Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
(OP)
This is a continuation of a post on a hijacked thread, which was primarily about booze (the post not the thread), but then evolved, but then I forgot where it went, so I'm making a new one.
For those of you who wonder why this is in the self-improvement section. The next time you end up in Poland overpaying a restaurant meal by $80 b/c you gave the waitress $100 for a $20 meal and said thank you, you'll be glad you read this post.
To start us off, when in Poland and at a restaurant, first off pay in cash (credit scams are rife) and secondly don't say anything to the waitress/waiter when paying, saying "Thank you" denotes that you want the waitress/waiter to keep the change.
Also Croatians tend to stare right into your eyes when talking to you, that may creep out the introverts out there....pretty much most engineers
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For those of you who wonder why this is in the self-improvement section. The next time you end up in Poland overpaying a restaurant meal by $80 b/c you gave the waitress $100 for a $20 meal and said thank you, you'll be glad you read this post.
To start us off, when in Poland and at a restaurant, first off pay in cash (credit scams are rife) and secondly don't say anything to the waitress/waiter when paying, saying "Thank you" denotes that you want the waitress/waiter to keep the change.
Also Croatians tend to stare right into your eyes when talking to you, that may creep out the introverts out there....pretty much most engineers





RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I did, but I left a decent tip for my ignorance.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Another "quirk" of the southeast is that a soft drink is called a "coke". Not pop, not soda, not whatever, "coke". It too is served cold or over ice.
Never been to Europe, but my wife has and she said it was near impossible to get any ice while she was there. She finally found a "coke" but could never get any ice. What is up with that?
Brian
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
OTOH, it's always fun to watch American tourists marching into a pub, sitting down and waiting to be served.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Waskillywabbit, re ice, I'd expect that should be easy to get in a bar in most if not all European countries. I think in most bars they put ice in your coke without even asking. Where did your wife go?
One quirk in French bars is that the music is never OK. Either too loud or too soft, and never the right CD. The other quirk is that the beer is overly expensive, or maybe I should just drink less.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Here's my Yank bashing. Americans seem to see McDonalds as a restaurant. We see it as fast food. There is a clear division between fast food and restaurant food in the UK. Fast food is edible, restaurant food is desireable. Fast food fills you up. Restaurant food makes you feel pampered.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
That is common in areas like the Chicago Suburbs, where there are plenty of good selections nearby. In other parts of Illinois going out for lunch is less convenient and is rarely done.
Here's my Yank bashing. Americans seem to see McDonalds as a restaurant. We see it as fast food. There is a clear division between fast food and restaurant food in the UK.
Huh? Are there any USA residents here who see Mickey D's as something other than fast food? Sure, we use the same word for places where you are served prepared food (restaurant), but there is a clear distinction between fast-food and other types of restaurants (fast food, drive-thru, drive-in, sit-down, fancy, etc).
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
As to wether we pay as we go or run up a tab, much depends on the type of establishment and how busy it is. If it is a neighborhood bar and not too busy (think Cheers), tabs are the norm. If it is a swanky nightclub on a Saturday night, chances are that you will have to pay as you go.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
At work, we eat out every day as we aren't allowed to eat in our offices. It is a nice break from the daily grind of the office as we go an hour before the norm so we are never rushed.
Brian
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
"Most "yanks" as you say, which I wouldn't say down south unless you'd like to get beat up, eat at McDs but don't look forward to it. :) I go because my two boys (4 and 5) like the toys in the Happy Meals and like to play on the playground. At a "restaurant" if the food takes longer than 20 minutes to get there, they will destroy the place and be hanging from the lighting fixtures. :)"
LOL! That's my boys too. I dream of the day when my wife & I can enjoy a pleasant dinner, with conversation beyond, "so dear, how was your day ... David! stop hitting your brother!..."
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
1) No tipping necessary nor expected at restaurants nor hotels
2) The Chinese eat very loudly... lip smacking, mouth open, talking with food in there, etc.
3) Pretty much the only rule at the table is: Don't point your chopsticks at other people.
4) Everybody uses their own chopsticks to serve out of the common bowl
5) Water with meal is considered unhealthy
6) Tea arrives before everything else. Pour it into your bowl and then "sterilize" your chopsticks, tea cup, and soup spoon in the hot tea. It's fine to make a mess and spill the tea about.
7) The fortune cookie doesn't exist in China... it's an American 'invention'.
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RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
In the US it was strange to be served a bowl of salad at the beginning of the meal. After waiting some time for the the accompaniment of meat and vegetables to arrive did we discover that people ate the salad as an aperitif. Weird.
In the UK it's always the case that you pay for your drinks as you get them. Mainly because nobody trusts anybody else. In mainland europe it seems to be the case that they trust you to present your final 'tabs' at the end fo the night to settle up your account.
corus
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
1) Fork always in left hand, generally upside-down.
2) Knife always in right hand, never put down.
3) Knife used as a combination tool: cutting, fork-loading and general food rearrangement. Knife never goes into mouth.
4) Hands only used in emergencies (i.e. no knife and fork available).
Us Brits get "table manners" beat into us at an early age. It's not until we venture overseas that we realise we are the only ones who eat like this.
