Weird Misconceptions Germans Have About Americans...

[@PassportTwo]

If you enjoyed this video, you will probably enjoy our video about objects found in German homes you will NOT find in American homes 😃 Also, it’s one of our favorite videos we‘ve ever done so there’s that as well...😅⏩ kzbin.info/www/bejne/paCXoWNoeNiIacU

[@janpracht6662]

It is not true that Americans have no good "real" restaurants. For example on the west-coast in California we had excellent fish in a restaurant, on the east-coast in Bar Harbour (Maine) we got a fantastic scallops- and lobster plate. Okay- of course US-Americans eat their lobster with french fries, you probably would not find that in Europe... ;-) Americans also have great regional specialities like delicious meat-pies (often on markets or market halls), their delicious homemade barbecue-sauces (honey mustard) or good grilled steaks. The USA are far more than Burger King and KFC!

[@lornaduwn]

If you are from New England, you just might eat your fries with vinegar.

[@janpracht6662]

@@lornaduwn I know vinegar-crisps from England, this stuff is very common in UK. Fascinating for me how a human beeing can eat that... ;-)

[@thomasbenck9525]

@@janpracht6662 I've just recently seen a report on how Covid has disproportionately impacted the self-owned restaurants in the US compared to those owned by chains who can much easier afford to pay their wages, maintenance and utilities just on what they can make on take-out and outdoor dining and the few brave souls who dare come in for indoor dining, as is a possibility in at least some states. Maybe the market will look a little different with even more chain restaurants because of that.

[@BlowShootera]

I had a lot of good Food when I visited the USA, the Trick is to choose little Familie owned places.we Traveled between pennsylvania an Colorado through a lot of diffrent staates and were invited to a few Cajunstyle meels and BBQ's at the house of friends of my aunt. There is Really good food in the USA. I love food so I do cook every day something Nice since I mooved out 16years ago. Good Food does not always have to be complicated for example Spagetti aglio olio very good and easy and if you would like something "more" you just add some Cherrytomatos and Chicken etc..... Or you quickly make some Spätzle and roast them with some butter and Herbs (to use dryed Spätzle is a Sacrileg in my personal opinion, but you do you).

[@dashandtuch7183]

"Food is just Something to have to get through the day" For me, a day is just Something to get through to get food

[@gregclark5084]

I remember when my sister came for her first visit we sat down for dinner and after about five minutes she asked me if I had forgot the good manners that we were taught at home. I had to laugh and told her that I did not forget them I had just adopted the German table manners. I remember the way Germans would watch me eat when I first came here and it took me a few years to pick up German eating habits and manners. I was raised on a farm outside of Seattle and learned from my grandmother and mother how to cook and preserve the vegies and fruits we grew in our garden. I still do not like to eat food from fast food places and would rather eat at home where I prepare the meal myself .

[@PassportTwo]

Haha, ya, the table etiquette is quite different between the two places!

[@mikelastname1220]

Yes, on the table manners. We had a German exchange student who was a "city boy" from near Frankfurt and I will never forget the first time he sat at our dinner table with me, my wife and three children. We had barely eaten two or three bites and he was already finished. It was spaghetti and he hit that dish like he was starving to death. At first, I thought it was just because he was a 17 year old boy and just loved spaghetti, but he did this every time we had a meal. He ate as if he had a fire to put out. When we visited his family, they ALL ate super fast!!! We tend to eat slow and savor every bite. I also lived with another German family when I was younger and they did not eat fast . . . . so . . . .I can't say that all Germans do not have table manners. It's just like here. Some do and some don't.

[@robfriedrich2822]

I think, the fast eaters should do Raclette or Fondue, that has to be slow. It's a good training, when people does a meal, as would it be a car race.

[@reinhard8053]

@@mikelastname1220 It's more a personal thing. In my family there are a few who eat quite fast (partly due to jobs which give them short breaks so they adapted) whereas others are rather slow. I'm more slow with meals but rather fast with cake 🙂

[@schaerfentiefe1967]

I would definitely click an a video called "Differences between Oklahoma and Rheinland-Pfalz"! That could be very funny! 😅

[@LythaWausW]

I think it was a trick question because that is what every single one of their videos is, as the disclaimer at the beginning tells us: )

[@nettcologne9186]

The prejudice or judgment is not so much about the way Americans eat (fast or slow), but about the quality of food in the USA. Hormone-treated meat, chlorinated chicken, genetically modified corn, over-sugared soft drinks etc. ... that's the crux of the matter

[@lorenzsabbaer7725]

yes!

[@johnkitchen4699]

When I came to live in the USA I had to have a medical to get the extraordinarily over-priced health insurance The doctor armed how the American food industry was the biggest killer of Americans.

[@nettcologne9186]

@@johnkitchen4699 What can I say - I myself am someone who loves to travel and have been to 56 different countries. 5 times I was also in the USA spread over 25 years. When I was a student (30 years ago) I liked to go to low price restaurants. In the USA they were called "cafeterias"? I don't remember exactly, but in any case there was ´home cooking´ and it tasted super delicious.

[@williamsarnecky2229]

All corn is genetically modified, including yours, wherever you may be from. All of your vegetables are genetically modified, as well. I don’t think you’d like corn as it was first eaten by hunter/gatherers. It is absolutely true, the beef industry in the US is a travesty and needs to change (for the animals and the humans who consume them). On the other hand some of the worst tasting beef I’ve ever had was while traveling in Germany.

[@nettcologne9186]

@@williamsarnecky2229 Well, there is a difference between crossing something, for example in rose breeding or corn breeding (in Germany we call it "kreuzen") and actively modifying genetic material in the laboratory. I am sorry that you did not like the natural taste of beef.

[@Pewtah]

Travel to France - it is just an 1-hour drive from your home - and go eating in a restaurant there: that might blow off your mind due to their culture of food & cooking. About restaurants: there are "McDonalds restaurants", but if you would say in Germany "We'll go to a restaurant", no German would think a second about McDonalds. In our culture there are "restaurants" and "fast food restaurants". Also in the US?

[@raebee4321]

American here. I don't think I've ever referred to McDonald's as a restaurant: it's a "fast food place." To address your question, yes we do place them in different categories.

[@mikelastname1220]

Well, we feel the same. If we say we are going to a restaurant, that means it will be a place to sit down and enjoy a leisure and good meal.

[@BB-nr3sm]

Fast food places are not restaurants here in the U.S.

[@andreaseufinger4422]

Why are so many people socializing in the local fire fighter department. Even if you don't want to be an actual fire fighter, being an adherant helps financing the whole thing. That is one reason they organize big parties "Feuerwehrfest", also to help financing the equipment. In Germany, it is easier to raise money by selling beer than by begging for donations :). And it feels less embarrassing for the volunteers who do it.

