So, I was sitting here, eating a sandwich and was thinking about how bloody awful the bread and cheese tasted and how much I was missing food from back home.

I have to say that since we recently moved back to the USA, I have realized just how crappy a lot of the food is here. So much processed crap.

Can someone please tell me why 90% of the bread you buy tastes sweet and is soft with no decent crust?

Also, why does 'cheese' here generally taste/look like rubber, with little variation between the kinds of cheese, with very little flavor?


Thoughts?









http://www.seashepherd.org

'It's been......emotional'.

You are eating at the wrong places if that is your opinion.

If you like British Food over American Food, you must have British Teeth and think they look good.

Yes, a very smart answer.

Run along now, back to kindergarden.

Bloody hell British/English food is rubbish...

The problem Ollie is that in Europe the cheese and bread are local for the most part. Even a giant chain like Aldi here in Germany buys everything locally.

Bread in the US just isnt bread, it, like all things American were produced to not offend anyone, so many Americans came from so many different places that beer, bread, cheese, meats all were made to be "blah" in order to fit everyone and not to be repulsive to anyone, much like the radio seeks not to offend, so you dont switch the channel. Oh and in order for this giant, central mass production to take place in a country as large as the US, there are tons of preservatives in everything that you buy .. partly due to the scale of the US and partly due to the method of production, both are to blame, but you would have a lot better food if it was all produced locally.

Beer, bread, cheese, meats are all very tasty and varied here in Germany, I figure thats because instead of fitting a mass produced product on tons of people, they went about it the other way around and have specialized things for small markets. Beers are still produced locally for the most part and you could go around to every village and there probably be a new local brewery .. the US did have that a long time ago, but giant corporations like Kraft or Clear Channel took over and just made everything blah .. and well blah might suck, but it doesnt offend anyone.

[This message has been edited by Randy03 (edited 8/31/2009 4:50a).]

having spent a decent amount of time in england, the majority of the food sucks. however, i will give you the bread and cheese.

Randy, that makes a lot of sense. I guess that the size of the country might have something to do with. It's a shame that it's become so acceptable to have these kind of staple items taste the way they do.

I appreciate the reply!

I like squishy bread.

If you buy the cheapest crap at the grocery store, yes you will get squishy "white" bread and rubbery "American" cheese. Its all mass produced crap with a ton of preservatives.

You can get good crusty bread and a wide variety of cheeses in large cities. This is why Whole Foods, Central Market and the high end versions of major grocery chains exist.

I've never been a typical American consumer... I hate white bread like Mrs Baird's and don't understand how anyone eats the american cheese that comes in prepackaged single slices.

[This message has been edited by AeroAg2003 (edited 8/31/2009 9:25a).]

plus i think americans have gotten used to going to the grocery store once a week or less. "good" bread last maybe 2 days before getting stale. we don't like going to the store that often. plus, we have huge refrigerators, so we don't have to only buy groceries for the next day. my friends in europe all have tiny (to me) refrigerators, but it's not a big deal, because you can just stop by the grocery store on your way from the train station, etc. also, we like our bread sliced, and slicing bread dries it out even quicker, which means lots of preservatives to keep it "fresh"

Ollie, try shopping at HEB Central market or Spec's for bread/cheese.


OT, but since I can't PM you - are you affiliated with Sea Shepherd somehow or do you just watch whale wars? I watched it this season and was pretty amazed at how idiotic the SS captain is - steering his thin hulled ship through thick ice, ramming the Japanese ship, etc. I am all for saving whales but damn that guy is a fool and so are all the crew for getting on board the ship with him.

But "high end" and "high cost" actually shouldnt have to do with prices.

Aldi is possibly the cheapest grocery store chain in the western world, they keep their prices low by keeping overhead and logistics low. Since they buy everything regional, the quality is higher because they dont have to truck it as far and then they also can sell it for less because they paid less for freight.

Now .. I dont buy much at Aldi .. but meat and cheese there is pretty darn good. The bread isnt as good as the bakery, so my wife or I stop by the bakery every 2nd day. Our fridge is small, like schmendler said, also its not as cold either, so we cant stuff as much food in there and the temperature (as well as the lack of preservatives) doesnt allow food to "keep" as long as it does in the US.

Its just a lifestyle thing, people in Europe have better food, because people demand it and will fit their lifestyles accordingly. Its the same with people who ride the train or bikes to work. I bet I could get to work in like 5 minutes if I had a car, but I dont. I can walk 8 minutes to the train, ride 4 minutes to my stop and walk 8 minutes to get to my office, yep thats 20 minutes instead of 15.

However, that 15 extra minutes is about what it takes to find a parking space and walk to your office, so you didnt save any time, but I did save a lot of money and stress by not having a car.

