Name your top 3 countries that you think have terrible food

[magomago]

Thai food....its jus tSOOOO freaking sweet I cant stand it. And India, not b/c it tastes bad, but because a newborn child probably has more tolerance for spice than I do.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: dullard
I haven't had the chance to taste food from every country. But from what I have eaten, this is my worst list:

1) Japan (worst of all).
2) England.
3) France.

It certainly is interesting how many people agree with my #1 and #2. I thought there were fewer fellow haters than that.

See, France and Italy would be at the top of my list. I love French food and Italian is right up there as well. Yummy!!!

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Jzero
There's things that I don't like (Indian sweets, for instance), but I've yet to find a single country where I don't like more than one or two dishes that I try.

I'm pretty adventurous, though.

Same here. I'd say the three I mentioned probably have the least interesting cuisine IMO though. Bangers and Mash? Come on. That is just nasty. I do like fish and chips though. :thumbsup:

I think it's just that to many of us, the food in England and Germany is "ordinary," but I think most of it is very good. Grant you, I'm not touching blood pudding under any circumstances, but give me some good wurst or a mincemeat pie, and I'll be happy.

 

[astrosfan90]

Interesting replies, though I think this is tough--different regions of different countries have different cuisine, so its really hard to pigeonhole a country's cuisine. Think of the US--go tou Louisiana and you have Cajun food (mmm seafood gumbo, red beans and rice, jambalaya and fried catfish). Go to Boston and you have New England style cooking (think lobster rolls and clam chowder). Visit Arizona or New Mexico, and you have yet another style of cooking. Lumping them all together and judging them all at once is tough.

Having travelled a lot of places and eaten food from many more, I can't really say that there were any that I really did not like. I can imagine that I would have a hard time with strange delicacies like escargo, but that said, I did try foie gras last weekend and it was probably one of the most amazing dishes I've ever had.

In terms of eating out on a random night and what "country's" food to order/go get?

1. Thai--I love their use of lemongrass, kaffir lime and coconut milk to moderate the spice in their dishes. Yummy stuff
2. American--specifically Cajun food, but then I'm biased, since I was born in Louisiana and grew up with my mother cooking traditional Cajun dishes from scratch for dinner.
3. Argentine--again, biased. I lived in Argentina for some time as a child, and they frankly have the best beef I've ever tasted. Steaks there are tender enough to cut with a spoon, and using any sort of sauce on them should be illegal. Go to a nice restaurant in Buenos Aires and they'll serve you a steak cooked perfectly on an empty plate so you aren't distracted with other nonsense.

That said, there are many honorable mentions--French, Brazilian, Italian, Japanese (I love sushi) and yes, even Irish (what can I say, I love corned beef and cabbage!).

 

[Kibbo]

1)UK. . .outside of the high-end restaurants, they have a funny habit of confusing the word "salad" with "garnish."
2)Japanese. I'm overgeneralizing, I just hate sushi. I cannot stand the disgusting texture of that cold, gluey rice. Ick. Tempura's good though, and I love the green horseradish.
3) East African. I'm again overgeneralizing, I like their stews and veggie "curries," but I hate the lemon flavour that's in that pancakey-type-bread you have to use to eat all the good stuff. The first few bites are ok, but that flavour soon overpowers everything else on the plate.

Top 3:
1) Probably French. Cooks meat well? check. Good sauces? check. Suggests you render Duck fat in butter? Priceless.
2) Italian. Both Italian-American and old-world. Yum. Probably would'a made it to first, but every Italian I've met or served in real life has a gross tendency to cook the crap out of meat.
3) Indian. I had leftover chicken Korma for breakfast. Gonna go back for more.

As you can see, I lika da sauce, eh?

Edit: in defence of the British, they are the only people that I know of with the culinary balls to serve sausage on beef drippings pastry with gravy and cheese. Sounds disgusting, but don't knock it 'till you've tried it.

 

[eakers]

I am such a picky eater I hate food from all countries 😀

 

[SP33Demon]

Originally posted by: dullard
I haven't had the chance to taste food from every country. But from what I have eaten, this is my worst list:

1) Japan (worst of all).
2) England.
3) France.

It certainly is interesting how many people agree with my #1 and #2. I thought there were fewer fellow haters than that.

lol, Japanese + French > Chinese by a longshot. Anyone who doesn't like sushi or sashami does not have a mature palate and should stick to the McScronald's.

