American food

[Cammie]

At least for places like India, I am pretty sure our imported foods are not chosen by market research but by what is available and perhaps not selling well in the US.  We get some strange products.  Then need to be things that will last through a LONG sea voyage, then sitting in customs for ages, then still be good to sit on the shelves in the store.  There is not much in the way of "real food" that can meet those qualifications I think.

[Danestress]

The foods I think of as very 'American' often don't sit well in shelves or are acquired tastes. Of course we have a lot of gross mass produced brand foods (Coca cola, Doritos, Reece's, Oreos), but if I were stocking a store, I would try to focus on regional food. Grits would be shelf stable. Country Ham keeps well. Maple syrup products. Various baked and BBQ beans. All kinds of pickles and pickled vegetables including pickled ocra, pickled watermelon rind, and bread and butter pickles.. Various greens - collard greens, for example, even the canned and seasoned kind. Pumpkin. Corn bread mixes. American style bbq sauces and rubs for grilling. Creole and cajun seasoning. Beef jerky, peanut butter, candied yams, marshmallows. Hot dogs and buns and american yellow mustard.

 

I would have instructions for making recipes and meals. For example, what is the point of country ham without biscuits? I would have Lily White flour and instructions for preparing the ham, making biscuits, making red eye gray etc. Now I am hungry:).

 

Marshmallows are sort of useless apart from hot cocoa or s'mores, and I would sell the Hershey's and graham crackers with them.

 

I would want to have Blenheim Ginger beer, bourbon, tequila, kool aid, Louisianne tea (and instructions for drinking sweet iced tea).

 

I would carry american cheeses like good sharp cheddar. I would carry rice mixes that are sort of American - like Louisiana style 'dirty' rice. I would have Maryland crab cakes frozen.

 

For some reason. I really enjoying thinking about this, even though I doubt my stores would prosper most places.

[Just Another Jen]

To be fair, when we shop the British/Irish section of our supermarket this is what we buy:

 

Hobnobs

Jammy Dodgers

Aero bars

Tea- pg tips or bewleys

club orange

sheperds pie powdered flavoring

bisto

british kitkats

 

you get the idea- we aren't living on this junk- it just brings back memories. My husbands parents were "legal" aliens here in the states and all his extended family is in Ireland/England. All that junk reminds us of trips there or just his parents.

Its the same thing with the American food- which by the way, my kids would call "camping food" cause every vacation we used to go on was camping and thats when they got pop tarts, cold cereal and mac and cheese in a box.

[Kerileanne99]

That is a pretty poor display, unfortunately!

With the far superior labeling system in the UK I wonder how they managed to allow it all:) did they add new labels or just put up a sign: WARNING this is all from the US! We cannot guarantee exactly what is in each package!

 

We were exceptionally pleased when our new grocery store started stocking a large selection of UK based products. I almost cried for joy over vegetarian Bisto! Do you know how hard it is to find a decent veggie quick sauce/gravy in the US?! And hubby was thrilled to find Heinz vegetarian beans:) he bought an entire case of te things because he was worries they would sell out...and almost fell over when he realized they sell for nearly $5.00 a can here.

 

Lets see, other things in the aisle here...lot of seasoning packets like Coleman's, Marmite, jellies, mustard, powder mixes for things like Bird's Custard, tinned 'delicacies' like treacle and sticky toffee pudding. Iron Bru, which is hysterical. Even Yorkshire pudding mix in a package. Digestive biscuits, Jammy Dodgers, Fox's,

Plus a lot of various bits and a ton of candy. All in all, quite a reasonable representation. Of course, not the most healthy representation, but most are at least standard:)

 

And lest I forget, QUORN!!!!! Well, a handful of Quorn products anyway. But still.

[KungFuPanda]

The foods I think of as very 'American' often don't sit well in shelves or are acquired tastes. Of course we have a lot of gross mass produced brand foods (Coca cola, Doritos, Reece's, Oreos), but if I were stocking a store, I would try to focus on regional food. Grits would be shelf stable. Country Ham keeps well. Maple syrup products. Various baked and BBQ beans. All kinds of pickles and pickled vegetables including pickled ocra, pickled watermelon rind, and bread and butter pickles.. Various greens - collard greens, for example, even the canned and seasoned kind. Pumpkin. Corn bread mixes. American style bbq sauces and rubs for grilling. Creole and cajun seasoning. Beef jerky, peanut butter, candied yams, marshmallows. Hot dogs and buns and american yellow mustard.

I would have instructions for making recipes and meals. For example, what is the point of country ham without biscuits? I would have Lily White flour and instructions for preparing the ham, making biscuits, making red eye gray etc. Now I am hungry:).

Marshmallows are sort of useless apart from hot cocoa or s'mores, and I would sell the Hershey's and graham crackers with them.

I would want to have Blenheim Ginger beer, bourbon, tequila, kool aid, Louisianne tea (and instructions for drinking sweet iced tea).

