U.K. Mexican food?

puding?

Well played, sir.

However, the one thing they lack is authentic Mexican food, both in the supermarkets and in restaurants. I have yet to find proper Mexican food, contrary to advertising.

It seems that the typical Brit thinks Chile con Carne is the quintessential Mexican dish!

Even in the states, there was a time I went to Colorado to visit a friend and wanted to cook a Spanish meal.  How shocked was I when the only thing in the "Spanish" aisle was Old El Paso!

Its also more difficult to introduce cuisine that is hard to source the ingredients for.  I've had to adapt alot of my cooking for local ingredients, as well as beg family for care packages of the basics I can't live without.

Depending on where the restaurant is, it can do very well.  I feel the same way about my cuisine.  I think people would like it if they tried it, as it is quite similiar.  I'm Spanish but not Mexican, yet I can cook certain Mexican dishes here pretty easily here.  And thank goodness for the hass avocados! Between my guacamole and pico de gallo, its enough to tide my husband over until I actually cook a full Mexican meal.

Thanks again for the lively feedback! It's hard to argue with you, sonofasailor. I have to concede... pictures do speak louder than words!

When it comes to fast food Americans are masters of the art. But the British come a close second with delicacies such as kebabs in a pita with peppers and hot sauce and that all-time classic: fish and chips.

And when you look at supermarket food the Yanks are way down the list. British supermarkets are the world's best, hands down.

You've obviously never been to a Wegmans.

I think both countries have their strengths and weaknesses.  Both are long time immigrant cultures and many of the dishes of newcomers becoming identified with Britain or America (fish and chips, curry/pizza, Tex-Mex).  Traditional British food can be overly stodgey, bland and overcooked.  It's getting better.  Unfortunately, I think the opposite is happening with American food.  Americans need to move away from processed food and HFCS and embrace what we're good at.  Brits do too to a lesser extent.  HFCS is sort of becoming more common here...it's called glucose-fructose syrup here.  I don't think there's as much awareness here.  For instance, I've heard Brits extol the virtues of HP sauce and say A1 isn't fit for consumption because of HFCS.  Guess why HP sauce isn't used in our house? 

No, I haven't been to a Wegmans but unless they produce all their own products they can't be better than British. That's because most American food products are inferior.

(This has nothing to do with being anti-American... I'm very patriotic in many ways. But the food is in large part both nasty and expensive.)

Everything from dairy products (cheese, milk, yogurt, cream) to baked goods (bread, cakes, pastries) to eggs and even meat are better, not just in Britain but throughout Europe. (America does have some fantastic meat, especially beef, but I'm knocking it down due to growth hormones and other nasty but hidden ingredients.)

Which brings up the point of processed food and additives. I agree with you completely that fructose syrup and other fake or dangerous additives are a problem of both sides of the water.

Fortunately, awareness is growing everywhere... just look at what's happened with trans-fats. Lots of food companies and even some stores have banned them, at least from their own products. I think they will soon be gone altogether (hopefully along with fructose syrup) and we'll all be healthier for it.

Americans come up with all sorts of outrageous food sensations... they need to in order to compensate for the poor quality of so many basic foods.

Well, I can't disagree with you more.  Not only do I think that you're overestimating British (and European--and I have lived in continental Europe) food quality on one hand but I think you're underestimating British beef quality on the other.  British meat is more expensive, but there's a reason.  Unless you're buying from a local producer (and then I'd compare like with like with British rather than supermarket meat), chances are you will find better quality in a British meat section of a supermarket.  The beef you get in the States is very likely to be grain fed compared to grass fed in the UK.  And you're more likely to get it pastured here as well.

And, no, Wegman's doesn't produce all its own products, but I'd eat their own brand well before I'd eat many of the own brands of the major chains here. Only Waitrose would come close. Since the US is such a large country with many regional chains, I bet Wegman's doesn't stand alone, although it is usually top of the American ratings.  And, this isn't me being all patriotic.  Because of where the chain is located, it gets a lot of international customers from Canada.

We'd probably have to agree to disagree.  We could get a blind taste test, but ultimately, I don't think you can dismiss either country by judging the lowest common denominator in food.  Yeah, Wonderbread sucks, but so does Arctic Roll.

