Normal in the UK, crazy for the USA.

[dannyportwersburghuk]

I heard they not have marmite in USA. Where I live shops often run out of it. As everyone eats it. On youtube saw a guy in the USA giving people marmite on toast and most spat it out. 

[Page Scrawler]

36 minutes ago, dannyportwersburghuk said:

I heard they not have marmite in USA.

I remember seeing marmite on the shelves at the store. Though it was the International Foods aisle.

[dannyportwersburghuk]

Ok it cool they do have it there. Dunno why no one likes it. Here most do. So good to know have it there as well. 

[Talo Segura]

4 hours ago, Page Scrawler said:

I remember seeing marmite on the shelves at the store. Though it was the International Foods aisle.

Exactly... some foods are native to the country, others imported. In the UK one of the most popular dishes is curry and its history is fascinating (culturally and for foodies)! First heard of in 1747, the first curry house opened in 1810 and by the 1970s the dish was so popular it could be described as the national dish of the UK!

This expansion of diet and taste with Italian, Chinese, Thai, etc. is a welcome multinational influence, the problems with international food also arrived in the 70s with McDonald's opening in London in 1974, although to be fair about junk food there was Wimpy who opened in 1954 serving only hamburgers and chips (fries).

Marmite, if you like the indescribable taste, is full of vitamins and like everything, not bad for you in moderation. The only negative is it's very salty. First discovered by accident when a German scientist realised that leftover brewer's yeast could be concentrated and eaten, it quickly became popular. Established in the UK in 1902 it has now become a cultural icon in Britain, people enjoy Marmite with almost anything.

[Mancunian]

9 hours ago, dannyportwersburghuk said:

I heard they not have marmite in USA. Where I live shops often run out of it. As everyone eats it. On youtube saw a guy in the USA giving people marmite on toast and most spat it out. 

 

8 hours ago, Page Scrawler said:

I remember seeing marmite on the shelves at the store. Though it was the International Foods aisle.

 

3 hours ago, Talo Segura said:

Exactly... some foods are native to the country, others imported. In the UK one of the most popular dishes is curry and its history is fascinating (culturally and for foodies)! First heard of in 1747, the first curry house opened in 1810 and by the 1970s the dish was so popular it could be described as the national dish of the UK!

This expansion of diet and taste with Italian, Chinese, Thai, etc. is a welcome multinational influence, the problems with international food also arrived in the 70s with McDonald's opening in London in 1974, although to be fair about junk food there was Wimpy who opened in 1954 serving only hamburgers and chips (fries).

Marmite, if you like the indescribable taste, is full of vitamins and like everything, not bad for you in moderation. The only negative is it's very salty. First discovered by accident when a German scientist realised that leftover brewer's yeast could be concentrated and eaten, it quickly became popular. Established in the UK in 1902 it has now become a cultural icon in Britain, people enjoy Marmite with almost anything.

Marmite is one of those foods that people either love or hate, many may love it, but I hate it.

I remember before he passed away, my father used to take two suitcases with him when he visited my godmother in Vancouver. One was always filled with Marmite, Cadbury's chocolate and other foodstuff in cans, jars and packets that are expensive and not always available in Canada. The only time I've been, I was given a shopping list of what to take. Prince's pressed cod roe £2-65 in the UK, not available in Canada. Marmite, £2-50 in the UK, $7-50 in Canada. An assortment of Cadbury's chocolate bars average price of £0-85 each in the UK, average price in Canada $3-25, and that was just a few of the items. I'm sure if they had checked my cases on entry they would have been convinced I was opening a shop. 

[Talo Segura]

Cadbury chocolate, now that is a subject for debate, the percentage of cocoa in Cadbury chocolate is 27% which caused a big problem when the UK joined the Common Market in 1972 (now the EU). In Europe the European Union rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids, the UK had to given a special dispensation, because in Europe you couldn't call it chocolate! Of course, no problem in the US where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires only a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. 