[@twinmama42]

French Fries: Travel to Belgium and go to a random "fritture" stand on the side of the road. You'll get the best fries and a selection of at least a dozen different dips and sauces to choose from (different types of ketchup, mayo, mustard, gravy, and sauce). Personally, I love my fries with any type of gravy. But if asked ketchup or mayo, I prefer ketchup, though mayo and mustard can be ok too. Fire Fighters: American TV series normally show big fire departments in big cities. And when they show smaller fire departments, the labels on uniforms and engines don't tell whether it is a professional (Berufs-) or volunteer (Freiwillige) fire department. Because in Germany the status is always expressed on the labels and in the US is not, people assume there are only professional fire brigades in the US. Cutlery usage: Within the past 40 years I've learned to know many US citizens from different social, classes, ethnic backgrounds, and different states - here in Germany and on several trips to the States (California, Oregon, Washington, Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York). And most of them cut at least big parts of their meals at once to only switch back and forth a few times. Restaurants: In Germany, a restaurant is a place for fancy dining with high-quality meals, a wide selection of wines, and a certain atmosphere, whereas "normal" places to eat out are called "Gasthaus" or "Gastwirtschaft" or any other name (sometimes declaring the cuisine like "Pizzeria", "Trattoria", "Bistro", "Cantina", or "Osteria"). Therefore to us, it is weird to call a fast food joint a "restaurant". These to concepts just don't mix.

[@balthazarbeutelwolf9097]

to put it differently: the word "Restaurant" in German, and the word "restaurant" in American English are not quite the same thing. British English is somwhere in between; in Britain, they use the term fast food restaurant, but "going to a restaurant" is not a phrase that would be applied to such joints, though this may be dependent on social class.

[@edwardthejust4452]

I concur! This was going to be my answer! To be honest it took me few years to try those sauces, now I crave them and try to recreate at home! Ask the cook at the Fritture which sauce is the most popular with the locals.

[@Karamuto]

@@balthazarbeutelwolf9097 no the meaning of the word is actually the same in Germany as in the US. Its just the German mindeset that can't bring ourselves to call this things "Restaurant".

[@erraticonteuse]

Non-Americans: Americans love small talk with strangers! Me: **glowers in Bostonian** No.

[@raebee4321]

I think this attitude is a big city thing worldwide. :)

[@JefftheSabaDude]

As a kid I thought switching hands was cumbersome and unnecessary. My traveled maternal grandmother taught me "continental style" as she'd picked it up in Europe. It made total sense to me and only took a little practice to get used to using the fork in my non-dominant left hand. This irked my father to no end and he would peer at me through the centerpiece from the far end of the table to tell me to stop it. My mother stayed out of it. And my father was the son of Norwegian immigrants to boot! We spent the summer when I turned 16 traveling all over Europe and guess who impressed all the waiters as knowing the "proper" etiquette at the table? At one restaurant in Rome our waiter actually gave all the Americans a lesson in how to use a knife and fork properly! He praised me.

[@goodtf1]

The socializing thing in the volunteer firefighter department is for sure only something in villages and very small towns in Germany. I never heard something about this topic in a big city. Of course volunteer firefighters are also existing in huge cities. But not for socializing.

[@henningbartels6245]

Yeah, because in small villages in Germany this is often the ONLY association which exists. Sometimes there is a football club or bowling club as well, or some choir or "Heimatverein".

[@teckyify]

The problem is that US Americans are always in a hurry and want something quick to eat. They're most often way more stressed out than Europeans 😁 love your videos ❤️❤️❤️

[@johnkitchen4699]

In a hurry? Excuse not a reason.

[@caciliawhy5195]

Then why would that be a problem? It's just a different culture which does not make it good or bad.

[@CinematicHypeTV]

@@caciliawhy5195How is: being less stressed and eating healthier better? Is that a serious question?

[@mikelastname1220]

We are not all in a hurry. But, it makes more sense sometimes to just stop by a fast food place and bring the food home. Our family has 3 methods of eating. Fast food during the week, sometimes for lunch, sometimes for dinner. But only two times a week. Then, we have the home cooked food, which is a simple dinner of meat, potatoes and some vegetables. Then, we have the BIG and wonderful meals. Mostly for a Saturday grill meal or a big Sunday sit down dinner, fried chicken, steak, fish, potatoes, salads, desserts, and lots of talk.

[@sarahmichael270244]

eindeutig: Pommes Schranke! means with ketchup and mayo, the name comes from the coulour of the BahnSCHRANKE (railway crossing gate ) in germany

[@b.w.9244]

In my experience, volunteer fireman spend HUGE amounts of time training. Not even close to a social club. As for your blooper outtake... my favorite gag is "ausfahrt und Krapfen" as I ask for the restroom. Hilarious!

[@bryanspringsteen761]

And let's not forget what happens in the US to the arm not holding any cutlery......it goes "under" the table......😬

[@johnkitchen4699]

Not in Nevada - tables seem made for elbows is what I observe.

[@MaskedBishop]

I'm German and if I didn't have to eat, I'd spend the money on other items. It literally annoys me getting hungry every few hours. XD

[@rna3xhelix]

Hahahaa top tier comment

[@chrysophaes9284]

First: Hopefully voluntary fire farting isn't a thing. Second: Mayo. Have a great weekend guys :D

[@PassportTwo]

Haha, sounds like the natural progression after fire breathing shows 😅 You have a great weekend as well! 😃

[@chrysophaes9284]

@@PassportTwo... Or after having a reeeeaaally hot meal... 😅

[@rna3xhelix]

Germans being overconfident... that’s 100% incorrect, I can say that with confidence

[@roberth.5938]

Oh boy, it seems like you had been through a lot of trollers, reducing you and your country to having no culture and being dumb. You both are such nice people. And to me it's an honor that you chose Germany for your home. And here's another thing : after watching a few of your videos you became so close to my heart. If I had the chance, to meet you at a Cafe, take a seat and just having a nice chat, I would do it right away. This came from my German heart. So don't listen, what those people write you. They are either jealous or just idiots

[@SteffitheGreen]

Sowasvon Ketchup! 🍅🍅🍅 I have a question: Do you prefer to get the comments in German or in English? Happy Easter!

[@suzannes5888]

I am American and since I was a child I have only eaten cutting one bite at a time, with my fork in my left hand and knife in the right hand. I haven't eaten fast food in 20 plus years. Also, having been on a large city's paid fire department in a very large city, most non-metro areas use volunter firefighters - and (having experienced this also) the social aspect is a huge part of the volunteer fire department culture across the USA.

