Food!

Today I want to talk about one of my favorite things: food. Since being in England I've discovered a couple of strange culinary masterpieces that I will definitely be bringing back to the states. The first, beans on toast. Usually eaten for breakfast, but can be any meal. Preparation is exactly what it sounds like: make toast, butter toast, pour baked beans on top of toast. I was a bit apprehensive the first time my flatmate had me try it, but I was pleasantly surprised. (Although I found out later that eating it sandwich-style is all kinds of wrong). Now I eat this lovely dish with a knife and fork like a true Brit. Next on my list? Putting malt vinegar on fries, or chips as they're called here. Side note, I will probably never call them fries again :)
Anyway, I know the vinegar sounds really odd but it is possibly one of the most delicious things ever. Especially late at night. Ketchup just seems so lame now! Interestingly enough, the ketchup does taste different here; its slightly sweeter here. Also, the chocolate here is AMAZING.
I've also discovered that there is a huge difference between the American definition of spicy and the English version of spicy. First of all, if you say the words "buffalo chicken" here you will be looked at like you should be in a straightjacket. They've never even heard of it! My heart broke when I discovered this. In a nutshell the English definition of "really spicy" is the heat equivalency of pepperjack cheese. If that. My mom sent me flaming hot cheetos last week and I had one of my flatmates try one. His face was priceless. "They're red, that can't be good!!" he said. He then proceeded to down his glass of water and start sweating. Hilarious.
I haven't had proper fish and chips yet; I've heard that the best place to get it is on the coast. I did try black pudding and haggis during our trip to Scotland a few weeks ago, however. Haggis is...interesting. It's kind of like meatloaf but squishier. I'm not even sure if that's a word but we'll go with it. Black pudding, for those who don't know, is basically a little cakey thing made of curdled sheep's blood. It didn't taste too bad until I thought about what it was, then I almost puked on the floor of the pub. But, now I can say I tried it, and that's what this whole experience is about. I came here to experience new things and have an adventure! So far things are going splendidly. That's all for today, feel free to email me with questions or comments at temme004@d.umn.edu
Cheers!