Which country do you think has the best attitude to food, mealtime and eating (I'm including thinks like cookery techniques, general flavours, natural ingredients etc)

For me, and with the only the slightest trace of bias, I would say Italy.

An emphasis on simple, seasonal products cooked well, I find this to be much more of a "food for the people" than the equally lauded but far fussier French cuisine.

As a vegetarian, I love the Italian attitude to vegetables- cook them simply or with olive oil and garlic. I'm also a fan of the lack of heavy creams and buttery sauces in Italian cooking (a lot of the really cheesy, creamy "Italian" dishes were invented by Italian immigrants to the US!)

I also admire the approach to portion size- it's all about eating to get a taste rather than eating to be full! Although the stereotypical idea of languid meals lasting three or four hours is now just a stereotype, there's still an emphasis on mealtime as a social, as well as eating, ritual.

What's your favourite "food culture"?

Spanish tapas, I think.

Going from bar to bar just nibbling and drinking....I love it.

For healthy, fresh food, with plenty of pizzaz - Thai, cooked well.

Not to mention the fact the nibbles are just delicious.

Anything around the Med is instantly desirable.

I like Greece and it's emphasis on a diet away from meat (Wednesday and Friday are typically meat-free days in parts of Greece)

the whole of the asian continent

I'd say Japanese, they seem to know the score

General mediterranean food is so delicious - you can taste the sun in it somehow.

Coming home from there you feel all glowy, as if you've been enlivened by the sunshine, and detoxed by the fresh colourful food.

I like the Thai attitude. They don't go in for "3 square meals" a day but eat more smaller dishes throughout the day.

I agree.

Proper Spanish, but not necessarily Tapas, and Greek Cypriot. Absolutely not Italian though, can't stand the place or the people.

What makes you say that? I myself am not a massive fan of Italian cuisine, I prefer more aromatic and spicy flavours so Indian and Thai has to win for me. Delicious fresh ingredients (not like the muck you get in take away a here) and emphasis on sharing and smaller portions of little things like thaalis. I also like the variety you get from one region to the next. Spanish tapas is also a delight which is all the more enjoyable when mingling with the locals.

I would have to say Italian and Spanish.

Vietnamese

Some of the best food I've ever eaten!

Good call. Even if I'd only ever eaten Phở, I think I'd still agree.

This has to be down to taste surely, I would suggest done well British/English food is hard to beat close second Italian but that's because I hate spices.

Dim sum is my fave.

Indian veggie for me, then Turkish veg dishes ( but I don't use the oil they suggest!)

Britain has some wonderful food too - cottage pies, pasties, roasts, vegetarian foods, trifles, puddings etc - my Turkish in laws adore trifle, custard, crumbles.

Japanese food, by far. The food itself is a work of art.

Japanese , much of the food is not particularly fattening or even cooked but still full of flavour.


Other than that I like Korean food, with French food a close third.

Sadly British food culture seems to be relegated to 'frozen packets from Iceland'

Huge Malaysian food fan.

Scottish.Freshly caught haggis and chips is to die for!

Japanese is my absolute favourite and I love most French food too.
Not fond of Mediterranean (Greek, Italian mostly) food - too many sheep/goats milk cheeses and tomatoes.

Not at all. British food culture is amazing. We are far from the only country who buy frozen pre-made food.

Italian and Spanish. No contest.

I'd say that British food would be somewhere near the bottom of my list.

Glad I'm Scottish then, just lurve, my deep fried mars bars & pizzas !