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Americans Reveal 30 Things Non-Americans Do That Are Like Breaking Spaghetti In Front Of Italians
Interview With Expert
Culture and food have been representing civilizations ever since they came into existence. Curiously, the people who are part of it don’t really appreciate it when someone does something against their culture. And it’s pretty universal, if you think.
I'm sure that anyone speaking badly about gladiator fights would offend ancient Romans, just like anyone speaking badly about cricket offends Indians right now. So, when Americans were asked, “What is the American equivalent to breaking spaghetti in front of Italians?” they instantly voiced their thoughts. We have compiled some of the best ones for you, just scroll down and see!
More info: Reddit
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#1
There was a guy on TikTok visiting from the UK and they went to a Mexican restaurant and poured the salsa over the chips in the basket. That did me in.
ElfVibratorGlitter 2 days ago
Only if there's other stuff already on them and then they're nachos.
RELATED:
#2
Putting the knife covered in peanut butter in the jar of jelly or jam.
Uncle Panda 5 days ago (edited)
Amateur. You lick the peanut butter off the knife before using it for the jelly.
#3
Raisins in the potato salad, at least to some.
I don't know about you, but while scrolling through the list, I realized that food and culture are literally like inseparable besties. Even though I am somewhat of a foodie, who can understand food better than a chef? That's why Bored Panda interviewed Sakshi Kulkarni, a chef at the 5-star restaurant Soho House in Mumbai.
She mentioned that she has learned about and loves to cook food from all types of cuisines. Whether it be Indian, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, or American, she has tried her hand at all, and expressed that food is intricately related to the culture of that country. It's so much more than just fuel for our body; rather, it tells the tale of our heritage, history, and what truly makes us us, Sakshi expressed.
"In some cultures, food is also tied to pride. So when someone messes with how that food is 'supposed' to be made or eaten (like breaking spaghetti in half before boiling it), it’s not just about the food. It’s about what that action represents," she added.
#4
I watched a guy from NJ roll a NY style pizza from tip to crust and eat it like a burrito. I saw a NY guy watch that, and I saw his soul leave his body that day.
#5
Cooking a steak well done.
Space Invader 1 day ago
So why did the people who coined the term call it "well done" and not "overcooked"?
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Cassandra Croft 5 days ago
I am getting sick and tired of people slagging off and criticizing people who like their steak well done. I love my steak well done as I hate any sort of pink in my steak.
Ace 5 days ago
Yes, gatekeeping someone else's food preferences is unacceptable.
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and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 4 days ago
I’m sorry but unless it’s cooked to death I just can’t palate it.
BrunoVI 1 day ago
Who TF keeps piling on the down votes to NoName? It wasn't the funniest joke in the world, but it was harmless and mildly amusing.
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Beth Wheeler 2 days ago
It ain't done if it ain't well done. You can still have a tender juicy steak that's well done
nottheactualphoto 1 day ago
How? And I mean steak (rib eye at al), not something you would braise, such as brisket or chuck.
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Child of the Stars 2 days ago
Cooked properly, a well done steak is still juicy and flavorful.
Kenny Kulbiski 2 days ago
Wine snobs,then beer snobs now we've got steak snobs.I like steak but it's just a piece of cow. You don't need all that mystical ritual. Just cook it like you like it.
Janissary35680 2 days ago (edited)
A Turkish comedian had a routine of "advice" for his countrymen visiting the US for the first time. One of the items was "Be sure to tell the waiter you want your steak cooked. If you don't, they'll forget to do it." 😄
Rick Murray 5 days ago
Living in France I have to say "well done" (which means everything from pink in the middle to cremated). I technically like it pink in the middle, which is "à point", but I've had times when I've asked for that and it's come out actually raw in the middle. The French have many categories of "show it a flame and consider it done" and very little in the way of "actually use that flame on that meat". These days I tend to buy a bit of meat and do it myself, it's far less hassle.
