Rumplestiltskin

I thought it would be a nice idea to have a thread where we can share alternatives that we have found to UK foods...

Sophia_S gave me the idea when she mentioned that we can get Cabot Sharp Chedder in Walmart and that it's pretty much the same as Mature English Cheddar (I buy it regularly and it's also a bargain at $1.50 for 1/2lb).

In the search for a decent tin of baked beans (without paying $4 a can at my local specialised English store) I've tried every brand of baked bean at Walmart, Giant, Weis and SKH... mostly they were pretty nasty IMO. However I've found something that I consider to be a reasonable alternative in the form of Hanover Pork and Beans from Walmart or SKH (maybe in other stores too)... The Pork in the title actually refers to the half inch of pork fat that you'll find floating in the top of the can - be sure to pour this away first *bleeuurrgghh*. The tomato sauce isn't too bad and they've had the good taste to not 'poison' the sauce with brown sugar!

Also see my thread about UK foods in regular stores

FlyergirlUK

Look for Heinz vegetarian Baked Beans - best heads-up I've had here; available from Giant.

I agree with ya though, those other beans are puke! Hubby couldn't stand 'em either once he tasted the Heinz.

Rumplestiltskin

Excellent, thank you

ladyofthelake

Noooooooooooooooooo!!! They're as nasty as the rest of 'em!

You've got the right idea getting the pork and beans tins. They are in tomato sauce and therefore more savoury than sweet. Campbells pork and beans came out best in our survey.

PrincessofWales

why this aversion to sweet baked beans, I've never known Heinz Baked Beans be anything other than sweet, even the low sugar variety.

I've found that most bean brands in the US that are advertised as meat-free/vegetarian are actually not that bad, and even palatable when eaten cold....for me that is the ultimate test of a good baked bean. I'm sure others have different criteria for judging a good baked bean but for now I won't go there!

FlyergirlUK

LOL LOTL - the Heinz vegetarian beans come in the tomato sauce that we know and love from the UK and taste nearly just as perfect!

ladyofthelake

Ok, I'll try it one more time, but I'm fully expecting them to taste as cr@p as the rest of 'em.

Bluegrass Lass

I think it all boils down to this. Obviously what the British call baked beans, are not what Americans call baked beans, so adapt dang it! Tomato sauce with beans just sounds bleh, but then again, I'm not a bean person at all.

NC Penguin

Have you ever lived abroad?

Also, I think it's fair to say that Brits living in the US have had to adapt to some extent to the food in the US 'cos ingredients like corn syrup and soy pervade foods that you wouldn't normally think contained such ingredients.

Baked beans are an institution in British cuisine, much like cinammon is such a popular flavor for foods in the US.

Taffyles

I can't stomach any American beans..anyone ever put that lump of fat in your mouth by mistake......blech.

The nearest cheese I've found to English cheddar is Crackerbarrel Vermont Extra Sharp...Cabot vermont ES is a close second.

Cran-Grape juice is almost like Ribena.

Publix White Mountain Bread is the closest we've found to a crusty loaf.

Hershey's "Symphony" chocolate is a bit like Galaxy.

Kash n Karry currant biscuits (like scones) toasted, taste exactly like toasted teacakes.

Rumplestiltskin

CrackerBarrel Extra Sharp is definitely good I like the extra sharp white and I used to get it in England too... I also found a particularly good Canadian Mature Cheddar pre-packaged by the deli counter in Walmart... A bit expensive at $5.50 for about 8 oz but yum Can't remember the name now... haven't bought it for a while cos we've been budgeting till I get some work.

Englishmum

I'm lucky in that I can often get real English vintage cheddar cheese here, and even 'Kerrygold' cheese - but they are expensive. Also 'Wholefoods' sells the Neal's Yard range of cheeses from Covent Garden but it costs an absolute fortune. I did smile though to see a cheese from a farm in Berkswell, Warwickshire, not far from where I grew up. (I couldn't afford to buy it though!).

A very good substitute is another Cracker Barrel cheese: their "New York Aged Reserve" wrapped in a black cover. I can't always get it, but it is like a mature English cheddar, and stronger than the Cabot range of cheeses (which aren't bad either). It's definitely worth asking the manager of the dairy section in your local supermarket if they can bring it in.

I've been running around like a mad thing today. I'm having a curry night tomorrow and have had to go to loads of shops all over the place to get all the spices I wanted...trying to track down creamed coconut has been a nightmare, but I didn't fancy driving for 20 minutes to the Indian expat enclave just for that! Luckily, I did find it in a can in a Spanish/Mexican food section, in a dark blue tin and made by 'Goya'. I've only ever seen it in blocks before, where you slice it like butter or marg. The stuff in a can seemed to be too runny and v.sweet but it was better than nothing.