'Color of Wet Mud!' Oreos Invade England

ABC News/CSM ^ | May 17, 2008 | BRENDAN O'NEILL

[Daffynition]

LONDON -- "It's very dark. It's almost black." May Woodward, an office worker in central London, is holding an Oreo cookie in her hands. It's the first time she has ever seen one "in the flesh as opposed to on an American TV show," and she's not sure she likes what she sees. "It's the color of wet mud!" she complains. "And the bit ... looks like toothpaste rather than cream."

She twists and turns the cookie in her fingers, staring at it from every angle with a screwed-up look on her face that seems to say, "Gross!" not "Mmm, cookie time." You could be forgiven for thinking she's handling some dangerous alien element, Cookie Kryptonite, say, rather than one of the best-known biscuits in the Western hemisphere.

She bites, chews, raises an eyebrow, chews some more.

"OK, I get it," she says, finally. "I can see the attraction. It's very sweet." Suddenly she seems to change her mind. "Actually it's too sweet ... it's becoming mushy," she says, alarmed as tentative chewing becomes frantic munching to wolf the cookie down.

My impromptu taste test in Leicester Square is now attracting the attention of puzzled passersby giving us weird looks.

Ms. Woodward's verdict is that the Oreo is "too ... damp."

I tell her that, according to the ads, it should be "dunked" before eaten.

"In tea?" she asks. (Dipping biscuits  we Brits call all cookies "biscuits'  in a steaming hot cup of tea is an almost sacred ritual here.)

"No, in milk," I reply.

"Milk?! A biscuit dipped in milk? Who does that?"

"Apparently Americans do," I explain.

"Well, let them," she say dismissively. "I won't be doing it anytime soon." And with that, she disappears into a throng of pedestrians, nonplussed by what has been labeled here as "America's Favorite Cookie."

" " "

The Oreo has landed in Britain. And it is giving rise to a furious Battle of the Biscuits.

The classic sandwich cookie may be as familiar and nostalgia-inducing as, well, Mom's apple pie for Americans, but the majority of us here have never seen or tasted one. Until now.

Now, Kraft, the makers of what some Brits refer to as "the black-and-white biscuit" is launching it across the United Kingdom in an advertising campaign that makes it hard for anyone who lives and breathes to avoid the Oreo message. Big blue-and-white posters on the sides of our iconic red buses implore us to "Twist Lick Dunk." A new TV commercial shows a young boy teaching his scruffy dog how to eat an Oreo: "First you twist it. Then you lick it. Mmm. Then you dunk it," he says, sploshing his Oreo into a glass of milk. This will be the first time that many Brits have seen a biscuit dipped in milk.

[snip]

[snugs]

I did not realise you could get cream soda in the US I thought that was a British thing - well you learn something everyday.

[snugs]

I know many Americans after me sending them Cadbury’s chocolate chip cookies tell me that they compare most favourably with any American cookie.

Kind of made me feel good :o)

[snugs]

Doritos have been available in Britain well certain in the South for over 20 - 25 years was he in Britain longer ago than that.

[mass55th]

I tried the breakfast sausages and didn’t care for the flavor. I like the pork sausages we have here, that have brown sugar/maple flavoring instead. I didn’t care for the beef. I tried a burger at a restaurant near Victoria Station, and it tasted like Worcestershire sauce to me. Yuck! I don’t eat fish or seafood, nor lamb or veal... so I was limited to my choices. I tried a hot dog from a stand near the Tower of London, and it had no flavor. I like Chinese food, but didn’t get to eat at any Chinese restaurants on my travels. One afternoon, I had a great meal at an Italian restaurant across the street from Harrod’s.

I took a lengthy bus tour of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland in 2006. Because it was a tour group, we were given a set menu to choose from. About the only thing I was able to eat were the chicken, beef, or pasta dishes, since much of what was offered was fish or lamb. When we visited Salisbury, I managed to find a stand in the market area that was selling pulled pork and dressing sandwiches. It was excellent, but never found anything like it again on the tour. When we were in Belfast, I ordered the steak dish. It was so thin and overcooked, I couldn’t eat it. I like my steak rare.

When we got to Ireland, I had hoped to be able to have some Corned Beef and Cabbage, which is a traditional Irish dish here in the U.S. But I was totally surprised to find that there was none to be found. I guess that they’d never eaten it in Ireland, but only picked up the dish once they’d gotten to America.