Tabitha 5 days ago (edited)
So, if I prefer my steak cooked Pittsburgh style (my absolute favorite way to eat steak), how would I order it in France?
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Peter Bear 1 day ago
Y'all just shut up about this. The customer is always right in matters of taste; you eat your steak however you like, and let other people eat what they pay for.
Rick Murray 5 days ago
When worse than making a steak shoe leather was somebody I used to know that would buy pretty decent cuts, and then cook them in a microwave, pour tinned tomatoes all around the plate, then cook it some more. Like, WTaF? I wouldn't nukify a burger, never mind a proper piece of beef!
AuntKaren12 2 days ago
When asked how my husband wanted his steak done, he said just this side of charcoal. On the opposite side of the coin, my daddy said to just warm it up on both sides!
James Greenlee 1 day ago
I have learned after many years of this reaction to eat my steak medium, somewhat pink. But I genuinely like steak done, overdone, jerky, I don't care. I just don't care for bloody. No one would shame a person for liking well-done chicken or pork. So the alarm over steak is a little Karen-like.
SandraG_lak 1 day ago
Ah, but HOW was the well done achieved? I knew someone who's mother boiled everything that required cooking - including meat. And boiled the food until it was the opposite of what it should be (tough instead of tender, mush instead of firm, etc.).
Nicole Weymann 1 day ago
I'm cracking up a bit at a whole list of dissing people for disrespecting the "proper" way of eating - and people getting all offended on either side's behalf. I'm reading this whole article as a prompt for some *friendly* banter, not an official call to arms and downvotes.
Joey Marlin 1 day ago
Only if you go to really s**t restaurants. Good ones do not do this. Worked in the industry, in high end restaurants, and the chefs aren't the ones being snobby about how people want their steak. They actually do know the difference between 'well done' and 'overcooked'. I don't know why people care so much about how others want to eat their own food... personally I think steak is exceptionally boring anyway, no matter how it's cooked.
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Sakshi elaborated that in a lot of cuisines, there are really specific ways things are done. Not just because it tastes better that way, but because those methods have been passed down for generations, she said.
"Grandma did it that way, her grandma did it that way, and so on. So when someone comes along and does something totally different, especially if they act like it's better, or if they don’t seem to care, it can feel like they’re ignoring or disrespecting that whole history," she noted.
Also, Sakshi believes that some of these food violations reinforce stereotypes or just get things totally wrong. She gave an example of when people dump pineapple on everything and call it “Hawaiian,” or they mash random stuff into "fusion" dishes without understanding the originals. As per her, it can feel like people are making a cartoon version of a culture’s food instead of actually appreciating it.
#7
Apparently it’s common in the UK to drink instant coffee. The way they feel about heating up water for tea in a microwave is the way I feel about their instant coffee.
#8
Warm soda no ice.
Our expert also narrated that sometimes, food customs are like unspoken rules in a community, and doing things a certain way, like how you eat, when you eat, and what you eat, is part of fitting in. She said that when someone breaks those rules, even if it’s harmless, it can come across like they’re clueless or not making an effort to understand.
"At the end of the day, people usually aren’t offended just because you broke pasta or added ketchup to something you shouldn’t. What really bothers them is what it seems to say that their culture, their traditions, maybe even their identity, don’t matter to you."
"Of course, if you’re doing it out of convenience or because you just didn’t know, most people aren’t going to flip out. Intent does matter. But still, making a little effort to understand and respect food traditions goes a long way. It shows you care. And honestly, that’s what people really want," Sakshi explained.
#10
America has a lot of different regional foods, but as an east coast guy, a cheesesteak is a really simple "dish" composed of shredded up steak with melted cheese on a hoagie roll. It's so simple I did not think it could be f****d up.
Then I traveled some. Wow, I was f*****g wrong. I have seen a cheesesteak made in every wrong combination it possibly could be, but the worst was ordering a "Philadelphia Cheese Steak" on a cruise ship and getting an actual steak with a slice of cheese melted onto it. I was completely flabbergasted.