Well, I can't disagree with you more.  Not only do I think that you're overestimating British (and European--and I have lived in continental Europe) food quality on one hand but I think you're underestimating British beef quality on the other.  British meat is more expensive, but there's a reason.  Unless you're buying from a local producer (and then I'd compare like with like with British rather than supermarket meat), chances are you will find better quality in a British meat section of a supermarket.  The beef you get in the States is very likely to be grain fed compared to grass fed in the UK.  And you're more likely to get it pastured here as well.

And, no, Wegman's doesn't produce all its own products, but I'd eat their own brand well before I'd eat many of the own brands of the major chains here. Only Waitrose would come close. Since the US is such a large country with many regional chains, I bet Wegman's doesn't stand alone, although it is usually top of the American ratings.  And, this isn't me being all patriotic.  Because of where the chain is located, it gets a lot of international customers from Canada.

We'd probably have to agree to disagree.  We could get a blind taste test, but ultimately, I don't think you can dismiss either country by judging the lowest common denominator in food.  Yeah, Wonderbread sucks, but so does Arctic Roll.

Agreed.  There is just as much garbage on the shelves of supermarkets here as there is in the US.  Aside from the entire aisles devoted to ready meals, crisps, and soda, there are bags of Tesco value frozen chicken, where the chicken breasts are so large they look like they must have come from a chicken the size of a dog. 

For all the people here in the UK who care about good quality, ethically or naturally produced or sourced food, there are more who just don't really care.  Ultimately it's really just up to the individual to seek out the quality he/she is looking for, no matter where he/she is.

I have to agree with Dave that I love the supermarkets here. There is just so much more variety. And I don't mean variety by 24 different brands of cereal or 32 different types of fries. In the US you would never see green curry (my fave) on the shelves or so many ethnic types. In America they tend to have just mexican and a small section of Asian, but here the food is incorporated and not just relegated to a small portion of the supermarket.

I agree to disagree! 

The lowest denominator is awful in both places and the best is probably comparable. But it you're comparing typical, common foods the British comes out tops by a mile.

I remember my last visit to California which was fairly recent (2008). I was annoyed at finding that in a large Albertsons supermarket I could not find a single fruit juice without added sugar. I was also dismayed that I couldn't find any muesli like we have over here. It was all sugary stuff.

I finally found real muesli in a "Whole Earth" type shop but not in any supermarket.

These are just a few of many, many examples.

And, no, Wegman's doesn't produce all its own products, but I'd eat their own brand well before I'd eat many of the own brands of the major chains here. Only Waitrose would come close.

Agreed! Wegmans, Trader Joes and Whole Foods over any British chain.

I'm going to have to agree with Legs Akimbo. Lots of US cities have banned trans-fats from restaurants so I don't think America is that far behind the UK on that subject.

I am not sure what markets in the UK you have been to, but last time I looked (about 3 months ago) I could not find a sugar-free one in Waitrose or Sainsburys.

Though I know my experience isn't typical, it was easier and more affordable for me to find organic produce in the US. I lived a block from an organic city farm, had a roommate that worked for Whole Foods and my parents friends owned an organic farm with grass fed cows & free range chickens.
I'm not saying that you can't find the same quality in the UK (except tomatoes - where can you get juicy, flavorful tomatoes here?) but it is so ridiculously expensive (6 stalks of asparagus for £5 at a shop in Fulham?!).

 

I have to agree with Dave that I love the supermarkets here. There is just so much more variety. And I don't mean variety by 24 different brands of cereal or 32 different types of fries. In the US you would never see green curry (my fave) on the shelves or so many ethnic types. In America they tend to have just mexican and a small section of Asian, but here the food is incorporated and not just relegated to a small portion of the supermarket.

For some things this is true, though I did look at 3 grocery stores for creamed coconut before resorting to finding a Thai grocery store in London! It depends where you live in the US, living in Philly I didn't have too much of a problem finding ethnic food in supermarkets. And I do miss having a whole Goya aisle!  

Americans come up with all sorts of outrageous food sensations... they need to in order to compensate for the poor quality of so many basic foods.

This would be a good place for sonofasailor to insert some photos of deep fried haggis  

If you can't find juice without sugar, you aren't looking hard enough:
http://www.juicyjuice.com/Products/Juicy-Juice-Fruit-Juice.aspx
http://www.dolejuice.com/dj_products/category.cfm?CategoryID=21

To name a few.

As for not finding green curry sauce or museli (although I was surprised at the expansion of the curry offering on our visit.  Small town Vermont having curry paste/sauce/coconut milk floored me), that is personal preference, not quality.  I can't find Provolone or Munster here, that doesn't mean the Cheddar is crap.  