But it wasn’t just those countries that I didn’t like the food. My oldest son and I flew into Brussells before joining up with my tour in London. We took the train to Brugge where we stayed overnight. We went out for lunch, and I couldn’t find much on the menu that I liked. I ordered soup and frites. I discovered that day, and during the rest of my time in Europe, that most of the soups are strained, and don’t contain chunks of meat or vegetables as they do here.

We rented a car and drove into Holland to visit the town my Dad had been born in. We only stayed overnight, and had our evening meal at the hotel we stayed at in the town. I ordered a beef dish and found the meat fatty and tough. I’ve been in Paris twice, but never ate at any nice restaurants, mainly because my time there was limited. I had a great chicken dinner while on an all-day tour to Normandy from Paris. I did try the French Onion Soup and was disappointed. I’ve had better tasting Onion Soup here. I basically enjoyed the breakfast buffets offered at most of the hotels we stayed at on the tour, and would have preferred more of a buffet option for the rest of the meals we were provided in the tour package.

Squash is a traditional side-dish at Thanksgiving and Christmas here. It can be tasteless if it isn’t spiced up. Most people cook it in a casserole using such flavoring as brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, or some other item.

I definitely agree with you that our palates are accustomed to what is put in front of us as we are growing up. I’m one of those people who when I go out to eat at a restaurant, I usually order the same thing I had the last time. I’m not an adventurer when it comes to food.

Just to show you how bad I am when it comes to food, I went on my first, and last cruise last December. It was only 7 days and to the Mexican Riviera. First of all, I can think of many other places I’d rather go than Mexico, but the trip was offered me by an old friend who lives in Arizona. She had already booked the cruise for herself and thought it would be a chance for me to see if I liked cruising. Being on the water wasn’t the problem, and I didn’t get seasick once. My friend, who had already been on 11 other cruises ended up being seasick the last night of the cruise.

I didn’t like the food on the ship either. Again, I was limited in what I could eat, and what they did offer was too gourmet for me. Although they offered chicken and beef as an optional choice to the menu each day, one can only eat so much of that. I ate at the outdoor grill a couple of times, but one can only have hotdogs so many times. I tried the pizza on the ship and it was bland to me.

The buffet was okay, but you couldn’t get warm toast in the morning. It was usually rock hard, and the iced butter wouldn’t melt. At the other meals, most of the dishes offered on the buffet were of a Mexican flair, and contained corn. I have diverticulitis and can’t eat corn, although I love it. We had two traditional Mexican meals during the port tours we took, but the food screwed up my stomach so much, I ended up having to take an extra Nexium on those nights. The best meal we had on the ship was at the specialty steak restaurant. You had to pay extra to eat there, but it was well worth it.

My Dad was a great cook. My Mother was mediocre. I was a picky eater growing up, but my tastes have expanded over the years as has my waistline. Because of various health reasons I have had to cut back on a lot of things I used to eat. I love the boneless Buffalo chicken wings that Applebee’s Restaurants make, but unfortunately they don’t like my stomach, and I have had to cut them out. I don’t eat fast food very often, only go out to restaurants rarely, and usually cook simple meals for myself at home. I can and do cook for my family, but that is usually only on the holidays, since we live away from each other.

[driftless2]

"spread thinly"

And so also says my British-born and raised wife. An acquired taste according to her.

[garyhope]

You’re right, there’s lots of great food, great ingredients, wine and great restaurants in England now.

And I can never seem to make my tea here as good as a good English cuppa, and I buy Yorkshire Tea bags (here in America) made by Betty’s Tea Room’s at my local “gourmet” (hate the word) market. The Yorkshire tea is really rich tasting. Sometimes I use PG Tips also.

Real scones instead of those giant things we have here. The milk, eggs, butter and clotted cream are great. British cheese is underestimated also. There’s good pub food now too.

My problem is that the prices of a meal in a restaurant, hotel rooms, etc seem God awful expensive to the less than rich Americans.

And what I like about the Brits is that they are such great and interesting talkers. They can talk your arm off.

[snugs]

I am sorry that you did not have a great experience with the beef, again like everywhere there is good and bad.

