Canadian vs American Ketchup (yes, you read this correctly!)

[MamaLema]

My inlaws live in South America. They have never visited another country in their whole lives until they came to Canada for a 6 month visit when they were both 65 years old.

My inlaws favourite things about Canada, in this particular order, were :

1. Heinz ketchup
2. garage sales
3. how everybody obeys traffic signs, lights, and drives in their own lane

 

[archdandy]

My inlaws live in South America. They have never visited another country in their whole lives until they came to Canada for a 6 month visit when they were both 65 years old.

My inlaws favourite things about Canada, in this particular order, were :

1. Heinz ketchup
2. garage sales
3. how everybody obeys traffic signs, lights, and drives in their own lane

Garage sales! It's strange sometimes to think about regular things here that aren't regular in other countries.

 

[GillylovesDuffy]

My inlaws live in South America. They have never visited another country in their whole lives until they came to Canada for a 6 month visit when they were both 65 years old.

My inlaws favourite things about Canada, in this particular order, were :

1. Heinz ketchup
2. garage sales
3. how everybody obeys traffic signs, lights, and drives in their own lane

Hah! I had no idea garage sales weren't a thing in the states.

Also, slightly OT, but how fantastic is that delicious balsamic Heinz?

 

[alohamom]

LOL-I cant say I have tried the balsamic ketchup but now I will be on a look out for it. I just saw a "thai" flavored one at WalMart yesterday. The worst was about 10 years ago when they brought out the purple and green versions-do any of you remember that? Even my kids wouldnt eat that stuff!

 

[SaraMc]

This is why I get super excited when I see those elusive cases of Pepsi Throwback in my neighbourhood; the cane sugar just tastes better. Mexico has it right!

The Cane sugar pepsi is back, we got it and Wild Cherry Pepsi on our last visit to the Buffalo. No longer listed as throw back, but has a vintage pepsi label.

It does taste better.

 

[KateDrake]

A little off topic, but Canadian and US Oreo's are different (Canadian is better) and so are the Kit Kat's. LOL

OK, I have to disagree on that one. Canadian Oreos are way too sweet! They make my teeth hurt! I'm not a KitKat fan though so I can't comment on that one.

The one thing I really miss from home is donuts. I'll probably get kicked out of the country for saying this, but the ones at Timmy's are so sweet they make me sick! Of course a donut should be sweet, but it's TOO sweet for me!

 

[monaleigh70]

I do this too. I end up traveling with a Ziploc full of condiment packets. I only do it when we are going to have a kitchen and do some cooking though.

I've never noticed any difference in the taste of the ketchup....so of course now I'll be checking it out the next time I'm in the USA. Remember the Pepsi Challenge? I'll be set up in the mall with ketchup packets and a blind fold.

Me too, I have to have vinegar with my fries. I start collecting them to bring with us. Just put them in a baggie and you are good to go. I am not a ketchup hound so I don't know if there is a taste difference. I do know that as an expat Brit I love HP sauce with my fish and chips but I haven't ever seen that condiment in little packets otherwise I'd be stocking up on them too. Fish and chips seems like a heavy meal to eat in the Florida heat, though.

 

[monaleigh70]

This post made me chuckle! We just moved up here from the States about 8 months ago, and I am still adjusting to the Canadian ketchup taste! It is SOOOOO sweet, it almost tastes like jam to me! I'll have to add that to the list of things I need my mom to bring me when she visits

For your trip, I love the idea of the packets. So much easier to keep a few in your bag vs. hauling around a bottle!

I must admit I've become a total convert to Canadian coke and Canadian chocolate. A Mars bar and a Milky Way are theoretically the same, but for some reason the Mars is so much better!

And I think Canadian Smarties taste better than US Smarties but UK Smarties taste the best of all! I remember having a blind taste test with my daughter and her friend who poo-pooed my assertion so I blindfolded them and with cold water between each taste would give them Smarties. I also told them there was only one Smartie that tasted different than the others. They both chose the Canadian Smarties and figured out easily that orange Smarties taste different than any of the others!

 

[archdandy]

Me too, I have to have vinegar with my fries. I start collecting them to bring with us. Just put them in a baggie and you are good to go. I am not a ketchup hound so I don't know if there is a taste difference. I do know that as an expat Brit I love HP sauce with my fish and chips but I haven't ever seen that condiment in little packets otherwise I'd be stocking up on them too. Fish and chips seems like a heavy meal to eat in the Florida heat, though.

Do you mean the HP steak sauce? You can get that here in Canada.

