Country with worst food

[Samurai Joey]

Italy has good large quantity and quality cuisine. Probably tops in the world when it comes to cultural cuisines.

From my experience, I tend to notice that in Europe, there is a north/south boundary. Those countries geographically south of the latitude where the Alps
are located (Italy, Spain, Greece, southern France, etc) tend to have cuisines that are zestier and more full of flavour, while countries north of that latitude (UK, Germany, Holland, Scandinavian countries, etc.) tend to have much blander cuisines.

These differences are probably most likely due to climate, as I've indicated earlier (warmer, more temperate Mediterranean climes, accompanied by rich soils, will tend to produce a wider variety of produce and spices). Furthermore, the countries south of the latitude of the Alps also border the regions of the Near/Middle East and North Africa, regions with some of the earliest recorded instances of agriculture in the region, and the home of many ancient civilizations (the ancient Greek civilization, the Roman empire) which have no doubt influenced the cuisines.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

Trade also influenced the cuisine of the southern countries. They were on or near the Mediterranean and were able to travel to the middle east and then on to the orient to get spices.

Cuba's food is not up to our standards because of restrictions and shortages, Ireland's food is bad because it was a poor country where people mostly lived off the land and ate meat and potatoes and sometimes no meat.

 

[mandrill]

Agreed, when I was in Britain (London) there was no shortage of excellent (and expensive) restaurants.

Absolutely. But you should have been living there 40+ years ago when the Oagre family did. Yum, yum, yum. Basically fish and chips in newspaper was the ONLY fast food. (Hope you like grease and starch without any taste, chaps!) And sit-down food was tasteless and soggy.

These days, I would pick Russia for the worst. Great appetizers, but not much taste or variety to the main course. And once you go outside Moscow and Petersburg, I would imagine that upscale and variety would be words totally absent from the culinary dictionary.

 

[wannabamillionaire]

Cuba

 

[Ceiling Cat]

My observations are that countries with history of sea faring and trading, traveling have better tasting food than countries that had a history of a agrarian style of life where they lived off the land and grew a few vegetables. Of course geography has a lot to do with it.

 

[hinz]

The best Indian food I've had is in Britain.

Yep, Pale Ale would be the Brits first choice to pair Indian food.

Having said that, I prefer white wine like Viognier or Gewürztraminer.

 

[hinz]

Agreed, when I was in Britain (London) there was no shortage of excellent (and expensive) restaurants.

LOL. Not sure this is still valid outside London.

BTW, Tokyo has more Michelin Star restaurants than anywhere else on earth.

 

[hinz]

I would have thought that given the ethnic diversity of Amsterdam, there would be a wider variety of quality ethnic cuisines, in particular Indonesian cuisine (given the large numbers of Indonesians who settled in Holland after the 2nd World War)

Those Indonesian dishes in Amsterdam are among the best outside Jakarta.

 

[hinz]

I would presume that quality of the British food would thus be most improved in London, given that the influx of chefs and ideas would have accompanied the vast number of immigrants who have settled there over the past century (large number of Italian, Indian, Caribbean, Chinese immigrants, etc.)

LOL, any cuisine from former part of the British Empire, except the dominion consisted of predominantly Anglo-Saxons are tastier and better than the motherland, England.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

Agreed, when I was in Britain (London) there was no shortage of excellent (and expensive) restaurants.

If you have the money to dine at the expensive restaurants that would be fine. London is so expensive the police can not afford to live there. Even police sergeants that make = to $100,000 Canadian have to live in crumby little apartments. In the GTA you can have a fine meal in a not too fancy restaurant for $10- 15, not so in London. The rent and taxes are so high the low priced restaurants will be in the range of $50 a meal.

 

[fuji]

What's the context of this? Worst national type of food? Worst restaurants? If it's worst restaurants I disagree. If it's worst national flavour I disagree with some too:

1st Britain 25.1% of votes

London has, bar none, some of the best restaurants in the world. Especially Indian and French restaurants.

2nd United States 10.3% of votes

Again, some of the best restaurants in the world in places like Manhattan and other major US cities.

3rd China 3.5% of votes

I don't agree with this EITHER way, I go to China primarily for the food...