As an aside, you cannot get a chocolate milkshake in McDonald's in France, because you can't call it chocolate! Strawberry and vanilla are okay, but a strawberry milkshake has only 1.6% of strawberry juice concentrate and a vanilla milkshake doesn't actually have any vanilla in it! The chocolate shake in the UK has 7% Alkalised Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder (whatever that is?).

[LJCC]

36 minutes ago, Mancunian said:

Marmite is one of those foods that people either love or hate, many may love it, but I hate it.

True. I loath Marmite/Vegemite (for the oz) with conviction, despite putting it on soups regularly to thicken its consistency.

I don't drink soy sauce on the tub so why would I slather a thicker variant of it in my mouth?

But then again, my Scottish ex loves Marmite but hates haggis, while I could eat haggis for days and I'd squirm at his face whenever he'd put Marmite on toast. To each their own, I guess.

[Mancunian]

9 minutes ago, Talo Segura said:

Cadbury chocolate, now that is a subject for debate, the percentage of cocoa in Cadbury chocolate is 27% which caused a big problem when the UK joined the Common Market in 1972 (now the EU). In Europe the European Union rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids, the UK had to given a special dispensation, because in Europe you couldn't call it chocolate! Of course, no problem in the US where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires only a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. 

The definition of what constitutes chocolate does vary depending on where in the world you live. I don't know if this happens in many countries, but I have noticed that here in the UK, some 'variants' get around the rules by stating they are chocolate-flavoured. In my opinion, they are inferior and do not have a nice taste. I think some of the best chocolate is Swiss or Belgian chocolate; it has a richer flavour and is often among the most expensive.

[Mancunian]

1 hour ago, LJCC said:

True. I loath Marmite/Vegemite (for the oz) with conviction, despite putting it on soups regularly to thicken its consistency.

I don't drink soy sauce on the tub so why would I slather a thicker variant of it in my mouth?

But then again, my Scottish ex loves Marmite but hates haggis, while I could eat haggis for days and I'd squirm at his face whenever he'd put Marmite on toast. To each their own, I guess.

Have you tried faggots? Fresh are the best, but Brain's frozen faggots are okay. Something that is only available in the UK apparently, even then it sometimes depends on where in the UK you live. Some Americans have expressed horror at eating things like black pudding, white pudding, haggis and faggots after reading the list of ingredients and do not realise how tasty they are.

Edited September 15 by Mancunian

[chris191070]

36 minutes ago, Mancunian said:

Have you tried faggots? Fresh bare best, but Brain's frozen faggots are okay. Something that is only available in the UK apparently, even then it sometimes depends on where in the UK you live. Some Americans have expressed horror at eating things like black pudding, white pudding, haggis and faggots after reading the list of ingredients and do not realise how tasty they are.

I don't like faggots.

[Talo Segura]

UK versus US sizes

more bang for your buck or over indulgence?

Edited September 15 by Talo Segura

[Mancunian]

9 minutes ago, Talo Segura said:

UK versus US sizes

more bang for your buck or over indulgence?

Yep, our drink sizes are smaller in the UK. I'm told that in many US McDonald's restaurants you can have free refills during your visit, is this right?

Edited September 15 by Mancunian

[LJCC]

2 hours ago, Mancunian said:

Have you tried faggots? Fresh are the best, but Brain's frozen faggots are okay. Something that is only available in the UK apparently, even then it sometimes depends on where in the UK you live. Some Americans have expressed horror at eating things like black pudding, white pudding, haggis and faggots after reading the list of ingredients and do not realise how tasty they are.