 

[monaleigh70]

Do you mean the HP steak sauce? You can get that here in Canada.

Yes, thanks, I do buy it here. I meant I have never seen it in little packets that I could collect for traveling.

 

[alohamom]

LOL-mentioning HP sauce made me think of A1 sauce and I find it very different in the USA. Again, I think ours is sweeter and less tangy.

There is nothing like UK chocolate. We have a local shop that sells many varieties and it is always worthwhile to spend a little extra for it.

 

[archdandy]

LOL-mentioning HP sauce made me think of A1 sauce and I find it very different in the USA. Again, I think ours is sweeter and less tangy.

There is nothing like UK chocolate. We have a local shop that sells many varieties and it is always worthwhile to spend a little extra for it.

I much prefer our chocolate I've had some of the Cadbury chocolate from the UK and it tastes much different than our Cadbury chocolate.

 

[archdandy]

Okay so I thought of something else that I always forget about until we are there. The dipping sauces for chicken nuggets/strips! They don't have any plum or sweet and sour which are my top two choices. I never eat them with anything else except at Disney when I'm forced to eat them with BBQ sauce

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Hear hear. We now buy a Canadian made organic brand.

Same here. Our house hold made the switch when Heinz started cross seas production.

Ugh.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

This post made me chuckle! We just moved up here from the States about 8 months ago, and I am still adjusting to the Canadian ketchup taste! It is SOOOOO sweet, it almost tastes like jam to me! I'll have to add that to the list of things I need my mom to bring me when she visits For your trip, I love the idea of the packets. So much easier to keep a few in your bag vs. hauling around a bottle! I must admit I've become a total convert to Canadian coke and Canadian chocolate. A Mars bar and a Milky Way are theoretically the same, but for some reason the Mars is so much better!

My mother would disagree, we are Canadian and when ever I go across the boarder she asks for Milky Ways, although lately the Target in South Surrey seems to carry Milk Way minis... Too funny.

I think American M&M's are better, but it haven't had them in at least 15 years due to a late in life peanut allergy, so likely they have changed.

 

[vacation_junkie]

Hello fellow canuck Dis'ers! My dd really dislikes American ketchup, she finds it way too tangy and not as sweet as our Canadian version. We traditionally use only Heinz and most of the time I just pack a mid size bottle for when we travel. I got to thinking that perhaps there is an American brand other than Heinz that might be closer to our Canadian version. For example, Compliments is pretty close. Can any of you offer any first hand experience with this? LOL, weird, I know but just trying to lighten my suitcase for our next trip! Thanks in advnace for any suggestions!

DH refuses to eat anything but Canadian Ketchup. He says nothing compares to ours!

The same with "iced tea".. he always forgets that American Iced Tea is not like ours. I always let him take a big gulp of tea to refresh his memory

 

[alc571]

This is quite the thread. I have never tasted, or at least noticed, a difference in the taste of ketchup. I'll have to pay more attention next time.

One of our souvenirs is always a bag of US KitKats. They're so much better than ours. But I have to agree that UK chocolate is the best. Love the Flake!

 

[KateDrake]

DH refuses to eat anything but Canadian Ketchup. He says nothing compares to ours!

The same with "iced tea".. he always forgets that American Iced Tea is not like ours. I always let him take a big gulp of tea to refresh his memory

What is the difference in iced tea? I am not a tea drinker so I've never had it up here. I know in the South (US), they have "sweet tea" which is so full of sugar you can feel your teeth falling out as you sip! But where I'm from, it's not so crazy sweet. But it is usually flavored. What's it like up here in Canada?

 

[vacation_junkie]

What is the difference in iced tea? I am not a tea drinker so I've never had it up here. I know in the South (US), they have "sweet tea" which is so full of sugar you can feel your teeth falling out as you sip! But where I'm from, it's not so crazy sweet. But it is usually flavored. What's it like up here in Canada?

It's just cold tea! Just like the south. Either sweetened or non-sweetened. He orders it and thinks its like Nestea. Made with the sweet liquid mix.

 

[kimblebee]

And I think Canadian Smarties taste better than US Smarties but UK Smarties taste the best of all! I remember having a blind taste test with my daughter and her friend who poo-pooed my assertion so I blindfolded them and with cold water between each taste would give them Smarties. I also told them there was only one Smartie that tasted different than the others. They both chose the Canadian Smarties and figured out easily that orange Smarties taste different than any of the others!

Are you referring to m & m's as American smarties? In the States, smarties are what we know as rockets (hard sugar candy given out at Halloween).