Food from Algeria to Zimbabwe
July 7, 2014 11:57 AM Subscribe
Food in Every Country provides information on the foodways of several dozen countries (not all of them, despite the site's name), with brief explanations of their culture and history -- and recipes!
(Note: Some of the descriptions may be a bit simplistic and not totally accurate, but still....)
(Note: Some of the descriptions may be a bit simplistic and not totally accurate, but still....)
Also, I love reading the ones about the United States -- it's fascinating to see my home written about as if it were a foreign country (which, of course, to most people, it is). Rhode Island? What a unique name! I shall explore their traditional folkways. People in the Northeast enjoy clams in many forms—steamed, fried, and in chowders. What a quaint custom! How delightful, I shall dress myself in traditional New England habiliments and invite my friends to join me for "chowdered clams" as is the way of their people. Perhaps we can get extra ambitious and make "a typical Christmas menu". I just loved learning about their "mealtime customs". These people sound so interesting and I'm really excited to try an authentic "New England" meal.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 12:12 PM on July 7, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 12:12 PM on July 7, 2014 [5 favorites]
Sounds wicked good.
posted by benito.strauss at 12:17 PM on July 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by benito.strauss at 12:17 PM on July 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
I hope they expand on this! The first couple that I went to check out (Afghanistan, Bolivia, Norway, DRC) aren't represented.
Delighted to see wings on here (under US Great Lakes), doubly delighted to see they make special mention of bleu cheese.
posted by troika at 12:24 PM on July 7, 2014
Delighted to see wings on here (under US Great Lakes), doubly delighted to see they make special mention of bleu cheese.
posted by troika at 12:24 PM on July 7, 2014
Not to get all New England-y when there's so many other interesting places to read about, but the "Coffee Milkshake" recipe under US Northeast Region is wrong. Or at least it's not a recipe for what it says it is.
Although the homogenization of food has seen the distinction decreased, any description of a dessert drink that includes ice cream or blenders is a frappe, not a milkshake. As visitors to traditional New England establishments have sometimes been dismayed to learn, a milkshake is literally that- Shaken milk, usually with some sort of flavored syrup and a sweetener.
posted by rollbiz at 12:31 PM on July 7, 2014
Although the homogenization of food has seen the distinction decreased, any description of a dessert drink that includes ice cream or blenders is a frappe, not a milkshake. As visitors to traditional New England establishments have sometimes been dismayed to learn, a milkshake is literally that- Shaken milk, usually with some sort of flavored syrup and a sweetener.
posted by rollbiz at 12:31 PM on July 7, 2014
The foods for Spain are a bit off. Chocolate con churros is usually made with milk and powdered chocolate a la taza. Paella is made with short grained rice ("arroz bomba"), not long. I'd translate flan as a vanilla pudding and natillas (which is similar but much runnier) as custard.
I'll never understand the American fascination for tapas, but pà amb tomaquet/ pan tumaca (ingredients: bread, olive oil, tomato; serrano ham if you want) or papas bravas (ingredients: fried potatoes, bravas or tabasco sauce, mayo) are immensely more representative of bar food than a cabrales cheese spread or mushroom tartlets :/
posted by sukeban at 12:33 PM on July 7, 2014
I'll never understand the American fascination for tapas, but pà amb tomaquet/ pan tumaca (ingredients: bread, olive oil, tomato; serrano ham if you want) or papas bravas (ingredients: fried potatoes, bravas or tabasco sauce, mayo) are immensely more representative of bar food than a cabrales cheese spread or mushroom tartlets :/
posted by sukeban at 12:33 PM on July 7, 2014
That Australian coffee recipe must have been told to them by a dropbear.
posted by rory at 12:48 PM on July 7, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by rory at 12:48 PM on July 7, 2014 [7 favorites]
"Cuban cuisine, however, drastically changed after the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Fidel Castro overthrew the government. Cubans who opposed him began to flee the island, including chefs and restaurant owners. As a result, food shortages became frequent, and food that was still available was of poor quality."
Having recently been to Havana, I can confirm this to be very accurate. If I'd know this in advance, I would have brought some spices with me. After I got back, a buddy told me this joke:
What are the three biggest tragedies of the Cuban Revolution?...... Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
posted by gman at 12:53 PM on July 7, 2014
Having recently been to Havana, I can confirm this to be very accurate. If I'd know this in advance, I would have brought some spices with me. After I got back, a buddy told me this joke:
What are the three biggest tragedies of the Cuban Revolution?...... Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
posted by gman at 12:53 PM on July 7, 2014
Noticed Molasses Water with mint in the "United States African Americans" section? Is that still popular somwhere?
posted by Stig at 1:35 PM on July 7, 2014
posted by Stig at 1:35 PM on July 7, 2014
¿Holy moly México, where's the Molé?
posted by wcfields at 2:10 PM on July 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by wcfields at 2:10 PM on July 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
That Australian coffee recipe must have been told to them by a dropbear.