[@LythaWausW]

My German husband's response was, "What do you mean stereotype, that's a flat-out fact." *sigh*

[@helgaioannidis9365]

Me and my husband actually like them with lemon and oregano or with mustard and ketchup mixed together. But I live in Greece, so we're not representative for Germany. Our children go for oregano and ketchup. As to food culture, living now in Greece I am always surprised, when visiting supermarkets in Germany, by the amount of sweets and of ready meals available. I also find the quality of food in Germany a bit worse than in Greece, but food in Greece is also expensive, compared to Germany. There's more organic food available though in Germany. I've never been to the US, but going what you see in movies and series from the US I had gotten the impression that there are differences within the US according to subcultures. It seems to make a big difference, if you are a single parent trying to make ends in New York, a family of Mexican immigrants in California, a family in rural Utah or a wealthy family from Michigan. You have so many cultural influences when it comes to food, too. Also I think us Germans have a stereotype about fast food being necessarily low quality.

[@starryk79]

as i really dislike the taste of mayo, i eat them with ketchup and if possible with curry flavoured ketchup. Happy Easter!

[@manfredfischer8944]

Der wichtigste Begriff in diesem Zusammenhang ist "FOOD". In Deutschland haben wir 2/3 Begriffe die die Situation deutlich machen: Nahrungsmittel / Lebensmittel / Essen (in aufsteigender Wertigkeit). Billigfleisch und Fastfoodburger zählen als Nahrungsmittel, Das Schnitzel in der Kantine oder die Wurst vom Metzger zählen als Lebensmittel während Omas Sonntagsbraten oder der selbstgebackene Kuchen als wertvolles Essen bezeichnet werden. Ein weiterer wichtiger Punkt ist die Beobachtung das in europäischen Restaurants nicht mit den Händen/Fingern gegessen wird. Zum einen aus hygienischen Gründen und zum andern weil der Gebrauch von Messer und Gabeln wichtiger Teil der Esskultur ist. In den USA ist es in sehr vielen Situationen üblich kein Besteck zu gebrauchen: Pizza, Burger, Wings, Ribs, Hotdogs, Sandwiches, Donnuts, Cupcaces, Bagels, Tacos, Wraps, Burritos usw. Ich frage mich jedoch, wie es denn möglich ist mache Speisen zu essen ohne dass man Gläser oder andere Gegenstände und Personen "einsaut" !

[@j.a.1721]

When my sister was in the US as an exchange student she told me that her host family did not buy a lot of fresh vegetables or fruits. And they also did not include them in their meals very often. Part of the reason why was certainly the price, but the also did not really seem to know how to prepare them so they also taste good for children. And she isn't the only one who said something like that. She also wasn't the only one who came back from the US having gained weight. We don't just get it from movies etc.

[@robbyh.8165]

Well, my experience in the US was very different. Plus, I have more than enough friends here in Germany who don’t eat fruits and veggies on a regular basis either. There is a reason why fast food chains are successful in Germany as well. ;)

[@EmmaHope88]

I lived in the US and lived with people that ate a pretty balanced diet but most people who I encountered from other countries (not the US) during that time had gained weight. That is a fact. Most of them 5kg or even more. I'd say the average American eats more junk than the average person from other countries. I think part of the problem is also that they allow a lot of additives that other countries don't allow. This is usually also part of what causes the weight in people from abroad because they are not used to it.

[@ingaurban404]

French Fries have ALWAYS to be eaten with Mayo!😀 In Berlin you can ask for "Pommes Schranke" That means that you will get your fries with Ketchup AND Mayo, because some "Schranken" (barriers) are striped in red and white to be more visible.

[@PassportTwo]

Oh wow! Haha, I have never heard of asking for that in Berlin 😃

[@petereggers7603]

@@PassportTwo...works out in other parts of Germany as well... 😉

[@nettcologne9186]

ich kenn das als "Pommes rot-weiß"

[@stefanpaege2046]

In the "Ruhrgebiet" you may order SchniPo-Schranke...

[@nettcologne9186]

@@stefanpaege2046 Hä? ... Po = Pommes ... but Schni ?

[@ingevonschneider5100]

I was raised with the conception, that US-Americans dont have any culture at all ( I know by now that is not true), that is why the US was my dreamland as a child: Eating white bread (I always had to eat whole-grain bread, because my parents told me that white bread is terrible unhealthy and that Brits and US-Americans will die of colon cancer), eating no vegetables at all, eating in front of the tv without knife and fork, not having to assemble for a common meal with the family at a table, eating fast food., chips and drinking Coca Cola (deadly in my parent`s opinion), yes I liked that conception a lot. To your question: There is no right way. I mostly eat frech fries with ketchup, but sometimes I like it with mayonnaise. You can also mix both.

[@PassportTwo]

Haha, I wouldn’t say that perception is entirely wrong for some Americans, but our parents also didn’t eat white bread or drink tons of soda most of the time for the same reasons 😅😂 I used to look forward to visiting my grandparents because they only ate white bread and I would finally get some!

[@grandmak.]

After having been a teacher in Germany for almost 40 years I dare to say that sitting down for home made meals has vanished for many families in Germany. Instead my students were mostly used to fast food so that I installed a once a week " healthy breakfast together" in class. It wouldn't be true for most Germans to deny that. As for the volunteer fire department : I've lived in a rural community for 6 years now and yes, the volunteer fire department is a huge part of the village social life , so I guess the comments you refer to are coming from people who are very proud of their fire department. I think they are doing an incredible job attracting especially teenagers to engage on community activities instead of hanging out on the internet all day. Don't feel offended because they only mean well. I've been watching American news channels / opinion channels for years now because I lived in Michigan as a foreign exchange student 50 years back and have travelled the US and Canada quite often until the late 90s. Don't feel offended by Germans who think you folks come down to either think Republican or Democratic. That's all the information the average German can get and it's pretty scary. Of course there is more to it as far as diversity is concerned but I don't think that's so much different from the image Americans get from Germany. Please don't get the impression that we think badly about individuals , there are prejudices on both sides.

[@stefanb4375]

Sometimes there is a little spark of truth in the prejudices. But these can be smiled away. How boring the world would be if it was the same everywhere. The only thing is, that no one should feel more exalted than the others.

[@bernhardkrickl3567]

My preference on how to hold a fork and a knife: I prefer eating everything with only a spoon :) Seriously, I do. Also, since in our family we were never big on meat and fish we rarely need knifes when eating lunch. Knifes are for breakfast.

[@mikelastname1220]

I am the same way! Give me a spoon. I don't need anything else! My wife thinks I'm nuts!

[@shieldsluck1969]

4:20 That US-Americans consider fast food (chains) as 'Haute Cuisine' was pure sarcasm. No reason to react in a german way (I take everything totally literally). 🙃😅😂🤣

[@EverjoEntertainment]

What Everett means is that great minds think alike. Another great video, guys. Gotta ask though, is Whataburger really as good as Everett says. He wrote it into our fast food script for next week's video, and I like In & Out. Also... Ketchup. Mayo's for the French, lol

[@everettaponte8954]

Okay, so ketchup is always the best. But the only reason Americans scoff at the idea of Mayo on fries is because we think Cool Whip is mayonnaise. Basically the standard Mayo in America sucks compared to the standard in Europe, and so I learned to love Mayo with my fries while out there. HOWEVER, the best is the combo Mayo+Ketchup... heck... add some relish and you’ve got thousand island... or secret sauce as McDonalds and In&Out call it. 😂🤣

[@everettaponte8954]

Also, Whataburger is EVERYTHING!!! They have ‘em in Oklahoma, don’t they?