And it's dead easy to spot Europeans in American restaurants. They're the ones who try to eat the whole meal, however big it is. I know of no other country where taking half your dinner home in a box is considered the norm. You might just be offered a box in a Pizza Hut in the UK, but that's about the limit.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Some more tips on China:
-You can burp as you wish, for sure they will burp too (unless it is a really formal dinner, and even so...);
-Rice (with exception of plain white rice) is considered also a dish and usually served in the end;
-In more traditional settings, and if there is a steamed fish, never turn the fish to get the meat on the other side-it's considered bad luck-The best move is to wait someone serves you;
-When you order a whole chicken, be prepared to see the also the head (the same applies with pigeon);
The sterilization of the chopsticks with tea is expected in more informal restaurants, in formal ones, the tea is really to be drunk;
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
hmmm... i always finish mine... and then my wife's. It's how I keep my girlish figure.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I was recently traveling in Malaysia and was suprised when my young Malaysian colleague was practically desperate for McDonalds after a week of business dinners. I suppose recent grads from Uni are the same all over the world. I then visited the food court at the mall in central KL and found it packed with people of all ages, but while McDonalds and KFC were there, most of the shops were Chinese food.
Oh, an when traveling to countries where food contamination is common, watch out for anything served cold, or uncooked. The sickest I have ever been in my life was after having a salad in a five star restaurant in Mexico City.
-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
The 'sterilization' ritual was done by my hosts at every restaurant, even the very, very nice ones.
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RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
At most of the nicer restaurants, the manager or owner would come to my table to greet me and then join me in a shot of rice wine or chug a glass of beer.
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RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
corus
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
The only difference is that French McD's serve beer.
McD is the only place in France (Italy, Spain, etc) where you get your food fast (this is not even true for certain French McD's...). This is because eating is considered to be a way to spend your evening, not something you do before you spend your evening.
The biggest mistake for any businessman in a Mediterranean country is to discuss business during lunch or dinner.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I'm finding this thread fascinating, guys! Please keep it up. I really should get out more.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Haggis, Pizza, Candy Bars.......
Different parts of the country or even different pubs in the same area can have different customs in the UK. Get it wrong enough in the wrong pub and you'll have the pleasure of experienceing the national Health service first hand.
Once got told off for not taking my empty vessels back to the bar, which is odd because usually it's something I did anyway.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
My favorite story is of being in Korea. We went to the plant cafeteria and lunch that day was fishhead soup with rice. A clear fish broth, rice in the bottom of the bowl and fish heads floating and a little kim chi to liven it up. I did the best I could, but about half way through lunch my host asked "Steve-a-san, you no like fish head soup?" I made the excuse that I wasn't feeling well and carried on, but that was a long lunch.
-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
NEVER stick your chopsticks down into your food like a pincushion, very bad luck. It's also more polite to flip your chopsticks around when taking food from a communal bowl. Burping, gas, even sneezing are all very bad form - but I'm pretty sure you're expected to slurp your tea.
I think there's also something about only passing food bowls with both hands, not just one.
It was very strange for me in Europe (France in particular) that we received our food from the waiter and were promptly ignored for the next 2 hours. In the US this is completely shoddy service, but over there I think they assume you're taking your time.
Oh yeah, sushi is actually finger food!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
You offer and receive your credit card by holding it with both hands. The same is done with business cards but you also offer a slight bow and nod of the head.
This is the same in Japan, isn't it?
In Holland (all of Europe?), you don't receive your restaurant bill until you specifically ask for it, even if you're just sitting there by yourself with empty dishes.
In China, for the pig's feet, ribs, and other meats that are to be eaten by hand, they provide you with a plastic glove to wear.
Also, napkins are often not provided by the restaurant. When they are provided, they're usually a little package of tissue that are pretty ineffective.
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RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I've eaten with my hands in all three of the Ethiopian restaurants that I've been to in the US. I just assumed that was the custom over there.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
In the US they want your table for the next customer - nothing to do with good service, just revenue.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Not many of our local places manage that.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
The funnier moments in terms of cross cultural experiences really happen at the table.
And regarding business at the table in Mediterranean countries, in fact you can discuss it, but only after football (soccer), politics, drinks, family, trips, jokes, food and several bottles of wine (roughly, between the 3rd and 4th hour of the meal).
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
It is very common to eat with fingers in India. The food is usually served in larger dishes to the table from which each person serves to their own plate. The secret is to serve relatively small amounts of the sauce / dall / etc sufficient to mix with the rice and make rice balls. If you serve a full portion of the curry it's like trying to eat rice soup with your fingers - very messy! Just keep adding small amounts of the curry as you need it to moisten the rice. Don't forget to use the naan to soak up excess liquid and it's acceptable to place small amounts of rice / curry onto a chipati and roll it up like a fajita. (Just watch out you fold up the bottom to seal it or else you get curry squirting into your lap when you bite the top!) ALso be prepared for the curry to stain the ends of your fingers brown like you're a 40-a-day man / woman !
mog69
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
- My wife worked at a restaurant in South Louisiana when she was 17. An experienced waitress from New York went to work there and complained because she said she could turn 3 to 4 tables in New York for each table there.
- When my wife and I went to Washington D.C. and ate in a downtown bistro, the waitress kept hovering over us, apparently trying to hurry us along. We noticed that all of the other tables had turned several times before we were ready to go.
- I belonged to a Miata car club and we would go on drives as a club. Some visitors in their Miata from Connecticut (north east U.S.) were in town and looked us up to see if they could join a drive. We had one scheduled for that weekend and they asked where we were going. We told them the restaurant, and they asked, "and then where are we going?" They were very surprised to find that the restaurant WAS the destination.
- I went to several primary and secondary schools in Scotland and England and my wife still teases me about way I wield my knife and fork. Like SomptingGuy said, the table manners are drilled incessantly...