I would carry american cheeses like good sharp cheddar. I would carry rice mixes that are sort of American - like Louisiana style 'dirty' rice. I would have Maryland crab cakes frozen.

For some reason. I really enjoying thinking about this, even though I doubt my stores would prosper most places.

If they carried Rice Crispies, you could make rice crispy treats with the marshmallows. I love that you put thought into an entire store:-)

 

Spices are so easy to blend, that I'd just carry any single-ingredient spice that's not easy to find locally. Are there even any American spices that are hard to come by? Old Bay or McCormicks steak seasoning would be harder to reproduce than taco seasoning.

 

I've never spent more than a month at a time overseas, and that's not really long enough to miss food from home. I'm not sure if what I ended up craving would be a virtuous dish. I might very well end up scarfing down Lucky Charms at some point. I wonder what basic ingredients are truly hard to come by outside the states.

[Caroline]

If they carried Rice Crispies, you could make rice crispy treats with the marshmallows. I love that you put thought into an entire store:-)

 

Spices are so easy to blend, that I'd just carry any single-ingredient spice that's not easy to find locally. Are there even any American spices that are hard to come by? Old Bay or McCormicks steak seasoning would be harder to reproduce than taco seasoning.

 

I've never spent more than a month at a time overseas, and that's not really long enough to miss food from home. I'm not sure if what I ended up craving would be a virtuous dish. I might very well end up scarfing down Lucky Charms at some point. I wonder what basic ingredients are truly hard to come by outside the states.

 

I studied at Oxford one summer and spent 10 days in the Soviet Union. I had me some McDonalds in Oxford after returning from the Soviet Union. 

 

When I first moved to Atlanta, I couldn't find Old Bay. My mom put big cans of it in my Christmas stocking. I sent my sister some when she lived in London and my other sister some when she lived in Germany. 

[SKL]

These two videos are funny... Showing Americans eating British snacks and British people eating American snacks. I love their reactions!! :)

 

 

I remember my friend from India nearly vomiting on her first Tootsie Roll.  LOL.

 

ETA, I also found it challenging to be polite about some of the Indian milk-based snacks.  Though they did grow on me over time.

 

[momto10blessings]

That's a lot of sugar!!

[AlmiraGulch]

eta: while I do use peanut butter - no way on this green earth would I EVER use "jif".  it's loaded with sugar and other garbage to "stablize" it.  the only stuff I use is peanuts and salt. nothing else.

 

 

Jif if my favorite!  I couldn't care less what it's full of.  I'll tell you what it's full of.  Deliciousness!   :drool5:

 

Anyway, it's no more full of junk than any of the rest of the the things shown there.  That one cereal, though, the "Marshmallow Matey's" thing, is definitely not American.  

 

What an odd selection.  

 

I wonder what they could have shown there that we all wouldn't be scratching our heads about, though?  

[SKL]

Am I the only true America reading this thread? Or the only one brave enough to admit that my kids ate plenty of Kraft macaroni and cheese, Jif peanut butter, Hershey's syrup, and Jello pudding growing up. 

 

And candy. Lots and lots of candy.  :laugh:

 

Oh yeah, I ate Jif and Kraft Dinner at least weekly if not almost daily depending on the season.  ;)  As a kid.  The other stuff was fun food that I ate occasionally.  But as an adult, I do not buy those foods because there are so many better alternatives that are accessible now.  I'm not even interested in those foods, with the exception of Kraft dinner.  I buy a more healthy version of the same thing but it isn't the same.  ;)  I think I shall eat Kraft mac'n'cheese every day after I reach the age when it doesn't matter any more.

 

I like cream of wheat, too, but my kids don't like it, so I don't buy it.

[AlmiraGulch]

Oh, see, now MY polite answer is "EW!  No!  I'll just have water. " :D

 

Same here.  No, Pepsi is NOT ok.  It's vile.  

 

I don't drink soda very often, but when I do, it's usually a Coke product.  I do love the burn.  

[1GirlTwinBoys]

And if the Hive doesnt buy it no one should.  :huh:   :confused1:   :crying:

 

 

 

No, I don't think I said that in my post???  I'm entitled to my opinion on the food shown, and as an American, I don't think that picture shows some of the most popular American snacks etc...  I think others here have listed some really great choices too.

 

I really don't understand why EVERY thread on this board has to turn into a debate for some. :huh:  I never tried to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't buy.

[Word Nerd]

That's just sad.

 

Marshmallow Mateys are the Malt-o-Meal version of Lucky Charms. They are indeed an American product and are sold with MOM's other bagged cereals. And yes (gasp! oh, the horror!) our family has eaten them.

[chiguirre]

I'll give a shout out to the shelf stable egg nog! I don't like egg nog but I LOVE tetrapak!!!

