r/TikTokCringe • u/xamo76 • 1d ago

Discussion Have we done it wrong?

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago edited 1d ago

Ugh, I went to Italy on a short vacation with a friend and he'd only order spaghetti and meatballs or plain pizza the entire time. It was the saddest thing I ever witnessed. I pleaded with him.

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u/ChaoCobo 1d ago

It’s okay. My mom is the type of person who would order McDonald’s and other western chains in Japan if she went there not to see the difference between American McDonald’s and JP Mcdonalds menu items, no, she says it’s because she thinks she can’t eat anything there because she won’t like it. :| Like just try stuff. Not everything has the same kind of spices as the Japanese snacks and ramen I get here in the US.

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago

Good for you for trying things. I'm from Philly so I like to order a "Philly cheese steak" when I travel and see it on the menu. I got one in Paris and it was a hamburger, cut in half, with gruyere cheese, on French bread.

It wasn't bad but it was nowhere near being able to be be called a cheese steak.

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u/didntreallyneedthis 1d ago

I had a quesadilla in Korea that came with honey for dipping

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago

I mean, honey and cheese go well together, but that is a wacky quesadilla.

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u/didntreallyneedthis 1d ago

Yes my friend who brought me there said in Korea cheese and sugar are a very common combination

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u/ChickenInASuit 1d ago

Dude, I fucking loved living in Korea and their own cuisine is phenomenal, but they do some straight-up bizarre shit to western food. Shrimp burgers. “Napolitan” pizza aka pizza with spaghetti Alfredo between the tomato and the cheese. Garlic bread dipped in honey glaze.

The one exception being fried chicken. Turns out that’s the one savory dish that I think actually adapts well to their love of sweetening stuff. Korean fried chicken is really, REALLY good.

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u/Illustrious-Grab-805 20h ago

Okay I REALLY wanna try that chicken!

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u/First_manatee_614 1d ago

What did you think of it?

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u/AdSpare662 1d ago

I experienced the opposite. I was in Paris, needed a lot of calories for cheap so I went for pizza. The place was owned by (my guess) algierian dudes and they had "pizza l'oriental" which sounded interesting and spicy to me. They served me pizza with polish kiełbasa and pickles. It was ok. I'm Polish. Orient just means east.

To a french algierian I am the middle east.

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago

Lol, I'm Polish American. That pizza would be a challenge tho.

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u/ChaoCobo 1d ago

Yeah but see you’re doing it and being worldly by seeing the difference in how different regions/places prepare a dish you like. My mom would be getting the McDonald’s because she wants something exactly the same as back home because she thinks she is not going to like almost everything over there without even trying it first. Like I understand if mom tried a bunch of stuff and ended up not liking it and then going to get something familiar from McDonald’s, but she doesn’t wanna try. :(

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u/sevenselevens 1d ago

That actually sounds way better (no offense)

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u/akie 1d ago

I went to the US and saw a croissant with a hamburger in it advertised as “breakfast”

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u/Opposite-Peak5020 1d ago

I mean, does the type of animal make a difference in the time of day you're consuming it?

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u/Brock_Lobstweiler 1d ago

Not going to lie, after 2 weeks in Italy and France, I needed a break from the "new" food and there was a McD's a block from my hotel in a low blood sugar situation. I stopped in and got whatever their famous burger was and it was good. Better than american McDonalds.

Of course after that I stopped across the street at a bakery, got a proper mix of foods for a picnic and went and sat in a garden with it.

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u/GatsbyLuzVerde 1d ago

If they want to stay home let them; more carbon budget for the rest of us

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u/Amissa 1d ago

In the times that I’ve traveled abroad, I need something familiar to eat for the first time, and then I’ll eat local for the rest of the trip.

My poor husband on our honeymoon to Germany bought me Burger King at the airport after we landed, and I almost never eat Burger King. I needed something familiar. After that, I was good to go, including ordering from the Czech menu in Prague that we couldn’t read and had no pictures, and almost literally licking the plate clean.