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Nearly all European restaurants I've been in don't expect you to leave very soon and usually asking the waitress for the cheque is the only way to go. Us Canadians are similar to Americans in that we consider a one hour meal to be too long, although I still enjoy a long meal if there is a large group of people. If alcohol is being served during the meal, forget about a short meal.
Polish customs dictate that some sort of alcohol will be served with dinner, usually alot of it and it's almost mandatory if you're an important guest. I'm not sure about business meetings though, I think they're very similar to other European and American customs.
I do like that the French McDonalds serves beer, I wish they would do that over here in Canada...those pansies...in actual fact serving beer at a burger joint is good business practice, people always want a beer with their burger...at least I do, and you can charge a bit more for it.....on second thought, McDonald's burger are less than edible so I would imagine their beer would be too.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Re the cheque, yes you are almost always supposed to ask for it, it's not considered good service when they put the cheque in front of you, in other words asking you to free up the chair. In any case dinner is usually so long that there will not be anyone else on the same chair during the same evening. I guess eating out in Europe must be more expensive in the US or Australia for the same reason.
Re being ignored during 2 hours after placing the order in Europe, actually this is not considered good service at all, the waiter is supposed to come back not too long after serving the food to check if things are fine.
Re the hopeless napkins, yes this is a common and major problem in Europe, you really need to go to an above-average restaurant to have decent napkins. We usually take our own with us for the kids otherwise it becomes a complete mess, this should obviously not be necessary.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Is it just my imagination that American waitresses/waiters are friendlier than their European counterparts? I realize that tipping can do that to a person. It may be phony, but it makes the meal more pleasant.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
As I was getting the coats at the end of the party, the owner, a goon of a character, came over and said that a more appropriate tip would have been $100. I said that others must have given something in appreciation. My estimate is that the owner wanted me to pay his MD's salary.
Can you top that?
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
On top of that most of those wanting to take my bag were little bitty women. Now I know the world has changed etc etc, but I just could not bring myself to let some young woman who is all of 90 lbs soaking wet haul my bags for me. A 240 lb 6'2" man following this little bitty woman through the lobby while she hauls my luggage, I don't think so. My attitude may be sexist, but I think I can handle my own bags thank you.
-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
That kinda depends on whether you consider the phoney 'Have a nice day' as friendly, or sycophantic. Friendly is good, but not too friendly. In the US many waiters / waitresses are too friendly for my European tastes. That said, some of their European equivalents are outright rude. As is often the case, the middle path is the best.
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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
The one phrase that I used to find myself translating a lot for my British guests and visitors when eating out in America was "So you're all set then". This means "My part in this transaction is complete. Please leave now."
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
When it's the middle of a Paris summer, rel humidity is about 85% and the smog is keeping every degree of heat around well into the night, you just want a cold beer. Loved France, but just couldn't satisfy my thirst.
LewTam Inc.
Petrophysicist, Leading Hand, Natural Horseman, Prickle Farmer, Crack Shot, Venerable Yogi.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I recall someone describing a particular ale as being "warm and chewy, with bits of pond life floating in it."
TTFN
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
The beers which are served less chilled than lager tend to be the traditional English cask beers or 'real ales'. Overchilling them kills the flavour, so you have no idea of what you are drinking. There is only a couple of degress difference in temperature: 6C or so being about right. They should be crystal clear with no floaters (or sinkers!) in the glass. Cloudy beer is bad beer, either because the cask has been tapped too early, or because the beer has gone stale.
A few English beers really need to be cold though: Newcastle Brown Ale becomes positively toxic if it is served too warm. Warm lager or pilsner is just disgusting, so we don't drink it warm! I can understand LewTam's need to chill Aussie beer to the point where its flavour disappears: Fosters? Castlemaine? Yuk!
Could it be Scrumpy (rough cider from Somerset) that you are thinking of with bits of pond life and branches in it? There are some really nice brews out there if you are in the area, and some which would be great for degreasing truck engines. The ingredients (other than apples) which go in Scrumpy might seem a little strange - raw meat being a common additive. Folklore (I hope) has it that the meat is added in whatever form is available - rats, pig's heads, etc. Lovely!!
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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
"I'd love one, but you don't sell any. However, I'm prepared to accept 4/5 of a pint of ice-cold horse p155 served in a frosty mug."
More seriously, during the 90's it seemed like beer that tasted of something started to catch on in America (the mid west at least). But then the whole thing overshot - many beers had so much flavour they became almost undrinkable.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Mayo is good, if not exactly healthy, mustard is great. Does the US have an equivalent to the fiery English mustard? The yellow stuff (French's?) is very nice on hot dogs, but not so good with a roast.
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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I know have noticed a worrying trend in our supermarkets. They have started selling sandwiches without mayonnaise, which to me just taste bland. I think its to cater for the 'diet' market which seems to be getting bigger, kinda like the UK populace.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
And why are they all so weak? 3% alcohol is not enough liquor, I don't know about the rest of you but I enjoy a good buzz, it makes nap time easier
Speaking of cloudy beer, I once tried a 'dirty ale' in Calgary, it was basically a very very cloudy beer, very refreshing too.
I agree about the sandwiches with butter, they do taste better with it. My wife is a native Canuck and I just can't understand her love for mayo and/or mustard on her sandwiches, and vice versa.
A good fiery mustard is 'dijon', the French version is pretty weak, for a real kick try an authentic East European version, it's got stronger horseradish.
OR just buy mustard and add horseradish, mayo and hot sauce is really good too, especially with fried fish.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
It makes the bread moist and more edible. The French and Italians often dunk their bread in olive oil, which is a similar substance, only posher. "Mayo" and mustard (mega-mild "yellow" American mustard) have similar uses.
