It's always interesting to see what other people think of your culture's eating habits and having a look at foreign store shelves is a great way to do it. This is exactly what happened when skiptonskipper posted an image of what the "American Food" section looks like in the UK and other people followed up as well.
The majority of them feature sugar. Lots and lots of it. Pop-Tarts, cookies, soft drinks, and various candies are among the most popular choices, however there is one product that seems to be everywhere - marshmallow fluff! According to findings in Ireland, Australia, Spain, Germany, the UK, and other countries this is one of the most American-like food there is. It would be interesting to hear what our American readers think of these "menus"!
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American Food Section In England
That is either my local Tesco or Sainsbury's. Sorry cousins, but that's how you're percived thanks mostly to the TV.
As an American living in Ireland, the main reason the shelves look like that are because those are just the things that we miss that you can't already buy over here. Not what is considered an entire diet 😂
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This looks just like the "British Food" section in my local supermarket in France !?!
This article is misleading. The photo above is from a special section in Tesco for imported big-branded US foods that you can't get in the UK. It's aimed at Americans and it's not supposed to represent ALL American food. If you want fresh burgers, apple pie, Tex Mex, you just go and buy the ingredients in the rest of the supermarket. Most of the stuff here the ordinary person in the UK hasn't even heard of, so it's certainly not what springs to their mind when they think of US food.
I lived in London for nine years. This is not how they perceive Americans--these are foods that Americans miss when they live abroad; foods that don't really have an English equivalent. I used to have friends send me Pepperidge Farm sugar cookies and Skippy peanut butter because there was nothing like that there.
This looks just like the "British food" section in my local supermarket in France!!?!!
Where’s all the good food 😂 I like pancakes with peanut butter and syrup but dang not all the time and I have to be in a mood for candy
I like the fact that a fair few of these we have on our shelves anyway.
the British section of our US grocery stores looks exactly the same only half of it is Indian food(I assume lots of Indian food b/c at least that has flavor!) These are processed "treat" type foods and condiments, not what a person's entire diet consists of. There isn't going to meat, veggies and fruit or staples like rice and pasta in the section, now is there? When McDonalds came to your shores, did you all boycott? I don't think so. FFS.
I just want to know why every picture has peanut butter? Is that not common everywhere else or is it just the name brand?
I think it's because it was originally created and used in the U.S. as a product. And it is also not so common in other places, or probably too expensive.
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It's Tesco in that photo. Some other products that originated from America are actually in other parts of the store. For example Betty Crocker in the Baking aisle.
Twinkies are now made in Europe - but they don't taste anything like as good as the real American ones
and my local shop (REAL) in berlin, didn't have twinkies. life is unfair :(
admittedly, its only because they wouldn't be able to shift healthy American food off the shelves. people want the fun stuff!
No comparison, in my country all grocery store much like that so to me that's normal
Spoiler alert! It's all high sugar and fat content items that travel well. More a case of brands than of actual opinions on what americans eat.
I find it amusing that canned pumpkin is included here. Do Europeans not have canned pumpkin? The only time we buy canned pumpkin in my family is when the dog as a tummy ache.
Never saw canned pumpkin. Pumpkin is not so popular, but more popular thanks to Halloween, which is not a traditional celebration. (Switzerland)
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Good God! This American would not eat any of that c**p! Well, maybe the Reese's Puffs, but that's it! Oh, and maybe the Baby Ruth. And "Wonka" isn't even American!!!
I don't see what's wrong with this and the other pictures. Most of these products (if not all) were created in the U.S. Yes, it's junk food. But it's not perception, it's the truth.
I'm glad to see the world thinks we eat nothing but pop tarts and candy...
trough the yes of the world "american junk food" is a pleonasm...
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This Is The American Section In A New Zealand Grocery Store
Belgian Grocery Store's American Section Is Just Pop And Guac Mix
The "usa" Section At The Local Galleria Upscale Grocery. Note: Poptarts, Swiss Miss, Syrup. Basically, Diabetes.
This Fancy Colombian Grocery Store Has A Section For Us Foreigners From The Usa. Hot Chocolate And Peanut Butter Ftw!
