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Things You've Tried from Foreign Countries

mobius017

Aspiring ∞ Creator
Apr 8, 2018
1,982
I thought it might be fun to share things we've tried that didn't come from our native countries, ideally with a little description of what they were like/what we thought. We could discuss things we'd like to try, too!

This obviously covers a huge range of stuff (could come from literally any area), and since we're from all over, what's foreign for one person will be native to another. So the possible exchange because of that will be interesting, too. Just please do keep it in mind when offering opinions on other people's stuff, of course--it's perfectly fine not to like everything, but do be nice about it ;) .

Stuff I've tried (not everything, but all I can think of ATM):

This is the (I think) iconic Japanese green tea. I didn't use the special powder/brush preparation method, but used tea bags instead. I really enjoyed it! I think it has a subtler flavor than something like a black tea, and it's slightly sweet. I tend to prefer things with a stronger flavor, but I do enjoy this when I'm in the right mood.

I think this tea is from India; if the movie Slumdog Millionaire is to be believed, at least some Indian businesses have people who bring chai tea to their workers. I only got to have this once, but it was quite memorable, because this tea was spicy! I've never had a spicy beverage before, but if I got the chance, I'd drink this most anytime.

This is, of course, the iconic Japanese rice wine. I tried some served both hot and cold. Hot, I believe, is the more traditional preparation (at least based on what I've seen in anime). Honestly, it wasn't for me. The trouble with hot sake, for me, is that it's strong alcohol heated up to a bit less than the temperature of a coffee/tea. Alcohol has a low evaporation point anyway, so as I was sipping, the vapor was flying up the back of my throat and into my nose/sinuses. So, hot strong alcohol on delicate mucus membranes. Maybe it would have helped if I had held my breath while sipping, or if it had come in a traditional saucer-like drinking container. I didn't really get a lot, so there wasn't much opportunity to experiment.

Cold sake, on the other hand, is wonderful! When it's cold, you can take your time and pay attention to the flavor. It's sweet, like liquid candy (Though, of course, it is alcohol, so there's some bite to it.). I'm not sure how to describe the flavor otherwise...it's natural, light, and sort of puts you in mind of reeds/cane sugar.

One of the Kit Kat flavors that I believe is unique to Japan (where they have a ton of original flavors that it seems like don't get offered anywhere else). I wouldn't have thought that a green plant with a bitter, horseradish-like flavor would pair well with milk chocolate, but it really does! I only got one bite-sized sample of this, but it was delicious! The bitterness wasn't a problem at all; it really only existed on a level that enhanced/was enhanced by the chocolate's sweetness.

Things I want to try
  • Instant ramen
  • Pizza with mayonnaise (ideally Japanese mayo)
  • Cappuccino
 
Last edited:
Sep 21, 2019
1,401
I once tried both Oyakodon and Shouyu ramen (or at least, I think it was Shouyu ramen) at my favorite (authentic) Japanese place!

The ramen was interesting for sure, but wasnt quite my taste. Was a little too salty tasting for me and I didn’t taste much else, haha.

Oyakodon is quite good, though. It’s been ages since I had it but remember the portion size being excellent (took it home for leftovers on multiple occasions) and it was an extremely tasty dish. The chicken wasn’t my favorite, though (the restaurant uses dark meat chicken, which I’m not much of a fan of) but the egg was done quite well!! I really liked the way all the flavors went together.
(I’d describe it in detail, but it’s been too long since I’ve had it so I don’t quite remember how it tastes.)
 

peaches2217

Give me Gackpoid AI or give me DEATH
Sep 11, 2019
1,930
26
Arklahoma
I tried a lot of good things when I was in Italy! My favorite was a toasted loaf of bread, covered with sauce and lightly sprinkled with cheese and topped with a single, large sausage meatball. I’d been so enamored with Florence and exploring the city that I’d forgotten to eat, and that was the first thing I’d had in like 36 hours, so eating it was a euphoric experience. :clara_ani_lili: That’s not even getting into the excess of gelato I had, every single day. God, I miss gelato.