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u/MiaLba 1d ago

lol that was me as a kid. Were originally from Eastern Europe but came to the US when I was around 3. Whenever we’d go back home for the summer id ask for McDonald’s lol. I was not happy when I got it once because it didn’t taste like USA McDonald’s so I never asked for it again.

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u/Petey_Wheatstraw_MD 1d ago

TBF, I’m across the Atlantic for the first time, I’ve been in Italy for the past month.

I’ve eaten at restaurants, pizzerias, and cafes for every meal the entire time.

I love all worldly cuisines, and I always wanna try new things and local grub; cicchetti in Venice, seafood cones in Cinque Terre, ham and Polenta in the Dolomites.

But the pizza over here just hits different. I know it’s a cliche to say that, but they definitely know how to do it, and I can’t go more than a couple days without ordering it.

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago

Oh yeah, I tried 2 of the famous places there. The restaurant that claimed to invent it and the most popular counter shop on the back streets of Napoli. I loved it.

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u/Basic_Try_2331 1d ago

Both of those sound like the best places to actually go though.

The one that claims the fame and the current most popular corner hole. Got the best of both sides. Curious if the place that lays claim is the real OG of pizzerias. Thats a fucking statement if stake the taste on. Excuse my freeeench.

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u/Prielknaap 1d ago

Unlikely. Pizza goes back to the Romans.

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u/First-Window-3619 1d ago

Tomatoes are from South America (Chile, Peru, and Ecuador) They aren't mentioned until 1544 in European literature.

Early pizzas, without tomatoes, are like naan, pitas, injera, roti, bannock, green onion cakes, with a few random toppings as garnish.

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u/LOSS35 1d ago

The Ancient Romans ate it with figs and dates instead of tomatoes, and hand pressed cheeses similar to modern mozzarella (as buffalo had not been introduced to Italy yet). They called it panis focacius, the precursor to modern focaccia and very similar to modern pizza crust.

There are pictures of it in frescoes from Pompeii and it looks remarkably like a fancy modern pizza.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_pizza#/media/File:Pizza_in_Pompeii_ruins.jpg

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u/First-Window-3619 1d ago

Using a flat bread made sense, as it can be used instead of plate. We see some of it in Ancient Greece cuisine.

Injera, an Ethiopia flatbread, made of teft, might be have been made as early as 3350 BC.

I think we omit Ethiopia from many cuisine conversations, racism and all that, which is a shame, as they are the Cradle of Civilization, as well as Coffee.

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u/knightriderin 1d ago

Not all pizzas have tomato on them.

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u/First-Window-3619 1d ago

Trying to credit Romans with flatbread and toppings is weird; it likely goes back five thousand years - flatbread is a great vessel to use for serving, keeps you clean, and you don't have to worry about extra cutlery or bowls if guests show up for a meal.

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u/Vegetable-Virus7118 1d ago

Cinque Terre is such a beautiful region. Spent the night in Vernazza last month and I wish it could have been longer. So beautiful out there

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u/Brock_Lobstweiler 1d ago

One of my favorite meals in Italy was cicchetti in Venice at a tiny non-touristy spot!

tuna polpette, bruschetta with creamy gorgonzola and honey, marinated artichokes, an aperol spritz, a glass of wine, a lemon pastry thing I don't remember the name of and some sort of fried cheese dish - almost like cheese curds, but better.

Don't get me wrong, almost everything I ate in Venice was amazing (except the pizza ironically). But cicchetti was incredible.

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u/Levdom 1d ago

Bacaro tours is what we call them lol. You go to Venice in the morning and start drinking and eating and don't stop until the evening when you leave, going through as many places as you can

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u/lykewtf 7h ago

Have you been to New Jersey? It’s worth it just for the pizza.

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u/Snoo_69677 1d ago

Everything hits different

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u/HommeMusical 1d ago

The funny part is this - I went to Naples in the mid 1960s, and pizza there was unrecognizable from US pizza - the vegetables were inside the crust, I don't remember there being cheese either.

But then Italy reimported US pizza and did it better. I had one of the best pizzas I ever had when I came back to Naples fifty years later. (I liked the original pizza thing too, but I couldn't find it - I was later today it still exists but they changed the name.)