I've eaten it a lot, but I normally add some MSG or siracha since it's a bit bland for my taste. And I'm a true blue carnivore, sadly, for all those grass feeders out there. My father used to hunt live animals. Sometimes we'd hunt together and we'd have what we caught for dinner, and he'd taught us not to waste any animal parts, so, erm, we also turn into werewolves every full moon, so there's that. And also, I'm a faggot, I mean, we all are, so it would be ridiculous not to eat a part of what makes us faggots

Kidding aside, I prefer haggis. The gravy and peppery taste is what I love about it. Maybe I haven't had a good tasting faggot, no pun intended.

[Zombie]

TV ads are another area of difference

for some reason British/European culture encourages the more quirky oddball /Pythonesque humour (tho, sadly not so much recently since humour became controversial..)

Specsavers (British optometrist chain)

 

I want those sweeties!

it’s old but the punchline’s worth it  

[Mancunian]

14 minutes ago, Zombie said:

TV ads are another area of difference

for some reason British/European culture encourages the more quirky oddball /Pythonesque humour (tho, sadly not so much recently since humour became controversial..)

Specsavers (British optometrist chain)

 

I want those sweeties!

it’s old but the punchline’s worth it  

Specsavers have a few comical adverts on our screens, but the condom advert is hilarious, I love it. I've never seen an ad like it before, is the condom ad from Belgium?

[Zombie]

4 hours ago, chris191070 said:

I don't like faggots.

you have to have ‘em with gravy and mashed potato 

our family dachshund loved them so much she would nearly choke to death every time she greedily gobbled them down  

[Mancunian]

8 minutes ago, Zombie said:

you have to have ‘em with gravy and mashed potato 

our family dachshund loved them so much she would nearly choke to death every time she greedily gobbled them down  

They are nice with chips and mushy peas too, and the gravy should be a good onion gravy.

[Page Scrawler]

4 hours ago, Mancunian said:

I'm told that in many US McDonald's restaurants you can have free refills during your visit, is this right?

Yep! I rarely "dine in" at McDonald's; I typically use the car lane. But, I remember the refills. The sheer volume of food sales offsets the cost of the drinks.

Regards to commercial ads, it used to be illegal for lawyers to advertise their services on TV or billboards. Nowadays, every third advert starts with "If you or a loved one have suffered complications or death after using (product name here), you may be entitled to compensation!" 😂

[W_L]

How about this one:

The UK has a national paid vacation law for full-time workers: You are guaranteed a minimum of 28 days of paid vacation, it may be more, but should not be less. 

In the US: We do not have a federal vacation law for full-time workers. This means employers do not need to give paid vacations to their workers except what is stated in employment contracts. There are no minimum requirements outside contracts, unless there are local laws within states.

--------

Many business owners in the US would prefer working their staff and saving money, when they are not productive. The UK law might change in the future for a certain megacorp *cough* Tesla *cough*, but for now, you guys can enjoy a minimum 28-day paid vacation.

[ReaderPaul]

5 hours ago, Mancunian said:

Yep, our drink sizes are smaller in the UK. I'm told that in many US McDonald's restaurants you can have free refills during your visit, is this right?

Most US fast-food restaurants give free refills for those eating inside the restaurants -- McDonald's, Wendy's, Arby's, Burger King, Freddy's, Culver's, etc.  However, during the 2020 Pandemic, most fast food restaurants closed their inside facilities to the public and all had to use the drive-thru lanes.  Now, drive-thru customers are preferred by almost all fast food chains -- because the drive-thru customers don't use the restrooms, make messes or spill things in the dining room, track in rain or dust or dirt, require a person at the front counter to wait on them, etc.  Often, a customer is almost ignored at the counter while those going through the drive-thru are helped.  This seems most obvious at McDonald's.  Customers at the counters are made to seem most welcome at the front counters of Arby's, Freddy's, Culver's, and some Burger King stores, and some of the fast food chains which feature chicken.

Could someone from the UK and also from Australia tell me if drive-thru or car lanes are now preferred in those countries?

[Mancunian]

4 minutes ago, W_L said:

How about this one:

The UK has a national paid vacation law for full-time workers: You are guaranteed a minimum of 28 days of paid vacation, it may be more, but should not be less. 

