The Harry Potter series is filled with so much magical charm that some US viewers were fooled into believing the British products and customs seen in the movies were imaginary.
Though most people in the UK are aware that the Brits don’t take to the sky with a Quidditch match in physical education, it seems that the deliciousness of treacle tart has gone undetected.
Americans Share Harry Potter British Items They Believed Were Fictional
Many Americans posted on a Reddit forum about the various British desserts and items such as Christmas crackers which they assumed were just part of the Harry Potter movie series. Treacle tart, rock cakes, and spotted dick were among the desserts that they thought were not real.
While discussing treacle tarts, one American fan stated,
‘I thought it was something like butterbeer or chocolate frog lol. I found out it was real two months ago.’
Many remarked on how scrumptious the renowned British dessert is, and some are only now realizing that it is in fact real.
‘Just learning from this right now that it’s not a magical food,’ added another.
American wizards and witches (or should we call them muggles) were shocked to learn that a steamed pudding actually bore the name of “Spotted Dick”.
‘This will always shock me, every single time I read it not only in Harry Potter. I can’t believe there’s a dessert with that name.’
Americans were taken aback by the thought of rock cakes, as they could hardly conceive of such a dessert existing. It was speculated that Hagrid must have been a terrible cook, as Harry had named the sweet treat after him in the Harry Potter series.
One user commented,
‘I was convinced it was just that Hagrid makes cakes that happened to be rock hard, so Harry nicknamed them rock cakes. They’re actually rock hard rock cakes?!’
Those who have attended school in Britain are likely familiar with prefects who issue orders in the hallways. However, for those in other countries, this idea may seem like something out of the wizarding world of Hogwarts.
An amused user shared,
‘I didn’t know the school houses and prefects were a British thing.’
Non-natives to the British Isles believed that peppermint humbugs were a magical delicacy, however, they are now commonplace on the shelves of our supermarkets.
At the same time, Christmas crackers can be seen adorning tables everywhere in the country during the holiday season – Americans were so shocked by the great prizes within the crackers they assumed they were something they only ever saw on television.
An American user remarked,
‘I was so confused when two characters were pulling apart the crackers and there was stuff inside of them. But I was just like, “oh this wacky magical world and their novelty-filled giant cheezits!”‘
One Redditor expressed how they were surprised to see British people having tea with milk.
“Not exactly magical, but it took me a while to realize why Umbridge asked Harry if he wanted sugar in his tea, but poured milk in it without asking.”
Another Harry Potter fan from the US was furious to find out that British people get to enjoy crackers and gifts during the holidays which the Americans don’t.
‘Wizard crackers. I was SO confused. Like, why are they finding hats and other prizes in crackers?
‘Took me a long time to find out what crackers were and that they’re a popular holiday tradition. Now I’m mad we don’t really do them in the US!’
In the UK, travelers often hear the sound of trolleys with welcoming smiles and food offerings as they travel on certain train routes. For those from the US, however, it was a surprise to learn that this wasn’t something exclusive to the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter movies.