4th Russia 3.2% of votes

I can see where this is coming from, beets and cabbage is not very appetizing. However the Russians make some amazing smoked meats.

5th Germany 2.6% of votes

OK, yes, apple strudel doesn't really do it for me. The Germans are known for their beers, not their food!

5th Australia 2.3% of votes

Never tried roasted koala bear so I can't say... it sure doesn't sound appetizing though.

6th Ireland 2.0% of votes

Yeah... potato soup.. not my thing.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

[in London]... The rent and taxes are so high the low priced restaurants will be in the range of $50 a meal.

Absolute hogwash. A $10-15 meal in Toronto would not be $50 Cdn in London.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

What's the context of this? Worst national type of food? Worst restaurants? If it's worst restaurants I disagree. If it's worst national flavour I disagree with some too:

First of all, the Titanic Awards are nonsense - what are the criteria? who are the judges/nominators? what are their tastes? what countries were really considered? (I mean, I'm pretty sure that food from Central African Republic would be horrific in quality AND would taste like shit to a non-Central African, and even then, what would they think of fresh food from elsewhere if they were able to get it?)

That being said, I would add that their are a variety of things I would like to know in a "poll" like this: are we talking average food that average people eat? high-end food? a composite of all levels of food? freshness and quality of LOCAL ingredients? availability of fresh imports? Etc., etc.

As fuji mentioned (shudder, I'm agreeing with TERB public enemy #1!) without the context, this is a meaningless exercise in stereotyping and opinions based on limited exposure.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

Absolute hogwash. A $10-15 meal in Toronto would not be $50 Cdn in London.

I ate a very plain meal in Kensington ( no not Kensington in the GTA ) near London, and the bill came to $97 ( for 2 ) on my credit card when I got back to Canada. I checked, I was not overcharged because I ate there again, a few months later. All the restaurants in that area near London cost about the same amount for very plain meals.

 

[eldoguy]

Future country of Quebec, poutine!

 

[Captain Fantastic]

I ate a very plain meal in Kensington ( no not Kensington in the GTA ) near London, and the bill came to $97 ( for 2 ) on my credit card when I got back to Canada. I checked, I was not overcharged because I ate there again, a few months later. All the restaurants in that area near London cost about the same amount for very plain meals.

As someone who is in London a lot, I will say with absolute conviction that you were had... there are lots of decent-to-good places to eat in London that won't break the bank. You're obviously not looking around enough or asking the locals or those in the know.

 

[fuji]

My experience with the UK is if it has tablecloths, it's expensive. If it bills itself as a pub it will be reasonably(*) priced. Some pub food is horrid. Other places it's quite good.



(*) Well not reasonably by Canadian standards, but not $50 for a meal.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

As someone who is in London a lot, I will say with absolute conviction that you were had... there are lots of decent-to-good places to eat in London that won't break the bank. You're obviously not looking around enough or asking the locals or those in the know.

When I tell people that I am staying in Kensington, they often respond Oh, how posh! If you know Kensington then you know it is not the low rent district. The property is not cheap there and the commercial streets that have shops in Kensington are not cheap either. Maybe the meals are cheaper in London but certainly not cheaper than in Canada. Kensington can not be more than 5 or 6 km. from London, would prices be that different from one place to another?

 

[middleweight]

Isn't Kensington in London and not near London?

 

[onthebottom]

What's the context of this? Worst national type of food? Worst restaurants? If it's worst restaurants I disagree. If it's worst national flavour I disagree with some too:



London has, bar none, some of the best restaurants in the world. Especially Indian and French restaurants.



Again, some of the best restaurants in the world in places like Manhattan and other major US cities.



I don't agree with this EITHER way, I go to China primarily for the food...



I can see where this is coming from, beets and cabbage is not very appetizing. However the Russians make some amazing smoked meats.



OK, yes, apple strudel doesn't really do it for me. The Germans are known for their beers, not their food!



Never tried roasted koala bear so I can't say... it sure doesn't sound appetizing though.



Yeah... potato soup.. not my thing.

Cutting edge mid 2009 voting, not sure by who....


http://www.titanicawards.com/2009/06/17/who-has-the-worlds-worst-national-cuisine/

OTB