Recently, a local grocery store had a Great America Week during which they sold American foods!
We searched the ad for anything we missed from home. And we were surprised to find very little we even recognized. But it was fun to see how Germans think we eat. And, although some of these things were completely foreign to us, I also think these products say a lot about how Americans eat.
This is the banner heading for the ad. Here's how it describes American delacacies:
"That's delicious! That is American food -- spicy, harty or sugar-sweet! With McEnnedy you'll find main dishes, side dishes, and desserts in the good old American tradition. America, the land of a thousand sauces, burgers and sweets, now nearby in your Lidl store!"
And that is really how Germans seem to view American food...very flavorful, harty and very very sweet. And always casual....burgers, hot dogs, potato chips, and popcorn. Are they correct?
So let's take a look at the more familiar items...which, although familiar, tend to have an odd, extra American-y twist to them:
Maple syrup: this is difficult to find in Germany. They aren't the pancake eaters that we are, not to mention it's a little too sweet for them. But I like how the pancakes in the photo really look like thin French crepes.
And crepe mix...I mean, pancake mix to go with the syrup.
Still need more sweet syrup with your breakfast? Try these cornflakes with 20% maple syrup!
Muffin mixes: also a rarity here. So much a rarity that note that the mixes come complete with those little paper muffin cups. Available flavors: blueberry, chocolate and...classic. Classic? Yes, classic (whatever that is)...with chocolate pieces. Because you've got to have something sweet in there.
Peanut butter: not so much a rarity. You can find peanut butter here without too much of a problem, it's just good peanut butter that isn't always easy to find. German peanut butter tends to be very oily. And Germans don't understand why Americans like peanut butter so much...but then, I don't like their oily peanut butter either. I've found that the peanut butter brands that claim to be "American" are the better ones. But the stuff in this ad? I don't know...that pale color just doesn't look right.
Marshmallows are near impossible to find. And when you do find them, they tend to be very rubbery. And, again, Germans tend to find them way too sweet. And note that the only thing a German can imagine doing with a marshmallow is roasting it. When we were visiting the States, Karl and I mailed ourselves some packages of marshmallows and graham crackers (which don't exist over here) so we can show some German friends of ours how to make Smores...although I expect they'll find them too sweet.
Finally, something really familiar! Pringles potato chips! Available in Smokey Bacon, Chessy Cheese, or Texas BBQ Sauce. Except I've only really liked the plain ones. But I really don't think I've ever seen plain potato chips here. For example...
...Barbeque potato chips...
...and potato chips in Texan Chili and Beef Chili flavors. Germans are amazed at how Americans have to have everything with so much flavoring added to it. Expect that when it comes to potato chips, they are the flavor kings.
And now a view of some items I really am not familiar with...I mean, I really don't know where these things came from but I don't think it was from America.
Remember how America is the land of a thousand sauces? Let's take a look at some of our famous sauces:
American sauces: Ketchup Barbeque, Ketchup Hot Dog or Sandwich Sauce. Ketchup Barbeque...ok, I can see that. Ketchup Hot Dog? Do I need a special ketchup just for my hot dog? Sandwich sauce....um...what? But what kind of sauce is that??
Ok, so, if I need a specific ketchup for my hot dog, what do I put on my hamburger?
But, of course! Hamburger Sauce!
Hamburger Sauce not look appealing? Then try Hamburger Relish. And yet...I really don't ever recall putting anything resembling these sauces on anything I've ever eaten in America much less on a hamburger.
And finally, the most American snack food of all...
...Potato Snack! "The delicious nibble-fun with mildly seasoned Ketchup flavor." Um...wait a minute...has there been some recent Ketchup-flavored Potato Snack craze in America? 'Cause I really don't know what these are. And I don't think I want to.
So here you have it. The food Americans are known for. I find it very interesting how culture can certainly get lost in translation. But Americans have done the same with other culture's foods, of course. For example, an old college professor of mine once went looking for real French salad dressing when he was in France...and ended up finding it under the label American dressing. And despite what the name may have you believe, German chocolate cake is not German. They have no such thing here. I guess one thing I've learned by living here is that you can't judge a culture by another culture's stereotypes. I know there are some lovely things to eat in America. It's just sometimes hard to convince some of my German friends that it's not all spicy and sweet and ketchup-flavored. A lot of it...but not all of it.
