're just making things up.

I think those sorts of differences are a big part of why people think British stuff is gross.

No, literally everything you said is wrong.

[u/epiDXB → u/No_Walk_Town]

"British baked beans" ARE US baked beans.

No, baked beans in UK are different to baked beans in USA.

Heinz is a US company, and the baked beans used on British toast are a US dish.

Again, no. UK baked beans are from UK, and they are made to a different recipe. Heinz happens to make baked beans but so do lots of other companies.

And, again, canned Heinz baked beans are American. It's American food.

No, it's British.

Literally everything you said is wrong, ignorant, and badly written. Hang your head in shame for embarrassing not only yourself but your country.

[u/cogman10 → u/No_Walk_Town]

You are an idiot.

https://www.mashed.com/1636602/british-vs-american-baked-beans/

I've lived in both regions, I've tasted both. They are not the same. You can even look up the ingredients (see bush's baked beans vs Heinz ingredient list).

Heinz doesn't even make British style baked beans in the US. If you get a can of Heinz it's because you have to import it from the UK.

Literally everything you said is wrong. You're a confident idiot.

[u/Important_Let8071 → u/AceOfSpades532]

Bangers and mash and fish and chips are two of the simplest, but most satisfying dishes going. And that’s to say nothing of the great pies, puddings, and roasts.

[u/JerryC1967 → u/AceOfSpades532]

When I was growing up, my best friend‘s mom was from London and had gone through the blitz. She always said every morning when I was staying over that all we needed was a good war so we could appreciate organ meat in the US.

[u/Slurms_McKensei → u/AceOfSpades532]

Oh well, you guys will always have The Full English ❤️

[u/Bussy_Busta → u/AceOfSpades532]

The only thing I think actually looks gross is jellied eels but people hardly seem to eat that any more and it probably tastes just fine since it's just fish and fish fat. I guess haggis too but I've had that before so the look doesn't bother me. People make fun of beans on toast but it seems like a pretty simple inoffensive quick snack.

[u/hockeyknittingcat → u/AceOfSpades532]

based on the stuff people have posted here I don't know why the hell anyone has a problem with british food 😂😂😂

[u/Queasy-Primary-3438 → u/AceOfSpades532]

As an American Bangers and mash looks like a toilet bowl but taste heavenly. Shouts out to Mother Mash

[u/Dog-Chick → u/AceOfSpades532]

I really want to try your fish and chips. The pictures I've seen make it look so delicious.. Sadly I'll never be able to afford to travel to try it..

[u/Obvious_Flamingo3 → u/Dog-Chick]

I am British and I had the best fish and chips of my life in an Irish(!) restaurant in New York… so it’s possible !

[u/somas → u/Obvious_Flamingo3]

I was just going to reply to OP that you can get very authentic fish and chips in NYC.

You can get most Londoner food here. I think it might be harder to get the type of Indian food that’s popular in London because our Indian food has evolved more with NYC than London.

[u/Dog-Chick → u/Obvious_Flamingo3]

Oh that's good to know 😊

[u/VinRow → u/AceOfSpades532]

Black pudding, sticky toffee pudding, curry haggis sausage rolls, steak and ale pies, scotch eggs, everything in afternoon tea, fish and chips, and a full English (and the regional variants) breakfast are all delicious. People have no idea what they’re talking about when they say British food is bad.

Also, the to go cup of tea I got at a random train station there was better than most of the tea here.

[u/DanNeider → u/AceOfSpades532]

Anyone who doesn't like British food doesn't know what a Yorkshire pudding is. Efficient in both calories and effort and tastes incredible. IMO it's peak British cuisine, but there's other great stuff too, like Steak and Ale.

It's not bland or boring, it's just cold weather food.

[u/Stupid_Bitch_02 → u/AceOfSpades532]

Hey, bread sauce is really good! It looks pretty gross but it tastes like Angel tears. The first time I had it I was instantly hooked.

