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An American Woman in London
By Leanne Bennett
Ever wondered what it would be like to live in a different country? I used to wonder, and now I'm doing it!
And, even though the United States and England are both 'English Speaking Nations' you'd be amazed at all the differences I've found
Since I'm living in the South of England, my experiences are understandably focused on circumstances there. If you visit other parts of the country, or other parts of the UK, you may notice some differences....
Before my husband and I married, we decided one of us needed to move across the Atlantic so we could both actually reside in the same country. Being the adventurous type, I jumped at the chance to move to
England.
Since I thought we spoke the same language, and probably had most of the same customs, etc., I really didn't expect the big change I've experienced. During my time living in the United Kingdom, I've come to find a lot of differences between American and British culture. Here are just a few:
Cuisine
Food in England can be quite different than that available in the United States. (I haven't seen a steak and cheese sub since I arrived!)
If you're living in London proper, American foods can be readily available, but in the less metropolitan areas, forget it!
Food differences:
Many people use butter or margarine on every sandwich, regardless of filling or other sauces. This is definitely not a "done-thing" in the U.S.
Salad" in a sandwich generally refers to actual items you would find in a typical salad--lettuce, cucumber, etc.
Chicken salad, for example, means a chicken salad with lettuce and possibly other salad items on it. In the U.S. chicken salad is a mixture of cubed chicken, mayonnaise, pickle relish, and (depending on taste) celery. I've seen nothing of this sort of 'salad' offered in England.
If you order a sandwich, by the way, that usually means you'll get what you ordered on two pieces of regular bread. If instead you want your sandwich on a roll, for example, you order a 'filled
roll' rather than saying 'sandwich'.
McDonald's is alive and well in England! Minus much of the American grease, though. Don't expect to see 'breakfast biscuits' anywhere on the menu. ;-)
Wendy's and Burger King can also be found in England, but you have to look in London or in other towns with large shopping areas.
Taco Bell is almost a non-entity here. I'm told there's one somewhere in London, but I've yet to find it. My kingdom for a mass-produced burrito! :-)
Remember 'English muffins'? When in England, they're just 'muffins' and the kind I'm used to are sold as 'American muffins'.
I found one store that sells Ranch dressing here. It's not exactly the real thing, but it's better than nothing.
Incidentally, my Mom took pity on me, and she sends me the packet mix from time to time. :-)
Bagels are not a big item here. I've found ONE cafe near me that carries them. However, I'm extremely grateful to Safeway--even in a small town like Hastings, they regularly carry both plain
and cinnamon raisin ones.
Cream cheese is still referred to as 'cream cheese' by most people, but for some reason stores like to sell it as 'soft cheese'.
Don't look for drink mixes in the grocery store.
Even when I asked for them, the store clerks had never heard of such a thing. (Goodbye Kool-aid!) They do, however, have bottled drinks that can be diluted to taste. Almost the same thing.
If you like sugar-free products, they are few and far between in England. Diet drinks are no problem, but foods are more difficult. No Nutrasweet ice cream to be found, although some health
food stores carry a fructose sweetened brand. One lucky find--Boots, a drugstore chain, carries a variety of diabetic foods in its larger stores. Hurray!
Crisco (shortening) is a non-item, but you can find both lard and vegetable fat. Oddly enough, you have to look in the dairy case, of all places!
Beware of asking for or being offered simply 'coffee'.
Most people don't have automatic drip machines at home, so you would be served either instant (yuck!) or cafetiere coffee (the glass pitcher with a plunger). Luckily a lot of restaurants invest in drip machines, so restaurant coffee is usually the same as what you're used to. And Coffeemate seems to be available everywhere.
Along the same line, iced tea is unheard-of here. If you order 'tea', you'll definitely get the hot variety.
Alcohol consumption is extremely common.
Unlike the U.S., there aren't really any moral objections to it here in the UK. Some people do choose not to drink, but they are more unusual than those who do.
One local favorite here is a food called Yorkshire pudding. This really isn't a 'pudding' in the way we think of them, but a crispy bread/muffin type thing. It is rather bland (I'll probably
get lots of complaints on that comment!) and so is usually served with gravy.
Puddings in general are very different from the U.S. variety. Pudding here is usually a cooked, sweet dish, with a cake-like texture. What we're used to calling pudding is commonly referred
to as 'Whip'.
There are some dishes that are very popular with the local folks that I just refuse to touch, simply because of the name and/or what's in them. Two prime examples spring to mind:
Steak and kidney pie and black pudding (made with blood--well, I did TASTE this one, but I immediately spat it out!). :-)
There are also a number of English dishes that just sound really funny to me. 'Toad in the hole' is sausages (the long, tubular kind) embedded in batter, 'bangers and mash' is sausages and mashed
potatoes, and 'spotted dick' is a cooked pudding. Where do they get these names? :-)
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