Americans are very proud of their national foods, but there are some dishes that foreigners simply cannot see the appeal of. From misunderstood classics to the downright bizarre, here are 18 American foods that the rest of the world just can’t stomach.
Sweet Potatoes and Marshmallows
Americans don’t bat an eyelid at combining a starchy vegetable with a sweet treat, but the rest of the world is baffled by this. Many dislike the conflicting textures, whilst others can’t comprehend the flavor combos. A classic example is when marshmallows are served in a hot, savory dish like sweet potato casserole.
Hershey’s Chocolate
Though the US has some fantastic local chocolate brands, many tourists fixate on its most famous chocolate supplier, Hershey’s. HuffPost likens the taste of Hershey’s chocolate to vomit, and many foreigners complain about its sourness. Chocolate from European countries, like Belgium and Switzerland, is preferred because it is much sweeter.
Spray Cheese
American cheese slices get a bad rep, but many non-Americans are more shocked by the idea of cheese in a can. Spray cheese is a processed spread that you squeeze onto bread or crackers, and to many cheese-obsessed nations, this is perceived as a cardinal sin.
Lucky Charms Cereal
Children in the US adore Lucky Charms cereal, but the rest of the world often criticizes it for being too sugary. It consists of pulverized oat shapes and multi-colored marshmallows, and it’s this second, sugary ingredient that some people can’t wrap their heads around. Personally, we think they’re delicious!
Root Beer Floats
Root beer is polarizing enough as it is, but people worldwide draw the line at a root beer float. The ‘float’ is a vanilla ice cream scoop that creates a foamy top once root beer is added. The combination is too sweet or too strange for many non-Americans to enjoy.
Corn Syrup Soda
Many American sodas include corn syrup, which makes it taste sweeter than European sodas. Smithsonian Magazine references ‘Mexican Coke’, which is Coca-Cola made with cane sugar. Foreigners much prefer this and dislike our high-fructose corn syrup sodas, as they claim it tastes unnaturally sweet.
Sweet Potato Pie
Two foods that Americans love are sweet potatoes and pies, so why not put them together? A traditional Southern dessert, sweet potato pie is often enjoyed at Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. However, putting boiled potatoes in a dessert is inconceivable to many non-Americans who find it too strange to try.
Sloppy Joes
Americans adore Sloppy Joes, but many foreigners can’t stomach the idea of a burger that doesn’t include a patty. The Sloppy Joe gets its name from its ground beef filling, which is loose and ‘sloppy.’ It’s a lot messier to eat than a hamburger, which is why many tourists give it a miss.
Beef Jerky
Beef Jerky is a savory American snack often found in bars. It consists of strips of dried and salted beef that can be enjoyed straight out of the wrapper. Non-Americans avoid trying beef jerky due to its rubbery texture, but they don’t know what they’re missing!
Pop-Tarts
Pop-Tarts are a beloved American snack that the rest of the world looks down on. They are toaster pastries with icing and sprinkles on top… what’s not to like!? Well, common complaints from non-Americans concern their artificial taste and a supposed texture similar to cardboard. We’ll have to agree to disagree!
Ranch Dressing
Americans love ranch dressing. They put it on many different foods, and fast food chains almost always offer it. According to Eat This, Not That, ranch is America’s favorite dressing because it goes with everything, including chips, fried chicken, and pork chops. The rest of the world just doesn’t get it.
Canned Whole Chicken
Many people buy whole chickens to cook the same day for dinner, but in the US, you can keep an entire chicken edible for a long time by buying it in a can. Non-Americans can’t stomach canned meat because the sight of the chicken sliding out of a can is repulsive to them.
Pumpkin Pie
Like sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie is also a popular celebratory dessert in the US. It’s another example of our obsession with savory pies and how foreigners just can’t stomach them. They’d much rather see our pies filled with sweetness, but we’re not going to change a thing!
Grits
Grits are another popular American dish that originated in the Southern states. They’re coarsely ground porridge, cooked in salted water or milk and eaten for breakfast. Plenty of other countries also eat porridge, but Grits’ sight, texture, and underwhelming flavor put many visitors off.
Red Vines
Red Vines are licorice candy that Americans happily snack on, to the confusion of the rest of the world. Many foreigners can’t stomach the rigid plastic texture or the ‘artificial’ taste, and plenty of people also despise licorice, so Red Vines will always have their critics. The Brits seem to love them, though.
Corn Dogs
Americans love corn dogs and frequently associate them with childhood nostalgia. However, the idea of a sausage on a stick covered in deep-fried cornmeal batter sounds bizarre to the rest of the world. Corn dogs are certainly an odd combination of sweet and savory, but they’re an American staple that’s going nowhere.
Fluffernutter
As if the idea of a marshmallow spread wasn’t globally divisive enough, the US took it one step further by creating the fluffernutter. As Eater explains, a fluffernutter combines peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff on white bread. Foreigners can’t stomach that much sweetness, so they don’t share our love for the fluffernutter. More for us!
Biscuits and Gravy
Finally, biscuits and gravy is a classic example of a misunderstood American dish. In the UK, ‘biscuits and gravy’ would mean ‘cookies and gravy,’ which we can all agree would be disgusting. In reality, American biscuits are savory delights eaten with a sausage-dripping sauce. It’s actually pretty normal, but the skeptics will never realize this.
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