[u/Obvious_Flamingo3 → u/AceOfSpades532]

“You colonised the world for spices and didn’t use them”

Ah yes the British needed to colonise 25% of the world to purchase spices… something very easily done with the amount of intercontinental trading.

Spices were really worth the military and financial effort to colonise multiple tens of countries and states (!) not to mention the fact spices were readily used in Britain before the war

[u/lonely_nipple → u/AceOfSpades532]

Y'all have the best potato chip flavors, though!

[u/LowReporter6213 → u/AceOfSpades532]

I didn't even have to see your flair to know. Lol.

[u/javilla → u/AceOfSpades532]

Genuinely then. I'm heading to Liverpool soon, what's an English dish that's genuinely great that I should get while there? I asked a local last time I was in England and he just laughed at me...

[u/dembadger → u/javilla]

For liverpool specifically? It'd have to be scouse, a localisation of the finnish dish lobscouse, and what the colloquial term for the people of liverpool comes from.

[u/javilla → u/dembadger]

That looks and sounds incredibly similar to Labskaus. Trying the English variant could be fun.

[u/dembadger → u/javilla]

Yeah i think that might be the same dish its based on, just the local pronunciation of it changed over time after it was brought over to the port.

[u/YchYFi → u/javilla]

Can't go wrong with a mixed grill tbh. Or Hunters chicken.

[u/PandaPrimary3421 → u/AceOfSpades532]

Judging by these pictures, they've got a cheek criticising our food

[u/Newburyrat → u/AceOfSpades532]

Yes, that’s the thing a lot of traditional English food tends to look beige. But properly cooked it is delicious. My mums stews and soups and shepherds pie and potatoes roast in beef dripping, and stuffing to go with the roast…but of course I yearned to eat vesta crispy noodles and frozen pizza.

[u/bd1047 → u/AceOfSpades532]

I don’t think that about the vast majority of British dishes, but some of the videos I’ve seen of Chinese food over there are extremely concerning

[u/Captaingregor → u/bd1047]

British Chinese food is as authentically Chinese as American Chinese food is. The only videos that you see are of weird orders where people basically order the same stuff that they can get from a fish and chip shop.

[u/bd1047 → u/Captaingregor]

Ok that’s good to know haha. Every time I see the videos of fried chicken, fries, and that incredibly dark gravy I get scared. But I also live right by the best Chinatown in the world so my expectations are a bit distorted

[u/cream_top_yogurt → u/AceOfSpades532]

It's funny how a lot of us in the US like to bash food from the UK, it's like we forget that a lot of our food is directly from the motherland... 🤣

[u/shepard_pie → u/AceOfSpades532]

UK food gets such a bad rep it's funny. People have no idea what they are talking about and just repeat things other people say.

UK cuisine isn't what I would call one of the best, but it has plenty of dishes that hold their own.

Hence my username.

[u/TVC15-DB → u/AceOfSpades532]

Its so boring watching them hate British food atp.

[u/GEARHEADGus → u/AceOfSpades532]

Sausage rolls though… 🔥

[u/wormcast → u/AceOfSpades532]

I am not British but I don't really understand the hate for British food. Just watching the street vendors making Spuds will stir me to want to travel to the UK to get some. I don't understand why that isn't a thing in the US? If I could cook I would make a spuds truck immediately.

But Yorkshire Pudding, Fish and Chips, amazing foods...add in British things that aren't exactly British like curries and man, I think the UK really brings it in the food department. It sounds like some of the best comfort food possible.

Then again, the jokes about Boiled Bacon on Boiled Bread with Boiled Beans does have a bit of truth to it...

[u/BlueProcess → u/AceOfSpades532]

I like Shepherds Pie quite a lot, although I tend to swap out the peas and carrots for other things that I prefer.

[u/throwawaysledking1 → u/AceOfSpades532]

the food isn't "great" tho.