Karl der Große 5 days ago
The cook saw the name of the food and improvised a recipe. Be glad you didn't order the toad in the hole.
#12
I once watched in horror as my bothers trailer park GF put ketchup on top of a $50 Filet Mignon. When she asked the waiter for ketchup he looked concerned.
Having said all of that, Sakshi also stressed that everyone has their own style and preference for cooking and eating food. She is sure that just as she is displeased by some things that other people do, similarly, they might also not like the way she cooks or eats something.
"And that's perfectly fine, too. The food police can frown all they want, but if that's what makes you comfortable, you do it that way. Just keep in mind that you don't do it purposely to offend them. I mean, don't go looking for trouble by purposely breaking pasta under the nose of an Italian who already takes too much pride in their food," she summed up.
#13
Eating chicken wings (the quintessential American party food), but leaving a bunch of meat between the two bones of those flat pieces as you discard the bones.
**EDIT:** No, actually, not eating chicken wings badly.
Putting a cast iron pan into the dishwasher. Eating chicken wings incompetently will get you dirty looks, the second one will get you written out of grandpa's will.
#14
Squashing all the juice out of the steak with the turner while it’s on the grill.
Spoken like a true chef, wouldn't you agree? Anyway, folks. That's it from our end of the rope, as we hand things over to you. Americans (or rather anyone), feel free to share what food violations offend you. Just leave them in the comments. Also, don't forget to upvote your favorites from this list!
#16
Man, judging by these comments many Americans would be furious that I eat chips out of a bag with a spoon...
#17
Beer with ice.
Karl der Große 5 days ago
I had neighbors who were raised in Cincinatti. They put ice and salt in their beer. They drank a lot of beer, too. They claimed that if I went to Ohio, everyone who had Irish heritage would do this. I later met a woman who immigrated from Ireland who put ice in red wine.
#18
Taking a bite out of a KitKat bar instead of breaking into pieces.
#20
In some BBQ places, using a fork and knife to eat ribs.
Karl der Große 5 days ago
If I am eating at home, then I have a dog to lick the grease off my hands. They frown on that at most restaurants, so a knife and fork are not so bad.
#21
Eating a burger with a fork and a knife. Especially a fast food burger.
#22
Breaking spaghetti in front of italian-americans.
#23
Microwaving a steak and calling it ‘well done.’.
#25
Whatever those S'mores were on Great British Bake-Off.
And: ketchup on a hot dog in Chicago.
Tabitha 5 days ago (edited)
People who never ate s’mores in conjunction with camping just don’t get how to properly cook the marshmallows. The marshmallows are just your normal marshmallows (not huge, not square, no colors or other flavors, just plain old marshmallows), they have to be put on a stick (when we went camping as kids, we used actual sticks—-the greener the wood, the better—-peeled off the bark with a pen knife, and speared our marshmallows on them), held over an open flame (like a campfire), until they soften and actually have char marks on them. Then, and only then, can you put them in the graham cracker (no other kind of cracker, ffs) with the Hershey bar (this makes them authentic), so they can melt the chocolate. A genuine smore is a little piece of heaven right here on earth. Same goes for just eating the browned and gooey marshmallows right off the stick. It will also never not be sad to see that inevitable marshmallow that cooked too long, got too gooey, and slid off the stick into the fire. Such a waste to witness the death of a good marshmallow.
#30
Italians cutting pizza with scissors.
Nikki Sevven 5 days ago
I have one of those huge rocking pizza knives, which I call my bat'leth.
What do you think ?
DrBronxx 2 days ago
Jesus Christ. Why not just let people eat / drink / prepare things how they want to do it? Just because they do something differently, doesn't mean you have to do it like that, so why care so much?!
AuspiciousTree283 2 days ago
You're looking into it way too much. People say these things as a joke.
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ShortAttnSpanTheatre 2 days ago
I enjoyed this! It's interesting what our regional and international food differences are, and fun to examine our notions about what is and isn't acceptable.
