Culture Shock

[Callate]

Pastry, beef or chicken, and gravy? Someone earlier in the thread mentioned that was odd, but like do they not have gravy in America or something?

Americans have a very odd relationship with gravy.

Now I will say for the record: I like gravy. I make very nice gravy. Roux (very broadly, flour cooked in oil or butter) is the basis of all kinds of wonderful sauces, soups, and stews, gravy among them. I try not to make it very often because I weigh quite enough as it is, but I approve of the general idea.

But I think for much of America- at least in the west, where I live- gravy is something you see during the Thanksgiving holiday on mashed potatoes and possibly the stuffing. And maybe again on Christmas. That's about it.

The rest of the year, gravy is the hallmark of bad frozen dinners, mediocre buffets, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Gravy is what senior citizens eat because salt is one of the few flavors that still stands out, and they grew up with it. Gravy is the addition of salt and fat in a diet that already has way too much of both.

Gravy comes from a packet or a pre-made mix; it's brown, salty, and kind of awful. It has no relationship with any kind of real food in its making; no roast or fowl or even root vegetable seems to have been harmed in its creation. It's understandable why many people have an almost visceral dislike of it.

British food can be awful. But I've also had British food that was quite good. Like so many things, it's a matter of the ingredients used and the care that goes into turning them into a dish. I think I'd sooner have a good shepherd's pie than frog's legs any day, though.

 

[McElroy]

They dub American movies in Central Europe... French John Travolta, German Kurt Russell and so on. We always get subs.

Funny how I kinda like how this thread has been even though I'm almost an antithesis to food snobism as I don't really waste time cooking.

 

[Lightspeaker]

While the Brits love Naan and curry, Americans (often without knowing it) love foods from all around the world.

You know reading this makes me feel like your views on British food are about fifteen years out of date at least. >_>

Having grown up here I can verify that when I was about ten years old a huge amount of what you said is true. My childhood 'out for a meal' was typically the local Beefeater. But these days, at least up here in Liverpool, things are rather different these days (a combination of the fact me and my family have more disposable income now plus the huge boost to the culinary scene around here over the past decade). Can't speak for the entire country, of course.


Anyway, since we seem to be throwing food criticisms back and forth across the pond: I personally was absolutely horrified when I tried a milk chocolate Hershey bar for the first (and only) time. I couldn't believe it was actually supposed to be edible. It was probably the most revolting thing I've had in my entire life.

Twinkies though...America gets 10/10 for the invention of Twinkies. Glorious treat. Even if they are a bit too sweet to eat more than one every few days.

 

[Saetha]

They dub American movies in Central Europe... French John Travolta, German Kurt Russell and so on. We always get subs.

Funny how I kinda like how this thread has been even though I'm almost an antithesis to food snobism as I don't really waste time cooking.

Same here. Everyone's dissecting the particulars of American food and the cooking process and I'm just sitting here going "I'm a broke-ass college student. My kitchen consists of a mini-fridge and a microwave. There is nothing I can add to this discussion."

...Well, I buy fresh apples from the grocery store, and I'm pretty partial to slicing them up and sticking them in grilled cheese with some cheddar or gouda or something. But methinks that doesn't even approach traditional "American" cooking, even though it's pretty much the only home-cooking I'm capable of.

Anyway, since we seem to be throwing food criticisms back and forth across the pond: I personally was absolutely horrified when I tried a milk chocolate Hershey bar for the first (and only) time. I couldn't believe it was actually supposed to be edible. It was probably the most revolting thing I've had in my entire life.

For the record, as an American, I heartily agree. Hershey chocolate really is ass. I haven't had much Mexican chocolate, but I adored what little I did find.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Many, many times. But because of that, I'm somewhat used to it.

I travelled extensively with my mother at a young age. I've also lived in 3 different countries now. Over time you start to see how much alike different places can be, but also how different.
And even when you're an experienced traveller you can still be hit by some surprisingly subtle things.
Especially if it's been a while.

Last time I was in the Netherlands, I was rather caught out by bicycles rushing around everywhere (a surprising hazard to pedestrians). This is in spite of having lived there on and off for at least 8 years.
But... Over time you can forget such things.

The contrast with asian countries in general, but also poorer ones is quite dramatic though.
India and indonesia and the like are quite a shock when you are used to western countries.
(Singapore less so.) Malaysia and Thailand are somewhere inbetween these extremes.

Then there are just things you don't really pay attention to that much. Since I was so young I picked up some odd habits.
Like squatting, which many asians do, but westerners often can't even attempt.

The toilets are fun...

As was being punished repeatedly in India because I'm left-handed, and naturally tended to reach for things with my left hand...
Which is a taboo, especially when it's food.