The American Food Section In My Local Supermarket - North Suburb Of Paris
I just noticed most of the pictures are missing Ranch dressing! Americans put that s**t on everything! ☺️
American Food Section In France
What's that Cadburys and porridge doing in there? Seems to be generic "foreign" section to me.
Australia
Denmark. This Is A Typical ‘american’ Section In A Scandinavian Grocery Store.
The American Food Section In A Finnish Grocery Store Will Always Amuse Me. Hot Sauce Everywhere
I think all of Europe believes we only eat hot sauce on Fluf in the US.
American Food In German Super Market
By would you buy French's yellow mustard when Germany had such delicious mustard choices? 😱
What The Us Food Section Looks Like In France
In Sweden They Have An American Food Section
American Food Section In A Uk Supermarket. This Is Their Cross Section Of Your Eating Culture
We Have A Special Shelf For American Food In Most Swedish Supermarkets. It's Disgustingly Delicious.
American Section Of International Grocery Store In Amsterdam
I think I could male a small fortune selling ranch dressing to Americans abroad.
The American Section
Our Grocery Store In Dublin Now Has A "usa" Section
Wonder how many "Irish sections" you have in us stores, I am not from Ireland but your attitude is silly, do you really expect in the "us sections" to find all the goods you are buying in the USA !!!
American Section In A Spanish Supermarket Sums Up The Stereotype
To me, "insert country here" sections are mostly about comfort food for tourists or ex-pats.
Yes - and also, OF COURSE everyone knows American people don't eat just candy and cereal, but the other things are basic items you find everywhere... Typical American recipes use vegetables and meat etc and obviously it's not going to be to a section of its own.
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And if you go to any American grocery story with a "European" or "Foreign" section, you'll see the exact same thing. Junk food and candy, jams and cookies. Tins of treacle pudding. Jars of Marmite.
For us bakers, sometimes the UK section is the only place we can find golden syrup.
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I live in a farming community, and for me, true "American" food is tomato sandwiches on homemade bread, pot roast with fresh veggies from the garden, chicken and dumplings (made by Mom) and fresh iced tea (unsweetened for me, though I know in the South it is all about sweet tea). Those items cannot be sold on a shelf in the UK or Amsterdam, but I'm sure people in other countries know what they are and also eat them. I am also sure that all Mexicans do not eat primarily Goya brand canned sodium, and Old El Paso tacos, but that is what the Mexican section of my local grocery store looks like. I do wonder though, why so much canned pumpkin in these pictures?
For the same reason there are specific things you can only find in, say, the UK or Jewish food sections. There just isn't enough demand for the product for it to be stocked on the general shelves, but every once in awhile, a British person really needs to have pumpkin spice bread RIGHT NOW.
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Apparently as an American, I'm not eating enough marshmallows and fluff (literally never had fluff in my life).
My buddy used to bring PB & Fluff sandwiches to recess. I never liked them, and I liked a lot of nasty stuff back then!
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Whenever we are in the states, we find it funny that the British section is Cadbury chocolate, marmite, salad cream, pickle and HP sauce. We don't eat JUST that. It's mostly brand-specific, as the store must order them from the country of origin. Whereas other stuff, like previously said, is found everywhere. I think it's fun to try things from other country's food menus.
Because I take care of myself, I wouldn't eat 90% of what I just saw. I do however know people who could be very happy eating processed sugar. Just goes to show the vast difference in those of us who live in the U.S.
This is more "Sad but true" things. I can name every product in that picture without even trying, and so can most people, like it or not.
It is as already said the same for every other, if you go to Coles or Woolworths in Australia, the UK/Ireland section is Tayto crisps and Wine Gums, tins of mushy peas and usually gravy mix. It is the kind of things ex pats crave, because for the most part grocery stores cover everything else, poptarts are on regular shelves, cereal aisles have enough sugary goodness etc. It is nice that they started doing it in regular chains, because it used to be a boutique deli thing and five times more to buy. I will note for the bakers mention...I once got told by an "Adult Store" owner , that one of the most entertaining things was the amount of little old ladies that came in to buy Crisco for baking because they got to use it back during the war when Americans brought it over...and the Adult stores were cheaper than David Jones who at the time was about the only one importing it to their food court. It was not the adult stores intended use, but they liked being able to help good baking.