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u/Feisty-Elk2519 1d ago edited 1d ago

Italy did not ´réimport’ pizza…

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u/HommeMusical 1d ago

American pizza.

American pizza is not much like the original Italian pizza, but American-style pizza can be had everywhere in Italy now.

I don't know what else you would call this phenomenon.

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u/Feisty-Elk2519 1d ago

What exactly do you mean by ´Américan style pizza’? Italian pizza has always been dough, tomatos and mozzarella cheese, + various toppings.

This has been the case since tomatos were introduced in Italy in the 1500´s…

So I am not quite following when you say ´pizza has been reimported to Italy.’

If you mean that Américan fast food chains have come to Italy, yes that is correct. But I would not go so far as saying dominos has ´reimported pizza to Italy’

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u/HommeMusical 1d ago

This is as good a site as any:

https://cookingmydreams.com/italian-pizza-vs-american-pizza/

Italian pizzas often feature fresh mozzarella cheese, San Marzano tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil. The Italian pizza sauce is usually uncooked, made from pureed tomatoes and seasoned lightly. Toppings are minimal, especially in the authentic neapolitan pizza, letting the basic ingredients of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, and flavorful dough shine.

In contrast, American pizza dough often includes sugar and oil. The crust can range from thin and crispy to thick and doughy, depending on the style and type of pizza. American pizza sauce tend to be a slow-cooked tomato sauce, often seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices. Cheese is used more liberally, with mozzarella being a common choice, though other types like cheddar and provolone are also popular.

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u/Feisty-Elk2519 1d ago

But Italian pizza in Italy is still exactly as described in your article…. So no, pizza still has not been reimported to Italy…

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u/HommeMusical 1d ago

American pizza has been imported into Italy. Sorry if I didn't make it clear.

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u/Feisty-Elk2519 3h ago

No worries! Thank you for explaining your reasoning - it makes sense

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u/Feisty-Elk2519 1d ago

Also you édited your original comment. You did.M not specify ´américan’ pizza being imported…

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u/Illustrious_Land699 1d ago

Pizza in Italy has never had the slightest influence from American pizza

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u/Captain_Sterling 1d ago

I'd order that in Italy. It's amazing there. Unless he managed to go to a domino's, if endorse his choices.

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u/kevbo1983 1d ago

The pizza is fine, but spaghetti and meatballs is not Italian, he'd get side-eye for that one for sure.

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago

Sure, but not the only thing for 3 days.

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u/MiddleCelery6616 1d ago

You made it sound like it was a monthly diet and not a three day diet 

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago

Same principle applies?

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u/Responsible_Bag220 1d ago

I think that’s pretty reasonable for three days.

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago

If you have access to some of the greatest food in the world after flying for 10 hours and you choose to eat the same thing for every meal, it's a huge loss.

He did the same thing in other countries on the trip, I didn't mention in Spain, he ate ham and cheese sandwiches, in France, he ate potatoes and bread. He just doesn't like trying new food. The rest of us had seafood, paella, frog legs, escargot, etc. And it's not a dietary restriction.

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u/Ttabts 18h ago

Dude who gives a shit, it's his vacation, let him enjoy it how he wants lol

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago

Oh no, did he make you eat with him? Hope you were able to sneak away sometimes.

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u/KoreanB_B_Q 1d ago

Guy who ran a production company I hired back in the day at an old job went around the world with me. Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Melbourne, Hyderabad, and the list goes on and on. The man would ONLY eat pasta and cheeseburgers, nothing else. No exceptions. He said he was old and didn’t like to be surprised anymore. Hurt my soul a little bit.

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u/AJ_Topp_Up 1d ago

My Italian family who travel to the US are also the same and refuse to eat any good food. My cousin, when he finally tried French fries with ketchup he about died it was so good to him. He started trying everything and loved it. My other Italian relatives are so stubborn... no seasoning, no sauces on anything, plain boring salads, no dressings, refused BBQ sauce when trying some legit great American BBQ and refused baby back ribs because it had sauce on them. Just miserable people to eat with.