Butter these days in the UK is almost extinct as a spread. There was a shift to margerine many years back and more recently a shift to something called buttermilk (God knows what that really is!). Similarly, I've never had "mayo" either in the UK or in America that is anything like the real thing you'd get in France or Holland. My theory is that what we call butter (low fat spread) and what we and Americans call mayo (low fat something) are converging and will ultimately be produced using the same by-products of the petro-chemical industry.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I'll have to look them up, my experience with US brews has been soured by the likes of Miller and various other concoctions I won't bother mentioning.
My question to you geoff is, do these beers from Lafayette contain the proper amount of alcohol 5% or more (I'll accept 4.8% in my Mexican and Belgian brews) or do they contain the regular American amount 3% or so?
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I used to be a regular at the Goose Island establishment (can't bring myself to use the word "pub" to describe places outside of the UK) and found Honkers to be the nearest thing to a likeable UK-style beer:
http:
I think it's probably degenerated into a mass-produced bottled beer these days, but if you get it on tap it's pretty good.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
There are certainly pockets of civilization in the US. We can certainly buy Europe and UK imports, and there are a number of micro breweries that make a fine product. Anything with national advertising is pretty much swill.
I went into a cafe in Iowa and asked what kind of beer they had, my choices were:
Bud light
Michelob light
Miller light
Coors light
I told them that I did not want a beer with the adjective light. I ended up with a Coca Cola. They didn't have any beer that met that criteria.
-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Certainly some of them were quite strong as I think I tried to recall the next day as I was about to give a lecture on some research!! Still my nerves were quite settled.
I am sure they have a web site.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Every other occasion requires butter on bread (no margarine! never EVER for a French person), except in case(obviously! for a French person) in case the bread goes with cheese (in which case it is not a sandwhich but a course between the main course and the sweet dessert) or in case of dried (no not fried) sausage, which is such a treat that butter would only spoil it. Oh, and yes, McDonald's don't put butter in their burgers.
Breakfast at epoisses' on Sunday morning usually includes a baguette from the village baker who is an incredibly competent man, it's usually still hot when I get home and all it takes is a little butter with nothing else except a good cup of coffee, it's better than anything else in the whole world including foie gras.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Re: the olive oil - what was I thinking (I spent many weeks living in with French families as a kid so I should know better)?
It's the Italian restaurants (in Italy) where you get bread and olive oil served as soon as you sit down. Similarly, filled rolls (a.k.a. subs in America) leave you with olive oil running up your arms.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Warm bread is the cat's noots (ie. rare but good), I also love a bit of butter on a warm baguette. Unfortunately it's much harder to find around here.
Another favourite of mine is baked garlic and baked camembert with some sweet jam.
Speaking of coffee, does anyone have any good suggestions?
I'm partial to the Turkish stuff, the thick bitter kind you can almost eat, black, no sugar, along with some sweet dates on the side. Or very strong black coffee with alot of sugar.
I occasionally stumble onto a good batch of coffee, but it's rare.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
The most typical Portuguese dish is, cured salty codfish with potatoes and vegetables, tempered with olive oil, garlic and pepper.
Another typical Portuguese dish is a kind of stew with several parts of pork meat, potatoes, vegetables and sausages in some way are similar to French or German “choucrute”? And as a drink this dish is degusted with red wine.
As typical traditional dessert, we have sweet rice.
In summer time we eat salad and sardines grilled in charcoal.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Drinking stuff cold reduces the ability to taste it, why are you drinking something that tastes so bad you have to chill it to make it palatable? (And yes to my pallet most European beer isn’t much better, I don’t like it cold or fizzy.)
Yes there are some microbreweries in the US that churn out some OK products but most I’ve seen still has to be drunk cold. Also the one local microbrew to where I live has a license to brew Bass. Not my favorite in the first place but when you get it served ice cold in a mug that has been cryogenically frozen to be approximately absolute zero it’s real bad. I tried letting it warm up a little but that made it even worse.
I’ve been served Guinness lollipops too in the US. Cans of draught so cold their frozen.
As for Guinness extra cold, I used to drink it in bars in the UK where their ability to store beer was questionable, it’s somewhat more consistent. If the pub knows how to store beer then the regular draught is a lot better, not too cold either. Beamish is a nice drop too, difficult to find though, least in Hampshire before I moved to the states.
I make all sandwiches with butter/margarine, I guess how I was drugged up, can’t stand cheese or Mayo. My wife (US) always finds it weird.
Another thing, the same basic product in the US is often sweeter than in the UK, I know I’m not the only one who has noticed it. Bread is a good example, regular white out here is too sweet for most applications, you have to find ‘French’ bread or delve into sour dough or something. Also a lot of cereals, US versions are sweeter.
Finally Candy, or sweets as I called them back in the UK. UK US translation
Mars Bar = Milky Way
Milky Way = 3 Musketeers
Malteesers (can’t recall how to spell it) = Whoppers
They taste different too.
Plus the US chocolate tends not to be as ‘smooth’ as the UK stuff. This is even true for Cadbury items made under license over here. And yes I know Cadbury Milk chocolate tastes like it does because it’s not technically chocolate due to the low cocoa solids, oil etc….
MARMITE
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I enjoy the expression on my Aussie friends face when they taste Marmite for the first time, having assured them it is like Vegemite.
Here's a very simple test for you lot eating margarine instead of butter. Stick your knife into the substance and eat a teaspoon sized lump of it. Admire the taste, admire the oil slick it leaves in your mouth. Disgusting, isn't it?
