There's no denying that while we may share a language and a misguided pride in our national identity, the so-called 'special relationship' between the United Kingdom and the United States can be a strained one. Nobody really got over all that tea being dumped in the sea hundreds of years ago, but these days, the gripes are less tax-focused and more about pointless culture wars. Social media has never been able to resist a fight about how the other half lives, and there is no more emotive topic out there than what different places enjoy eating.
Both British and American foods have developed a reputation for being overwhelmingly bland, but exactly how bland and what conditions have produced that have long been a contentious topic online. The issue has been brought into the spotlight once again by U.K. Twitter user @ellegist, who stated her amusement at the U.S. lacking "proper" types of cheese and attaching a photo of some Kraft singles.
Almost immediately, the tweet gained controversial status. Many pointed out that Britain had its own history of tasteless and repulsive foods, and others took offence at the assumption that your average U.S. grocery store doesn't have a cheese counter.
However, just as many were ready with the condolences, or even rushed to defend the state of British cuisine. What started as a brazen reflection on dairy products has snowballed into a race to the bottom over which country eats the least gross things, and the fallout isn't pretty. Despite the extreme levels of investment, there is one easy solution: put aside pride and admit that both sides have cultivated some questionable eating practices over the years. Let's not stop to think about what British-American fusion would look like.