In the US: We do not have a federal vacation law for full-time workers. This means employers do not need to give paid vacations to their workers except what is stated in employment contracts. There are no minimum requirements outside contracts, unless there are local laws within states.

--------

Many business owners in the US would prefer working their staff and saving money, when they are not productive. The UK law might change in the future for a certain megacorp *cough* Tesla *cough*, but for now, you guys can enjoy a minimum 28-day paid vacation.

UK law states that every employee is entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid holiday per year, it does not state the number of days as it is different for those who work more or less than five days a week.

If you work five days a week this equates to 28 days at your normal basic pay. If you work less than five days a week, it is pro-rata to your normal working week, so working two days a week equates to 11.2 days of paid holiday entitlement per year; this equals 5.6 weeks at two days per week. Similarly, if you work six days a week, this equates to 33.6 days of paid per year; this equals 5.6 weeks at six days per week.

It sounds more complicated than it is, but it is calculated this way so that paid holidays are proportionate to your working week.

[Mancunian]

15 minutes ago, ReaderPaul said:

Most US fast-food restaurants give free refills for those eating inside the restaurants -- McDonald's, Wendy's, Arby's, Burger King, Freddy's, Culver's, etc.  However, during the 2020 Pandemic, most fast food restaurants closed their inside facilities to the public and all had to use the drive-thru lanes.  Now, drive-thru customers are preferred by almost all fast food chains -- because the drive-thru customers don't use the restrooms, make messes or spill things in the dining room, track in rain or dust or dirt, require a person at the front counter to wait on them, etc.  Often, a customer is almost ignored at the counter while those going through the drive-thru are helped.  This seems most obvious at McDonald's.  Customers at the counters are made to seem most welcome at the front counters of Arby's, Freddy's, Culver's, and some Burger King stores, and some of the fast food chains which feature chicken.

Could someone from the UK and also from Australia tell me if drive-thru or car lanes are now preferred in those countries?

It varies, most of the fast-food outlets in the UK are franchise operations. Some prefer to prioritise drive-thru customers, but others prefer you to eat on the premises. Some close the premises and only serve drive-thru customers during late-night hours, very few have 24-hour opening hours.

[W_L]

2 hours ago, Mancunian said:

UK law states that every employee is entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid holiday per year, it does not state the number of days as it is different for those who work more or less than five days a week.

If you work five days a week this equates to 28 days at your normal basic pay. If you work less than five days a week, it is pro-rata to your normal working week, so working two days a week equates to 11.2 days of paid holiday entitlement per year; this equals 5.6 weeks at two days per week. Similarly, if you work six days a week, this equates to 33.6 days of paid per year; this equals 5.6 weeks at six days per week.

It sounds more complicated than it is, but it is calculated this way so that paid holidays are proportionate to your working week.

Good point, employees are pro-rata based for their minimum paid vacation days. I was pointing out a full-time UK employee with an equivalent US employee of 5 days/week. The 28 days is 5.6 weeks based on the equivalent calculation (5.6 x 5 days/week= 28 days). Under UK law, your employer owes you 28 paid vacation days under an equivalent work schedule to many of US employees.

Minutia of math is fun, especially if you want to have a good holiday  

 

Edited September 15 by W_L

[Talo Segura]

I'm thinking the biggest difference between the US and Europe is socialism (Europe includes the UK although that country left the EU it is still somewhat socialist).

These are your social rights enshrined by the EU (do they exist in the US, UK, and elsewhere?).

[Mancunian]

3 hours ago, Talo Segura said:

I'm thinking the biggest difference between the US and Europe is socialism (Europe includes the UK although that country left the EU it is still somewhat socialist).

These are your social rights enshrined by the EU (do they exist in the US, UK, and elsewhere?).

All of these exist in the UK, although some aspects are suffering due to a lack of funding.