I popped into my corner shop the other day on the way back from work and – as my neighbour friend was with me there – I decided to show him the tiny Polish ’section’ there. (Actually, it’s growing fast – they already have three shelves full of Polish food there).
So here we are, standing there, scanning the rather unappealing choice of tinned soups and other long-life produce, when we came across this:
How very unfortunate. I’m sure someone somewhere enjoys it on a daily basis and doesn’t even think twice about the name, but it made us giggle. Understandably.
Now, apart from the rather clumsy name (does adult chicken taste different? is ‘chicken flavour soup’ a different story altogether? enlighten me!!), another thing struck me.
Quite often Poles will be gushing over some pierogi or other gołąbki, while people from other cultures will look at them disapprovingly and dismiss them with a curt ‘Stodge!’ – while to us they are as natural and lovely as cock-flavour soup must be to those who are into all things Caribbean. Such remarks will sometimes make us huff and puff and say something like “Ah, you don’t know what you’re missing”.
But I guess a dismissive remark or – like with the soup above, a prolonged giggle – is a natural reaction to something new, something foreign. We shouldn’t really take it personally. I still – after so many years – haven’t convinced myself that mushy peas is actually food….
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