[@mijp]

Hayley Alexis did some comments on it. She described, how here personal taste-nerves has changed in Germany. In short and in my words out of my memory which may not be accurate: When she came to Germany, all stuff tasted bad. To less suger or to less spicy. After adapting to German food and going back for a while, she realized, how bad American food really is. This just as an example. Overall, most comments from expats sounded like "awesome, tastes so fresh, even McDonald's is fresher and better" So, perhaps it is a little bit more true, than you just think.

[@PassportTwo]

Definitely could be the case! Although we have been back and forth and haven’t had that experience. 😊 We can make no comment on their experiences and sometimes that stuff is pretty relative. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@AndersHenke]

NALF recently made a video about the difference between McDonald’s in the US and Germany - his video is titled “Life in Germany caused me to make a stupid mistake in the US”. Though this might not be specific for Germany and apply to many other Non-US-McDonald’s restaurants as well 😉

[@caciliawhy5195]

She realized how bad American food is. In america, you can buy what you want. Nobody forces you to buy bad food. Nobody forces you to buy healthy food. It is your choice. So for her to say all American food is bad just tells me that in the past, she had made bad choices and maybe her mother had made bad choices in what she had purchased and cooked for her family. To stereotype a whole country, such as having bad food, is typical of a few very young American KZbinrs out there. They make their likes and have their fame by putting down their home country. You can say you can talk about the differences, but the constant hate that rolls out of their mouths, always astonishes me. And if you pay attention, you hear that they don't really always believe that, because then you hear them putting down Germany, as in why do you do this Germany, why are you like this Germany. The Germans, who just enjoy seeing America put down, hearing America put down, and putting down America themselves, are a little slow to catch that they're doing that. What II appreciate about passport two is that you just speak your truth without the hate rolled into it.

[@mijp]

@@caciliawhy5195 well, and I also wrote, that it is something that I heard from other expats too and I also wrote that "perhaps it is a little bit more true than what you think" I might heve my assumptions about America as a whole, but not of persons I don't know. And as you read my words again, you might notice, that I not wrote about my assumptions, I wrote about the assumption made in the video and that that might(!) might be just a little(!) more true. So, have fun with your own assumptions about us. ;) And as you do not know her or her channel, it is nice that you also put your stereotypes on her without knowing, what she really said. That is also your stereotype. I said, that I am not remembering correctly and that I will just sum up.

[@jorgschimmer8213]

Hm. These thing with the volunteer Firefighters. In my experience these people just have one thing to talk about! Firefighting .

[@PassportTwo]

Haha, well, at least they can bond over something! 😅

[@jorgschimmer8213]

@@PassportTwo . To be honest in my Hometown the Commander is an arrogant asshole. That is why i never joined. That is the Problem if you grew up in a very little town. You know a lot of people and theire Charakter.

[@mariahalmfors3129]

Pommes with ketchup and black pepper

[@PassportTwo]

Oh, that’s a prefect combination 👌🏼

[@corpi8784]

The only way : Pommes rot weiẞ

[@PassportTwo]

Please no! 😂😂

[@corpi8784]

@@PassportTwo The greasyness of Mayo combined with the fruity acidity of Ketchup ( especially if it is a spicy variant like Curry Ketchup) is an excellent combination.

[@corpi8784]

Also : Fries with chilli beans Fries with Cheese ( especially Feta type Cheese) You need to go to Belgium or Netherlands to try their sauces & varieties of Pommes Frittes/Fries

[@stefanpaege2046]

Pommes Schranke...

[@heiligepommesbude9555]

Oh okay, so you live in Rheinland-Pfalz. You can visit the town Speyer. Its the place where i live and its beautiful in the Spring. We also have the longest romanic Church in the world.

[@Mamaki1987]

Yes, I had the misconseption that there is not (a lot) of good food. Until I went to the US and to some of the local restaurants, and I have to say, I rarely had such a good steak than in that one restaurant in San Antonio. Also that breakfast place in Los Angeles was really great. And Denny's might not have the best quality of food, but is quite okay and affordable.

[@themariokartlick]

The misconceptions about American food are largely due to the fact that the restaurants that are exported to other countries are, well, bad. American food culture is pretty amazing not because we have so much original food, we are far too young of a country to have a Italy like history of food, but that there are so many immigrants that you can find any food your heart desires and in larger cities it is quite authentic and delicious. It’s not American food, but it is directly the result of Americans love for eating out (at least, we do it far more often than Germans)

[@nijos.7811]

I went to America two times and the second time we also went to Idaho the selfe proclaimed potato state. We tried to buy potatos there 3 times and they all tasted like (the smell) of mud in wastwater facilities. They probably only tast nice with lots of salt after you fry them. There was nice food as well but that really stayed in my head. Mostly because we thought we just got bad ones and tried it two more times.

[@wichardbeenken1173]

Fire Brigade sounds in German like „Feier“brigade means celebrating brigade and actually this is one of the reasons why they are so important for German culture. Even big cities like Munich have beside the professional fire department also volunteer fire brigades. The advantage of this system in big cities is that in case of catastrophes there are many more skilled helpers than just those paid and in rural areas that there is always one nearby. However, I think there is more general volunteering in the US than in Germany in particular in public services, where Germans expect employees of the state.

[@robfriedrich2822]

For a couple of years I was living in a village, where the best way to become part of the community would be membership in a social group. In my case it was a choir. But it didn't work, I had to sing a song with a message, that violates my religious standards, as I decided simply to skip the song, the leader spoke about it and showed me off, that was the right time, to left it.

[@serasvega8448]

For me as a German food is a big part of HEALTH. The food you consume has a big impact on your mental and physical well-being and for me personally is a big part of managing my chronic illness.

[@christyp4740]

Pommes mit ketchup Except chick fil a waffle fries should so be ketchup and CFA Mayo mixed up.

[@PassportTwo]

Ohhh...I dip Chick-Fil-A fries exclusively in Polynesian sauce 😃

[@Ashley92090]

CFA sauce only 😂

[@dnds4]

1:48 @Passport Two Fellow OkC'er here. Your channel rocks. Better... it's OK 🌟 14:40 I prefer French fries with light salt and, occasionally, Tabasco sauce. Fun video, as usual!

[@jlpack62]

Fries should be eaten with ketchup, or BBQ sauce! I love fries dipped in any type of BBQ.

