h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

there is a place nearby 20 miles ish where they sell fresh baklava

turkish, greek, cyprussian - it's all the same to me

as is raki, pastis, sambuca, arak, ouzo, tsikoudia, tsipouro, mastica and grappa - well, more or less anyway

raki has turkish origin, but is called tsipouro or tsikoudia in greece, except on crete, where it is called Raki just like in turkey

Of the names on your list, grappa is the only one I recognize, Pierce. This creates a puzzlement for me. Grapes are not all the same, so how would the wines on your list be the same?

they are not wines but the local aniseed flavoured spirit, clear and deadly

I've not tried many on that list - they are the sort of local spirits that european tourists try once on holiday, usually overdo it and vow never to repeat,never, ever again.

I did that once, but not with Pernod ( my friend gave me graphic descriptions of his over indulgence, so I was pre warned ) but I did it with brandy cocktails in France once. I can never look a bottle of cognac in the eye to this day.

re 244:

it's actually worse than that, isn't it? i believe raki and all the other aniseed flavoured "drinks" are made from the remains of wine production. how exactly they do it is beyond me, though. i could google it, but i'd rather guzzle it

nah, not really

They take the winemaker's dregs, recycle them into "special" local drinks, and stick it to tourists. Sounds a lot like what we Americans would do if we had the chance.

I don't think it's a big deal with "defining" Americans. We Americans are busy enough just being Americans. It's best to leave the definitions to someone else who has time on their hands. :-0

you do that with and , no?

I do? What is it that I do?

well, maybe not you personally

but most europeans i know frown on american and

no offence, but i am one of them

I don't have preferences for things from one part of the world to another. I do like Kahlua now and again - which I think comes from Mexico? . I think every place has good things and some that need to be loved only by their locals.

true that. and i don't mind people liking whatever they like

just don't expect me to like the socalled they served in holiday inn/hollywood

i must admit i had quite a decent cup of on manhattan, though

not to mention the pastrami in 'our' local irish pub

best i ever had

Here's a link to a site that covers the wide world of coffee:

http://www.coffee-makers-et-cetera.com/coffee-varieties.html

We Americans don't have to drink American coffee any more than the Danish have to drink Danish coffee (if there is such a thing). I like French Roast and Swiss Chocolate Almond the house bland from gevalia.

there is such a thing as danish . we tend to roast the beans harder than in our neighbouring countries sweden and germany. so many people travel across borders to find the taste that is more appealing to them

when first i came to denmark i thought the danish was too bitter and longed for a decent cup of german

but when i finally returned to germany i found i had in the meantime got accustomed to danish so much i didn't like the german any more

When I lived in Bristol the local shops roasted their own beans, and you had to walk through clouds of smoke, - fabulous smell! The vents directed onto the pavement (sidewalk I believe in American English)
I was reading the packets of coffee the other day - yes I am bored now - and found the coffee I had chosen was roasted with sugar. I didn't know they did that, is this particular to Spanish coffee I wonder?

oh and for some daft reason I am awake and its only 6am here. Pitch black, too early for coffee, I really want to go back to sleep but have been awake for an hour or so.

I'd like to go back to sleep, but as a compromise I think I'll some more .

Some still do, but I like sitting on the bus in traffic on the bottom part of the M32 when Wogan's are roasting.

it's been a hard day. i need and

Well, at least it hasn't been a bad enough day to drive you to

nothing has to do that