I also had an authentic French croissant during our layover in Paris, and to this day I can’t eat croissants anymore. Nothing will ever compare to how buttery and flakey and fresh it was.
 

cafenurse

Still misses Anri Rune
Apr 8, 2018
1,803
22
USA
My mom had a friend from Germany who sent us a box of assorted German chocolates and oh my goodness they were so good. American chocolate just doesn't make the cut, yaknow? I crave for European chocolates constantly now....mmm....
 
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Blue Of Mind

The world that I do not know...
Apr 8, 2018
699
I've tried more traditional ramen in local restaurants and okonomiyaki at home. I enjoyed them both, but I'm kind of picky with toppings so I usually prefer to make ramen at home, unless the restaurant ramen has stuff I really like on. (Usually either chicken or beef, with an egg and mushrooms as minimum sides).
 
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hamano

ミクさんマジ天使
Staff member
Moderator
Apr 8, 2018
1,791
31
mobile.twitter.com
I've been to Japan several times so I dare to say I've tried most of the "classic" Japanese foods, so I'm just going to pick some random mentions for this. What I miss the most is gyoza (fried dumplings). Noodles like raamen and yakisoba in the fast food department were also tasty, as was Japanese-style curry. At first I didn't like umeboshi (pickled ume), but I've developed a liking for them. What I still don't enjoy is natto (fermented soy beans). And I actually don't like sushi very much, which seems to surprise some of my friends who know I'm into Japanese things.

Also, Calorie Mate energy bars were an integral part of the Magical Mirai experience, since you don't really have time to go and eat while you're there, and any restaurants the venue has are packed and overpriced. You can't buy them or anything quite similar here, you can find some energy bars at shops, but they're always some chocolate bars, whereas Calorie Mate has more like a soft biscuit type of consistency.

Now that I think about it though;
I thought it might be fun to share things we've tried that didn't come from our native countries
I wonder what actually does come from my native country that I consume/use everyday? Most, but not all, dishes for example originate from somewhere else originally, at least in part.
 

WyndReed

Dareka tasukete!
Apr 8, 2018
302
26
???, New York
I haven’t been to any other countries, but my mom’s friend from Beijing sends us really excellent green tea from there whenever she’s in the states.
(I have eaten all sorts of different cuisines at restaurants and at home, but I don’t think that counts.XD)
 
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mobius017

Aspiring ∞ Creator
Apr 8, 2018
1,982
Wait you haven't had Instant Ramen before?
Nope, can't say I have. Actually, if I had the chance, I'd love to try ramen from a restaurant, but I don't know of any places near me where they'd offer it. Instant is probably the best I could do, even under non-pandemic conditions. Someday when I get more serious about it, I'll have to just buy some and try it, but for now it's on sort of a bucket list.
 
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Jisenku

womp womp
Nov 17, 2020
86
18
idk anymore
jisenku.carrd.co
Nope, can't say I have. Actually, if I had the chance, I'd love to try ramen from a restaurant, but I don't know of any places near me where they'd offer it. Instant is probably the best I could do, even under non-pandemic conditions. Someday when I get more serious about it, I'll have to just buy some and try it, but for now it's on sort of a bucket list.
It's just really surprising because Instant Ramen is easy to get in the States, I'm not sure where you would find Ramen, but personally, I'm more of a Yakisoba kind of guy, so Ramen isn't high up on my list.
 

andantina

Jun 10, 2020
110
ashes to ashes
My grandmother is Polish and she makes delicious meals from there, especially Pierogis. they're these little pan-fried dough dumpling things that come in a lot of flavors. they're one of my favorite foods, try them with sour cream! they taste really good. I also have a funny story from when i was in high school: one of my friends in junior year was Korean and he would always get me to try Korean foods during lunchtime, and once he gave me this really really spicy kebob type thing. Long story short i have -10000 spice tolerance and turned bright red in front of my whole group i was sitting with, and they all thought I was embarrassed about something for so long before i told them it was because of the food
:ring_ani_lili:

besides that, since everyone's talking about Japanese food: I went to a supermarket once in an area of my state with a lot of Japanese-American residents, and there was a whole section with Japanese sweets and goodies like breads, plus munchies etc. And I just wanna say: I'm addicted to Melonpan, I wish the pandemic would hurry up and finish just so I could visit that one supermarket and buy some again. If I got fat on Melonpan i wouldn't even mind; who needs a diet when i can just indulge in that sweetened goodness?
 