[@Tscharlieh]

You should really make a video about table manners and eating habits. I have a lot of business contacts and going to a business dinner with people from US (Boston, New York, Chicago, L.A.) is always „zum Fremdschämen“. The fork switching hands, the way they hold a spoon, the way they get confused about the cutlery if several are around for different courses, how to use the small side plate to be used for bread and butter, the choice of drinks, etc… This happens even with otherwise highly educated people….And yes, cutting everything in small pieces and eating it with a fork is indeed something that happens on a regular basis (I would say in 50% of the cases).

[@lizben3463]

French fries with ketchup, definitely. I rarely eat outside of my home, but sometimes we have take out or order in. We usually have two meals a day as a family during the week and eat all meals together on the weekend. I'm making lunch right now, too 😀

[@jhbrown1010]

Ketchup! May-o, not so much.. Big difference in an American perspectives. Urban vs rural cultures. Inner city population would be lost if planted in a small town in Iowa and other way around. I grew up in a town in Ohio of 3,500 and we had kids (FFA members) who drove their tractors to school. LOL.

[@anja7223]

Thank you for this video. It's nice to learn more about BOTH cultures (😉 and I'm from Germany). I ask myself how I could social survive without doing volunteer firefigthing 🙈😉😅 I'm looking forward to more of your videos.

[@valerieannrumpf4151]

I don't see alot of fast food restaurants in my area in Connecticut, I see alot of local ethnic restaurants, steak houses, cafes, delis, diners and seafood shacks around that serve really good food .

[@cailwi9]

Love some French fries with Mayo in Germany, but usually eat it with catchup in the US. Somehow, the mayo just tastes a tad different in the US, and so the combo does not work quite so well. Also, you get less stares that way, lol. I think you made a pretty balanced video. And yes to both sides generalizing or stereotyping the other at times. And it can be confusing or even hurtful to experience the result of that. And as lots of Germans (I know this is a generalizing statement too, but here it is).....tend to be quite gruff or crude in expressing whatever their perception is, I hope you have not encountered too much ugliness that way. You are doing a wonderful job at fostering integration and understanding, and obviously helping people understand better. I think that in the last few years, America has withdrawn a bit from the world stage and into its own shell, and there is nothing on the German side that makes that phase or direction easily understandable. In fact, many in the US are struggling with that too, trying to understand what is happening in their own country, for that matter. In Europe, and especially in Germany, that incredulous look at what the US is going through does mix with fear. Fear that is rooted in its own history and geographical situation, of course. But fear does have a tendency to come out as ugly negative attitude towards America at times. The dependency on something that is not perceived as reasonable is never easy to process, except when you put a negative judgement on it, unfortunately. But you two are doing a lot to foster better understanding with your channel, and I am happy to see that. By the way, I think many of your German followers would love to hear a bit more about your life in Oklahoma, and how it contrasts with your daily life now.

[@hollin37]

I'm from the southern part of the US and I don't ever ask anybody where they go to church because I was raised to not discuss certain topics with strangers and that is one of them. It's none of my business. Also, I prefer aioli with my fries. Yum. I live in a suburb and we have several volunteer fire departments, 2 down the road from me actually. We never cut up all of our food and then eat it. That's what you do when you're teaching your child how to eat. I guess it could be a generational thing but we don't do fast food often here, it's kinda gross. I prefer to cook fresh food for my family. I've also traveled a lot and have picked up different things from different places and have lived in very diverse areas and understand that some folks live in small towns and don't get out much.

[@lostmoose7352]

"Good food" is quite different for a German vers an American palate. My experience as a Austrian cook in the US No matter how long people live abroad, most expads stick to their food preferences

[@MattEffect]

I’ve been to Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, DC und NYC and I’ve seen the cut your whole meal first than eat thing in at least 5 or 6 of these states. In Germany I have literally never seen it. So it might not be good table manners in the states but it definitely seems to be way more common.

[@MattEffect]

To be fair, I’ve also seen incredible etiquette on display in the states which I have only seen a few times in Europe

[@jeffreysahaida1111]

Speaking of fastfood I remember a fast food chain in Germany called Wiener Wald. Is it still around? They even opened a few in USA but have all closed now.

[@user-sm3xq5ob5d]

About the restaurants: I think Americans buy more food at restaurants. I.e. eat outside the house. There might be a (viscious?) circle driving this: US companies have less often a cafeteria or inhouse food selling facilities. Requiring employees to find food around the business. And that leads to the abundance of fast food establishments. I felt the same same when I was working in a building without food provided by the employer. I was always on the lookout for a cheap lunch in a "real" restaurant or a substitute in form of a bakery. That of course drove the businesses to offer cheaper meals at lunch time than in the evening. (and probably faster service with a reduced number of meals to choose from: "Mittagstisch") That paradigm is the ground all those fast food chains and associated businesses thrive on. In Germany the Works Council (Betriebsrat) has as one priority to make the employer supply some way to make food available to employees. Especially on outlying facilities. Even having a main cafeteria delivering pre-cooked meals to the branch offices. I guess that force from the Works Council does not exist to the same degree in the US. Only large enterprises have cafeterias because they see the benefit of shorter times away from work/convenience/employee satisfaction or they are at a location where there is not much around. It would be interesting to compare some European/Japanese manufacturers with plants in the US (VW, Toyota) with their US counterparts regarding social benefits.

[@wehavefive]

Regarding knives as an American. when prepping dinner for five, I often cut up the meat, even for my spouse, just to make things easier, or help the meat cool faster. On my own, I use the knife in either hand, and do not always change hands for my fork. I usually pick one hand for the fork, the other for the knife. Not always, but there isn’t one automatic way I use utensils as an American.

[@ravanpee1325]

Here you would do that just for little kids if you refere cut up to "into little pieces"^^

[@frauantjeshayday-farmen9517]

Food culture: we learned different food cultures by restaurants. Italian, Chinese, Indian. But the first two American restaurants in Germany were Mc Donald's and Burger King.... I'm 53, and I still never saw a good american-style restaurant. All other nations have their own restaurants here: French, Spanish Turkey, Vietnam, Thai, Mexican, Arabian... From USA still: Mc Donald's, Burger King, and - KFC...