My list:
1) Indian - everything revolves around saturated fat and curry. I do like some dishes, but it's few and far between... Just hard to eat stuff that is so unhealthy for you and forces a burning bowel movement.

2) American fast food - just nasty unmentionable body parts of cattle/chicken slopped together in grease (Taco Hell, Scronalds, BK, any burger joint). And we wonder why we're so obese.

3) Chinese fast food - could also fall under #2 category, see description. I do like some of the tastes of Chinese food but it's too freaking unhealthy, analogous to drinking whole milk everyday. Just feel nasty after eating that crap.

 

[Fritzo]

Britain has the worst food of any country. Everything is boiled, and if they can't boil it, they deep fry it. They don't use seasonings except for salt, so everything is really bland. Irish food isn't much better.

Japanese food is a bit on the ugh side too. They eat some really strange stuff. Those tiny whole steamed squids they eat freak me out when I see them on buffets 🙂 I end up playing with them (putting them on my wife's shoulder, making a chorus line out of them, etc).

 

[kami333]

Originally posted by: Kibbo
2)Japanese. I'm overgeneralizing, I just hate sushi. I cannot stand the disgusting texture of that cold, gluey rice. Ick. Tempura's good though, and I love the green horseradish.

Umm....

Sushi rice should not be cold. It shouldn't be hot but definately not cold. Stop getting sushi from grocery stores.

 

[CrazyApe]

Originally posted by: Pocatello
1. England
2. Ireland
3. Japan, I like seafood, but not the way the Japanese prepare it.

Only been to England and Ireland, but both were pretty bad. Had to eat McDonald's and Burger King and Pizza Hut every day.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
Anyone who doesn't like sushi or sashami does not have a mature palate

Ah the typical immature palate insult.

1) Indian.

I guess I am supposed to say you don't have a mature palate if you don't love the complex spice mixtures and the different flavors you get by cooking the spices in different methods before applying them to the food.

 

[SP33Demon]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
Anyone who doesn't like sushi or sashami does not have a mature palate

Ah the typical immature palate insult.

1) Indian.

I guess I am supposed to say you don't have a mature palate if you don't love the complex spice mixtures and the different flavors you get by cooking the spices in different methods before applying them to the food.

I don't mind the spices and can appreciate them, it's the fact that most of the dishes contain more fat than Kirstie Alley touching her toes in a thong.

 

[astrosfan90]

Britain has the worst food of any country. Everything is boiled, and if they can't boil it, they deep fry it. They don't use seasonings except for salt, so everything is really bland. Irish food isn't much better.

Have to disagree here. I make corned beef all the time, and have never boiled it. Marinated it overnight in a variety of spices and then broiled it, yes, however, and its darn tasty.

 

[Doggiedog]

Japanese food isn't just sushi people.

There are tons of Japanese food that are completely agreeable with the western palate. Take teriyaki or sukiyaki, donburi, udon, ramen, tempura, etc.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
I don't mind the spices and can appreciate them, it's the fact that most of the dishes contain more fat than Kirstie Alley touching her toes in a thong.

There is nothing wrong with fat, no fat and you die. Purposely consuming fatty foods (to spoil your appetite) is also a good way to lose weight.

However, I really don't think of Indian food as being fatty at all. Sure there is the fried pakoras or samosas. But most of their main dishes are very low in fat. Some are ghee (spelling? - I'm trying to say clairfied butter) based and thus have more fat. But most seem to use quite lean meat with vegetables and spices. Very little fat to be found.

 

[loup garou]

I can't pick, I can't say I've eaten a cuisine that I didn't like several dishes (if not most dishes) from.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Jzero
There's things that I don't like (Indian sweets, for instance), but I've yet to find a single country where I don't like more than one or two dishes that I try.

I'm pretty adventurous, though.

Same here. I'd say the three I mentioned probably have the least interesting cuisine IMO though. Bangers and Mash? Come on. That is just nasty. I do like fish and chips though. :thumbsup:

You have never had proper Bangers and Mash. I'd do you some gourmet sausages, cheddar mash and an onion gravy. Wash it down with a Pint of Old Speckled Hen in front of a real log fire. After that you'd change your mind. 🙂

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: CrazyApe

Originally posted by: Pocatello
1. England
2. Ireland
3. Japan, I like seafood, but not the way the Japanese prepare it.

Only been to England and Ireland, but both were pretty bad. Had to eat McDonald's and Burger King and Pizza Hut every day.

Lack of a mature palette and a sense of adventure != bad food.