Those are the small lifestyle choices that add up and if more americans wouldnt be so bull headed and see that they could collectively change the US for the better, they could. But there are far too many people that want to be stubborn because darnit ... jesus founded 'merica and the bible was written by god in english .. and they dont want to be like any damn stinky commie french people, or they will use retarded names like eurotrash .. whatever that is supposed to mean.

I'm sorry, but the European snob aspect of the preceding post was just nauseating.

To get back to the OP, I'd say that the reason why we have mass prodcued bread of the type that we do is that we have few barriers to entry in our markets, and, at the time that things like Wonderbread and processed cheese were introduced, they were revolutionary and desirable in one aspect or another, but more often than not, in time saving.

Imagine the prototypical 1950s houswife trying to make school lunches for three kids. What would you rather use? Pre-sliced Wonderbread and pre-sliced processed cheese, or bread from a bakery that you have to slice, and a cheese wheel that you have to cut? Add in our motorized society, and the incentives for weekly grocery shopping as opposed to daily grocery shopping and it's not hard to understand how mechanized, processed items prevail in the US market.

To think that this is because Americans are somehow inferior to Europeans is not only misplaced snobbery, but sheer lunacy. It's a matter of tradeoffs. While Americans accept lower quality food for convenience in shopping and preparation, Europeans accept lower quality housing in exchange for proximity to urban centers. Both choices are rational in the context of their markets, and neither is superior to the other--they are just different.

When I went to Paris in 2004, we really enjoyed making daily trips to the corner patisserie and boulangerie. But, back home, I'd rather slit my wrists than make a trip to the grocery store on a daily basis. There were some things about European food that were great, and some that were not so great (the price, in particular, and this even though Europe subsidizes its farmers out the wazoo).

Actually, the point was that you can have your time savings AND good food, you just have to demand it, most americans are ignorant to the fact that there is actually better out there, why? Well mostly because they are told that the US of A is the most greatest of all places and if you dont like every little thing about it, including the completely ridiculous American Customary System or the American Engineering Units system .. you should just leave the country.

It seems that you read it with your "filthy commie" glasses on. I said that the US could have their cake and eat it to, the demand is just not there. When the demand was there, supply would follow and competition would enable reasonable prices. Its called capitalism and Im a big fan of it.

Also food prices are not insane in Europe, actually food is relatively cheap. Houses are expensive, cars are expensive, electronics are expensive, gasoline is insanely expensive. But food .. nope its not expensive unless you shop at places that are "american looking" and therefore you pay a premium for them.

[This message has been edited by Randy03 (edited 8/31/2009 5:06p).]

Damn, try harder to sound like a dick

quote:

---

Actually, the point was that you can have your time savings AND good food, you just have to demand it, most americans are ignorant to the fact that there is actually better out there, why? Well mostly because they are told that the US of A is the most greatest of all places and if you dont like every little thing about it, including the completely ridiculous American Customary System or the American Engineering Units system .. you should just leave the country.

---

By your logic, I guess Europeans are just ignorant of the fact that you can buy full-sized refrigerators, otherwise, they wouldn't settle for those tiny, inefficient little boxes. I mean, what other explanation could there be but stupidity, or somebody telling them that large appliances are evil?

...I also like Velveeta.

edit: might be a bit much for this site. summary: randy is a butthurt *****.

[This message has been edited by ccard257 (edited 8/31/2009 8:19p).]

quote:

---

So, I was sitting here, eating a sandwich and was thinking about how bloody awful the bread and cheese tasted and how much I was missing food from back home.

---

F!@#$ing h-ll, you miss british food?

quote:

---

but giant corporations like Kraft or Clear Channel took over and just made everything blah .. and well blah might suck, but it doesn't offend anyone.

---

sorry but as bad as Clear Channel sucks, I'll take it over Bayern 3 or BBC.

[This message has been edited by nick_t (edited 8/31/2009 7:24p).]

quote:

---

...if you dont like every little thing about it, including the completely ridiculous American Customary System or the American Engineering Units system .. you should just leave the country.

---

sloooow down there...it is called the imperial system for a reason.

easy guys, it ok to admit others do things or have things better than we do. or to even open your mind to that possibility.

don't get so upset when others don't bend over backward to make us feel superior. other places feel proud of their way of doing things. they might just be right about some of it, too.

What's better than velveeta you ask?


...aerosol cheese.

There is absolutely nothing about native English food that is remotely better than American.

French? Yes.

Italian? Yes.

Spanish? Maybee.

English? Not even close.

I agree about the American desire to drive instead of taking alternative transportation.

I also agree that bread, butter and cheese are better in Europe.