[@Balligat]

(1) German / (2) English Die Definition für "Restaurant" mag zwar auch Schnellgastronomie umfassen, allerdings ist der tatsächliche Unterschied in der Ausstattung und dem Geschirr zu sehen: Wenn Trinkgefäße aus Plastik, Einmal-Besteck und Papierservietten-Spender vorhanden sind bezeichnet kein Deutscher den ich kenne das als "Restaurant". Es ist bestenfalls ein "Schnellimbiss", vielleicht noch "Kneipe". - Zu einem guten Restaurant gehören eine angenehm ruhige Atmosphäre, eine gediegene Ausstattung mit Sitzgelegenheiten und gedecktem Tisch mit Tischdecke und ggf. Sets pro Gast. - Ich habe mehrere Jahre in USA gelebt und schätze die Relation "Gehobene Gastronomie" : Schnellrestaurants für dort auf 1:100, während sie in Deutschland (und Nordeuropa) etwa 1:10 sein dürfte. *Der wesentlichste Unterschied ist allerdings die Tatsache, dass ich es unmöglich finde, wenn man als Gast einen Platz zugewiesen bekommt*. Eine Zumutung! Dann noch die Art der Bezahlung des Personals - wer glaubt denn, dass die Bedienung mit Geldsorgen wegen geringen Lohnes eine fröhliche und umsichtige Person sein kann? Noch viel schlimmer ist, dass offenbar fast alle Amerikaner die ich dort kenne, und mit denen ich zum Essen war, diese Art des menschenunwürdigen Umganges mit Personal für richtig halten. The definition for "restaurant" may include fast food places, but the actual difference can be seen in the equipment and dishes: If there are plastic drinking vessels, disposable cutlery and paper napkin dispensers, no German I know calls this a "restaurant". At best it is a "fast food", maybe a "pub". - A good restaurant must have a pleasantly quiet atmosphere, sturdy & wooden furnishings as seating and a table with a tablecloth and, if necessary, sets for each guest. - I have lived in the USA for several years and I estimate the ratio of "decent / upscale gastronomy" : fast food restaurants there at 1 : 100, while in Germany (and most of Europe, except for tourist places at beaches) it should be around 1 : 10. *The most important difference, however, is the fact that I find it impossible to be assigned a seat instead of choosing where I want to sit by myself. An imposition!* Then there is the type of payment for the staff - who thinks that the waitress with financial worries due to low wages can be a cheerful and considerate person? What is even worse is that apparently almost all Americans I know there, and with whom I have been to dinner, consider this kind of inhumane treatment of staff to be the right thing to do. Pommes → nur pur, wenn das nicht möglich ist taugen sie nichts ...!

[@kyrathormann2945]

Well, speaking of video titles like „Oklahoma vs. Rheinland-Pfalz“ - I think it would be very interesting to see a video about differences within the US! For example. I have a friend who is also from Oklahoma like you guys, her husband grew up in Ohio and the have been living in Louisiana for 30+ years at this point. They speak with different accents, but both sound American! And that‘s only the most obvious difference between them. Oh, the husband has far less trouble pronouncing German, btw. I personally prefer „Pommes mit Mayo“, but far as I can tell, lots of Germans prefer Ketchup. My mom uses mustard! ☺️ What always cracks me up is the expression for both Ketchup and Mayo - Pommes rot-weiß! 😁 I am from Northern Germany, Lower Saxony, and I love your video about the dialects in Germany! ❤️

[@infomatms]

I love the way you described USA and Germany, respectfully and keeping in mind that everything said is according to your life experience and it could not represent the whole country. Thanks for making my day after day. Cheers from Luxembourg.

[@thomasbenck9525]

Well your video just goes to show you should never make too many assumptions. I've grown very fond of the American proverb that a lot of my German compatriots might not be familiar with: "If you assume too much, you're making an ASS out of U and ME." (in diesem fall meint ass nicht dass Körperteil sondern ein/en Esel/Maultier behaupte ich mal.) On the matter of Fries: both alternating on frie with mayo and one with Ketchup

[@jorgschimmer8213]

Ketchup and Mayonnaise both Mixed together .

[@PassportTwo]

I just can’t do it...must remain separate...😅😂

[@jorgschimmer8213]

@@PassportTwo . Then go nuts and although ad mustard. Best sauce ever

[@johansilwouden3403]

In the Netherlands we eat our fries often with a mixture of mayonaise, peannut sauce and chopped onions on top. We call this "patatje oorlog" or translated in German/English "Pommes Krieg" or "fries war", probably because the toppings are basically "at war" with each other. At least once the stuff gets into your stomach and intestins.....

[@Nikioko]

The problem with restaurants is that they are a false friend in English. The German word for an establishment where meals are served to customers would be Gaststätte. A restaurant however (or ristorante in Italian) is an eatery of higher quality, distinct from an imbiss (food booth), bistrot, brasserie, osteria or trattoria. You have to notice that in Europe there is a different drinking culture than in the US. Brasserie or Brauhaus are the French and German words for brewery and refers to small restaurants that sell their own house beer. Likewise, you have the same with vineries in Straußwirtschaft.

[@jennybrown5302]

Some American adults absolutely cut up all their food first and then eat it. My step father (who is in his 70s) does this. Especially with his eggs at breakfast, but also with other foods. And the closer we Americans get to done with the food we are eating, the more likely we are to just go ahead and cut up the rest of it and be done with it, from what I've seen. We are from Oklahoma, so it's not like it's a regional difference. The person who commented this probably did so because they saw an American doing exactly that.

[@lisal5718]

Maybe you often get the suggestion to join the freiwillige Feuerwehr because especially in small rural communities it is somehow the heart of the village because in Germany a village can’t exist without it. So it’s literally an existential question to have a fire department.

[@grandmak.]

that's right. I live opposite the fire department and know right away when something is happening, lol!

[@johnkitchen4699]

Real french fries can be eaten with any of myriad sauces (as they do in Belgium where they originate - despite the name). The type of fries served up in fast food chains shouldn’t really be eaten at all (they’re basically fat and salt sticks) but mayo or ketchup or both work depending on which of those flavors you prefer to mask the taste of the fat and salt sticks.

[@johnkitchen4699]

Fast food chains do not serve real French fries.

[@robfriedrich2822]

I eat different things. Sometimes I do it easy, carrots and green peas plus French fries plus some steak or Bratwurst or the next time I eat cauliflower, covered with breadcrumb powder, what I roasted in butter, plus potatoes and a pork Schnitzel Vienna style. I like grilled stuff, the fast one.

[@darkmatter3006]

Rather starve a bit, than to eat something not so delicious AND fast food ist also considered expensive (8-10 Euro) and can get a good ordinary meal almost for the same price (8 - 20 Euro) in good Restaurants.

[@tonikaihola5408]

I was told by a Texan math teacher that unless you intend to stab someone, you cut up your food and then drop the knife 😅

[@grandmak.]

wow, really ?

[@tonikaihola5408]

@@grandmak. Yup, really. Only partly joking. She told me holding up a knife could be considered threatening and therefore poor table manners.

[@Karamuto]

@@tonikaihola5408 that actually makes a lot of sense. 👍

[@rna3xhelix]

I always take my life style choices from a Texas Math Teacher. I see nothing wrong with this.

[@EK-gr9gd]

Star restaurants are not a valid comparison bc "Star Cooking" is a very specific kind of cooking and for the most part you can't make a living of it, except by getting sponsored. Some "Star Cooks" are relinquishing their "stars", just to be able cook more as they want to do.