Personally I am very picky with steak and have on more than one occasion refused a steak as being too over done even though I did state ‘blue’ or very rare. It is always best to say immediately in an English restaurant how you want your steak though they normally do ask and emphasis rare as many people seem to think rare is either medium rare or medium which in my book unless it is a very very prime piece of meat will be tough. The Aberdeen Angus Steak Houses dotted around London serve a reasonable steak; nothing remarkable unless you have their best steak on the menu but for chain not bad.

Regarding the sausages yes we tend traditionally to go for herbed pork sausages that are not in least bit sweet and we tend if for breakfast serve them with brown sauce similar to your A1 brown sauce but a bit thicker. Children tend to like tomato ketchup or as we tend to call it tomato sauce on sausages. When I visited the States and found out about maple syrup on sausages I loved that taste and continue that at home but conversely I also like very hot English mustard on sausages. Again I am certain that if you asked a restaurant would serve you maple syrup with your sausage.

I know the type of pork you mean normally referred to in Britain as roast pork with stuffing in a roll or bap or baguette. Often served with a couple of spoonful of apple sauce. Pork does not often seem to appear on restaurant menus as many people seem to think of it as either high in calories and fat or worry about it being cooked properly at a restaurant and therefore may end getting food poisoning, my theory anyway. Maybe as simple as because compared to beef and lamb it is a cheaper meat people tend to order the more expensive and something they do not have everyday when they go out for a meal.

I love roast lamb or lamb shank but prefer my own home cooked to what most restaurants serve up. The same for chicken, chicken in restaurants always seems dry to me but I cook mine slowly in foil with sage and onion stuffing and serve it with cranberry sauce not very English the cranberry but dad and I prefer that to bread sauce the traditional English accompaniment to roast chicken.

I prefer my meat roasted to grilled (broiled) as I think this keeps it moist, makes it tender and you get a better flavour. I tend to cook it without any sauces or marinades but always serve it with a sauce or gravy made from the meat juices and some form of stock cube or granules etc. The exception to this is if I do a stew or casserole and again I prefer to cook this slowly either in the oven or a slow cooker (crock pot).

I must admit I prefer things made with wheat flour rather than corn the exception being flour tortillas but they do not seem to have that strong corn taste that I am not keen on so that limits me with a fair amount of American/TexMex type dishes.

I love curry and not too hot chili (beef and kidney beans) served with plain and horror above horrors to an American and most Brits a starchy almost stodgy rice. I tend not to drain my rice as a prefer lumps to grains.

Pasta I like spag bol, and my own sort creations made from left over meat from Sunday roasts.

As you do not like lamb then a great British favourite is out though many people use beef not lamb for it shepherd's pie. It is basically minced (ground) meat and thick gravy with mashed potato over the top a knob of butter and grated cheese if you like. Fry the meat off with some flour and make a thick gravy (or if cooked meat left over from the roast meal just add the gravy) cook in the oven until the top crisps. Traditionally if using beef you add mixed veg mainly carrots and peas and it is called cottage pie.

I think like most countries the best way to try to the food is actually go into someone's home and get a home cooked meal and talk to them on what you like and dislike. We found this very helpful in the States staying at a B and B though all we had there was breakfast apart from one evening when they gave us what us Brits call supper a snack before bed. They talked to us about American food and terminology which helped a lot because often just looking at a menu does not really tell you what you would get and sometimes you miss something by not knowing what is meant by the name or description. For example you used the term pulled pork not a term that is familiar in Britain though personally I think it sums up what pork often becomes when slowly roasted.

Often in a Chinese restaurant duck will be served in similar fashion as pulled pork normally referred to on the menu as crispy duck and pancakes.

Sorry if I have bored you but I do feel my country has much to offer in food if you know where to find it and what to ask for. I wish I had met you in 2006 and could have shown you some good English food and maybe even cooked you an English meal myself.

[snugs]

My mum preferred Tetley but my nan was and therefore my dad is a PG Tips fan.

I tend to use my local supermarket own brand and if you make the tea immediately the kettle boils and the water is still boiling (problem with tea in other countries they treat it like coffee and add water that has boiled not boiling) is is fine.

I must admit our hotel rooms and meal are very expensive but then so is our food my average weekly spend and I am not extravagant and often buy items from the lower end of the price range is about 70 - 100 dollars a week just for 2 of us.

[garyhope]

“Any American will take an oath that chocolate chip cookies are the favorite.”

