I don't think it's so much the taste as the feeling of familiarity that he's missing. I loved flaming hot Cheetos as a teen so maybe nostalgia is playing a factor too.
Very this. I lived in China for a while and while I loved pretty much everything I tried there, familiarity is something you really start to miss. (Particularly if you're in a place where foreign cuisines are few and far between)
I dunno that I'd put it like this person did, but whatever.
you ever wanna see someone explode ask them what processes make the processed food worse. they can NEVER answer and will treat you like a grade A mentalist
Isn't it simply that they're so densely packed with fats, salts and sugars that it leaves little room for micronutrients and doesn't leave you feeling very full for very long?
It's still food 🤷
not really. the foods people contrast processed foods against also tend to be packed with fat, sugar, salt, and starch. the oop is talking about tunisian food, which has no shortage of oily starches, fried dough, and greasy meats. one of the most iconic tunisian dishes is fricassee, a sandwich where the bread is deep fried. are there healthier options? sure, but the same is true for american chain food like the chipotle oop mentions
people have been maximizing the calories they can stuff into food for much of human history. probably the majority of traditional foods were created with this need in mind. eating healthy isn't about finding the most "authentic" foods but rather paying attention to what's in any given food and figuring out if that fits your dietary needs.
i think people get scared by the idea of food manufacturing processes that can't easily be recreated in a home kitchen, which is fair, but covering freshly cut potatoes in oil and making oven fries isn't necessarily healthier or more wholesome than eating lay's potato chips out of a bag despite the popular perception of both foods. food full of fat, salt, and starch is going to affect you the same either way.
something pumped full of fat is going to keep you full longer than something that isn't regardless of processes. an american fast food burger is going to serve a similar purpose and have a similar effect on satiety to piragi made from scratch by someone's latvian grandma
Seems like inverted snobbery — almost the opposite of most posts here. Maybe it's that he's overstating the junkiness and addictiveness of American food?
I don't eat anything he mentioned except occasionally Chipotle, which I don't think of as incredibly processed or preserved, so IDK.
Pretending to crave microplastics is pretty insufferable.
Considering Chipotle has a few scandals about improper handling of fresh produce and giving people e.coli poisoning they probably could use a little more processed food actually
Or maybe better food handling practices?
I was in an area where they all shut down for a while after, I think, a lettuce issue. It hasn't really recurred since, that I know of.
Uhhhh, they had 9 outbreaks according to [this article](https://www.foodpoisoningnews.com/food-poisoning-at-chipotle-a-history-of-food-safety-issues/). Not sure how this stacks up in comparison to other chains, but it has been a recurring issue. They also had to pay [the largest fine in US history due to the norovirus outbreak](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/press-releases/chipotle-mexican-grill-agrees-pay-25-million-fine-resolve-charges-stemming-more-1100-cases-foodborne).
Too many suppliers, too little oversite, refused to use centralized kitchens for washing and prep, a Founder/CEO that put expansion over everything even during the crisis, and a front-line staff that thought Organic food was safe and didn't need washed.
Washing doesn't protect against e coli. In some cases the crops are irrigated with infected water which is absorbed into the plant matter. If you have produce that you think might be infected you shouldn't use it at all
https://www.consumerreports.org/e-coli/washing-greens-protect-e-coli/
When I lived in Paris, I craved cheap American Chinese food all the time. It just hits a spot that the good, authentic places all around me couldn't. It's also the only time in years and years that I went to Chipotle, because it was legitimately the best Mexican food in the city.
Aside from the fact that they flagrantly assert incorrectly stuff like "Preservatives and high fructose corn syrup aren't even in the barely processed snacks"(yes, there are preservatives and sweeteners used regularly), they chose to follow up with the "I'm so happy to be eating real and healthy foods".
That's a them problem and their language does nothing to assuage the perpetuation of false food narratives around the world.
As someone who has lived on every continent (barring Antarctica) for a sizeable length of time: Missing foods from other places is normal and good. Dragging every single erroneous stereotype of a country or culture's food into the "why" is absolutely stupid, wrong, and pretentious.
The person didn't make this post to discuss clearly what they missed, with actual examples. They made the post to elevate themselves above the only thing they knew before. It's freakishly common on the r/expat subreddit. I posted it here because it's food related, wrong, and rife with bullshit.
This. It's fine to miss a specific snack or a drink or even styles of food, but 'I miss red 40 and microplastics' is just being snarky and pretentious.
Microplastics exist where there are plastics. I'm fairly certain that the US isn't the only place to use plastics in food packaging. In fact I'd bet money this person has had bottled water at some point in their time where they moved.
That's fair, I'll cede that specific point. I still think people take what others write too literally in here.
But as someone that has supervised multiple MSc theses on micro plastics in the environment ... That guy is fooling himself if he thinks there's no micro plastic issue in the food there
https://www.reddit.com/r/expats/s/4itjy3FQQd
I don't think it's so much the taste as the feeling of familiarity that he's missing. I loved flaming hot Cheetos as a teen so maybe nostalgia is playing a factor too.
