{"id":3085,"date":"2026-06-19T12:33:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T12:33:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=3085"},"modified":"2026-06-19T12:33:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T12:33:49","slug":"i-just-want-to-bring-back-the-chicken-parm-visiting-europeans-find-culinary-shocks-and-delights-in-boston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=3085","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I just want to bring back the chicken parm\u2019: Visiting Europeans find culinary shocks and delights in Boston"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<div>\n<p><span>As Europeans flood Boston, the Transportation Security Administration has a message for visitors from across the pond.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=3083\">Isiah Kiner-Falefa filling in nicely for shorthanded Red Sox infield<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIf you\u2019re visiting for a very large sporting event &amp; you happen to discover RANCH while you\u2019re here\u2026 pls pack it in your checked bag on the way home,\u201d the TSA posted on its Instagram account, apparently inundated with fliers attempting to bring the quintessentially American salad dressing in their carry-ons. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>That\u2019s right: Europeans are back in Boston, and they aren\u2019t here for our land this time around. Just ranch, apparently.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span>While on their Boston pilgrimages, many European visitors are experiencing culinary culture shock: novel condiments, shocking portion sizes, unexpected potato chip flavors, and surprisingly sweet sandwich bread at fast-food joints. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Some leave impressed. Others leave craving something more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe portions are so large you can\u2019t even finish your main meal,\u201d said Calum McNab, of Glasgow. He had advice for American fast-food chains: \u201cYou would save so much money if you just cut down the prices and portion sizes.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><span>Get Food &amp; Dining Headlines<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span>The Globe&#8217;s most recent food stories, delivered to your inbox every Wednesday.<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><label>Enter Email<\/label><\/p>\n<div><button>Sign Up<\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>\u201cI quite like Wendy\u2019s,\u201d said Alex Myles, who was visiting Boston with his father, Graham. \u201cIn Scotland, I could eat another one, but here it\u2019s pretty big,\u201d he said, gesturing with his hands to form a circle nearly the size of his head.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>(The large lunches didn\u2019t seem to be negatively affecting the locals, however, in McNab\u2019s opinion. \u201cEveryone here looks great, so it\u2019s not like they\u2019re eating a lot and big,\u201d he added.) <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Ranch dressing wasn\u2019t the only sauce that impressed World Cup tourists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI love Raising Cane\u2019s sauce,\u201d said Ryan McNicol, surrounded by fellow Scots and several bags of takeout from the chicken chain on Wednesday in Boston Common.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=3081\">Eddie Andelman gave us sports talk radio gold with his no-holds-barred interview of Wade Boggs in 1989<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe Texas Toast is so buttery,\u201d McNicol added, contemplating how he could bring the sauce \u2014 along with bags of white cheddar popcorn \u2014 back to Scotland.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For Daniel Grant, a trip to Carmelina\u2019s in the North End was a revelation. \u201cThe chicken parm was the best thing I\u2019ve ever had in my life, man,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>After American friends encouraged him to try the Italian-American staple, Grant said he could not stop talking about it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI messaged everyone back home and said, \u2018I just want to bring back the chicken parm,\u2019\u201d Grant said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>McNab said he would rather bring home another American favorite: cheddar-flavored chips.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Others gravitated toward America\u2019s more indulgent offerings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIn Scotland, we deep-fry all the food,\u201d said Hugo McGurk, another visitor from Scotland. \u201cSo when I saw a deep-fried pickle, I thought, \u2018Did they bring this here just for us?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Asked what he would bring back from America, McGurk had an unexpected answer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI want to bring Moxie back because it looks like a can of Irn-Bru,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it\u2019s not better. Irn-Bru is the best drink created by mankind,\u201d he clarified, holding up two bottles of the popular Scottish soda, both empty.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=3079\">Less than halfway through the season and it\u2019s clear the Red Sox should raise the white flag on 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Europeans in Boston for the World Cup are experiencing culinary culture shock.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2018I just want to bring back the chicken parm\u2019: Visiting Europeans find culinary shocks and delights in Boston - 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