I’m an oatmeal-raisin and/or peanut butter cookie man myself. (among many other things of course)

[snugs]

On the subject of soup always choose something that says chunky or country or maybe homemade if eating out in Britain that will be more like what you are used to.

Your soup is similar to what my mum used to make but it is a skill that has been lost in Britain in favour of more international food and we no longer make homemade soups and traditional casseroles, casseroles nowadays are more international flavours with packet mixes.

Also we do not tend to add pasta to soup unless it is minestrone

[MHGinTN]

If you like oatmeal cookies and peanut butter cookies, here’s a recipe for you that is a snap to make and the cookies are crunchy:

Combine 2cups oats (One Minute Oats), one cup all purpose flour, one tblspoon of baking soda, and enough peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) to make a heavy dough (about 3/4 cup of peanut butter; you can add a dash of water if the dough is tto heavy to fold together); spoon heaping tablespoons full onto a baking sheet and flatten them with a wet fork (best at 1/4 inch thick). Bake a bit longer than oatmeal-raisin cookies and let cool a couple of minutes before spatula-ing onto a cooling rack. An added treat is to place a caramel square (unwrapped of course) atop flattened cookies before baking. Make plenty because they seldom last long enough to get into a cookie jar!

[mass55th]

I’m picky with steak as well, and usually only order filet mignon (rare) when I do eat out. I love meats cooked on an outdoor BBQ, but I live on the 3rd floor of an apartment building, and have no place to cook out. I love hamburgers with everything on them: onions, dill pickles, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, bacon. I also like hamburgers with blue cheese either mixed in them or placed on top. I make a special meat sauce for my hotdogs. Years ago I frequented a hamburger/hot dog joint where I lived. They eventually went out of business, and for years I tried to find the recipe for their hot sauce. My sister-in-law discovered it in a newspaper article and sent it to me. I make it occasionally, freeze it in small containers, and use it when I get on a hot dog kick. I also like hotdogs with beans and/or sauerkraut. Like I said, I have pretty simple tastes.

As mentioned before, my father was a great cook. We weren’t Italian, but he made spaghetti sauce every Saturday, and it was delicious. He’d make his own meatballs, plus brown the Italian sausages, and use either pork hocks or pork steak that he had browned. He’d add all those ingredients and cook it most of the morning. On Sundays he’d make a big meal like roast ham, roast chicken, pork roast, pot roast, etc. We had mashed potatoes & gravy every weekend. We never had lamb, fish or seafood when I was growing up, which is probably one of the reasons I don’t eat it now. I’ve tried all three, but do not enjoy the tastes. My Dad ate anything. He used to fry himself up calves brains, or other stuff. My mother would make tuna noodle casserole or salmon patties on Fridays (Catholics), or she’d fry liver during the week, but I wouldn’t touch any of it. I eat canned tuna fish, but only in a sandwich.

My father put ketchup on just about everything. He’d put in on his eggs in the morning. I used to put it on my fries, but usually don’t do that anymore. My youngest son will eat anything. It was nice when he was living with me because nothing was ever wasted. He enjoyed having leftovers. Occasionally I’ll cook him something special so he can take it home with him. At Thanksgiving, I usually have to cook a 20 lb. turkey and extra side dishes so both sons have leftovers to take home with them. At Christmas I cook Prime Rib, and have to order 6-7 ribs in order to have leftovers. My oldest son tends to be a picky eater. The only vegetables he eats are peas, corn and snow peas. But he loves dishes cooked with curry, eats Chinese and Indian food. He won’t eat fresh onions, use ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise, yet has no problem finding food to eat when he goes to Europe each year. He spends most of his time in Germany when he does travel.

Last summer I was in London for a little over a week. The one weekend I was there, friends of mine from Liverpool came in and stayed at the same hotel as me. They had wanted to eat at Convent Garden and asked if they could make reservations at TGIF, as they had eaten there the last time they were in London and enjoyed it. I had to laugh, as TGIF is an American restaurant chain. I had no problem eating there as I knew the menu and what I’d be able to get. I ended up having a Caesar Salad with grilled chicken on top.

I’ve heard of Shepherd’s Pie. My ex-husband used to buy canned Steak & Kidney Pies. I used to even cook chicken livers and regular calves liver for him, but wouldn’t eat it myself.