lIlI

Staff member
Moderator
Apr 6, 2018
843
The Lightning Strike
Behold, my dumbass reviews of foreign cuisine:

Ramune:
This is about 5x more effort than opening a bottle of sugar water is worth, but the close yet just-out-of-reach possibility of choking on a marble adds an element of excitement to the drinking experience. The flavour - excellent. Will take weeb joy in buying again.

Comparison: Where the souls of good fruit go when they die
Totally subjective rating: 7/10

Mochi:
This is what I imagine eating part of the Michelin Man would taste like. Mochi was my first time encountering something with this type of bouncy, gelatinous texture, and my brain did not interpret it as food. This has not stopped me from buying mochi on three separate times in the hopes of acquiring a taste for it.

Comparison: A half melted bouncy ball containing some jam.
Totally subjective rating: 2/10

All of the grape flavoured sweets:
I don't know how Glico managed to harvest their grapes from a dystopian radioactive wasteland, but god is it a ...flavour.

Comparison: death
Totally subjective rating: 0/10

Takoyaki:
A worthy snack. I want takoyaki right now. Probably because I always buy this after being on my feet since 7am I can't remember exactly what takoyaki contains, only that it was good.

Comparison: An umami fever dream
Totally subjective rating: 8/10

Matcha kit-kats:

Fantastic. Makes me feel refined, which is saying something for someone eating a kit-kat. Release it worldwide you cowards.

Comparison: If green tea actually tasted good
Totally subjective rating: 10/10

The Cheesecake Factory:
What the heck. What the heck. How does any human consume this cheesecake? I like sweet things. I like cake. This is so sweet it's a scientific marvel. How did they pack so much sweetness into one cake? This cuisine is meant for a highly evolved alien race. I literally cannot eat this.

Comparison: There is nothing to compare
Totally subjective rating: Inedible. I am too weak

Walmart:
An unplaceable smell, entering immediately evokes a vague sense of stress even when you have plenty of time: it's a supermarket alright. I found the suncream eventually.

Comparison: Your local grocery trip
Totally subjective rating: 5/10

Trader Joes:
Finally. Lots of tasty looking goods. The biscuits appear more trustworthy than the ones at Walmart. Most impressive was the queue, which moved so fast people barely had time to tell each other what a fast queue it was before they were catapulted out of the door. My family still talks about this.

Comparison: A supermarket who put on a straw hat and tried to convince everyone it was a farm shop, but it's endearing
Totally subjective rating: 9/10

Whole Foods:
Spent 20 minutes filling up my basket like normal, then without warning the horizon opened up and there behind the shelves was a ...buffet? Ditched my basket and got a cardboard box full of cheese and carrots. The ability to design a meal that exactly fits your weird cravings is clearly too much power for the human race to wield. No doubt Whole Foods will inevitably be crushed under the wait of their own hubris like a granola Tower of Babel. Madness.

Comparison: No one has dared to do this in my country
Totally subjective rating: 9/10

Macy's:
The size of a small European nation, population: me. I walked up 7 floors and did not see another living soul. Somewhere around the third I began to think I had accidentally broken into Macy's. At the pyjama section the outside world begun to fade into a distant memory. I may still be in Macy's.

Comparison: The shadow realm for window shoppers
Totally subjective rating: 6/10

American bread:
Yo...why is the bread sweet. What madman is putting sugar in bread? I suspect The Cheesecake Factory has something to do with this.

Comparison: Trying to use an iced bun to make sandwiches
Totally subjective rating: confusion/10

The milkshakes:
This is just melted icecream. Absolutely genius. I ascended.

Comparison: I cannot emphasise enough that this is icecream!!!
Totally subjective rating: 10/10
 

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