[@stefanweigl4608]

The german firefighter volunteer System is mostly in rural areas. But this is Just to secure the Safety. You cant install a Professional System in every little Village. It would be much to expansive. But believe me these volunteers are very well trainend. And the existing System is Just to secure the Safety. I had expereciend that in my last job. There was a fire in the production line. And the next Professional fire Department would have been half an hour or little Bit more far away. But the volunteers had been at the fire in between 5 minutes with 7 fire engines coming all around from the neighborhood and the neighbored Villages.

[@Rsama60]

Food, i lived in NJ for a couple of years, I‘ve also been to 27 states and there are big differences. Like in any country there are good and bad restaurants. What I recognized is this. When I go to US buisness trip I always have digestal problems for the first 2 or 3 days, I recognize that only in the US. I think this has to do with the use of pre-processed ingredients . Eating habits, I am switcher since my teenage years. So no issue adjusting to the US habits using knife and fork.

[@mikelastname1220]

I always have the same digestive problems when I go to Germany. It takes me nearly 4 days for my digestive system to work. It might be from the long flight where we get out of our daily 'movement' routine. We eat a lot of meat and potatoes just like Germans, and when I get to Germany I eat the meat and potatoes there, but for some reason, my entire digestive system stops! I'm not sure it is the food but the change in routine and adjusting to the new time zone.

[@heikestoll1205]

My American husband cuts everything with a fork that doesn’t absolutely require a knife. I told him that’s barbaric🤣 I grew up in Germany and moved to the US in my twenties, and for some reason have always switched my knife and fork. I didn’t think anything of it until my friend (in Germany) made fun of me.

[@esperantoviro]

I was born in the US (Washington, D.C.), grew up first in South Bend, IN then Cedar Rapids, IA, then Massachusetts. But my first language is German. I lived in Germany for almost 30 years and now I live in SE Florida. So my perspective is unique to me. First off, I am extremely upset about the racism that is bubbling up since Trump was elected. Until then, racists sort of kept their opinions to themselves. Now, however..... How many people are killed DAILY in our country worries me. I did not experience this when I lived in Germany. When I first went to live in Germany, I was studying at the university in Frankfurt am Main. Other students assumed that I was a supporter of the then raging war in Vietnam. It surprised them to know that I had participated in several demonstrations against the war. They also assumed that I was a racist - which I am not. They were surprised that I spoke German (with a countryside dialect somewhere between Frankonia and Schwaben. But I quickly learned Frankfurt dialect. Germans were also surprised at how quickly I adapted their customs and views. I was already an enthusiastic supporter of the European Union. I first joined the SPD and then Die Gruenen. I owned a car but often used my bike instead - that baffled many of my friends. All in all though I found my acceptance in German society easy and smooth. I still love Germany very, very much and am grateful for my education there (paid for by the state and supplemented with a small salary from being an assistant to my professor). I do miss the Kneipen and Vereine, where you can make friends, drink socially and generally have a fun evening.

[@kurtfw4581]

The Check Question: Pommes frites: preferred in combination with fried fish ("fish and chips") or with Schnitzel :-) . But if there are just pommes - I would prefer Ketchup over Mayo.... I think in the North of Germany the standard is both ("Pommes Rot Weiß").

[@iristinkerbell]

The volunteer fire department for socializing must be something more common in more rural communities. Having grown up in a large-ish city, I had never heard of that before, and it would have never occurred to me when moving someplace else. About food, it's funny because I'm currently watching the travel blog parts of your channel and I've noticed how much you're prioritizing cheap, quick meals, sometimes out in the cold, over sitting down in restaurants, and even buying frozen meals to make in your accommodation. I understand that some of this is due to the fact that you traveled for many months and a) eating in restaurants for months gets very costly compared a 2-week vacation, and b) you can get tired of restaurant food on a long trip. But whenever I travel I do tend to eat in a restaurant at least once a day, and grab a quicker/cheaper lunch, for example. But I never ever make frozen foods (no matter if at home of when traveling), not just for taste, but also because I feel like they are unhealthy. And I do enjoy being in restaurants for a cultural experience, not just for 1-2 specialties, but beyond that. So yes, I do think there are a bit of different priorities there. And finally, ketchup all the way!

[@PassportTwo]

You’re right about why we’re eating that way. It was purely because we were traveling for nearly a year and needed to make cuts somewhere. However, we did prioritize eating local foods in every place we went to make sure we did get that experience! It was much easier in some places like Thailand where the food was very cheap but very difficult in places like the UAE which it was more expensive. We also didn’t show much of the way we were eating in our travel videos because it wasn’t interesting to us though and felt uncomfortable filming in restaurants 😅

[@iristinkerbell]

@@PassportTwo Fair enough. I did figure that you didn't include all your meals, haha. I'm up to Scandinavia now and know from personal experience that everything is especially crazy expensive there.

[@royeyk]

I'm Canadian and do eat too much take out and packaged stuff. When I have time I enjoy a nice meal at home or in a good restaurant. I was raised mostly sitting down three times a day with my family but like every North American I know, just got too busy. I cut up everything because it makes it easier to work and eat at the same time.

[@mariankramer267]

work and eat at the same time: sounds VERY unhealthy

[@royeyk]

@@mariankramer267 Being unemployed or not making enough money is seriously unhealthy. You can eat healthy home made, take out and packaged food on the job. I don't really see why you'd assume the location of your eating would make you "VERY unhealthy". You watch people work, make money and eat all the time on KZbin.

[@mariankramer267]

@@royeyk work and eat at the SAME time is not the same thing as eating in the office - maybe got you wrong

[@royeyk]

@@mariankramer267 Hmm is that another assumption followed by an admission that previous assumptions were wrong? Assume whatever you like and rest assured that you will usually be wrong.

[@johnkitchen4699]

Sorry guys, but having lived in America for over 11 years, I think American eating habits are just about the worst in the Knife-and-fork using world. Switch and switch would be acceptable but it has rapidly diminished to the point where using the fork to cut food while leaving the knife for only the toughest of foods is now commonplace. Picking up food by hand to eat it is quite a regular thing (that tough-as-old-boots bacon, salad veggies, fries, steak of-the-bone, fried fish) when a knife is supplied by the restaurant are all frequently observed. Your defense of the quality of the American eating experience was, frankly, desperate. I’m amazed at how many people are staggered that my wife makes food ‘from scratch’ as opposed to buying cake mixes, frozen entrees, etc. Knowing what good food is does not mean Americans actually eat it - plus the amount of fat, sugar, salt and condiments in American diets kills both taste and Americans. Smothering food in string or spicy sauces does not enhance flavorful items, it replaces the flavor with that of the sauce. You were raised well. Food should be cherished.

