Strange foreign food.

[Sylvia727]

Perhaps it's an urban perculiarity, then. I live in a large city; now that you mention it, I don't believe I ever heard anyone order sweet tea when I stayed in smaller cities.

[AdminAssistant]

In the midwest, most restaurants have both sweetened and unsweetened tea.

Really? What part of the Midwest are you in? I only ask because I'm in Kansas, and I've lived in KC,MO, and neither places have good sweet tea availability.

[Sylvia727]

In the midwest, most restaurants have both sweetened and unsweetened tea. And about half the people ordering ask for "half and half" because they think the sweet tea is too sweet. I don't drink iced tea, so it's a pain in my butt.

[AdminAssistant]

As far as I know all Iced tea in Canada is sweet, unless otherwise specified. I always found it odd that it's not like that in the States, I was curious as to whether they sell anything like brisk, liptons or any of the bottled iced teas, and if those are unsweetened as well.

Bottled tea comes in both sweetened and unsweetened. But bottled tea tastes like crap, IMHO. In most restaurants in the north you can't even get sweetened tea, not even an option. I just make my own. Or go to McAlister's.

[lordlundar]

As far as I know all Iced tea in Canada is sweet, unless otherwise specified.

Personally, I make my own "sun tea". I grab a gallon glass jar and fill it about 2-3 cups shy from the top with cold water. In that I put in a dozen regular tea bags and set it out in the sun for a few hours. Then I bring it in, take out and squeeze the tea bags, then I pour 2 cups worth of the tea into a measuring cup. I heat that up a little and I add 1 cup of sugar and 1/2cup of lemon juice. I blend that up and add it to the main jar. Stir it up and pour it into juice jugs for later use.

[IDrinkaRum]

OoO! I forgot to mention, my mom (and her mom before her) likes to eat toast with refried beans on it. I haven't tried it ... yet.

[muses_nightmare]

As far as I know all Iced tea in Canada is sweet, unless otherwise specified. I always found it odd that it's not like that in the States, I was curious as to whether they sell anything like brisk, liptons or any of the bottled iced teas, and if those are unsweetened as well.

One of my favorite sandwiches is Cheese wiz and jam. It has to be on toast though, it's odd when it's on untoasted bread (it's a texture thing). I don't know if that's a cultural thing or just an odd eating habit of mine

[DesignFox]

My SO was happily enjoying some cows eyes the other day... He is the purest carnivore I know.

As much as I like meat, it didn't sound appetizing to me.

[Yfandes]

OMG what a fun thread!! Apologies for the length, but this is a topic near and dear to my heart.

Ok, I live in the US, and I think these are a little strange:

• Birria - Mexican stew, usually goat around where I live. Tasty!
• Menudo - spicy tripe stew, necessary on a hangover Sunday.
• Liverwurst - I HATE liver, but I love this stuff! why?
• Cream of anything soup in a can - urk! why is it used so much in cooking? I just make a quick sauce
• Velveeta - I am convinced this is not a milk product, but a petroleum product.
• Lutefisk - popular with my 2nd generation Danish neighbors - UGH!

Overseas the oddballs to me were:

• Chicken feet dim sum - yum!
• These translucent black dumplings in Hong Kong that a local at my table cheerfully told me that as a kid they called them "boogers" in Chinese
• Haggis, Blood Sausage - nummy
• Balut - no, just... no
• Pizzas with an egg in the middle - I learned to love this
• Roasted Pigs head - yum, but keep the eyeballs away from me
• Saladitos - even more of an acquired tasted than Marmite/ Vegemite IMHO
• Taramasalata - I can eat a half pound jar of this in two days! mmmmmm
• Burro Stew - I only found out what it was after I had some. I ordered seconds
• Branston Pickle - heaven on a cheese sammich
• Seaweed Salad - sometimes I crave this and have our local sushi place make me a bowl of it

Ok I'll stop now

[Dreamstalker]

if you REALLY want to freak her out, go look in your kitchen because most of the processed stuff we buy in boxes or jars etc are now made in China.

She doesn't really buy a whole lot of processed food, but I'm willing to bet there's at least something in the cupboards that can be traced to China or that region (maybe she just doesn't like the fact that she can't read the ingredients...which is stupid as there's almost always an English-language label/list somewhere on the package). I do tend to check origins during food scares--during the powdered-milk debacle I went without my usual bottled milk tea--but in general I enjoy bizarre foods and will try almost anything once regardless of where it hails from.

Although I'm noticing a trend of sorts...just when I get addicted to an Asian foodstuff, I can no longer find it. Eh, all the more incentive to try something else.

[Boozy]

if you REALLY want to freak her out, go look in your kitchen because most of the processed stuff we buy in boxes or jars etc are now made in China.

I just took a good look around my pantry and can't find anything that was made in China. It's mostly from Canada (my country) with some from the US (mostly the pasta and grain products).

I'll admit, my pantry is low because my husband is away this week. He's the one who buys all the processed junk. I'm going to have to look at the stuff he brings home with him the next time he goes to the store.

[kiwi]

that were imported from ZOMG-China).

if you REALLY want to freak her out, go look in your kitchen because most of the processed stuff we buy in boxes or jars etc are now made in China.

I know this because I looked for New Zealand made peanut butter when I was in NZ last year and EVERY brand I picked up was from China except for one. Even the brands that are all "NZ owned" have their products made in china.
Its the same with Canada, most of the stuff on the shelves is imported.

(disclaimer - I have no problem with foods from china, Im just pointing it out so DS can freak his mum out)

[lordlundar]

Blood sausages (Why does everyone translate that stuff to black pudding?! It doesnt look like pudding, doesnt have the flavor or the texture of a pudding. Its a sausage, made from blood (and rice). Blood-sausage!)

Pudding is a funny word. In North America, it's referred to the creamy dessert. In modern England it refers to any dessert item.

There was even a time in England when the term "Pudding" meant anything boiled or baked. Given that the word has undergone so many meanings over the centuries, odds are blood sausages got the name black pudding at some point for simplicity sake and it just stuck. The black pudding originated in the Worcestershire region of England, so that might have something to do with it.

[lordlundar]

Aren't meat drippings basically the fat in the meat, not the blood?

Both actually. Any clear/translucent is usually fat, anything opaque/solid is blood.

[IDrinkaRum]

I love me some grits! Quaker (the people who make the Oats) put out a canister of grits that you can microwave. In about 4 minutes you can have the loverly grits right then and there! I always put a little butter & lots of cheese in them.

For the record, if anyone is going to try the Peanut Butter & Mayo sandwich, I only make it with CREAMY peanut butter and I only use Hellman's Regular Mayo.