Culture: Two nations divided...

[celticleather]

We have a butcher close by who makes the most amazing brawn, haslet, black pudding and faggots (US eyebrows raised!), as well as 22 different varieties of sausages!

Rather curiously - for an English butchers - they also make biltong, droëwors and boerewors, and stock a large range of South African foods. Their fame has spread, and sometimes the shop sounds like an Afrikaans convention, when local Afrikaners call in to stock up.

I once tried a small piece of biltong, but on the whole, I think I prefer chewing on a piece of veg-tan!

This thread has stimulated my appetite, so I'm off now to make some cheese on toast, lightly spread with Marmite - angel food!

[tonyc1]

You want to see cultural confusion? I was born in South Africa as an Afrikaner, with a lot of British English influence and a lot of American TV influence. And now I live in the Midwest - and I am very happy here.

But I will confess to missing a few things: REAL chocolate made by Cadbury, (Flakes, Crunchies, Lunch Bar, Chocolate Logs) and also the Nestle Chocolates. REAL pancake, that you eat with cinnamon sugar and lemon juice, rolled up. Fish and REAL chips, not crunchie 'fries'. And a few more....

No wonder that all the visitors from South Africa visiting ex-pats here in Minnesota brings at least one suit case full of sweets ('candy') and other edibles.

Will write about morte of these as I think about them...

I would hate to count up how many Flake and Crunchie bars I have eaten over the last 15 years. We have a husband and wife for friends who both work at Cadbury factory and constantly bring chocolate to us. One chocolate we don't seem to have here now, and I miss it, is Fry's creme bars, they were great! We're going out to a fish and chip restaurant tonight.

[tashabear]

I would hate to count up how many Flake and Crunchie bars I have eaten over the last 15 years. We have a husband and wife for friends who both work at Cadbury factory and constantly bring chocolate to us. One chocolate we don't seem to have here now, and I miss it, is Fry's creme bars, they were great! We're going out to a fish and chip restaurant tonight.

Oh... Crunchie Bars, how I love thee. We don't get them in the States at all. As soon as the ferry landed in Nova Scotia when we visited this September, we made a beeline for the corner shop and stocked up. There's a British food store in a town southwest of me; maybe if it's nice tomorrow or Sunday and I get a bunch of work done I'll take a ride down there and buy myself a treat.

[UKRay]

Rather curiously - for an English butchers - they also make biltong, droëwors and boerewors, and stock a large range of South African foods. Their fame has spread, and sometimes the shop sounds like an Afrikaans convention, when local Afrikaners call in to stock up. I once tried a small piece of biltong, but on the whole, I think I prefer chewing on a piece of veg-tan!

For South African goodies in the UK try www.biltong.co.uk - I love Biltong!

Would anyone be interested in a real cultural exchange?

The idea was put into my head by another forum member who very kindly offered to swap a bag of Oreos for something quintessentially British. I jumped at the opportunity and thought it a great idea. I'm actually quite excited at the prospect of trying something I have only read about and enjoyed finding things to send that are not available in the US.

I have six padded bags that could be filled with British goodies and shipped anywhere in the world and would be delighted to offer my services as a personal shopper if you have something you have always wanted to try - or can't live without. The only proviso is that you send a similar bag of goodies in return. No money changes hands. This is a 'one time' offer - unless it works out really well! Obviously I'll have to put a limit on the value, but this doesn't have to be expensive. With so many regional delicacies you could easily get a taste of Olde Englande without the airfare!

Any thoughts? I'll limit this to six to start with but we'll see how it goes. If you want to take part just put your bid on the table - in other words: tell us about the local delicacy you have on offer and say what would you would like from the UK in return and I'll pick six I am happy to fulfil. Packages will go out within a few days and will be with you asap. If we get swamped with offers then I may have to re-think but see how it goes eh?

[cem]

Ok, lets get to the important stuff. What's with you Brits and Aussies and the Marmite/Vegamite thing. That stuff is horrid (either one), even in small quantities, although I can understand how it might help with digestion of an English Breakfast; but so would a shot or two of rum.

Art

Vegemite is an aquired taste and most people from other countries usually don't get our taste for it, we grow up with it and it's usually the first lunch for a kid starting school why cause it keeps until lunchtime without getting soggy or going off in the heat (we don't have sit down school cafeterias in Australia so kids either bring their lunch to school or buy from the school canteen, where you pay a premium for them making you a simple sandwich).

It's best to have it on hot fresh bread with butter or margarine, spread thinly on white bread with margarine or on Sao crackers (my favourite way). The trouble usually starts when a tourist wants to taste it and we tell them to slap it on like peanut butter ensuring a sucked on lemon type face and thorough amusement for the Aussie.

