More food pondering

[figmo]

In the USA we have "American" cheese.

We have "French" fries (except in Washington, D.C., but that's another story), but in France they don't have "French fries."

We have "Canadian" bacon, but Canadians don't call it that; they call it "back bacon," yet they don't have "back cheese."

I just ate an "Australian" toaster biscuit. When I was in Australia I didn't see any such "toaster biscuits."

We have "English" muffins. Do "English muffins" as we know them in the US exist in England? (I've never been there so I wouldn't know.)

What do they call "Welsh" rarebit in Wales?

What do they call "Spanish" rice (as we know it in the US) in Spain?

Do you even eat "German" chocolate cake in Germany?

Comments

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

English Muffins are a slight corruption of Crumpets. So, yes they have them; no, they don't call them that. They aren't /quite/ the same, but they're very close and some brands are closer to crumpets than others.

French fries are called that because they're julienned (i.e. 'french cut').

"Spanish Rice" is effectively a simpler/cheaper/easier version of Paella (it doesn't end up as good, though).

[hellloooonurse.livejournal.com]

I just ate an "Australian" toaster biscuit. When I was in Australia I didn't see any such "toaster biscuits."

When I lived in Australia (1972-1975,) I do remember having the "toaster biscuits." :)

[delennara.livejournal.com]

In Germany we eat just chocolate cake. It doesn't have to know that it's german ...
But it is the same with Frankfurter Würstchen(sausages). People in Frankfurt don't call them so. But they call them Wiener Würstchen. Of course in Vienna, they are called different. I don't know if there are Hamburger in Hamburg or Berliner in Berlin....

[lysana.livejournal.com]

So there's no such thing as chocolate cake with coconut topping in Germany, then?

[delennara.livejournal.com]

Hmm...I never had one. But that doesn't mean anything. Even if it doesn't look like that in comparisn to the US, germany is really big, and has so many different ways to cook in the different regions. And cakes are a matter of family tradition. My favourite is a red wine chocolate chips cake. Covered with chocolate, of course. Sometimes decorated with m&ms.

[lysana.livejournal.com]

The reason I asked that in particular is because German chocolate cake is just that: chocolate cake with coconut or coconut-pecan frosting (though more like a goop composed of shredded coconut and nuts). We also have what we call "Black Forest cake," which is chocolate cake with cherries and white frosting. I wonder... do they have any dishes in what you know of German cuisine that's called American or Californian whatever?

[figmo.livejournal.com]

I confess.

The "German" chocolate cake was a trick in there. It was actually named after someone named "German."

I was motivated because I was eating an "Australian" toaster biscuit when I'd never seen any in Melbourne during my stay there. That was when I'd recalled I'd never seen recipes for "English muffins" in any UK cookbooks (they're not quite crumpets).

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

A "muffin" in England is closer to an English muffin than it is to the cupcake-like structure we call a muffin. A muffin is made of dough, split and toasted. A crumpet is made of batter, not split, and toasted. IIRC :).

[delennara.livejournal.com]

Umm...dishes? No.
But probably most Germans are convinced that what they get at Mc Donalds is north american food. For middle and south america, there are Mexican restaurants and steakhouses...
But I guess, since most americans (except the indians and the black)originally came from europe, that the difference can't be that big.

[figmo.livejournal.com]

I'd list the following as "standard North American (US/maybe Canada) fare:"

• macaroni and cheese
• tuna casserole
• Meat loaf
• hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs
• mayonnaise-based macaroni and potato salads
• breaded, fried shrimp
• Fish sticks
• barbecued ribs
• chili
• popcorn
• nachos
• Thousand Island and Ranch salad dressings
• root beer
• cola
• Jell-o
• ice cream cones and sundaes

We also have regional favorites, such as:

• clam chowder (white in New England, red in Manhattan)
• NY (northeast) style (thin crust) vs. Chicago style (thick crust, sometimes "stuffed") vs. California style pizza (thin to moderate crust, funky toppings)
• gumbo, jambalaya, muffaletas, beignets, and coffee with chicory (New Orleans)
• grits (the southeast)
• egg creams (New York)
• cioppino (San Francisco)
• chili (Cinncinnati vs. Texas vs. the rest of the US)
• the name of a sandwich that comes on a long roll, as well as what goes on it (hero, grinder, hoagie, submarine, and a few others)
• crabcakes (the ones from Maryland are very different from the ones in California)
• fajitas (from Texas, but they've spread around)
• the name of a drink consisting of milk, ice cream, and syrup (milkshake, shake, frappe, fribble, et al)

[keristor.livejournal.com]

I don't remember what 'Berliner' is called in Berlin, but it definitely has a different name. There are indeed hamburgers in Hamburg (DE), but then the name doesn't come from that city (as I recall, it came from a town of that name in upper New York state, or somewhere around there).

But then it seems that Germans keep food in banks -- I saw the Frankfurter Sparkasse, the Hamburger Sparkasse, and the ultimate Bank von Essen <g>...

[keristor.livejournal.com]

'English' muffins aren't quite the same as crumpets, but they used to be very similar (from memory, crumpets used more water and more baking soda so you get the holes, and they are cooked differently). Modern crumpets and muffins don't normally contain potato, though (Mrs. Beeton's ones did, 120 years ago!). And they are sold here as 'English muffins', because of the prevalence of the cakes y'all call 'muffins' <g>.

'Back' bacon comes from the lean back of the pig, I've never heard of cheese coming from the back of anything.

As I heard it, 'Welsh Rarebit' was originally 'Welsh rabbit', so called because cheese on toast was a substitute when the Welsh were forbidden to 'poach' for rabbit.

Of course people eat German chocolate cake in Germany -- and Belgian, Swiss etc. <g>. I certainly saw "Schwartzwalder" (Black Forest) cake in Germany which looked very much like the cake of that name in the UK (cherries, chocolate, cream and often alcohol).

Ooh....it makes me wonder.....

[poltr1]

Is it true that in France, they now call American cheese "Warmonger cheese"? :) What did they call it before this year? (other than "fromage du crappe").

Sausages are often named for their country of origin (e.g. Italian or Polish), although in their native country, I suspect they're just called "sausage".

Saw a thing on Food Network a while back that Chinese fortune cookies originated in the US. And when some entrepreur took them to China, they were called "American fortune cookies".

Hi

[sroth.livejournal.com]

I heard you on KLIV both Saturday and Sunday.
I hope things there are going well.
I saw John O at Coleen's, and he said that
you had left a comment for me. I hadn't been
back on livejournal since joining so didn't
see your message. I'm trying to find it now.
(Can you spell "newbie." Is that what novices
are still called?)