 

[Nitemare]

1 - France, fried snails anyone or very expensive girly portions of tasteless but pretty food
2 - India, Curry = evil, vegetarian = supreme evil
3 - Scotland, Haggus or tripe anyone?

Favorites:
Chinese
Mexican
Seafood
Italian

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: astrosfan90

Britain has the worst food of any country. Everything is boiled, and if they can't boil it, they deep fry it. They don't use seasonings except for salt, so everything is really bland. Irish food isn't much better.

Have to disagree here. I make corned beef all the time, and have never boiled it. Marinated it overnight in a variety of spices and then broiled it, yes, however, and its darn tasty.

Who wrote the first quote? It shows a remarkable amount of ignorance.

PSA: I can't remember the last time I made pasta without BOILING it...

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
1 - France, fried snails anyone or very expensive girly portions of tasteless but pretty food
2 - India, Curry = evil, vegetarian = supreme evil
3 - Ireland, Haggus or tripe anyone?

Favorites:
Chinese
Mexican
Seafood
Italian

Haggis = Scottish.

 

[maziwanka]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
I don't mind the spices and can appreciate them, it's the fact that most of the dishes contain more fat than Kirstie Alley touching her toes in a thong.

There is nothing wrong with fat, no fat and you die. Purposely consuming fatty foods (to spoil your appetite) is also a good way to lose weight.

However, I really don't think of Indian food as being fatty at all. Sure there is the fried pakoras or samosas. But most of their main dishes are very low in fat. Some are ghee (spelling? - I'm trying to say clairfied butter) based and thus have more fat. But most seem to use quite lean meat with vegetables and spices. Very little fat to be found.

i'm impressed

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Lack of a mature palette

It rears its ugly head again. If you don't like the food I like: you lack a mature palatte. That phrase is so abused and overused it lacks any useful meaning anymore.

 

[Schadenfreude]

Originally posted by: Skyclad1uhm1

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Jehovah
1. Any country that eats bugs as a delicacy/main staple.
2. . . ..
3. . . ..

I'm covered.

agreed. i'm not eating insects

So you don't mind eating snails? Or worms? Or Condoleezza Rice?

Silly poster, read the thread title! :thumbsdown:

 

[SP33Demon]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
I don't mind the spices and can appreciate them, it's the fact that most of the dishes contain more fat than Kirstie Alley touching her toes in a thong.

There is nothing wrong with fat, no fat and you die. Purposely consuming fatty foods (to spoil your appetite) is also a good way to lose weight.

However, I really don't think of Indian food as being fatty at all. Sure there is the fried pakoras or samosas. But most of their main dishes are very low in fat. Some are ghee (spelling? - I'm trying to say clairfied butter) based and thus have more fat. But most seem to use quite lean meat with vegetables and spices. Very little fat to be found.

I don't think so. And neither does Nicholas G. Popovich, PhD.

Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among the Asian Indian Population

An important aspect of diabetes in the Asian Indian population is that India currently has the largest number of diabetic patients in the world: 19.4 million persons are afflicted.[6] This number is expected to increase to almost 57.2 million in just 22 years.

Traditionally, Indian food platters are elaborate and rich. For example, most foods consist of sweets with very high sugar content, rice, and snacks cooked in fats/oils.21 Because more than half the Asian Indian population practices vegetarianism, it is even more difficult to adhere to traditional diet recommendations.

Daily diet recommendations for diabetic patients include 50% to 60% of calories from carbohydrates, 20% to 25% of calories from fat, split among saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and 12% to 20% of calories from protein intake of 0.8g/kg.16 Though dietary recommendations are specific and easy to follow, this is usually not so for Asian Indians. A typical Indian food platter consists of high amounts of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol with very little protein and natural fiber. This is in direct opposition to dieticians who recommend eliminating saturated fatty acids while increasing protein and natural fiber in the vegetarian diet.

A study conducted on eating habits in Asian Indian diabetes patients showed that Asian sweets were consumed weekly by one-third of these patients.21 Almost 80% drank Indian tea with a high sugar content. Three-fourths of the patients ate snacks cooked in fats/oils at least once a day. These included pakoras and samosas. Most Asian Indians eat three huge meals, and view mealtime as family time as well as an important part of daily activities. Consequently, many patients interviewed during this study felt that the dietetic recommendations they received "were inappropriate to their lifestyle and not relevant to the types of food they ate."[21]

Diet is a huge reason that Asian Indians have more fat in the waistline than other races. Read the whole paper.