Now do the same with even the lowest quality butter. There, didn't hurt a bit did it?
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
LewTam Inc.
Petrophysicist, Leading Hand, Natural Horseman, Prickle Farmer, Crack Shot, Venerable Yogi.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Back to the original topic (sort of).
How do you beg off when offered something seemingly unpaletable?
For example, on a trip to Japan some years ago I was faceed with:
"Mr. Julep, this is raw horse. Please try!"
We had been drinking a bit of sake, so....
raw horse isn't that bad, tasted like... horse, only raw.
I've had it a few times since, mostly to disgust other Americans.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Plus to most Brits (and perhaps europeans) the drink thing is important. For instance that fact that it seems generally that for US companies drinking at a business lunch/dinner is often frowned upon, especially if you're going back to work after. In the UK it seemed almost mandatory.
My favourite drinking at lunch story involves my confusing the blue white wine bottle with the blue water bottle but that would be a different thread altogether.
mmmm cheval
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
MintJulep. Wait.... that name sounds familiar......It reminds me of the name of an alcoholic drink......Can't think of it right now.
The horse wouldn't disgust me. Raw horse is a different matter.
LewTam Inc.
Petrophysicist, Leading Hand, Natural Horseman, Prickle Farmer, Crack Shot, Venerable Yogi.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Cadbury's isn't real chocolate??? NOOOO!!! I always wondered why that stuff tasted so good, must be the crack cocaine they put into it ;)
I don't know about other industries, but all the engineers/technical representatives I've been on lunch with, drink like fish, I guess it makes the day fly by.
I once worked with a techie who would start his day off with a glass of whiskey, not a shot or two either a FULL TALL glass with NO ice.
Greg L,
I've been exposed to alot of weird Brit and semi-Brit ways, including Peck's Anchovete, but Marmite and Vegemite, those have to be the foulest concoctions ever devised by man, Marmite more so. As for Peck's, I love the stuff especially with a good thick layer of butter under it...my wife won't kiss me after I eat the stuff though.
Hmmmm mint julep, sounds tasty, mojitos are pretty good, very refreshing and not too sweet.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Marmite is fantastic, I virtually grew up on it. However, it scares my wife, she seems to think if you open the jar in daylight that it will be angered and act like 'the blob' or something. Also she wont get anywhere near me after I've eaten it so I limit my intake.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
There was a Marmite blob commercial that was pulled from TV because it frightened children.
http://www.visit4info.com/details.cfm?adid=19563
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4353055.stm
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Going back to the chopsticks washing, in all dinners and lunches that I had only one time the Chinese that were with me washed the chopsticks in tea (well, the restaurant was not exactly a star-Michellin, but the food was wonderful. Please don't invite me to see the kitchen).
Other comments:
-If they ask you if you want wine, please don't say yes, 99.9% of the cases they are refering to rice wine that it is a distilled beverage almost unbearable and extremely alcoholic (38-50% v/v). I managed to escape from it;
-We are expected to drink until everybody's drunk or you quit. I believe that I made the day of my Chinese counter part when one day at lunch (that started at 11.30h) I said that I couldn't drink anymore and he with a triumph smile said:"I beat you". The fact is that at dinner he didn't drink. But amazingly he brought a friend (that I never saw before)to drink with me, so he outsourced the drinking part. I asked him why and he told that he had drunk too much at lunch so he had headache and stomach ache (and I tought "eheh, who beats who?";
-Strange food comes to the table, but I would say that I like 99% of it. In one of the lunches, the first dish was... chicken feet. I am used to see chicken feet in chinese meals but these ones or these ones were HUGE still with nails!! Maybe eagle feet!! Fortunately, since Chinese meals have at least 10 dishes you will find somehting htat you like
-As the drinks roll over, things start to be more interesting. Just to tell you that one night in the end I was already being invited to eat... elephant's nose (trunk). Apparently, this is a delicacy that in times was reserved for the emperor. Now, it is forbidden because elephant is a protected specie but either way they manage to get it and Chinese like to show their status by getting these expensive and forbidden materials. Of course I said no in a delicate way and proposed another toast. It always works to change subject.
Just one more thing that I found out: some Chinese don't like cold beer. In fact they drink the beer at ambient temperature.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
epoisses, I am ready to bet I am better than you at cooking
Sadly, French people do not like much learning foreign languages. Seems like it's going better with new generations, because they understand now that it is necessary to be understood worldwide as well as understand people coming from all around the world to France. So, if you go into any small restaurant or café, then you might deal with a non english speaking waitress. I notice that more and more places with non english speaking employees have a note at the door telling so.
Cyril Guichard
Mechanical Engineer Consultant
France
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Within 50 miles of my work I can named six breweries that would not shame England, Belgium, or Germany. And there is a seventh one that I haven't tried yet. Five of them are very good, the sixth is superb. I can honestly say I have never visited a brewery anywhere in Europe (never been to Germany though) that could match them for the sheer number of quality offerings.
I agree that where I live (Wisconsin), is not typical when it comes to American beer, but please don't lump us in with theose people that only drink Bud Light, etc. We do, of course, have tons of bad American beer around here too.
The brewery I mentioned before, if anyone cares, is the Capital Brewery of Middleton.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
About the McDonalds, is it only the drinks in America McD is refillable? In Asia, the drinks are not refillable. How about the case in Europe? There used to have one fast food restaurant in my country that allowed drinks refill. Thereafter, many youngsters and women went there to gossip for several hours. After few months, the restaurant filed bankruptcy. Not sure if that's due to the drinks issue, but one thing for sure, no refillable drink at any fast food restaurant from then on. That's funny. By the way, hot tea in Chinese restaurant is refillable.