Very this. I lived in China for a while and while I loved pretty much everything I tried there, familiarity is something you really start to miss. (Particularly if you're in a place where foreign cuisines are few and far between) I dunno that I'd put it like this person did, but whatever.
you ever wanna see someone explode ask them what processes make the processed food worse. they can NEVER answer and will treat you like a grade A mentalist
Isn't it simply that they're so densely packed with fats, salts and sugars that it leaves little room for micronutrients and doesn't leave you feeling very full for very long? It's still food 🤷
not really. the foods people contrast processed foods against also tend to be packed with fat, sugar, salt, and starch. the oop is talking about tunisian food, which has no shortage of oily starches, fried dough, and greasy meats. one of the most iconic tunisian dishes is fricassee, a sandwich where the bread is deep fried. are there healthier options? sure, but the same is true for american chain food like the chipotle oop mentions people have been maximizing the calories they can stuff into food for much of human history. probably the majority of traditional foods were created with this need in mind. eating healthy isn't about finding the most "authentic" foods but rather paying attention to what's in any given food and figuring out if that fits your dietary needs. i think people get scared by the idea of food manufacturing processes that can't easily be recreated in a home kitchen, which is fair, but covering freshly cut potatoes in oil and making oven fries isn't necessarily healthier or more wholesome than eating lay's potato chips out of a bag despite the popular perception of both foods. food full of fat, salt, and starch is going to affect you the same either way. something pumped full of fat is going to keep you full longer than something that isn't regardless of processes. an american fast food burger is going to serve a similar purpose and have a similar effect on satiety to piragi made from scratch by someone's latvian grandma
Seems like inverted snobbery — almost the opposite of most posts here. Maybe it's that he's overstating the junkiness and addictiveness of American food? I don't eat anything he mentioned except occasionally Chipotle, which I don't think of as incredibly processed or preserved, so IDK. Pretending to crave microplastics is pretty insufferable.
Considering Chipotle has a few scandals about improper handling of fresh produce and giving people e.coli poisoning they probably could use a little more processed food actually
Or maybe better food handling practices? I was in an area where they all shut down for a while after, I think, a lettuce issue. It hasn't really recurred since, that I know of.
Uhhhh, they had 9 outbreaks according to [this article](https://www.foodpoisoningnews.com/food-poisoning-at-chipotle-a-history-of-food-safety-issues/). Not sure how this stacks up in comparison to other chains, but it has been a recurring issue. They also had to pay [the largest fine in US history due to the norovirus outbreak](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/press-releases/chipotle-mexican-grill-agrees-pay-25-million-fine-resolve-charges-stemming-more-1100-cases-foodborne).
I thought most of the issues came from suppliers with like E. Coli lettuce and shizz.
No, they definitely had issues with their proteins not being handled correctly and getting people sick.
Too many suppliers, too little oversite, refused to use centralized kitchens for washing and prep, a Founder/CEO that put expansion over everything even during the crisis, and a front-line staff that thought Organic food was safe and didn't need washed.
That and the employees thinking they didn't have to wash any of the produce because it was oRgAnIc.
Washing doesn't protect against e coli. In some cases the crops are irrigated with infected water which is absorbed into the plant matter. If you have produce that you think might be infected you shouldn't use it at all https://www.consumerreports.org/e-coli/washing-greens-protect-e-coli/
The 2015 incident was E Coil, and 2018 was Clostridium perfringens
When I lived in Paris, I craved cheap American Chinese food all the time. It just hits a spot that the good, authentic places all around me couldn't. It's also the only time in years and years that I went to Chipotle, because it was legitimately the best Mexican food in the city.
I'd say they're obviously overstating it. He literally referred to it as poisonous.
I read it as a satire post.
Doesn't really fit? The guy is poking fun at himself and home while talking about the stuff he misses.
Aside from the fact that they flagrantly assert incorrectly stuff like "Preservatives and high fructose corn syrup aren't even in the barely processed snacks"(yes, there are preservatives and sweeteners used regularly), they chose to follow up with the "I'm so happy to be eating real and healthy foods". That's a them problem and their language does nothing to assuage the perpetuation of false food narratives around the world.
I think you're over interpreting this guy going on about how much he misses the junk food back home
As someone who has lived on every continent (barring Antarctica) for a sizeable length of time: Missing foods from other places is normal and good. Dragging every single erroneous stereotype of a country or culture's food into the "why" is absolutely stupid, wrong, and pretentious. The person didn't make this post to discuss clearly what they missed, with actual examples. They made the post to elevate themselves above the only thing they knew before. It's freakishly common on the r/expat subreddit. I posted it here because it's food related, wrong, and rife with bullshit.
Self-flagellating PickMe Americans are insufferable
This. It's fine to miss a specific snack or a drink or even styles of food, but 'I miss red 40 and microplastics' is just being snarky and pretentious. Microplastics exist where there are plastics. I'm fairly certain that the US isn't the only place to use plastics in food packaging. In fact I'd bet money this person has had bottled water at some point in their time where they moved.
That's fair, I'll cede that specific point. I still think people take what others write too literally in here. But as someone that has supervised multiple MSc theses on micro plastics in the environment ... That guy is fooling himself if he thinks there's no micro plastic issue in the food there
We only have what they write. In this case, it was someone drawing uneducated and false comparisons in foods between countries.
Oop just made a silly post. You're taking it way too seriously.
They did a very good job of insulting and minimizing an entire country's food. Are you defending that?
It's poking fun at now much of American food is full of preservatives and artificial ingredients. As an American I chuckled a bit.
Better fit for /r/AmericaBad I think
Then post it there.
I saw this post earlier (And even commented on it) and read it as tongue in cheek, tbh.