Let’s be real, some of the stuff we eat here in the U.S. is just… well, it’s out there. And while we might gobble these dishes down at family gatherings and Fourth of July parties, folks from other countries often find themselves doing a double-take at our “creative” food choices.
I stumbled upon a hilarious Reddit thread the other day where non-Americans spilled the beans on American foods that just don’t make sense to them. From the quirky to the downright wild, the responses were as varied as they were entertaining. I mean, can you imagine seeing a deep-fried Twinkie for the first time and trying to make sense of it? Neither could they!
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s dive into the crunchy, gooey, and yes, sometimes weird world of American food through the eyes of our international friends. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even start to see our everyday eats in a whole new light!
1. Whatever sick f**k decided we needed to batter and deep fry sticks of butter needs their mental health checked.
2. Twizzlers, they look like plastic. And tv dinners.
3. A friend visited me from Italy and wanted to try krispy kreme donuts. He took one bite and said “now I understand why Americans are fat!” He made me take him back there twice. Not that I minded going 😛
4. Americans tend to like their bacon crispier. As a Canadian, I say chewy bacon for the win.
5. grits. tried it a few times and I don’t hate it anymore but it’s weird. very weird.
6. Ranch dressing. I once had a pizza in America, and it had ranch dressing on it. Ranch dressing doesn’t really exist in Europe, and it’s this weird, salty, fatty, mayo-like sauce — and it certainly does not belong on a pizza…or inside a human body for that matter.
7. Pb&j had me confused for a while but when i took a bite i loved it. Not judging any other non-americans for not trying this because peanutbutter and jelly aren’t put together in most countries outside of america.
8. I find biscuits and gravy to be absolutely disgusting. But I’d like to counterbalance that by adding how delicious cornbread is and why on earth hasn’t it become a staple here in Europe? It’s SO yummy!
9. Those huge big gulp sodas. Nobody needs that much soda.
10. I’m sorry but those slices of American cheese have always tasted so fake and plastic to me personally.
11. Minnesota salads. like WTF America! crushed pineapples and marshmallows are not ingredients that belong near a salad.
12. I remember a lime jello tuna salad ring made in a bundt pan by a distant relative. We told her with her work schedule, she shouldn’t bother with bringing food to potlucks.
13. When they introduced me to Chicago pizza, something in me died. That should not be called pizza — it’s just a devil fat pie.
14. As an Australian, I would like to know what in the flying firetruck a “Bloomin’ Onion” has to do with anything, let alone the rest of Outback Steakhouse’s menu.
15. The chocolate out there is FOUL. u/mostlikelynotasnail replied: Ghirardelli, Guittard, Dove, Scharffen Berger, and hundreds of smaller companies are fine. Pretty much just avoid anything you would find near the register at a grocery store. u/TomomiimomoT replied: I tried a big-name American chocolate brand once but couldn’t eat it due to the vomit smell and taste.
16. Spray… cheese??
17. Orange circus peanuts. What are they? How do they have so much sugar but taste so horrible? What science experiments created them?
18. Sweet Potato Casserole recipe topped with pecans and marshmallows “traditional side at Thanksgiving table” u/DonSmo replied: Marshmallows on sweet potatoes is so gross and foreign to me.
19. Ambrosia Salad. Yuck.
20. The prevalence of high fructose corn syrup in EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, being in Canada, it’s bleeding over the border as a lot of products here are manufactured in the USA.
21. Twinkies. Wtf is it even made of? In my mind it’s just pure sugar
22. Canned things that probably don’t need to be canned. Looking at you Whole White Potatos in Water.
23. Mac and cheese where it does not belong. I’m looking at you pizza and burgers.
24. American bread. I’m sure you can get good bread somewhere in the US, but the generally available, sugary, long-shelf-life bread is so appalling. Now, of course, your export of fast-food restaurants has nothing to do with haute cuisine, but any burger would be so much better if at least you used acceptable bread.