SMS - Which country are you from? It seems like you travel to lots of countries. Did you try the Dim Sum in Mandarin Oriental Hotel in KL? That is one of the famous Dim Sum in town. Yummy yummy. Unfortunately, I am studying and working in the US these days.
Yes, south is famous for its cold, sweet tea. And yes, most of them are too sweet. Therefore, some people would prefer hald and half (half sweet, half unsweet). Even some people order unsweeteded tea and add "High and Low" in there.
And, I think Americans treat sodas like water, and ice like heaven. Not many Asian parents allow their kids to drink sodas and ice beverage.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Some times referred to as 'Ambrosia' the food of the Gods.
OK, that may have shown my personal fondness however, It is Yeast Extract. Essentially if I recall correctly it's what is left over after you've brewed beer, processed and put in a jar.
It is then typically spread on bread/toast. There are many other ways to use it and a number of products available which use Marmite as the main flavor ingredient, Twiglets being the most notable example.
It's a love or hate type thing, so much so that the manufacturers admit it and have based advertising campaigns around it.
It's very salty but high in Vitamin B if I remember right. I usually prefer mine spread fairly thin but some people like it thicker, usually a bit overpowering for my pallet.
Bruno, when I get a chance I'll try and reply but it may not be short!
Ken
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I'm strongly on the hate it side ;) Our dogs loved it ;)
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Regarding Beer, it’s at least partly a matter or taste, even by British Standards I’m somewhat picky. Whilst not a CAMRA (Campaign for real ale) member I do have leanings in that direction.
As I implied in my original post I don’t like my beer ice cold & fizzy (or course warm and fizzy would be worse).
So a beer might be the best cold fizzy lager in the world but I probably wouldn’t like it.
I don’t think I’ve come across any American beers, including some microbrews, that aren’t served cold and fizzy.
This isn’t just a dig at US beer, I don’t think I’ve ever found a beer from anywhere other than UK & Ireland that I really like. I’ve found a few I can drink at a pinch but none I’d want to quaff ten pints (pint = 20 ounces) or so of in an evening.
There are also plenty of British brews I’m not a fan of either.
Out of interest Bruno are any of the beers you talk of from your local brewery more like traditional British Ales? If so then I may have to try and investigate, I’m in Southern CA but might be able to work something out, and retract my statement. If not then I stand by my original comments!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Are there other cusines that serve something to cleanse the pallet before the main course?
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Steven K. Roberts, Technomad
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I remember having, I think it was grapefruit Juice, for that reason. I think it was after the main course and before desert but I can't be sure, t'was back when I were a lad.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Many years ago I ordered a bowl of fish soup in a small restaurant stall in Keelung, Taiwan.
I was expecting something like boullibase, or chowder.
What arrived was a bowl of clear broth, with some slices of ginger, scallions and a few other veggies and
a whole fish.
Head sticking out of the bowl on one side. Tail sticking out on the other.
Very surprizing, just because of the mismatch between my mental expectation and reality.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Funny you say that, Cyril. I work with three French guys. One speaks French, German, & English, the next speaks French, Italian, and English, and the third speaks French, Spanish, and English.
Nope. The first round is used for 'sterilization' and dumped into a common container that is then whisked away. After that, it's all for drinking.
No refills in Holland nor in France. I was at Schiphol and the typical American guy obnoxiously demanded that they fill his cup to the brim. The server pointed to a little line on the side of the cup and said that was the fill line. Definitely no refills in Holland. The Dutch have a well-deserved reputation for being cheap.
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RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
It always amuses me when asked in the USA would you like to super size your drink sir? Let me think would I like to pay more or walk five yards to refill something that I probably will not drink all of in the first place? I guess us brits are cheap as well.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I was always amused by free refills in the USA. Whilst I was quite happy to refill whilst still eating, I could never go completely native and refill on my way out.
Do they still have those massive cups in America - the sculpted ones where the bottom few inches are narrow and can sit in a cup holder, while the bulk of the cup is 6 inches wide and towers above the holder?
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Filling the cup with ice IS a ploy for giving you less drink for your money!
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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I'm not sure why the fastfood industry led the way to free refills but I was suprised when the restaurants joined in. I assume part of the reason is to save the labor of fastfood server who would normally be tasked with trying to meet the desires of the customer with their no ice/little ice/heavy ice/mixed flavors, etc. requests. Now the server/money taker usually just stands ready to toss the food on the counter and yell, "Next!"
Wish I could visit Europe.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
We have operations in Miri (Lutong)Sarawak, and an office in the Petronas towers.
Yes the KLCC mall has food of every kind, three levels of food court... Oh and no refills on drinks!!
-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
The Capital is a german style brewery, so none of theirs are gonna be to your taste I think. I would recommend another brwery in my hometown, The Great Dane. They produce many English style brews, many of which (although uncertified) are produced using the standards for "real ale" as defined by CAMRA.
I can personally recommend their Potters Run India Pale Ale and the Wooden Ships ESB as both very good and fairly authentic.
Unfortunately, they don't sell anywhere outside Madison as far as I know.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
By the standards of some european countries 3 languages isn't that many. Pretty much every Dutch person I've ever met can speak 5-6 if I remember correctly.
The Brits are bad at learning foreign languages. I know a little French and that's it.
Bruno, if my travels ever take me that way I may have to check it out.
