Culture is a funny thing.
When you think of culture, what's the first thing that pops into your head?
Race?
Religion?
Dress?
Music?
How about lunch...
I frequent a sandwich shop called Greggs pretty much every day. It's cheap, quick and the food isn't half bad. I can get a spicy Chicken wrap and a cup of tomato soup for £2.64 which is good for the budget.
Today though I started thinking about those cultural differences when the guy in front of me ordered a macaroni pie, 2 sausage rolls and a haggis pie. The haggis reference is a given, but then there is the fact that this is a carb grease & pork product laden meal. Not a vegetable in sight. And did I mention the Iron Bru to wash that nutritious meal down with?
Other offerings that are common in the various sandwich shops are prawn cocktail sandwiches, i.e. small prawns swimming in mayonnaise in a roll. Tuna and mayo, chicken and mayo, cheese and mayo. In fact when I think of it pretty much every sandwich is swimming in mayonnaise, and don't forget the popular sprinkling of sweet corn, (I still don't understand that one).
There are TV commercials dedicated to the promotion of getting people to eat there 5 portions of fruit and veg per day. And no, chips don't count as a portion of veg. In a country where everything is either deep fried, greasy or covered in mayonaise I'm amazed I haven't gained 20 pounds.
Must be because I drink Guiness - it's good for you ;>)
6 comments:
Being recyclable makes sweet corn an everyday treat in Scotland.
Oops, perhaps you didn't know that.
I agree that usually the biggest culture shock we will experience the first time would be food. To me seeing Scottish people eating chinese food with chips as a side dish is strange enough, and on top of that they put vinegar all over the chips. Ugh...
I keep telling Scottish people that Irn Bru tastes exactly like Fanta Orange, something they strongly denied.
But then they think I'm mental because I eat toast with chocolate spread and cheese!
Oh well, we're having fun are we?
I recently cured myself of the addiction to hot greasy sausage rolls from Greggs in Edinburgh lol. My twelve step programme included reminding myself of how heavy my tummy felt afterwards.
I think haggis is seriously underrated. I love it and have it all the time, even with salad and stir fry. And I used to eat neat brown sauce from an egg cup using a chopstick, Yes, I can do glamour and sophistication too lol.
Well I gained 20 pounds as soon as I got here, then I got pregnant! There is no hope for me.
Try being a mayonnaise-hating vegetarian in Glasgow. *sigh*
I spent a year in London and loved every minute of it! I still miss my fish and chips....sigh! And, a good friend of mine had a Scottish friend who always made sausage rolls around Christmas. I'm having a craving for them right now which is how I found your blog....pretty humorous, huh? I miss some of the really "bad for you" things that I used to love. I also miss the Cornish Pasties that I had down in Rock, Cornwall too. I'm doing an online search to see if there are some good places to order them. I live in California and have plenty of healthy fruit & veggies available, but, every now and then, it's nice to have these comfort foods too. ;)
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