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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsWhat is it with Americans and sweet meat?
I grew up the son and grandson of italian immigrants from the north. Generally speaking, sugar and meat do not encounter each other. Non se fa, e BASTA! (One does not do it, and that is all)
I ordered some BBQ pork the other day, supposed to be Thai garlic. It was so sweet, it was like candy. The sauce was literally a syrup. GROSS! I sent it back.
My Italian relatives all comment on how sweet all of our food is, to the point of being over the top.
I also noticed when I am in Asia, there is often a hint of sweetness in their meat, but a similar dish or sauce here will be over the top sweet.
Do people really like sweet entrees that much?
hlthe2b
(102,342 posts)I think in general, sugar has taken over the flavors in many foods--perhaps as a result of the decades of emphasis on "fat" as the "boogy man" bad actor for health--with sugar (and in some cases, salt) replacing for flavor. Might this be reflected--even when applied to Asian foods for American palates... Probably, yes.
Anyone who has undertaken a low or moderately lowered carb diet will agree with you.. the amount of "sweet" in the American diet is both addictive and over the top. Ditto the amount of salt. Once you've eaten that way for awhile, it is hard to break, though.
You mention Italian heritage... I would note that though you undoubtedly grew up with home-made marinara and other tomato sauces, most of us had only the canned and bottled varieties from the grocery store. Ever tried to find a marinara, a pasta sauce, or even just basic tomato sauce (or paste) that contains NO added sugar? Damned hard to find...
Yup.. sugar in everything...
Phentex
(16,334 posts)The sauce is too sweet. I know sometimes it can just depend upon the tomatoes but most likely it's added sugar.
Sanity Claws
(21,852 posts)That is why I make things from scratch and generally don't use packaged sauces.
Submariner
(12,506 posts)Sweet Italian sausage has always been famous here in the northeast on a sub roll with grilled peppers and onions. Hotties are good too, but sweets are preferred on the aforementioned sammich.
CanonRay
(14,112 posts)It's supposed to be spicy.
TlalocW
(15,389 posts)Compared to other sausage, and their flavor choice was excellent then it just disappeared from my stores.
TlalocW
elleng
(131,074 posts)the contrast is with 'hot.' But maybe it's the brand. Used to get a 'sweet' Ital Sausage for a recipe, don't know what happened to the brand, noticed 'Premio' just doesn't have the good flavor I remember so I don't make that recipe now. (Fortunately my 'kids' have grown, so I have no need to do dinners regularly at home.)
Drahthaardogs
(6,843 posts)My family are norcini for 200 years. We make sausages, proscuitti, and cotechini. I can assure you, authentic sweet sausage has an allusion of sweetness due to the spices, but there is no sugar added.
Submariner
(12,506 posts)and not mask the flavor behind spices that are too hot. My very first job in high school was at the local butcher shop (Antonio's) hand grinding the sausage meat into the intestines and tying off the links.
I just showed the Premio photo as an example. Luckily, we still have a few family owned stores around to buy fresh locally homemade sausages, meatballs, ravioli, tortellini, etc., probably much like your family runs. Unfortunately, I never got good recipes from Nana, it was always a little bit of this, a dash or pinch of that, never a cup/gallon etc to make it easier.
Drahthaardogs
(6,843 posts)It is Italian for "when enough" and it is every Nonna's secret way of ensuring no one can quite duplicate her cooking.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)1/2 cup oyster sauce
1/3 cup tomato paste
5 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons Thai chili sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh ginger grated
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
And you were shocked it tasted sweet?
Drahthaardogs
(6,843 posts)Just over the top sweet. Honey is Asia is very delicate and mild. It is not as sweet as clover honey
eppur_se_muova
(36,281 posts)Sweetness has its place, which is not every place.
Commercial food tends to pick up on best-selling trends and carry them to the extreme, so that they become hard to avoid.
spooky3
(34,467 posts)Spaghetti sauce. They said it was to offset the tomatoes acid.
DFW
(54,436 posts)Ever heard of Japanese Teriyaki? China's Beijing Duck? General Tsao's chicken? Orange crispy beef? Polynesian braised pork? Thai red curry?
If someone puts too much sugar into their BBQ glaze, they're doing both themselves and their meal disservice, but there are other cultures that use substantial amounts of sweeteners to season their meat or fish. I prefer Cajun blackened, Spicy chicken in black bean, or Tandoori, myself, but I don't mind a well-made Beijing duck if the hoi-sin isn't too sweet or some Jardine's on my chickes if it's got the right kick to it.
It's just a question of going overboard, which, admittedly, seems to be a national trait of ours.
Response to Drahthaardogs (Original post)
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smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I even know people who put sugar in their marinara sauce - ugh! I am half Italian on my father's side and his family never put sugar in tomato sauce. They did add a bit of parmesan or romano cheese however and that is how I make it.
I much prefer savory foods to sweet things.
Drahthaardogs
(6,843 posts)You do not need sugar. We are from the north so our sauce is olive oil, garlic, peperoncino, and tomatoes