One just occured to me, what's with donuts/doughnuts for breakfast? In the UK we might have this with a coffee or something at about 10:30 -11:00 (the famous elevenses) but not for breakfast.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
..And likewise maple syrup on ham / bacon and eggs for breakfast !
mog69
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
The Dutchman you spoke with must have been bluffing. Dutch speak Dutch because their mama taught them, Dutch speak English because the TV taught them (everything is subtitled in Holland). Dutch rarely speak much German or French.
And yes they are cheap (don't remember who wrote that much higher up), so definitely no refill! However any place that advertises with a free coffee refill is immediately flooded with customers (which I guess only reconfirms the statement).
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
If I am out to dinner, I usually order iced tea just so I can get free refills. I save the alcoholic drinks for later.
SomptingGuy, yes we still have those top-heavy cups in the USA, and there seems to be no slow down in their growth. Recently a fast food chain (Wendy's) just changed-up their sizes. Their large drink was called a Biggie. Now the Biggie is the medium size (32oz/960ml) and there is a larger Large size (42oz/1260ml). Some of my friends will drink 2-3 cup fulls at lunch.
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Steven K. Roberts, Technomad
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
In most restaurants here in the US, soft drinks cost between $1.50 and $2.50. There are some outliers but I'd call that average. As was mentioned above, figure in cost of cup, labour, ice, even refrigeration and I can't imagine that the total cost is above $0.25. Add in two (2!) free refills and we're talking, what, $0.26? Remember this the next time you are denied a free refill.
With almost any meal while eating out, I drink (tap) water. If some place has the nerve to charge for that, I don't come back.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Actually, my favorite is grits cass,erole made by mixing cooked grits with grated cheese, jalapenos a bit of cream, and maybe a few other things I can't remember, then baking.
"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Lemonade is a term we Brits use for flavourless fizzy sugar water. And although I acknowledge the stupidity of it, I really miss it when travelling abroad. When I ask for a whisky and lemonade anywhere else in the world I get either blank or disbelieving looks. Sprite doesn't cut it. Nor does 7UP.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
SMS- There is a Shell oil office in PETRONAS (Malaysia's National Petroleum)towers??? Weird case. Do you think there is a BP office in Exxon building in the US? I didn't know there have 3 levels of food court in KLCC mall. It seems like you know more about my country than me.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Korean culture (wife is Korean)- if you celebrate good fortune, you treat your co-workers/friends when out.
I don't get it.
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Steven K. Roberts, Technomad
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Speculation is that it's about showing off one's status.
TTFN
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Well I witnessed several of the Dutch guys (and girls) speaking Dutch, English, French and German. So at least several of them spoke at least 4 languages. Also a couple of them had accents so good that you couldn't really tell where they came from, they could easily have been a Brit who just spoke a little odd.
In the UK, where I worked, if it was your birthday you brought in cakes/donuts whatever.
In the US where I've worked it seems they are more likely to treat you.
Sompting, all the lemonade I ever drank in the UK was lemon flavored, just not very strong. The other difference, like you said, lemonade in the UK is fizzy. Even so called traditional lemonade, though being stronger in flavor more like US lemonade, is fizzy. I was quite surprised when I first had lemonade in the US and it was flat.
Here's one for you. In France it seemed perfectly acceptable for the froth on top of a beer to half fill the glass. In the UK that's actually illegal if I recall correctly. The maximum froth is I believe about 10 mm or something like that. Any more and you can take it back for a top up. Some pubs actually have oversize glasses, basically an extra 10mm added on the top so you actually get a full pint of beer!
Any whiskey drinkers out there like to explain the differences between Irish, Scotch, Canadian and American (including bourbon JD etc)? To me the Irish is by far the best but I'm sure others will disagree.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Most of the Dutch guys I work with speak English, Dutch, and one other language. But usually the third language is not as good. I was told that English and Dutch were mandatory in school, but they also had to take another language as well. I took German in school, and today my ability to speak German is little more than Hi how are you. If you don't use it, you loose it. I think the same is true for the Dutch.
I do speak Spanish, because I use it. So who has enjoyed tapas and Sangria in Barcelona? That is the life.... I really need to move to Spain.
(Tapas is the Spanish version of Dim Sum, a wide variety of small dishes of meats or vegetables that everyone at the table shares).
-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Agreed, but not to Barcelona (yet). My visit to Madrid (visiting my wife's friends there) started with a morning shopping trip, which "finished up" with a "bite to eat" at a tapas bar. Round after endless round of tasty bits to eat, along with various wines, beer, etc. Everything from bread and olives to squid in its own ink and octopus. After we finally filled up (about 1-ish?) the owner/proprietor refused to let us leave without trying a shot of his home-made pear liquer. Then home for a siesta...
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
One was Chinese food and One was Indian. It's not as common as in the US though.
The Dutch Guys and Gals I spoke to may not have been typical then I guess.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Dunno about free refills, my local Italian restaurant gives us bread and olive oil all night!
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
There is a red/green marker on the table. If the green is showing the servers bring racks and racks (skewers I suppose) of different cooked meats. When you can eat no more you have to turn the red end up or the food continues to flow. I haven't been to a bad one yet.
For bland American food buffets, nothing beats Homestyle Buffet. Very institutional grade food from what I have experienced.
At buffets, or any place that has mutiple service personnel, what is the usual advice for tipping? If I have only one server and service was descent I'll tip 10-16% (just double the tax). If the service is great I don't have a problem tipping 20-25%. But when I get to a place that has one person bringing me water, another bringing me bread, another for salad, another for entrees, and yet another for dessert, I have no idead what to tip.