 

Seriously, that's the one thing I miss most about Venezuelan grocery shopping. You can buy milk for a month and keep it in your pantry. When you're almost done with one liter, you put the next in the fridge and you NEVER run out of milk. You never have to make a quick stop at the super market and hike to the back and wait in line for one item. It's awesome!

 

I have seen individual serve tetrapak milk for lunch boxes in the US, but never the liter boxes. I miss them.

[Lanny]

Occasionally, we buy Macaroni and Cheese in a box, imported from the USA. I need to ask my wife if she would like me to look for a box of that, because we haven't had that in a long time... Generally, it is very rare that we buy any food that comes in a can or in a box like that. Also, I believe the Microwave Popcorn we buy is imported from the USA.  On rare occasions, the supermarkets here have "Delicious" apples, imported from Washington State. Sometimes, they are in fact Delicious, but usually I buy apples that are imported from Chile and they seem to be available year round and are delicious. I love Chocolate, so the Hershey bar would be thoroughly enjoyed...  They also have "Santa Rosa" Plums from California, which, if they are fresh, I love.

[TrixieB]

Jif if my favorite!  I couldn't care less what it's full of.  I'll tell you what it's full of.  Deliciousness!   :drool5:

 

Anyway, it's no more full of junk than any of the rest of the the things shown there.  That one cereal, though, the "Marshmallow Matey's" thing, is definitely not American.  

 

What an odd selection.  

 

I wonder what they could have shown there that we all wouldn't be scratching our heads about, though?  

 

Well, they are, though.  They're a Malt-O-Meal product.  But in American supermarkets, they're sold in big plastic bags.

 

It is rather odd that with such a limited variety of breakfast cereal, the store sells Lucky Charms AND Marshmallow Mateys. 

[J-rap]

When we lived in Jordan and Egypt, the most common American foods found in stores were Coke, Corn Flakes, and Vienna Sausages.  That was over 25 years ago.

[Laura Corin]

.

I would carry american cheeses like good sharp cheddar. 

 

 

I think that the people in Cheddar might find that a bit odd.

 

L

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I dont think that is the case here-  its hobnobs and jammie dodgers and etc.

 

I will argue much of that is kid food bc when you are away from home you tend to hanker for childhood comfort.

 

Also, perhaps that bunch of items is collected after market research suggesting that is what is most wanted.

 

And thank god they offer jif.  Everyone knows that s what choosy moms choose.  Its the only PB I will eat.  We eat pudding made with mix and we also use canned pumpkin.  Poptarts are a rarity as is sugar cereal.  I never buy soda at all.

 

Now I have to google hobnobs and jammie dodgers.

 

My DH knew at once what Marshmallow Mateys were. He ate lots of Malt-o-Meal growing up.

[Danestress]

I think that the people in Cheddar might find that a bit odd.

 

L

Well yeah, if I opened an American food store in the UK, I probably would not even need to carry cheddar! If I opened an American food store in Tokyo, though, I might. It may not be inherently American, but I think cheddar is part of a typical American diet. I really missed sharp cheese in Japan. I wouldn't carry corn tortillas in an American food store in Mexico City. But if I opened one in Stockholm I might. I know Americans didn't invent corn tortillas either, but I think most of us eat a lot of pasta, tortillas, cheddar, pizza, pie, and many other foods we didn't not invent but that are part of our culture or that some of us would miss if it were unavailable.

[AlmiraGulch]

Well, they are, though. They're a Malt-O-Meal product. But in American supermarkets, they're sold in big plastic bags.

 

It is rather odd that with such a limited variety of breakfast cereal, the store sells Lucky Charms AND Marshmallow Mateys.

Oh. Well, I stand corrected. How about they're not a common, iconic American product? I think that would be accurate.

[lots-o-rice]

Yes, it's pretty much all junk, BUT...

When you are homesick, feeling sorry for yourself, and just need a pick up,  a pop tart might do the trick, or that nasty mac and cheese might smell enough like home, that you will enjoy every fake bite.  We buy this kind of "American" food for our kids for birthdays and Christmas presents.  

 

_k

 

are those pretzels on the bottom shelf?  YUMMMMMM missing those right now.

 

[lots-o-rice]

Sorry this one got doubled

 

Yes, it's pretty much all junk, BUT...

When you are homesick, feeling sorry for yourself, and just need a pick up,  a pop tart might do the trick, or that nasty mac and cheese might smell enough like home, that you will enjoy every fake bite.  We buy this kind of "American" food for our kids for birthdays and Christmas presents.  

 

_k

 

are those pretzels on the bottom shelf?  YUMMMMMM missing those right now.

 

[KungFuPanda]

Posted Today, 12:38 AM

It's midnight and I'm eating Lucky Charms. I blame this thread. I bought a box today because you all made me want them. I looked at the bags to snap a photo of Marshmallow Mateys for this thread, but my store didn't have them today.