Foods that we won't eat

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

In some parts of China, dogs are part of the food chain for people. Not so in the US. Other foods that we generally won't eat:
cats
spyders
insects in general
blowfish
fish guts
baloot

And there are probably many more.

So what do we eat in North America that other nations won't touch? I'm thinking;
Twinkies
Cheese Whiz
Some of the cheaper Easter chocolate candies.

What else can you think of that is eaten in North America that no one else will eat?

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[LPBeier]

This isn't a gross one, but butter tarts, which are a much loved sweet in Britain and Canada, are not that popular in the states.

Suzanne Summers of Three's Company fame who married a Canadian, Alan Hamel, loved the tarts when she tasted them at Christmas and tried to market them in the US and failed. Ironically, she is now known as a fitness and health expert, who probably wouldn't touch the high calorie treat with a ten foot pole!

Yes, America as pecan pie, but it is not quite the same as our ooey gooey tarts.

[Steve Kroll]

Oddly, peanut butter seems to be something that's not widely available outside of the US. A friend of mine from London was vacationing in California a couple of years back. He loaded up his suitcase with several jars of Skippy (the creamy variety) to take back home with him. We also had an exchange student from France who did the same thing.

Dairy products are not universally loved, either. Much of Asia doesn't drink milk or eat cheese like we do here.

[Addie]

Originally Posted by Steve Kroll

Dairy products are not universally loved, either. Much of Asia doesn't drink milk or eat cheese like we do here.

I remember reading after Americans started to return to China as tourists, one of things the Chinse noticed about us immediately, is that we smelled like cows.

[Addie]

Peanuts originated in Africa and came here with the slaves as food for them, and fodder for pigs. They are now considered an American crop and not high on the list of exported products.

Odd how the plantation owners wouldn't dream of eating certain foods but considered them good enough for the slaves. In turn a lot of the foods were high in protein and good for the slaves.

[Greg Who Cooks]

Peanuts are often called "ground nuts" in Asia, where they are popular in dishes like Kung Pao, Massaman curry and Pad Thai, in addition to peanut sauce served with many dishes in India and Asia. I make my peanut sauce from peanut butter but I guess if they don't get peanut butter in that part of the world they probably start by grinding peanuts. It's interesting that generally the only ingredients in peanut butter are peanuts and salt.

Some of the Japanese products I've seen in US Asian markets don't look much more nutritionally redeeming than Twinkies.

Maybe not Cheese Whiz but I bet fish whiz or shrimp whiz might sell in Japan. Lots of their junk foods feature fish and shrimp tastes (and seaweed).

Cheaper Easter chocolate candies? I've seen tons of junky looking candy sold in Mexican and Latino stores. (Mexico is of course in NA but I presume some of these products are popular in SA.) And from recall notices it appears that Chinese like lead in their candies.

Of course cows (steak, etc.) are not popular in India, for reasons I presume everybody knows.

We seem rather restrained in NA compared to many parts of the world. I can't think of much that is consumed here that isn't consumed elsewhere in the world, although perhaps not as popular outside NA.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I can see your point GG. And except for Native American food (which has been exported all over the world, think potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, maple, beans, corn, etc. the foods we eat in NA are made from food stuffs brought to this area by immigrants from all over the world.

It used to be said that America was a salad, with many distinct parts all in the same place, but each with its own unique flavor. I think we are now becoming more of a bisque, with each flavor blending and adding richness to the whole.

I can't think of many things in NA cuisine that hasn't either come from, or been influenced from somewhere else.

Of course great eastern brookies, caught from the clear, running streams that empty into Lake Superior aren't eaten anywhere else, because no one else can get them. And IMHO, they are the best eating fish on the planet.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[Addie]

Chief, I take it is a fish. But what is a brookie and how did the name come about?

[Greg Who Cooks]

It's interesting to realize how many crops were native to only the Americas and were exported to the other parts of the world and profoundly affected their cuisines. To your list of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, maple, beans, corn we can also add avocados, peanuts, cocoa (chocolate), pineapples, squashes (sorry Abby, peanuts originated in the Americas), vanilla, common beans and lima beans. I believe chili peppers were discussed in a different DC topic. (And tobacco which is of course not a food. Also note that I did a bit of research, and my list wasn't just from memory.) It's interesting to think of what the world's various cuisines would be like without the contributions of New World crops.

Also, with the exception of Native American ("Indian") dishes, of which few have any worldwide impact (I can think of only fry bread at the moment) and some present day dishes influenced by ancient cultures such as the Mayans, Incans, Aztecs, most of present day American cuisine began with the arrival of the Europeans in the late 15th century. Many of the world's cuisines have had thousands of years to evolve. And yet at the same time many or most of present day cuisines would be nothing like they are now without the influence of the Americas and native American crops.

Now that I've written this longwinded post I've realized it has nothing to do with the question in the OP, "So what do we eat in North America that other nations won't touch?" I've been thinking more along the lines of what would the rest of the world be eating if it wasn't for the Americas. I don't know what but it would be a lot different than it is without foods from the Americas.

Perhaps Longwind you meant American commercial products? Or did you mean American cuisines? (As noted, many American cuisines were created by immigrants.)

AFAIK McDonald's has spread over most of the world. Is that a boon or a scourge?

I'm wondering if there's anything North American that isn't appreciated by at least part of the world, although not in every part of the world.

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by Addie

Chief, I take it is a fish. But what is a brookie and how did the name come about?

Brook trout. A beautiful and tasty fresh water fish, found in brooks and streams.