[@moniebee]

I think your titles work well especially since you all are correct. NYC compared to OKC have completely different views on all kinds of things so putting more specific areas in your titles would work against you in terms of the KZbin algorithm, especially since most people here in the US don’t even know where Kaiserslautern is. (from the American born in Kaiserslautern, raised in NYC and CT and lives in TX, 😂)

[@henningbartels6245]

I do believe to have observed, that US American have the tendency use to cook with prefrabricated products: bake with marshmallow, make souffle with packed soup, use Maggie cubes, ready pancake mix or ready mac-and-cheeses and so on. While Germans rather like to start from scratch or with fresh ingredients.

[@avs200619]

Another great video!!! As for your question at the end of the vid, both together or with or.

[@ananasdance]

The fire departments in Germany also have a “Jugendfeuerwehr” where kids and teens learn how to put out a fire and more. I was living across a fire department as a child :D :) how is it in the USA?

[@raebee4321]

My answer to the French fries question is that they should not be eaten all. I'm not a big fan of potatoes or salt though.

[@jeromemckenna7102]

As a child good food was an essential part of family life. My mother prepared a proper evening meal every weekday. My only living grandparent, my mother's mother was an outstanding cook and she had an unbelievable variety of food prepared on the weekend. One of my brother's married a girl whose family came from Italy and the importance of food in her family cannot be exaggerated. A lot of American have similar experiences.

[@fgentry1148]

Nope, also from Oklahoma. No one over age 5 cuts all food and then eats. Just no. Modern Americans mostly cook their own food and eat at home. With global situation, we've eaten restaurant food maybe 5 times in the last year, which was just a bit less than previously. We all desperately miss dining out.

[@m.h.6470]

I think the "cutting up your food" is a very regional thing. I am German and have been to the US multiple times, but only to the general Alabama region. I have seen many Americans - both in formal and informal situations - and many cut up at least a good portion, if not the entire meal, before switching. But what put me off more, was the "one hand under the table" thing, that many do... I just don't like it. In Germany you usually have both hands above the table.

[@m.a.s.7529]

I was told that this comes from the "Wild West" and the purpose is to have a free hand at the gun while eating.

[@gehtdichnixan3200]

one question i had the opertunity to get some steak out of the army stores (forget the names ) are those subsidized? they where great and realy cheap compared to german steak prices ? i did not realy get the budget argument then if that are not subsidized prices .....i would have tbone every day if i coult get that price;)

[@jeffcramer6722]

My brother and I would get stabbed in the arm by a fork if we rested our arms on the table at meal time. That sort of reinforcement is hard to unlearn.

[@claramouawad]

You guys are awesome

[@PassportTwo]

Hey! Thanks so much! 😃 So are you 😊

[@johanneshalberstadt3663]

Yeah, each gross generalization or simple statement about a large number of people is pretty much guaranteed to be inaccurate. And often, the experience of being a life-sized human person on this planet might have more commonalities than differences. And there is so much individual variability from person to person, the there may be more overlap in the range of individual experiences than difference in the median of averaged experiences.

[@michaelgrabner8977]

Yeah America as a country has many Michelin stars but the essential question is how many "native US american chef´s" have a Michelin star.... I´ll bet the vast majority of those Chef´s with a Michelin star are European expats...but that is valid just for "haute cuisine" anyway...and the avarage US American don´t eat there anyway, just the rich.. That "stereotype" of food is about the general valid quality standards in food production..meaning chlorified chicken, hormon treated meat or even meat from cloned animals like cows, genetic modification of vegetables, using chemical flavor enhancerer for food in general and things like that...and those are the foods the avarage US American has to consume unless he just eats soley organic food but which is an expense factor not everyone can effort in the US

[@fizbanw.9157]

about fast food places being restaurants.... I see it like this: restaurants serve food(the thing u eat everyday) and fast food places serve fast food (the thing u SHOULDNT eat every day). Thats why a fast food place is NOT a restaurant. u dont go to a bar when u r thirsty right? the same logic applies to eating, you shouldnt go to fast food place when u r hungry. I know a lot of ppl do that, even in germany. but only because a lot ppl do it, doesnt make it right. thats the way I look at it. u need good quality food to have a long and happy life :)

[@matzeb6778]

Actually traditional german food is considered as the worst food in europe by many europeans. But a lot has changed in the last 30-40 years. When I first came to the US at the age of 8 I was overwhelmed by all the ingredients there are and how much great food there is like chinese food (never saw that before), Seafood in general (coming from southern germany), really great steaks and so on. 40 years later a lot has changed in culinary things in germany. Mainly because of italian and french influence in our cuisine. Which you already mentioned that our small country is on 4. place in the star-rating although we are so small and really didn't have a real food culture at all till the 1980s. So the difference I see today is like I can get really good steak, great seafood, great ingredients in the US but what I miss most of the time is you're served a great steak but what about the sides? Like it's a great steak, maybe with fries, but where are some sophisticated sides or other preperation methods other than grilling it. And you have to go to some real good french restaurant in some major city to get something from probably an authentic french chef.

[@patrickwagner3683]

I would never cut all my meal before,because its getting cold to fast.😖😖 And in Germany we take more time to eat in restaurants. We have enough time to talk and eating.

[@NicolaHalsall]

I'm in the North West UK. We have a small number of volunteer firefighters, usually in smaller towns but it isn't very common. For the French fries question (or chips as we call them) that depends on the area. In the North we like salt & vinegar or gravy. But I do also like mayo, ketchup & sweet mustard, bbq sauce too. In the south you get a sauce called liquer, it's a weird, green parsley sauce that I have never wanted to try 😆 if you ask for gravy in a southern chippy they look at you as though you've grown an extra head

[@rexexdesign]

Mayo and ketchup for fries (diced onions for extra points)

[@PassportTwo]

Woah, that’s an elaborate addition! Will try 👍🏼

[@petereggers7603]

@@PassportTwo That is called "special" (pronounced: speciaaal) and is quite common in the Netherlands. 😉

[@yt-viewerfromger320]

You can't get wrong with onions!

[@joeaverage3444]

McDonald's slogan in Germany used to be "Das etwas andere Restaurant". So there was some sort of acknowledgement that they were a restaurant after all. At least enough to make that slogan work in Germany.

[@esperantoviro]

When I was last in Germany, McDonaldʻs slogan was Denn so ist McDonaldʻs, essen mit Spass.

[@videomailYT]

I know someone who can eat a Döner only outside because somehow he spills a lot when he eat it I for myself cant remember to spill only more than 3 slices of onion or so...

[@jeffreysahaida1111]

I remember the Germans also just ate all their food and didn't drink until they finished their meal. Us Americans eat and then wash the food down and then eat again. I believe most Americans think of Baveria as the way germany is because of the US military they are mostly stationed in and near Baveria. Also many people from the Midwest have kept the German/Baveria tradition in food, beer and fests so others Americans think it's all the way Germany is...

[@EmmaHope88]

Fairly certain that most Americans are actually not stationed in Bavaria. Most of them are in Rhineland-Palatinate which is where Ramstein is.