Being followed around by masses of beggars is overwhelming (like 20 or 30 or more). And you literally can't give them anything in a situation like that, or you'll end up with even more of them following you around.

Lack of personal space is a big one that's hard to deal with when you're a westerner.
Though you find even amongst different western countries you get different expectations about how close to someone else it's acceptable to stand.
And that can be very confronting when you are used to getting more space than the people you are surrounded by tend to give you...

Anyway, yeah... This stuff can hit you in the most unexpected ways.
And it isn't necessarily the obvious stuff either.
It can be really minor things that cause that sensation...

 

[Twintix]

Anyway, since we seem to be throwing food criticisms back and forth across the pond: I personally was absolutely horrified when I tried a milk chocolate Hershey bar for the first (and only) time. I couldn't believe it was actually supposed to be edible. It was probably the most revolting thing I've had in my entire life.

Oooooh, don't remind me! I bought a Hershey's bar when I visited New York for the first time and...it was repulsive. Really, it tasted like vomit. It was the worst chocolate I've ever had, and I thought it was impossible for me to say that about chocolate.

I actually asked about it in a thread about candy a while back (Like, why is a Hershey's bar so awful while the Bliss pieces taste nice?) and the answers I got was:

Because Hershey sours there milk.
So the caramel plays off the sour.
Hershy is the sourdough of chocolate world, it makes everything you pair it with taste better.

Tradition, mostly. See, around the turn of the 20th century, milk chocolate became really popular, but the Swiss were staying tight-lipped about the recipe. There was a rush to reproduce the recipe, and when the Hershey company found something palatable, they said "close enough", and started production. It wasn't anywhere near as sweet, but the average American consumer didn't know any better, and "made in America" still meant something, so it took off.
On the other hand, the Hershey company was initially a caramel company, so it figures they'd know how to do that right. So you've got something fantastic wrapped in something mediocre.

So if you're from Europe, that might explain why you didn't like it. We don't use soured milk in our chocolate, I believe. (Of course, I don't know if any other countries do that...)

OT: I can't really remember experiencing any major culture shock. Might be because I've travelled a lot with my parents from a very young age, or maybe the cultures I've visited haven't been that drastically different.

I guess there was that one time when my family and friend's family went to France to celebrate my mom's birthday when I was about 11. We went to a restaurant where all of us kids ordered hamburgers. But we kept asking them to fry the burgers again because we weren't used to hamburgers being pink inside, which is apparently how some restaurants do it in France.

Anyway, we must've pissed off the chef something fierce, because the last time we got them again, he'd fried them to inedibility; They were tougher than rubber. You can bet your ass he did it that way on purpose. I wonder if he was a relative of the guy who invented potato chips; He made the slices that thin to spite a picky customer.

 

[Rabbitboy]

Not really what I'd call a culture shock but still a bit odd. While on holiday in France people sometimes offered me wine, I was only 11 years old back then. There is another one related to alcohol which I didn't experience myself but my dad once did. He was visiting a factory in Germany and saw vending machines that sold beer. Not non-alcoholic beer or in the cafeteria, but real beer and in the middle of the factory.

 

[Tiger King]

Not really what I'd call a culture shock but still a bit odd. While on holiday in France people sometimes offered me wine, I was only 11 years old back then. There is another one related to alcohol which I didn't experience myself but my dad once did. He was visiting a factory in Germany and saw vending machines that sold beer. Not non-alcoholic beer or in the cafeteria, but real beer and in the middle of the factory.

Yeah parts of Europe have a very different attitude to alcohol than certain western countries like the U.K. and America.
For example check out this work policy from a Danish brewery. (Man I just realised that's where my uninspired name tag came from)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/7569596/Carlsberg-workers-on-strike-because-of-beer-ban.html

Anyway on topic.
Been living in usa for awhile now, haven't had 'culture shock' but a lot more underlying things have become apparent.
I guess one of the things that bothers me the most is the sports.
There has been some big b ball games lately and I've felt pretty left out as I don't understand the game. Never mind though, copa America is on right now, if only I had someone to watch it with :'(

I guess I could winge about food but I'm not that fussy and if you go to a crap restaurant on the corner for a cheap burger that's what you will get. (Or in the case of the guy a few posts up a service station ha ha)
I will winge about the bacon and bread though. The bacon is tiny strips of meat with too much fat and the bread is sweet. Whilst the bacon is still tasty, bread should not be sweet in my opinion.

There are many positives though.
Overtly friendly people
Positive attitudes
It's always sunny etc

Ah, just remembered (and I do hate to mention it) was here a month when a drive by shooting occurred not too far away from where I lived.
Don't feel threatened as it was a gang thing but I do make sure to be careful at nights now when I'm out.