It is a tradition that encourages us to always eat more. The end of the meal, in most American restaurants, is punctuated by the traditional “doggy bag” ceremony. The dog is a convenient scapegoat!
- The “doggy bag” allows you to take home leftovers not eaten at the restaurant.
- This tradition comes from the United States where portions are often too large.
- Unfortunately, this plays into the hands of overconsumption and contributes to the rise in obesity.
As the portions are much too large (nearly twice as large as in France), consumers can, with a box provided for this purpose that the waiter systematically offers, take the leftovers home. Theoretically, because hypocrisy is part of the game, “for the dog”! Unfortunately, tradition is making its way to France…
In the past, when you arrived in the United States, two things astounded European tourists: the size of the buildings and the cars. The reference to the buildings of La Défense and the inflation of the price of gasoline have ended up, in about thirty years, erasing these differences. It is now difficult, when leaving an airport, to know which continent you are on. On the other hand, once you pass through the door of the slightest restaurant, there is no possible confusion.
First of all, the Gaul doesn’t like the waiters who greet you, in the United States, with: “How’s it going, buddy?” First, we’re not their buddy, and second, they never listen to the answer… Followed by a dithyrambic description of the pâté that we’re going to be served. It’s crazy how the more the chef’s imagination is at half-mast, the more the waitress is verbose.
It is only in the three French stars that we see lyrical flights of this style, but they are perfectly justified.
After this delicate moment of gastronomic spitting, arrive – quite quickly, which does not help the case of the big eater who is going to be able to indulge himself to his heart’s content – the main course and a whole series of small bowls of accompanying products which, in an instant, cover the entire table. The expression “triple XL”, blessed by the big guys at Ralph Lauren where it is extremely rare, is on all the menus. And if you have a moment of suffocation, no problem, the waitress is attentive to “refuel” you – that’s the expression she uses – free of charge for sodas, by the half-liter for beer or wine!
A kitchen of mass destruction
Terrorists can sleep easy. Americans, with their gastronomic culture, have invented weapons of mass destruction that they are offering to the whole world. If we want to understand why this country has gone from “Jurassic Park” to “Mammoth Park” in fifty years, portion size is one of the main reasons. Probably the most important on a daily basis, but above all the most perverse. Because everyone is happy: the consumer, who feels like they are really getting their money’s worth, and the restaurateur, who has taken advantage of these “super size” promotions to gradually increase their prices. Moreover, they share their satisfaction with the customer: in case the “buddy” is temporarily full, the “Doggy bag” is there to allow them to continue the feast at home, adding in passing the little note of canine hypocrisy, which suits so well the temporary guilt of the devourer.
A complete sensory experience
Additional details: a typical American restaurant is 100 decibels continuously – the Concorde on takeoff displayed a punctual 120, which killed it in the United States – and lighting so weak that you risk biting your fingers at any moment. Thanks to all these charming places to which America owes a significant part of its excess pounds! But please! We must refuse to see this hypocritical ceremony installed in our country.