K Barnes 2 days ago
These aren't regional or national preferences, they are individual preferences. These are individual's opinions that in no way represent the country that they're in.
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Miriam Insidecor 2 days ago
So many people don't wash their hands before eating out, so utensils really should be used.
The Darkest Timeline 1 day ago (edited)
If they’re on-hand, my FiL puts hot Hatch green chile and ketchup (Brooks, preferably) on steaks, even if they’re expensive cuts, cooked rare or medium-rare. I used to judge a little for it but, it’s his steak and that’s the way he likes it. He swears he can still taste the meat even under a mountain of those two condiments. He doesn’t tell me how to eat my food so, whatever.
David Beaulieu 1 day ago
I realize some of this is culturally specific, but honestly, let people eat what they want and how they want. Plus, no one knew tomato ketchup was delicious on fried potatoes until someone tried it.
Michał Osiecki 1 day ago
almost every American dish is a variation of foreign Cuisine so there is no way an American has right to complain how people it it.
Gavin Johnson 1 day ago
You gatekeeper your food however you see fit. But bear in mind that ten miles away there’s someone who swears that their way is the correct way to consume the food and they differ from you. As for the ‘rules’ relating to what you put on food, they can get in the sea, if I’ve paid for it then I’ll eat it with whatever condiments I see fit, it’s my food.
XenoMurph 1 day ago
Yes and those light hearted debates are part of the fun of food and recipes. As long as they stay light hearted.
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Jaya 2 days ago
So many people getting bútthurt over how other people choose to eat. Y'all ain't got anything real to worry about?
AuspiciousTree283 2 days ago (edited)
What Wanda said. I have not come across someone being butt-hurt about it. They say these things as a joke.
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DrBronxx 2 days ago
Jesus Christ. Why not just let people eat / drink / prepare things how they want to do it? Just because they do something differently, doesn't mean you have to do it like that, so why care so much?!
AuspiciousTree283 2 days ago
You're looking into it way too much. People say these things as a joke.
Load More Replies... ShortAttnSpanTheatre 2 days ago
I enjoyed this! It's interesting what our regional and international food differences are, and fun to examine our notions about what is and isn't acceptable.
K Barnes 2 days ago
These aren't regional or national preferences, they are individual preferences. These are individual's opinions that in no way represent the country that they're in.
Load More Replies... Miriam Insidecor 2 days ago
So many people don't wash their hands before eating out, so utensils really should be used.
The Darkest Timeline 1 day ago (edited)
If they’re on-hand, my FiL puts hot Hatch green chile and ketchup (Brooks, preferably) on steaks, even if they’re expensive cuts, cooked rare or medium-rare. I used to judge a little for it but, it’s his steak and that’s the way he likes it. He swears he can still taste the meat even under a mountain of those two condiments. He doesn’t tell me how to eat my food so, whatever.
David Beaulieu 1 day ago
I realize some of this is culturally specific, but honestly, let people eat what they want and how they want. Plus, no one knew tomato ketchup was delicious on fried potatoes until someone tried it.
Michał Osiecki 1 day ago
almost every American dish is a variation of foreign Cuisine so there is no way an American has right to complain how people it it.
Gavin Johnson 1 day ago
You gatekeeper your food however you see fit. But bear in mind that ten miles away there’s someone who swears that their way is the correct way to consume the food and they differ from you. As for the ‘rules’ relating to what you put on food, they can get in the sea, if I’ve paid for it then I’ll eat it with whatever condiments I see fit, it’s my food.
XenoMurph 1 day ago
Yes and those light hearted debates are part of the fun of food and recipes. As long as they stay light hearted.
Load More Replies... Jaya 2 days ago
So many people getting bútthurt over how other people choose to eat. Y'all ain't got anything real to worry about?
AuspiciousTree283 2 days ago (edited)
What Wanda said. I have not come across someone being butt-hurt about it. They say these things as a joke.
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