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Steven K. Roberts, Technomad
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I must admit I do miss the all-you-can-eat indian and chinese restaurants we used to go to when I worked in America. I wonder if any of these places have fulfilled Dilbert's dream yet of being open 24 hours a day (you never need to leave and can actually live there).
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
In business and industry, many French do speak foreign languages of course. How would they work otherwise? I do speak English and German myself. But have a travel anywhere in France not for your job and tell me if Robert in Berry can speak english with you about his cows and sheeps ;)
I ate in a KFC near to Paris early July were they offer refill. I was very surprised.
Cyril Guichard
Mechanical Engineer Consultant
France
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
All you can eat places are prevalent up here in Canada, most people love the local 'Mandarin' franchise, they serve Chinese/American fare, there's also a 'Tucker's marketplace', they serve American/British food. I was guilty of frequenting those places in my poorer university days, but I also worked out alot back then and it was the only place that could satiate my hunger for a decent price.
Most people like these places, I dislike the Mandarin and hate Tucker's, the price is good, but if the food is awful (in my opinion) it's just a waste of cash.
I generally avoid the chain restaurants (especially Pizza Hut) and stick to the mom and pops, the price is good, the service better and the food superb.
Hmm 'churrasqueras', I've seen a few around here, but now I've got try one out.
Lebanese food is great, has anyone tried it?
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Incidentally there is a really good posh Greek restaurant in the centre of Detroit. And there is a fantastically good Greek tavern in Chapel St in Melbourne.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
It's spelled gyros (but still pronouned yeros) at least here in the States.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
We'd been in for maybe five hours, consumed pretty much a gallon of beer each, and a frankly stupendous amount of pizza. Think in terms of a combine going through a field of corn and you have some idea of our eating rate. I think we were so drunk that we were becoming loud and irritating, but that wasn't the reason given when we were ejected. Happy days!
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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
The Leaders of the big beer companies meet for a drink.
The president of Budweiser orders a Bud, the CEO of Miller gets a Miller, the head of Coors orders a Coors, and so on. Until it's Arthur Guinness's turn.
He orders a soda. "Why didn't you order a Guinness?" everyone asks. “Nah,” Guinness replies, “if you guys aren't having beer, then neither will I."
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
It is hard to get sweet tea in some parts of Florida. So I fell like it is a "northern state". :)
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Up in Canada the iced tea is usually in a can, or a soda fountain so it's sweet.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Sugar in drinks is the US equivalent of flavourless plastic cheese on food. It's seen to somehow make whatever it's in/on better. In reality it just adds calories.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Putting sugar in cold tea just ain't right. It never dissolves properly or in the right conentration, and certainly not before you're done with your meal.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Exactly, in fact I could go for a cup o' Earl Grey right about now.
UcfSE,
Amen
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
But would you put "cow juice" into it?
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Of course! You can't miss with pasteurised bovine lactate.
Although occasionally some lemon is good too.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Now THAT is a phrase my mother-in-law will be hearing quite a lot when she digs out the tea pot on her next visit. Excellent!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Germany - the waiter gets the order and the money/change right on the first shot. This is an incredible relief to those of us Americans who are "used" to going over a restaurant bill and finding mistakes, then having to work it out with the waiter and do we need change with that, etc. Tipping is not expected in Germany, either. Not that I don't like to tip (if the service is good), but it's got to be earned.
A survival skill is the ability to drink warm soda (or "coke") - warm anything for that matter, an like it.
In my home town of New York City, there are so many food choices that I prefer my wife's cooking to anything else, six days a week. I take her to whereever she feels like going on the other day.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
davidbeach. I have almost never seen a restaurant that only served sweet tea. If they have sweet tea there is usually an unsweet as well.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
When traveling in western Europe everyone is paying for oneself, and when I get to pay the whole round of drinks no one ever follows.
I hope I am not beeing rude.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
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Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Back in the day my friends and I mostly did rounds. However, I'd often buy myself an extra pint or two in between to keep me lubricated. This was in the South but several contributors where from the grim part up north.
With rounds I always found it rude that many couples would treat themselves as a single unit in the round buying system, they only bought one round per cycle but when you bought the round they got two drinks.
fewfish If people aren't wanting to buy rounds they should make that clear up front and not accept your drink.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
1) The double-ender. When you're in a round with your in-laws (or other po-faced shandy drinkers) you buy your pint first. Then while ordering the inevitable ports/sherries/etc you down your own pint as fast as you can. Then you add another pint to the end, which is your "official" pint.
2) The opposite. When drinking with youngsters your round doesn't necessarily include a pint for yourself. Nobody gets ripped off and you get home safely.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
Guinness is difficult but do able.
Ale, preferably the real 'flat' kind but not too strong is probably favorite.
I dread to think about lager or cider.
Also drinking games, Bombing chasers etc...
Good times.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
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Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
When I worked in America, one of those great big "Irish pubs" opened up around the corner from the office. And then one year it did something I've never seen in England - a St George's day bash. And what a treat: a free St George and the Dragon tee shirt with your first half-yard of Double Diamond. And you got to keep the (plastic) half-yard.
Apart from the sheer tackiness of it all, the bit that really made it funny for me was all those people gently sipping from their half-yards. I suggested a boat race but nobody wanted to join in.
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink
I've done full yard of some indeterminate bitter from the Hall of residence bar at Uni. It stayed down for a few hours but the multiple poorly stored Murphys I had afterwards caused an upset.
I’ve done several half yards of Guinness in around 12 seconds or so with minimal spillage no problems with retention.
No wonder I struggled at Uni!
RE: Different cultures and their quirks/food/customs/drink