You haven’t bored me one bit. I’m a big fan of England, and Scotland. I love both, and their history. I download a lot of programs from a UK website. My favorite program is Time Team. They used to show old episodes on the History International Channel here, but then stopped. I managed to find a website run by a fan, and have kept up with the series ever since. As I write, I’m watching a series of programs on Medieval Britain.

My biggest wish would be to tour the countryside in a rental car. There is so much to see, and you certainly can’t do it on a tour bus. On my first trip to London in 2006, I had a week to myself before taking off on my 3 week bus tour. I had a list of places I wanted to see, and managed to complete the list. Last summer I had 9 days. I revisited some of the previous places I’d been to (British Museum, Tower of London & Hampton Court), plus some new ones: Bletchley Park, Buckingham Palace, Petrie Museum, Sir John Soane’s Museum, National Portrait Gallery, etc. Last August, it rained the whole time I was there.

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

I doubt many Brits have ever eaten boiled beef I certainly never have.

Do you lead a sheltered life perhaps? Maybe boiled beef is just a Cockney thing, I wouldn't know about that but here is a link to a page with a recipe for "Boiled Beef and Carrots" with this comment added: "Immortalized by the old music hall song, this is a truly traditional Cockney dish."

http://www.britannia.com/cooking/recipes/boiledbeef.html

Over the years I have come to associate boiled beef, maybe not as a mainstay of British cuisine, but certainly not all that unfamiliar. Admittedly the evidence was hearsay in nature and not subject to personal verification since I have never had the opportunity to visit your "Blessed Isles". If I erred, I apologize for my ignorance.

Regards,
GtG

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

PS Speaking of British cuisine brings to mind the following bit of humor:

Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and it's all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is where the police are German, the cooks are English, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and it's all organized by the Italians.

Regards,
GtG

[Hyzenthlay]

Well, you can get cream soda in the US, but it’s not easily found, and neither of the major soft-drink corporations (Coca-Cola or Pepsi) make it, so it’s not very common.

[snugs]

Yes I have heard of it and of course the song but in reality never tasted boiled beef and cannot think of anyone who has certainly not of my age.

Probably my parents or their parents may have but it certainly not a regularly eaten dish today.

You are more likely to be offered curry or spaghetti bolonaise than boiled beef.

The only meat I have had boiled is chicken and that is for heath reasons for dad if I do chicken portions such as thighs and drumsticks I tend to boil them as recommended by his doctor. I thought they would be tasteless but I was pleasantly surprised but the thought of boiling beef yuck.

I do normally boil my mince before I add other ingredients something I got from mum she used to boil it and leave overnight for the fat to come to the surface and then skim it off the top and then prepare the dish.

My dinner today - roast turkey, yorkshire pudding and green beans followed by trifle

d by trifle.

[snugs]

Timeteam is a favourite of me and several of our cable channels often have re-runs.

Timeteam has done a couple of programs in my area and they of course were of special interest to me.

When you listed your oldest son dislikes I immediately thought that he would have no problem finding food to eat in Europe and Britain in particular Germany and the read on to see you confirm that. The only problem he might have in Britain would be onions as a lot of our dishes seem to automatically have onion as a base often you fry off the meat with flour and onions to make a gravy. The other problem he might encounter is mayonnaise it seems a growing trend that every premade sandwich containts mayo.

[mass55th]

About a month ago, I heard that two producers of Time Team (no names given), are working with Oregon Public Broadcasting to produce a series of six programs called Time Team USA. The programs will be shown on PBS here in 2009 or 2010. An acquaintance of mine from the Archaeology & Anthropology Dept. at the University of South Carolina told me that the production company was working with a colleague of his on a Paleo-Indian site somewhere in S.C. I’m not sure what period of American history the other sites will consist of. It will be interesting to see how that type of program goes over in this country. After seeing Time Team for so many years, I’ve definitely got a biased attitude. Afterall, there will be no mosaic floors uncovered, no Medieval cathedral ruins, and no Iron Age settlements. I’m afraid it will be a bit boring compared to the history in the UK.

[Dianna]

Doritos have been available in Britain well certain in the South for over 20 - 25 years was he in Britain longer ago than that.

Oh goodness no! I'd say 6-8 years ago. I wish I could remember the area he lived. Hmmm, maybe he was just trying to save himself some money :)

[Joya]

OFF TOPIC,

When my daughter was a little girl, she once said to me, “Mommy, I’m so thirsty I could drink mud!”

Such expressiveness.

FReegards,
Joya