Cultural differences manifest themselves in many ways, and food is one area where the differences particularly stand out. A recent experiment from BuzzFeed demonstrated this.
The company introduced several Australians to a variety of sugary American cereals, including Reese’s Puffs, Lucky Charms, Cap’n Crunch, Trix, Cookie Crisp and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. These Australians found it quite a novel experience, and their reactions showed how deep the food divide sometimes is between the two countries.
Some of them were delighted with the sugar shock they received when they tried these cereals, which are more like junk food in many ways than a healthy breakfast. However, many found themselves perplexed and even disgusted at the thought of adding milk to chocolate, peanut butter or bursts of fruit flavor and calling it a meal.
One young man posited that the cereal would be good to snack on while recovering from a breakup. Another noted that there was little to distinguish Cookie Crisp from the average box of cookies.
The Australians praised the color of Lucky Charms but noted that without the marshmallows, the cereal would lose all its oomph. Clearly there are many differences between breakfast in America and in Australia; how might Americans respond to Australian cereal?