Okay, I can understand that imported food should have a list of ingredients translated into Spanish – but do the morons have to stick the label right over the instructions!
Recently the missus went back to the UK on one of her mercy dashes to M&S, leaving yours truly to fend for himself. No problem! I can do a fry up as well as the next man. But after a week of cholesterol on a plate, I decided I fancied a curry.
In our pantry we have every herb and spice known to man, but I couldn’t be bothered to prat about “dry frying” cumin and coriander seeds, mincing garlic and ginger and all that twaddle, so I went into my local Brit supermarket and bought a jar of curry paste.
“Just add to meat and vegetables.” It proclaimed on the jar.
I can do that, I thought smugly.
But I couldn’t because some sadistic pillock had put the Spanish translation of the ingredients right over the instruction panel.
I didn’t know if I had to cook the meat and veg first or marinate them in the sauce? Should I add the whole jar or just a spoonful? How long did it take to cook? Decisions, decisions! In the end I just bunged everything together in the pot and boiled it up.
It tasted revolting and I place all the blame on some euro bureaucrat who has nothing better to do than bring out silly rules. I mean, let’s face it – can you actually see your average Spanish housewife rushing out to buy curry paste? And even if she did she wouldn’t have a clue how to use it either because although they give the ingredients in Spanish – they don’t give the cooking instructions - so what’s the ruddy point?
Written by
El Grumpy Gringo
Owners Direct Group
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