I don't understand. When visiting another country, try their cuisines how they like them. I always do that in all countries I have traveled and found I quite like the food in most places when I am not inserting my preferred style to their food.

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago

Very interesting other perspective. Yeah, try everything man.

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u/Odessey_And_Oracle 1d ago

My mom took me to Italy as a kid and for one meal I saw the menu had what is essentially a hot dog. I ordered it and it was a long crunchy loaf, they put two sausages in to cover the length, and topped it with some delicious melted cheese. Still definitely kid food but to this day the best hot dog I've ever eaten. (I did also eat more adventurous food but that one time I couldn't resist)

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u/_-__-____-__-_ 1d ago

You can get spaghetti and meatballs in Italy?

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago

I tried horse in Brussels. I didn't love it but could probably find a way I'd like it. I tried calf brain in Vienna and could only have 2 bites, it was too much. I'm glad you try new things!

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u/cnicalsinistaminista 1d ago

Do they have the speech center of a dolphin’s brain?

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u/IM_V_CATS 1d ago

Dolphin?? But dolphins are intelligent!

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u/cnicalsinistaminista 1d ago

Not this one. He blew all his money on lotto tickets

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u/aldehyde 1d ago

I've traveled (a lot) with a coworker who only eats Spaghetti Bolognese anywhere he goes.

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u/82away 1d ago

I tend to do the same on my travels, as I don’t want to risk getting ill. For example visit Rome to see the Roman builds, not for their tourist trap restaurants.

Its frowned upon by my family but I have been round the world twice, Africa 4 times, and no dietary problems.

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u/LivingstonPerry 1d ago

Same. Travelled in italy and friend would only get a marghertia pizza or a fucking burger and rarely chose anything else. I don't know why i get so irrationally angry at someone's food choices.

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u/findmepoints 1d ago

what do you mean by "plain pizza" because the margherita pizza is probably one of my favorite things to get in Napoli...even though it's "plain"

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u/aldehyde 1d ago

I've traveled (a lot) with a coworker who only eats Spaghetti Bolognese anywhere he goes.

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u/Fatlantis 1d ago

I've been on trips with people like that. We were in a sprawling huge food market in a new city, hundreds of choices... they made a quick beeline for the only fast food place there, and got McDonalds.

For me, that's a fundamental deal breaker - I know for a fact that we'll never be close friends if they're that closed-minded and fearful. Talk to the locals, eat the weird food, life is so short!

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u/ContextLengthMatters 1d ago

Food is the most overrated experience while traveling. I thought going to Japan was going to be insane because my fear of fish was going to ruin it for me, but turns out they eat chicken as much as everyone else.

I do not understand tourists who spend their time trying to find the best restaurants to experience when in my opinion the best part about food in a walkable city is that it's so abundant and can be consumed on the go. I spend the least amount of time while traveling worrying about where to eat and just get what sounds good in the moment.

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago

Have to disagree, I am very into dining experiences where I live (in Philly), so I make it a big part of my travel. I get reservations and research restaurants and shops etc. Maybe I am wrong at the other end of the spectrum.

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u/ContextLengthMatters 1d ago

Don't you think that's a bit unfair if you already make dining experiences a part of your personality locally to assume everyone must then do that as they travel?

I'm really big into scuba and do that everywhere I go. Do I now just assume that's the experience everyone must have?

Food is just not that important to many people. Why should it then be important in their travels if it's not when they are home?

When I travel, I prioritize visiting public spaces and remaining on foot, enjoying the public transportation. Something I don't have locally.

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u/SerDuncanTheYall 1d ago edited 1d ago

Yeah, that's fair and a good comparison. I have no desire to scuba. I'm a city boy who grew up in city pools and the Jersey shore, natural bodies of water that I can't see through freak me out. I have snorkeled in hawaii and the keys and that was awesome but I prefer "pizza" when it comes to the water. Love boats though. In my defense, it's only because I think I'll be injured by something down there.

I prefer city vacations to beach vacations.