Clair

[ferret]

Art - Northallerton is in Yorkshire. One of the loveliest counties in England as long as the sun is shining. Great cricketing tradition and, as you say, local people are almost unintelligable without a lot of concentration. Having said, that I like doing business with Yorkshire folk as you always seem to get a straight deal.

Ey oop lad, watch what thou sez abaht my adopted county, Yorkshire folk speak reet proper tha knows. Beats me how anyone can understand brummy dialect, I spent 2 weeks in brum and had to have my ears untwisted when I left . Understanding American is easy by comparison, though some brand names still catch me out. Over here barge cement is something used for ballast in boats.

No wonder you think mushy peas taste foul using that recipe, the right one is here (dried split peas can be subsituted for marrowfats). Try it, it'll put hairs on your chest (and probably take the enamel off the stove if you spill it) .

[tonyc1]

Vegemite is an aquired taste and most people from other countries usually don't get our taste for it, we grow up with it and it's usually the first lunch for a kid starting school why cause it keeps until lunchtime without getting soggy or going off in the heat (we don't have sit down school cafeterias in Australia so kids either bring their lunch to school or buy from the school canteen, where you pay a premium for them making you a simple sandwich).

It's best to have it on hot fresh bread with butter or margarine, spread thinly on white bread with margarine or on Sao crackers (my favourite way). The trouble usually starts when a tourist wants to taste it and we tell them to slap it on like peanut butter ensuring a sucked on lemon type face and thorough amusement for the Aussie.

Clair

Vegemite or marmite is best on toast but although I'll eat these two, I do prefer Promite!

Tony.

[whinewine]

Come to my side of the state and you gotta have a cheesesteak. Or an Italian hoagie. Yum.

And on my side of the state, Pittsburgh has Primanti Brothers... which has a sandwich consisting of grilled steak topped with cole slaw which is topped with french fries, all between 2 thick slices of Italian bread. Quite good, quite filling. It was developed for the truck drivers on the go in Pgh's Strip District (the warehouse/market area along the waterfront)

The sandwich is listed on their online menu as their #2 best seller.

[Pip]

None of you have mentioned hp sauce, I sent a bottle across with a PiF, Its quintisentially british, HP stands for houdses of Parliament i think! Goes well with that full english and as a British item its a lovely shade of brown! he he. But I do like maple syrup on sausages and gammon steaks, but marmalade does just as well.

Lemon curd? a type of jam style spread with a citrus tang, great stuff on toast in the morning. I am guessing you have all tried marmalade, a type of citrus jam (jelly i think you call it) with fruit peel in.

OK, I like the idea of uk ray with a cultural swap, sounds interesting. I have tried american candy and as a sweet conisour (i grew up in a sweet shop) I find it almost unpalatable, chewing gums however, especially cinnamon ones mmmmm.

Branston Pickle, mmmmm. Especially with a lovely mature chedder or cheshire cheese. anyone had scouse or lancashire hotpot. Traditional cornish pasties with a double end one with meat (unknown variety but I think traditionally lamb, i may be incorrect) turnip, carrot etc etc and apple at the other. Its rare enough to find good ones in the uk now.

Black pudding (pudding is generallerally interpreted as dessert) (Black pudding is not a pudding at all) a staple of the english breakfast here, it sounds discusting but tastes great, it is a solidified lump of pigs blood and fat, which is fried. I has a herby slighty spicy flavour but is deliscous.

Yorkshire pudding, not a pudding at all, its kinda a raised batter to be had with a traditional beef roast.

I love beef jerky and it makes fabulous tasting soup. I have made my own with limited success.

[Billy P]

Bro Luke, you did a good job explaining what hog maws, wash pots, and spiders are. I have not been on or active for a few days and got behind on things. Thanks Luke for helping me out on that. I'd sure love to be able to come up and meet you some time and you're always welcome down here in S.C. as are any other members of the forum. I saw something about hog jowls on here. We usually have smoked hog jaws around New Years Day now, but we used to have them all the time. We used them for seasoning and a lot of times for the meat of the meal. Fried out sliced hog jaw is some fine eating. Bro Luke I love grits too, and I eat em a lot. I tried the instant kind, add water stir, heat in microwave, stir again and eat, but they make my sugar go up so bad I quit them altogether. Now use nothing but Quaker quick grits and sometimes cream of wheat basically the same as grits. When the grits get done, add some extra sharp or pepper jack cheese and let them simmer for another few minutes until the cheese is melted good, with some fried hog jaw or sausage and over medium eggs and that is a meal that is hard to beat. I want to wish everyone on Leatherworker.net a good weekend. Bye for now Billy P