Am I the only 4one who was look at the price differences? I got a kick out of it
this is seriously not how we eat lol. this is the kind of junk you get a gas station, definitely not at a grocery store (I mean, yes they are there at the store but so is a giant produce, meant and dairy section)
The reason these "american" - sections exist is to sell specifik items that you can't really get in our countries, but are common in the USA. These items are usually different kinds of candy or soda, or other snacks. Regular food isn't included in these sections because that's something the grocery store sells anyways and isn't country specific. So just because the USA / america - sections look like this, that doesn't mean we think this is all you eat. These specific items and brands just aren't very common in our countries.
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I think its a pretty good representation of what americans would miss when living in another country. Though not actually what most eat on a daily basis i think it mostly qualifies as reward foods. Lol.
I promise, guys, we don't eat *that* much pumpkin! We eat pumpkin pie once a year at Thanksgiving, or for people who really like it, also at Christmas. But that's it, I swear! I had to laugh though at the Mickey Mouse pasta. In all seriousness, there is nothing more American than cross-branded food.
Well this is pretty pointless, for the UK at least. Never even seen a USA section at a supermarket, the stuff is just with everything else
keep in mind, these are just some of the popular items... i mean [country name] doesn't eat [popular stereotypical food] all the time.
I would say from what I see is those items are possibly the best selling items they have too choose from.
Its pretty much true. When it comes to food, Americans hardly have any good taste
While they're not wrong, that is the most random selection of food products I've ever seen...and even in America I don't eat any of that.
Wait, so that's, actually what American food is like? Seems to me a lot of people in America have big fat butts because all they eat is that c**p, and since that how a lot of people it, that's how we're viewed
Americans ,living abroad love Amazon, I bet, any country, huge stocks of what you ( mostly ) desire!
I have a demand that all the stores, with hershey bars and marshmellows, add graham crackers. How else can I enjoy a proper s'more when camping in their country?
I have a demand that all the stores, with hershey bars and marshmellows, add graham crackers.....how else can I enjoy a proper s'more when camping in there country?
In Italy we don't even know what americans use to eat, and as you may have noticed, we are not interested! 😆
I love poptarts so much (I'm from Germany) but they are so, so expensive hier. Like 6-7 Euros
I don't get your point, that's exactly what it looks like here in America as well...
The caption that said it was diabetes on a shelf is right on. However, before anyone says they "never" eat this stuff, I see it all in supermarket carts every week. *sigh* I don't think I've had a Pop Tart since I was eight.
To me, "insert country here" sections are mostly about comfort food for tourists or ex-pats.
Yes - and also, OF COURSE everyone knows American people don't eat just candy and cereal, but the other things are basic items you find everywhere... Typical American recipes use vegetables and meat etc and obviously it's not going to be to a section of its own.
Load More Replies... And if you go to any American grocery story with a "European" or "Foreign" section, you'll see the exact same thing. Junk food and candy, jams and cookies. Tins of treacle pudding. Jars of Marmite.
For us bakers, sometimes the UK section is the only place we can find golden syrup.
Load More Replies... I live in a farming community, and for me, true "American" food is tomato sandwiches on homemade bread, pot roast with fresh veggies from the garden, chicken and dumplings (made by Mom) and fresh iced tea (unsweetened for me, though I know in the South it is all about sweet tea). Those items cannot be sold on a shelf in the UK or Amsterdam, but I'm sure people in other countries know what they are and also eat them. I am also sure that all Mexicans do not eat primarily Goya brand canned sodium, and Old El Paso tacos, but that is what the Mexican section of my local grocery store looks like. I do wonder though, why so much canned pumpkin in these pictures?
For the same reason there are specific things you can only find in, say, the UK or Jewish food sections. There just isn't enough demand for the product for it to be stocked on the general shelves, but every once in awhile, a British person really needs to have pumpkin spice bread RIGHT NOW.