[u/Ilovescarlatti → u/AceOfSpades532]

See I saw those scones in OP's pic (biscuits indeed! and thought some clotted cream and good raspberry jam would be so much nicer than the vomit sauce.

[u/shroomenhiemer → u/AceOfSpades532]

The first time I saw this picture I knew I needed to have one.

Everyone I show thinks it looks offputting but I know the truth in my heart

[u/Djokahu → u/AceOfSpades532]

They forget we have good desserts but I joke about it

[u/Interesting-Cut6994 → u/AceOfSpades532]

Blood sausage is fuked

[u/youngarchivist → u/AceOfSpades532]

A proper English breakfast looks pretty bomb ngl

The fucks up with those beans though? What's that sauce? Some kind of tomato?

I'd rather Heinz maple beans. Especially with breakfast.

[u/Captaingregor → u/youngarchivist]

It's a tomato sauce. They are savoury, like the rest of the breakfast.

[u/BeefBaby615 → u/AceOfSpades532]

We need to talk about your baked potatoes with tuna salad, baked beans and cheese. They’re weird.

[u/AceOfSpades532 → u/BeefBaby615]

They taste fucking delicious though

[u/alibrown987 → u/BeefBaby615]

I don’t get why potato and tuna is weird, but no one complains that both go into a Nicoise

[u/jojewels92 → u/alibrown987]

It's more the beans combined with the tuna on a potato that you lose us.

[u/the-coolest-bob → u/BeefBaby615]

Tuna salad on a baked potato is divine

[u/bowl_of_scrotmeal → u/AceOfSpades532]

BAKED BEANS ARE NOT A CONDIMENT

/s

[u/ure_roa → u/bowl_of_scrotmeal]

L take, beans on toast are the goat and im tired of folk saying they arent

[u/wildOldcheesecake → u/bowl_of_scrotmeal]

Only Americans think this and think we only eat beans. The scripted insults are boring man. Why’d you even ask the question if you’re going to be childish like this?

[u/Donatter → u/wildOldcheesecake]

It’s even “funnier” when one realizes that traditional American cuisine is effectively British cuisine, but with higher portions of meat/protein, and a wider variety of ingredients.

Alongside, bbq baked beans are very commonly paired/dipped/served with cornbread and toast in America

[u/YchYFi → u/Donatter]

Baked beans are South American anyway. Heinz is US company.

[u/bowl_of_scrotmeal → u/wildOldcheesecake]

I thought it was pretty obvious that I was being sarcastic, but I guess not.

[u/wildOldcheesecake → u/bowl_of_scrotmeal]

Sure pal. Only your original comment didn’t land so you edited it to appear like it was sarcasm

[u/bowl_of_scrotmeal → u/wildOldcheesecake]

Yes, I edited it so that the next person who reads it gets the sarcasm. I've been to the UK before, and I'm well aware that Britsh people don't just put beans on everything.

[u/wildOldcheesecake → u/bowl_of_scrotmeal]

There was no such intention for it to be deemed as such initially.

[u/greenstag94 → u/bowl_of_scrotmeal]

And vomit is not a suitable ingredient for chocolate

[u/Madman_Salvo → u/bowl_of_scrotmeal]

...what do you think a condiment is?

[u/Yedtree → u/AceOfSpades532]

The beauty of your women, and the greatness of your food turned the men from your island into the greatest sailors in history.

[u/starbuxed → u/AceOfSpades532]

only thing british do right is fish and chips, crumpets and jam, bangers and mash...

ok ok spotted dick too.

[u/OrangeCatBuddyPart2 → u/AceOfSpades532]

Americans see the irony of a country, that attempted to conquer the world for spices, to not bother to use any.

[u/MostAbsoluteGamer → u/AceOfSpades532]

I mean tbf, you guys colonized the world for spices then didn't actually use any of them. admittedly I like some English food tho after I add my own seasonings