Museli isn't popular in the States, just like all meat sausages (rusk anyone?) aren't popular here.  This doesn't speak for the quality of the food in general. [Edit: You also have to be careful with museli as it can be high in sugar--sometimes higher than some of the more pedestrian cereals.  As someone who watches their sugar intake, I opt for the "no added sugar" versions, but they can still be carby.]

Not to bang on about Wegman's, but if you want anything that is available in the US, Wegman's will stock it at least on a temporary basis.  You can also get British and continental dairy products in Wegman's and produce that isn't all bagged or sealed under plastic wrap in plastic tray (why do shops here do that so often?).  

Oh, Trader Joes, how I miss you. That said, I do appreciate the lack of sugar-added here (especially to things like bread). And, though it seems weird, Mexico is far, far away from the British Isles, so I'm not all that surprised that that particular food hasn't quite made it over. Though I agree that I think it would be a hit! (What's not to like about a Chilli Relleno? Perfect food, I tell you!) I mean, Mexican was hit and miss on the East Coast of the US when my parents were at university.
I live quite close to Manchester's "Curry Mile", so I have ethnic shops galore. I'm quite lucky that way! (PLUS, I heard from a big time developer guy that they are in talks with Whole Foods to open some sort of flagship store in Manchester. That would be amazing. And expensive.)

This is great! Now I've got a bunch of people to disagree with...  

Whole Foods is a good store but it's not a supermarket, not like the national chains we're comparing.

Trader Joes??? They have some good stuff, granted, but better than a Waitrose? No way. Not even close to a Tesco!

My last time at Trader Joe's in San Diego I heard a woman tell her friend: "Look at all these cheeses!" I wanted to laugh. There was your usual cheddar and Monterey Jack, plus a couple Bries and Camembert. Even Tesco (no, even Lidl) has so many more varieties.

In fact, the range of choice in a British supermarket can be downright overwhelming. It's a good thing the quality usually matches the variety.

Ready meals? Anything like M&S foods in America? (although I do have a soft spot for the Swanson's Big Boy mexican meal!).

I have to agree with you about the expensive produce. It can be shocking. I mean in the San Diego supermarkets flimsy tomatoes were priced at $1 EACH! Similar prices for lettuce and other produce. And California is called the salad bowl of America.

Fast food is the only thing in the culinary field that's better in America. And  Chinese restaurant food. In every country I've been to Chinese food is different but the way they do it in America (at least in California) is great. The British ones just don't have it quite right.

Also, takeaway pizza chains are better (and much cheaper) in the U.S. But supermarket pizzas from the U.K. are way better. American store pizzas have some weird metallic aftertaste... must be all the chemicals.

Luckily, Indian food makes up for the lack/lower quality of other fast food in Britain!

I'm glad to see that some big companies are now producing authentic fruit juice. I hope the trend continues.

I agree to disagree!  

The lowest denominator is awful in both places and the best is probably comparable. But it you're comparing typical, common foods the British comes out tops by a mile.

I remember my last visit to California which was fairly recent (2008). I was annoyed at finding that in a large Albertsons supermarket I could not find a single fruit juice without added sugar. I was also dismayed that I couldn't find any muesli like we have over here. It was all sugary stuff.

I finally found real muesli in a "Whole Earth" type shop but not in any supermarket.

These are just a few of many, many examples.

You really can't apply your one personal experience, of one supermarket in California in 2008 to the whole of the US.  It's an incredible generalisation and your examples are circumstantial at best.

If you'd had a wander around, you probably would have found fresh juice with no sugar added, or if you had gone to a different supermarket you might have found the stuff that doesn't need to be refrigerated with no added sugar.  It certainly exists because I used to buy it every week!

As for muesli, it's like Legs said, it's just not as popular there.  I don't walk into a supermarket here and think they're terrible because they don't have good bagels.  They're just not as popular here, so why should they bother using a lot of shelf space for a product many people won't choose to buy?  There is plenty of healthy granola though, and many supermarkets have a health food aisle where they stock it.  Again, I know this because I used to buy it every week!

You prefer the UK for whatever reasons, and that's fine, we all have our preferences, and really I don't care. I have things I like about both and dislike about both.  But the things you're saying should be prefaced as your opinion rather than a hard fact!