US vs. UK round two: the food

[sloopjohnc]

Good point.

We do. I'm glad you finally got the message.

Is that still an issue?

You can get nice fresh produce anywhere in the world these days - it may even be flown in from the central valley!

I'll also challenge Davey's nonsense about cheese too.

I can see why he might roll his eyes at the idea of cheese being a big culinary deal but that's because he comes from a country where cheese is neon-orange and comes in a fucking aerosol can!!

No aerosol cheese.

And you call yourselves a cheese-producing nation.

Every cheese lover knows the best cheese includes noxious fumes.

[sloopjohnc]

When my wife and I were visiting England many years ago, an old friend of mine was married to a British guy who was a specialty food buyer, including cheese. Over pints, he told us the story of how some cheesemakers faked real orange in cheese. It's very interesting.

[Deebank]

We do. I'm glad you finally got the message.

Is that still an issue?

You can get nice fresh produce anywhere in the world these days - it may even be flown in from the central valley!

I'll also challenge Davey's nonsense about cheese too.

I can see why he might roll his eyes at the idea of cheese being a big culinary deal but that's because he comes from a country where cheese is neon-orange and comes in a fucking aerosol can!!

No aerosol cheese.

And you call yourselves a cheese-producing nation.

Every cheese lover knows the best cheese includes noxious fumes.

Nitrous oxide can be a lot of fun... But not in cheese

[Deebank]

When my wife and I were visiting England many years ago, an old friend of mine was married to a British guy who was a specialty food buyer, including cheese. Over pints, he told us the story of how some cheesemakers faked real orange in cheese. It's very interesting.

It's true the colour is added (annatto) for aesthetic reasons - a practice that dates back 500 odd years. i don't think any cheese is naturally red or orange.

[harvey k-tel]

When my wife and I were visiting England many years ago, an old friend of mine was married to a British guy who was a specialty food buyer, including cheese. Over pints, he told us the story of how some cheesemakers faked real orange in cheese. It's very interesting.

It's true the colour is added (annatto) for aesthetic reasons - a practice that dates back 500 odd years. i don't think any cheese is naturally red or orange.

Not unless the cows have bleeding ulcers in their udders.

[naughty boy]

I've often found that people are more sensitive about their food culture than anything else. You can insult their language, their manners, their capital cities, their TV, their pop music - and they might laugh, even agree with you. But have a go at their BREAD - ooooff!!!

[sloopjohnc]

I think what America does really well is simple recipes cooked with good ingredients with large portions. Meals that cost around $10-15, that sorta thing. I think we are catching up but we have a bit to go. Plus they also have that customer focused culture which helps. Oh and BBQ.

Don't forget Mexican food.

I think you're largely correct. I live, however, in a region that prides itself on its choice of fine restaurants. I would bet that NYC, New Orleans, LA, just because of its size, are the only other US cities that can match San Francisco/Berkeley with the number of good restaurants. Throw in Napa/Sonoma an Carmel, and there are a ton of upper scale restaurants.

As a semi-regular visitor to the UK since 1979, I've eaten out a lot. It's gotten much better, and if memory serves, it was really the mid '90s when I was really begin noticing it all the way 'round and more than in just the largest cities and more affluent suburbs, which can afford those kind of meals.

[Robert]

Is that still an issue?

You can get nice fresh produce anywhere in the world these days - it may even be flown in from the central valley!

I'll also challenge Davey's nonsense about cheese too.

I can see why he might roll his eyes at the idea of cheese being a big culinary deal but that's because he comes from a country where cheese is neon-orange and comes in a fucking aerosol can!

In the UK every region has its own unique and brilliant variation on the old fermented curd. I live 30 odd miles from Cheddar! Yes it's a real fucking place! And the cheese is great!!!

UK produces about 450.000 mt of Cheese. Of that, 125.000mt is exported. Total imports for the UK are 445.000mt. Of the 770.000mt you guys consume, 58% is imported.

On Cheddar, for every 3 kgs produced in the UK, 1,5 kgs are imported.

