"When people ask me what it's like to live as an American in the U.K., I often use the example of going to '80s night in London. One minute I'm dancing along, singing all the words to "When Doves Cry," "Thriller," or "Material Girl," and the next minute Heaven 17's " Temptation " comes on and all the British people lose their minds shouting every lyric to a song I have never heard in my life."
"Two totally different things. (Do not even get me started on what English people consider pancakes.) A flapjack is kind of like a granola bar, but not crunchy. There really is no American equivalent. Think of an oatier, chewier, rectangular oatmeal cookie, and you'll be kind of close. It's the kind of thing that you get at school as a child, obviously, but also at museum cafes, coffee shops, and the like."
Americans living in the U.K. encounter moments of cultural familiarity that are interrupted by unexpected differences in music and food. Nostalgic British bakes evoke memories that differ from American equivalents. Flapjacks are oatier, chewier, and more like soft granola bars or rectangular oatmeal cookies rather than pancakes. Back to School Week asks bakers to elevate simple, commonly shared school treats without gimmicks. The theme leans into wholesome British identity and taps into shared childhood memories tied to school snacks, museum cafes, and coffee shops, revealing subtle but telling cultural contrasts.
Read at Vulture
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