The U.S. is known for its bold, diverse, and sometimes indulgent approach when it comes to food. However, not everything on the menu makes sense to the rest of the world. From sandwiches with strange toppings to drinks that taste like medicine, many of America’s favorite dishes leave international visitors scratching their heads.
These iconic food choices are a reflection of America’s creativity, comfort-food culture, and love of sweet-and-savory combinations. While these dishes might seem completely normal to locals, outsiders often find them confusing, bizarre, or even unappetizing. Let’s take a look at twelve iconic American foods that the rest of the world finds bizarre.
1. Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a staple of American childhood. It is cherished for its sweet and salty flavor. However, for many foreigners, the thought of spreading sticky peanut butter with sugary jam between two slices of bread is almost unthinkable. Most cultures around the world keep those two flavors separate.
2. Root Beer
Root beer is a favorite drink for many Americans and is known for its sweet, herbal, and slightly medicinal flavor. However, people who didn’t grow up with this taste often compare it to mouthwash and even cough syrup. Many international visitors find the flavor so strange when they first try it that they never try it again.
3. Biscuits and Gravy
In America, few dishes are as iconic as fluffy biscuits smothered in creamy sausage gravy. Many would say that this is the ultimate comfort breakfast. But for more people around the world, “biscuits” are sweet cookies, and gravy is usually reserved for meats, not breakfast.
4. Grits
Grits, made from ground corn, is often served with butter, cheese, or shrimp. This is a Southern breakfast classic with Native American roots. However, this dish has a porridge-like texture and mild flavor that many foreigners might find off-putting if they are not used to it. While Americans adore this dish, many visitors find it bland.
5. Corn Dogs
Corn dogs are a classic American food made from hot dogs that have been dipped in a sweet cornmeal batter before being deep-fried on a stick. This is a staple at American fairs and festivals. While Americans view them as fun finger foods, many visitors view them as excessive and unhealthy.
6. Jell-O Salad
Jello-O salad is another American favorite that foreigners can’t wrap their heads around. This salad features brightly colored gelatin mixed with fruit, marshmallows, or sometimes even vegetables. It is usually served as a side dish and is a quirky addition to family gatherings and potlucks. For the rest of the world, the idea of having gelatin as part of a meal is super off-putting.
7. Chicken and Waffles
Another breakfast and beloved American comfort food is crispy fried chicken and syrup-soaked waffles. This meal blends sweet and savory into every bite. However, for international guests, this is a controversial combination, as breakfast and dinner foods rarely go together.
8. Spray Cheese
Praying liquid cheese out of an aerosol can is a uniquely American invention. This neon-orange processed cheese is typically squeezed onto crackers or nachos and is super convenient, but it is also mystifying to outsiders. The idea of shelf-stable, sprayable cheese is almost unimaginable in other parts of the world.
9. Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is one of the most popular Thanksgiving dishes in America, featuring sweet, spiced pumpkin filling in a flaky crust. Pumpkin is usually eaten as a savory vegetable in most countries around the world, which is why it’s so strange that Americans have turned it into a dessert. For many visitors, the idea of sweet pumpkin is off-putting.
10. Grape-Flavored Everything
Americans are particularly fond of the artificial grape flavor, which can be found in the country’s sodas, candies, and even medicine. The taste is more “purple” than grape, and is hardly found or enjoyed in other countries. For many people, the flavor is so unfamiliar that it becomes an acquired taste.
11. Deep-Fried Butter
Deep-fried butter is one of the ultimate American fair foods, as sticks of butter are battered and fried until golden. Even a lot of Americans approach this with a mix of awe and apprehension, but for visitors, this is totally bizarre.
12. Fluffernutter Sandwich
A fluffernutter sandwich features marshmallow fluff and peanut butter spread between two slices of bread. It is a sweet, sticky favorite in many parts of the U.S., especially New England. For the rest of the world, this combination seems completely bizarre, as spreading marshmallow cream on bread sounds more like a dessert experiment than a lunch.
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