4 ms·

This fact became really obvious to me as soon as I moved from USA to Japan - I realized that what's considered "delicious" in the USA is really an arms race for

This fact became really obvious to me as soon as I moved from USA to Japan - I realized that what's considered "delicious" in the USA is really an arms race for how to inject the maximal amount of sugar and fat into all foods, and when I visited the USA again after being here a couple years, eating out at restaurants and tasting that kind of cuisine made me feel grossed out.

newby 5y ago
You just reminded me of something that surprised me when I visited the US - sweet foods seem much sweeter than in Europe. One would say that chocolate cake is sweet anywhere, but the american chocolate cake was on another level. It felt so sweet that I could not finish it, after four or five bites I felt so full that I had to stop eating - not full like full stomach but the other kind, when it starts to feel kind of gross instead of delicious. On the other hand, I still remember and miss "Entenman's crumb coffee cake" - store-bought delicacies are usually kind of dry where I live now but that american one was really like something my grandmother would have made. I guess that the perception of sweetness is one of those things that you get used to and need more to get the same level of stimulation. The US might be just further down that road.
- devchix 5y ago
  I'm a proficient home cook and baker, on occasion I bring baked goods to work. Invariably, people tell me this thing that I've brought is Delicious! Because it's not TOO sweet! There's a weird disconnect between the commercial manufacturer and the consumer, there's no signalling mechanism; since all manufacturers ratchet up the sugar in everything, consumers don't have a valid choice for something less sweet. The "reduced" label -- I frequently see "reduced salt" or "30% less sodium" on things like bacon, canned beans. The "reduced sugar" I typically see on Weight Watcher or "diet" products. The normal stuff is tooth-achingly sweet, and covered with additional sugar drizzle or sprinkles. People (and even sadder, little kids) are now conditioned to respond to these ridiculous excess with delight, as if it were a special reward. A while ago I went one month without any added sugar, I cut out dried fruits and reduced fruit intake. On the weekends I allowed myself one tablespoon of fruit jam. After the first week, the jam tasted incredibly sweet, but delicious. When I went back to normal eating, everything tasted incredibly sweet to me, and I thought two tablespoons of jam was unnecessary, and that was just one month! We just celebrated Halloween here in the US. I think it was more special when cane sugar was more scarce and candy was really a special non-daily treat. No kid needs a tenth of the candy haul I see them carry around, and my office is in a glut of candies that were bought by the adults but not given away.

newby 5y ago

You just reminded me of something that surprised me when I visited the US - sweet foods seem much sweeter than in Europe. One would say that chocolate cake is sweet anywhere, but the american chocolate cake was on another level. It felt so sweet that I could not finish it, after four or five bites I felt so full that I had to stop eating - not full like full stomach but the other kind, when it starts to feel kind of gross instead of delicious. On the other hand, I still remember and miss "Entenman's crumb coffee cake" - store-bought delicacies are usually kind of dry where I live now but that american one was really like something my grandmother would have made. I guess that the perception of sweetness is one of those things that you get used to and need more to get the same level of stimulation. The US might be just further down that road.

devchix 5y ago
I'm a proficient home cook and baker, on occasion I bring baked goods to work. Invariably, people tell me this thing that I've brought is Delicious! Because it's not TOO sweet! There's a weird disconnect between the commercial manufacturer and the consumer, there's no signalling mechanism; since all manufacturers ratchet up the sugar in everything, consumers don't have a valid choice for something less sweet. The "reduced" label -- I frequently see "reduced salt" or "30% less sodium" on things like bacon, canned beans. The "reduced sugar" I typically see on Weight Watcher or "diet" products. The normal stuff is tooth-achingly sweet, and covered with additional sugar drizzle or sprinkles. People (and even sadder, little kids) are now conditioned to respond to these ridiculous excess with delight, as if it were a special reward. A while ago I went one month without any added sugar, I cut out dried fruits and reduced fruit intake. On the weekends I allowed myself one tablespoon of fruit jam. After the first week, the jam tasted incredibly sweet, but delicious. When I went back to normal eating, everything tasted incredibly sweet to me, and I thought two tablespoons of jam was unnecessary, and that was just one month! We just celebrated Halloween here in the US. I think it was more special when cane sugar was more scarce and candy was really a special non-daily treat. No kid needs a tenth of the candy haul I see them carry around, and my office is in a glut of candies that were bought by the adults but not given away.