Bridging the Gap - The cultural exchange thread

[TonyAyers]

Wow, there's a lot on this topic that you guys have already been discussing. As someone interested in bridging gaps between people, I couldn't say no to this discussion! As a little backdrop, I'm from the United States of America (originally from Florida, but now in New York), I have a mixture of Hispanic and American cultures in myself, and am interested in learning about other cultures and nations. 

Before I reply to or suggest any other topics of discussion, I feel the need to address this one first:


Gors

Here's an important question that spans all countries and cultures;
What is even going on with pies?

Over here a pie is like a staple food thing, you take a pastry crust and you fill it with A Food. Fruits, meats, hot, cold, whatever, it's a handy food that's tasty and fun for all the family at every meal and for snacks.

Basically, I am confused, what are pies doing in your country?

Well, the concept of pie is a rather broad one, I'll try to be as succint as possible.

The word "pie" by itself is inexistant in any form in Brazilian Portuguese. Because of this, we use the word "torta", which is a French loanword of "tarte". This also means that in Brazil, no differenciation happens between a pie (usually covered top) and a tart (usually not covered).

Additionally, torta also can refer to a baked savory cake in rectangular moulds, with fillings mixed directly into the dough before baked. This torta is the default meaning.



In Portugal, a small sweet pie called "Pastel de Belém" (Bethlehem's pastry dish) is popular, made with lots of egg yolks and sugar, and is considered a fine delicacy. However, in Brazil, the same word "Pastel" means "Enchilada" and in Spanish, "Pastel" means "Pie." Our savory "torta" in Portugal is known as "Empanada" which means "Chicken Nuggets" in Brazil.

I think it's just better to drop this chart instead of trying to explain it myself



My inner Hispanic was just amazed, but also screaming in joy because I saw my favorite dishes/snacks being spoken about. I knew that the way we as Hispanics label certain foods is very different in other countries, but I never would have expected empanadas to be "chicken nuggets" in Brazil! That's actually really awesome to see! Though, since I come from a Puerto Rican Hispanic culture, "pastel" or "pasteles" has always meant more "cake" rather than pies. I had also learned another way to say sandwich in Spanish is "emparedado" (though I'm not sure if that usage is more universal or maybe used more in Spain or something). 

I also would like to mention that Brazilian tortas remind me of a dish I have loved since my childhood and wanted to see if anyone else around the world eats something similar to it. Cornbread is what I'm talking about and I'll put a picture of it below.



Basically, cornbread is bread mixed with cornmeal. The ones I've eaten have a hint of sweetness (probably from the cornmeal or sugar) but equally have a wonderful savoriness that can't be matched. How about you guys? Any foods or breads that are kind of like it?