Just as everybody outside the country unfairly characterizes Germans as a bunch of lederhosen wearing, beer drinking, terminally unhip automatons, the pendulum swings both ways. From what I can tell, Germans apparently believe Americans to be loud and, um, fat. For example any German supermarket will have items that, while probably not American made, then certainly American (at least the
perception of "American") inspired. Like the frozen pizza above-- OK, fair game there, lots of people I know like Hawaiian style pizza (with pepperoni and pineapple), but really now-- "Big Americans"? I don't see any beer that says "Drunk Germans."
Then there are things that really miss the mark. Maybe this was the way things used to be, but I never recall hot dogs packaged in jars-- even pre-packed German supermarket sausages (uniformly excellent by the way-- these guys have
the right attitude towards meat) come in the standard plastic vacuum sealed bags. But according to the supermarket, you can get your wieners in a glass jar (click on photo for close-up)-- just like the Americans eat!! Whaaaaaat???
Finally, there's this sort of idealized America, where the marketers throw in an "American sounding" name, no matter how much of a disconnect it may be to the actual product being sold. Stuff like
Nick The Easy Rider brand peanut butter. As if a barrel-chested, interstate-wandering, Harley-riding grandpa (click on the link to see the photo) is the final word on nut spreads (truth be told, this stuff is actually pretty good though-- maybe they are on to something). Sliced white bread is pretty easy to find, though I don't know anybody who buys it (German bread being excellent). Might have something to do with being called Kentucky Sandwich, with a picture of a haggard Uncle Sam on the bag. No offense to The Bluegrass State, but I don't automatically think of sandwiches when people say "Kentucky." Horses, hilljacks and basketball yes, but not crappy bread.
Just as everybody outside the country unfairly characterizes Germans as a bunch of lederhosen wearing, beer drinking, terminally unhip automatons, the pendulum swings both ways. From what I can tell, Germans apparently believe Americans to be loud and, um, fat. For example any German supermarket will have items that, while probably not American made, then certainly American (at least the perception of "American") inspired. Like the frozen pizza above-- OK, fair game there, lots of people I know like Hawaiian style pizza (with pepperoni and pineapple), but really now-- "Big Americans"? I don't see any beer that says "Drunk Germans."
Then there are things that really miss the mark. Maybe this was the way things used to be, but I never recall hot dogs packaged in jars-- even pre-packed German supermarket sausages (uniformly excellent by the way-- these guys have the right attitude towards meat) come in the standard plastic vacuum sealed bags. But according to the supermarket, you can get your wieners in a glass jar (click on photo for close-up)-- just like the Americans eat!! Whaaaaaat??? 
Finally, there's this sort of idealized America, where the marketers throw in an "American sounding" name, no matter how much of a disconnect it may be to the actual product being sold. Stuff like Nick The Easy Rider brand peanut butter. As if a barrel-chested, interstate-wandering, Harley-riding grandpa (click on the link to see the photo) is the final word on nut spreads (truth be told, this stuff is actually pretty good though-- maybe they are on to something). Sliced white bread is pretty easy to find, though I don't know anybody who buys it (German bread being excellent). Might have something to do with being called Kentucky Sandwich, with a picture of a haggard Uncle Sam on the bag. No offense to The Bluegrass State, but I don't automatically think of sandwiches when people say "Kentucky." Horses, hilljacks and basketball yes, but not crappy bread.
4 comments:
I've had Nick's maple syrup. It was pretty good, but expensive. I think I needed it for some baking project.
The frozen — bun, toppings and all — hamburger kits you can buy here in their USA Flag motifs crack me up.
Cliff: I agree that Nick's is some of the better (more authentic) Yankee food out there. I think it varies by product, but at least -some- of the Nick's items are made in North America.
Haven't seen the burger kit you speak of, but then again, I haven't had a decent hamburger during my time here!
Thanks for reading!
I love how you can order an "American" sandwich here - filled with French fries! Have you ever had such a sandwich?
There's also this jarred sauce that looks a whole lot like what we would call French dressing, and they call it American sauce. I guess nobody wants to claim it.
Well, actually, I have had such a sandwich back in the States-- it's called a "Smash," and it was popularized in Pittsburgh so the workers on the go could eat everything on one shot (thank you, History Channel). I've also heard of these things (or variations of them) in the Midwest, and as a style of Po' Boy in New Orleans, and my English friends swear that "chips" on a sandwich is their invention. I of course ate my smash in Portland at some hipster dive (where eating such "blue collar" food for $8.50 is ironic-- and that's the point), but it was quite good.
I've seen a sort of Thousand Island dressing (it was a color of orange not found in nature) called "American Sauce" here. Ewwww.
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