Wednesday 19 March 2014

FOOD: The American Baked Bean

Baked Beans

Before moving to the US, everyone I worked with always use to tell me how much I'd hate American baked beans. Baked beans to me are one of those things I could never skimp on and buy a shops own brand, it would always have to be Heinz. They are certainly a key cultural icon in the UK - I mean we have them for breakfast, lunch or tea. We all grew up with baked beans on toast, they go perfect with a slice or three of bacon and well they are fine on their own if we're honest and some would even admit to eating them cold.

It's funny how a tin of beans can become and reflect wider cultural impacts and experiences of food when you are an expat, when the things you've eaten for the last 25 odd years in my case suddenly change, hence why this blogger challenge post is about the baked bean, rather than a recipe, which I would normally do anyway. I'm shaking it up.

When you compare the two nations and there two versions of the baked bean, there is actually a far bit of a difference. In the US you'll find them much sweeter due to the inclusion of brown sugar and in variety of sauces and if we're getting observant different in colour. But many say the key difference is down to the tomato sauce - in the US it's certainly thinner, more watery and actually more expensive. 

According to many an expat, baked beans of the British variety are one of the main food items us expat miss the most although they can be found in those British food sections in the import aisle although you'll probably have to fork out about $3-4 for a tin. Myself? Actually not, I oddly prefer the American variety because they are sweeter and yes the bacon pieces is my winning factor even thought it might only be a teeny tiny 1cm slice in the entire tin. But I think I'm one of the few British expats that prefer the American baked bean.

Custard on the other hand is another matter entirely ... American's can't do custard.

What are your thoughts and what do you love to have your baked beans with? If you've ever tried them, are you a lover or hater of the American baked bean? What would you miss if you moved countries?

 This post is the #6 in the 2014bloggerchallenge.

17 comments:

  1. Much as I love the idea of the bacon inclusion, and I do tend to love sweet things, I just can't get my head round eating baked beans that aren't Heinz!

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    1. Haha it's funny how we get set in our ways with certain foods!

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  2. I don't like baked beans but my OH is obsessed. I think he would miss the Branston ones we have here. I couldn't live without good custard on the other hand! I guess you have to make your own.

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    1. Luckily if needs we can get tinned custard in the British sections but my mam often mails over packets of Birds powdered custard which does me just as well.

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  3. I am not a fan of the American baked beans. I love my Heinz beans too much and always buy a handful of tins when I'm in a store that sells them. I also buy a lot of Salad Cream.. It's expensive but there is not alternative to it here! My husband on the other hand really likes the American beans.

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    1. I was actually surprised that it took me two years from moving to buy my first bottle of salad cream, now I don't think i'll be able to go without it again, it makes a sarnie in my view!

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  4. Ugh, I hate American baked beans even though I grew up with them. My mom told me I used to swallow them whole like I was taking giant pills or something when I was a kid, haha. I never liked baked beans at all until I moved overseas and tried Heinz... funny how these things work. :)

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    1. Haha that's funny - there's lots of food I didn't like until moving to the US, barbecue sauce being one.

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  5. I love American baked beans! I can't imagine having them for breakfast though like the english ones. I do admit I thought it sounded weird having beans for breakfast but after having them I love them. We get Branston over Heinz because that's what my bf likes. Also chop sauce brown sauce over hp, it's funny who prefers what!

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    1. That's opening another can of worms ... like Heinz tomato ketchup over other brands/places that do it! But yeah, I still have my baked beans on toast, pretty much regardless of the type of beans haha

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  6. This is so funny! I love baked beans (American) and definitely never thought of baked beans as being a product that's so different abroad!

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    1. Baked beans, chocolate, sausages, bacon and especially bread are all very different between the UK and US alone.

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  7. I'm not a fan of baked beans on either side of the Atlantic. The American ones seem too sweet and the British ones seem bland.

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  8. For me it has to be Branston, not sure what they did to the Heniz ones but they taste horrid to me & yes I do miss them when I go on holidays. I've never tried the American ones would be interesting to see if I liked them

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  9. Eeeewww beans.

    That's all I have to say ;)

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  10. LOL. I actually only like refried beans with Mexican food, or I tend to like black beans in quinoa, rice, or salads. I have been eating more naturally this past year, and so I tend to stay away from those American canned baked beans. Would love to try the British versions? I'm always up for trying new things. -Jess L

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  11. Haha this is so funny! I've never realized that British baked beans are different than American beans. I actually don't care much for baked beans because I don't quite like the sweet brown sugar flavoring. Maybe I'd like the British version better!

    xx
    www.thestyleduckling.blogspot.com

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