Some American Cheese may be orange but what'd you call this then?:

Is it Red Leicester?

That's pronounced lester by the way, not

No it's Cheddar ( pronounced Chedduh)

[Robert]

When my wife and I were visiting England many years ago, an old friend of mine was married to a British guy who was a specialty food buyer, including cheese. Over pints, he told us the story of how some cheesemakers faked real orange in cheese. It's very interesting.

It's true the colour is added (annatto) for aesthetic reasons - a practice that dates back 500 odd years. i don't think any cheese is naturally red or orange.

The most important reason cheesemakers have been using it since counting began,is to create an even colour the whole year through. It would otherwise vary from white to yellow, depfnding on the season.

[Deebank]

UK produces about 450.000 mt of Cheese. Of that, 125.000mt is exported. Total imports for the UK are 445.000mt. Of the 770.000mt you guys consume, 58% is imported.

On Cheddar, for every 3 kgs produced in the UK, 1,5 kgs are imported.

Some American Cheese may be orange but what'd you call this then?:

Is it Red Leicester?

That's pronounced lester by the way, not lyesester!

No, it's Cheddar. ( pronounced Chedduh)

There ain't many cows in Westminster

[Robert]

Is it Red Leicester?

That's pronounced lester by the way, not lyesester!

No, it's Cheddar. ( pronounced Chedduh)

There ain't many cows in Westminster

Neither are there many tobacco farms in Kent or Pall Mall for that matter.

[Deebank]

There ain't many cows in Westminster

Neither are there many tobacco farms in Kent or Pall Mall for that matter.

But wait! It's bloody American!

The Westminster brand was launched in the USA. Crafted by hand and graded three times prior to selection, the delicious cheddar is lovingly created with milk that comes from cows that are free to roam and graze on rich, lush pasture in Somerset and Cheshire.

Made with our milk! Bloody cheek!

[naughty boy]

what's this FROZEN YOH-GURT shit?

[Matt Wilson]

I dunno, what's this EELS shit?

[naughty boy]

NOBODY eats eels!

Every time I put on some US TV show they’re all bouncing around in the back of a car singing about going for fucking ‘FROZEN YOH-GURT’

[Matt Wilson]

That was the new thing in the eighties as a healthier substitute for ice cream.

Today's frozen yogurt tastes very similar to ice cream.

The circle is complete.

[sloopjohnc]

[Hightea]

Cheese, Chocolates and Indian food? that's it? not even sure the Uk is the best in the world at any of those.

I would say Uk and the Metro east coast(Dc-Boston) are a wash - pretty sure you can get excellent any cuisine in the world (although both places can't compare with the real thing in many of them)
Then you still have San Fran, LA, NOLA, Chicago and Puerto Rico all outstanding in their own way.
Oh and BBQ and southern cuisine different than NOLA

UK indian food is outstanding but their are enclaves around the US that compare by the way in NYC they are in Queen and Brooklyn( plus 1/2 the price) not in the posh Manhattan ones.

I can't imagine the UK can compete in
Mexican
TexMex
Latin American
Creole and Cajun

then again I guess you could say that about certain European Cuisines.

Both have great Asian Cuisine but both can't compare to the real thing.

on the other side both places have some of the worst food in the world.
Hersey's or Marmite?

[Penk!]

Every time I put on some US TV show they’re all bouncing around in the back of a car singing about going for fucking ‘FROZEN YOH-GURT’

My absolute favourite scene in Roots.

[KeithPratt]

It's a draw.

Given that the UK could fit into Texas, it is unsurprising that we don't have much in the way of variation. But when Americans crow on about regional cuisines, there's basically about 5 and that's in a country the size of Europe. So don't kid yourself that you've got this massive selection. There is more variety in Italy alone.

The UK wins on high calibre restaurants. Chez Panisse and a few other select Californian ones aside, given our size there are simply more per sq km over here. When places like Cumbria have Michelin star places it tells you a lot. You could drive across the entirety of the Mid West before getting something good to eat.