Yeah I read that and almost choked on my Weet-Bix.
posted by Jimbob at 2:27 PM on July 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
Yeah I read that and almost choked on my Weet-Bix.
posted by Jimbob at 2:27 PM on July 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
The whole thing reads a little like a school geography book written in about 1950... but at the same time mentions how much people have been using microwave ovens since 2000. It's strange and jarring, but still interesting.
posted by Jimbob at 2:49 PM on July 7, 2014
posted by Jimbob at 2:49 PM on July 7, 2014
Also, Milo spread is a thing in Australia?
posted by Pink Frost at 4:08 PM on July 7, 2014
posted by Pink Frost at 4:08 PM on July 7, 2014
Well I seem to recall that it possibly exists but it's not a thing. We eat Nutella like all other God-fearing peoples.
posted by Jimbob at 4:11 PM on July 7, 2014
posted by Jimbob at 4:11 PM on July 7, 2014
Jimbob: "We eat Nutella like all other God-fearing peoples."
Speak for yourself.
(Nasty foul-tasting shit, that stuff…)
Although, having suffered through plenty of 'traditional' Tasmanian meals myself, I can see how Nutella might be considered a delicacy there.
Time to flee back to the mainland, Jimbob ;)
posted by Pinback at 5:21 PM on July 7, 2014
Speak for yourself.
(Nasty foul-tasting shit, that stuff…)
Although, having suffered through plenty of 'traditional' Tasmanian meals myself, I can see how Nutella might be considered a delicacy there.
Time to flee back to the mainland, Jimbob ;)
posted by Pinback at 5:21 PM on July 7, 2014
The Chilean one is right on some things, weirdly wrong on others, especially: the 'birthday cake' (which is not really a thing in Chile) being made with grape jelly, which doesn't exist here at all and the thing about Ham & Cheese sandwiches (which aren't made the way they describe) being served with fruit slices is so wrong it makes you wonder where they get their info from.
posted by signal at 5:54 PM on July 7, 2014
posted by signal at 5:54 PM on July 7, 2014
Milo spread? I've put butter and Milo on a sandwich, sure, but I wouldn't call that a spread. That's just fairy bread, basically. I've never heard of anyone mixing Milo with butter and storing it for later. Also, carrot salad? And Australian coffee apparently uses decaf? With mustard in it?
Chocolate crackles are totes badass though. Crunchy Nut crackles too.
posted by turbid dahlia at 6:21 PM on July 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Chocolate crackles are totes badass though. Crunchy Nut crackles too.
posted by turbid dahlia at 6:21 PM on July 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's strange and jarring, but still interesting.
Yeah, the mix of rather dated information (no, 90% of Swedes aren't members of the state church), overly specific details that may have been valid for business class travelers for two months in 1998, heavily americanized recipes (pepparkakor made with corn syrup and shaped using a cookie press?), spurious typos changing the meaning in unexpected ways (papal meat bull?) etc makes it pretty entertaining. A bunch of reports from a school project, maybe?
(my favourite might be how they mix up the Swedish words for "lunch" and "eat". I guess someone got confused by the fact that the Swedish word for "lunch" is "lunch" and completely misparsed the Swedish translation of "eat lunch")
posted by effbot at 6:50 PM on July 7, 2014
Yeah, the mix of rather dated information (no, 90% of Swedes aren't members of the state church), overly specific details that may have been valid for business class travelers for two months in 1998, heavily americanized recipes (pepparkakor made with corn syrup and shaped using a cookie press?), spurious typos changing the meaning in unexpected ways (papal meat bull?) etc makes it pretty entertaining. A bunch of reports from a school project, maybe?
(my favourite might be how they mix up the Swedish words for "lunch" and "eat". I guess someone got confused by the fact that the Swedish word for "lunch" is "lunch" and completely misparsed the Swedish translation of "eat lunch")
posted by effbot at 6:50 PM on July 7, 2014
Pepparkakor with corn syrup? I've got distant berserker roots, and I'm beginning to see red.
posted by benito.strauss at 7:05 PM on July 7, 2014
posted by benito.strauss at 7:05 PM on July 7, 2014
It reminds me of that person who did the Meals in Books (or Near Enough, Whatever) that was a FPP a while ago, and annoyed many of us. Coffee with lemon slices? Ha ha! NO.
posted by thylacinthine at 9:43 PM on July 7, 2014
posted by thylacinthine at 9:43 PM on July 7, 2014
The French entry is so full of WTF and totally made up stuff that it looks like satire.
Melted cheese spread on a baguette is often presented as part of a meal.
...backs up slowly...
posted by elgilito at 10:09 PM on July 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Melted cheese spread on a baguette is often presented as part of a meal.
...backs up slowly...
posted by elgilito at 10:09 PM on July 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
The Australian one is super-weird. No Australian has ever made coffee in a saucepan with salt, lemon and mustard powder (?????). Our national dish, the meat pie, isn't open and covered with cheese; it has a pastry lid. I have never heard of 'Milo spread'. Anzac biscuits are made with golden syrup, not corn syrup; corn syrup is not a thing in Australia. The photo of someone preparing 'pavlovas' shows the meringue being topped with Cool Whip, which does not exist in Australia.
That is some seriously sophisticated trolling.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 7:21 PM on July 8, 2014
That is some seriously sophisticated trolling.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 7:21 PM on July 8, 2014
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It never occurred to me that you could make injera out of buckwheat pancake mix because we're lucky enough to live near a store that has a ton of Ethiopian food. Maybe I will try that!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 12:06 PM on July 7, 2014 [1 favorite]