Load More Replies... Apparently as an American, I'm not eating enough marshmallows and fluff (literally never had fluff in my life).
My buddy used to bring PB & Fluff sandwiches to recess. I never liked them, and I liked a lot of nasty stuff back then!
Load More Replies... Whenever we are in the states, we find it funny that the British section is Cadbury chocolate, marmite, salad cream, pickle and HP sauce. We don't eat JUST that. It's mostly brand-specific, as the store must order them from the country of origin. Whereas other stuff, like previously said, is found everywhere. I think it's fun to try things from other country's food menus.
Because I take care of myself, I wouldn't eat 90% of what I just saw. I do however know people who could be very happy eating processed sugar. Just goes to show the vast difference in those of us who live in the U.S.
This is more "Sad but true" things. I can name every product in that picture without even trying, and so can most people, like it or not.
It is as already said the same for every other, if you go to Coles or Woolworths in Australia, the UK/Ireland section is Tayto crisps and Wine Gums, tins of mushy peas and usually gravy mix. It is the kind of things ex pats crave, because for the most part grocery stores cover everything else, poptarts are on regular shelves, cereal aisles have enough sugary goodness etc. It is nice that they started doing it in regular chains, because it used to be a boutique deli thing and five times more to buy. I will note for the bakers mention...I once got told by an "Adult Store" owner , that one of the most entertaining things was the amount of little old ladies that came in to buy Crisco for baking because they got to use it back during the war when Americans brought it over...and the Adult stores were cheaper than David Jones who at the time was about the only one importing it to their food court. It was not the adult stores intended use, but they liked being able to help good baking.
Am I the only 4one who was look at the price differences? I got a kick out of it
this is seriously not how we eat lol. this is the kind of junk you get a gas station, definitely not at a grocery store (I mean, yes they are there at the store but so is a giant produce, meant and dairy section)
The reason these "american" - sections exist is to sell specifik items that you can't really get in our countries, but are common in the USA. These items are usually different kinds of candy or soda, or other snacks. Regular food isn't included in these sections because that's something the grocery store sells anyways and isn't country specific. So just because the USA / america - sections look like this, that doesn't mean we think this is all you eat. These specific items and brands just aren't very common in our countries.
Load More Replies... I think its a pretty good representation of what americans would miss when living in another country. Though not actually what most eat on a daily basis i think it mostly qualifies as reward foods. Lol.
I promise, guys, we don't eat *that* much pumpkin! We eat pumpkin pie once a year at Thanksgiving, or for people who really like it, also at Christmas. But that's it, I swear! I had to laugh though at the Mickey Mouse pasta. In all seriousness, there is nothing more American than cross-branded food.
Well this is pretty pointless, for the UK at least. Never even seen a USA section at a supermarket, the stuff is just with everything else
keep in mind, these are just some of the popular items... i mean [country name] doesn't eat [popular stereotypical food] all the time.
I would say from what I see is those items are possibly the best selling items they have too choose from.
Its pretty much true. When it comes to food, Americans hardly have any good taste
While they're not wrong, that is the most random selection of food products I've ever seen...and even in America I don't eat any of that.
Wait, so that's, actually what American food is like? Seems to me a lot of people in America have big fat butts because all they eat is that c**p, and since that how a lot of people it, that's how we're viewed
Americans ,living abroad love Amazon, I bet, any country, huge stocks of what you ( mostly ) desire!
I have a demand that all the stores, with hershey bars and marshmellows, add graham crackers. How else can I enjoy a proper s'more when camping in their country?
I have a demand that all the stores, with hershey bars and marshmellows, add graham crackers.....how else can I enjoy a proper s'more when camping in there country?
In Italy we don't even know what americans use to eat, and as you may have noticed, we are not interested! 😆
I love poptarts so much (I'm from Germany) but they are so, so expensive hier. Like 6-7 Euros
I don't get your point, that's exactly what it looks like here in America as well...
The caption that said it was diabetes on a shelf is right on. However, before anyone says they "never" eat this stuff, I see it all in supermarket carts every week. *sigh* I don't think I've had a Pop Tart since I was eight.