____________________________________
I have seen the enemy, and he is us.

____________________________________
Losers make excuses while winners go home with the homecoming queen.

Hmmm,

Yeah I do miss the food from back home. Trust me, if you think that there is no good food & restaurants in England & especially London nowadays, you are living in the distant past.

Remember it is a very multicultural place. Maybe back in 1970, you would think of a Sunday roast with bland boiled veggies, but that is definitely not the case anymore. It does seem though that when many Americans visit London, they head to the worst kind of places (which can be found in any major city) to eat.

Even on here people constantly suggest to go to the Texas Republic Cantina or whatever it's called to get their fix of TexMex. Why would you travel half way around the world to go there or to McDonalds??? If you ever go, get the Time out Eating & Drinking book & try some of the restaurants.

As for things in the grocery store. I definitely prefer the choice and kind of food I was able to get in London. No doubt in my mind.

People who are questioning that, remember you may not agree, but unless you recently have actually lived in both countries, how can you make an honest assessment.

Please note: This is not an attack on the Good Ole US of A in any way or form. I like it here, but I can be objective about both places without taking offense. There are many things I prefer in the US to England. There, hopefully that will reduce the chance of anyone getting their panties in a wad.



PS: Not associated with Sea Shepherd, although I wish I was, because watching the show frustrates the hell out of me. They couldn't organize a piss up in a brewery! Which is a shame as they are fighting a good and just cause.







http://www.seashepherd.org

'It's been......emotional'.

I have lived in both countries recently (London in Spring/Summer '07 and Houston now). I think it is sufficient to say that both cities/countries have their share of bland food, but in both you can find good eats if you make a modest effort.

As far as supermarkets go, I never found anything in London that even sniffed the vast selection you can find at HEB Central Market.

Ollie

I think you are shopping in the wrong places.

You can find the best Paki-Indo cuisine outside of Pakistan and India in London. The same with some Carribean cuisine.

My point concerns the native Anglo-British cuisine. It is not good in any aspect. Quite bland in fact.

I'm not a big fan of traditional American cuisine (i.e., not Italian, Indian and Asian) that originates from the NE U.S. either. It too closely intwined with Anglo-British cuisine, i.e., too bland.

Give me Southern U.S. cuisine every day of the week.

____________________________________
I have seen the enemy, and he is us.

____________________________________
Losers make excuses while winners go home with the homecoming queen.

to the op - i agree that you're probably just shopping in the wrong places, depending on where you live. the cuisine in london (only place in uk i've been) is excellent, but you can find the same ethnic eateries/shops/etc. here in most major u.s. cities, in my experience.

to randy - wow.

quote:

---

jesus founded 'merica and the bible was written by god in english .. and they dont want to be like any damn stinky commie french people, or they will use retarded names like eurotrash .. whatever that is supposed to mean

---

wow, the wheels really came off at this point.

if you've moved to europe and like it, that's awesome. but no need to be such a d-head. in your quest to combat american stereotypes, you've become no better than what you're railing against.

i've lived and spent quite a bit of time abroad, and met many people like you. you experience something fun and new and are in such a rush to 'be at part of it' that you over-compensate by completely trashing your own culture, nation, etc.

grow up.

edit: not to mention that your rants have nothing to do with the topic

[This message has been edited by mr nasty (edited 9/3/2009 5:15p).]

quote:

---

Trust me, if you think that there is no good food & restaurants in England & especially London nowadays, you are living in the distant past.

---

True, but they aren't serving British Food.

I am heading to London in about 2 hours, so I will be the judge about American vs. English food.

Any tips on where to eat?

Pick up this guide while you are there.
Depends on your budget and where you are staying.

http://www.amazon.com/Time-London-Eating-Drinking-Guides/dp/1905042280

there's an area, maybe brick street? out of this world indian/south asian cuisine

If you like Thai, do yourself a favor and go to Patara while in London. Holy hell it was good. It was also 3x's more expensive than any Thai I've ever had but also so much better.

Mr. Nasty, you are thinking of Brick Lane.

Ollie, you can find great cheese and bread in the U.S., you just have to know where to look. America produces some of the greatest cheddars in the world and at prices that are very reasonable. As others have mentioned, Central Market is one of the best places to shop for cheese, beer, and bread. The major cities also have plenty of local places to higher quality food but you'll have to ask around and read the guide sections of your local paper. Kuby's in Dallas is a great butcher shop/European market.

Since Randy seems to like Aldi (at least somewhat) he might be interested to know there is one opening up in Dallas. It's not in a part of town I'd go to at night but it will probably be worth checking out. Randy's ideas on American beer are certainly dated and are skewed by living in the beer paradise that is Germany. There are breweries opening up all over the U.S. producing great local products. Dallas has one with Franconia, Fort Worth has Rahr, Austin has Live Oak and I think Real is located nearby, Houston has St. Arnolds.