Every country has its fair share of odd foods, but these 22 American culinary creations are seriously weird. After talking to many foreigners, they seem to look at these American foods and wonder what in the world we are thinking with these weird dishes. Those not from America may think these foods are strange, but lots of Americans actually love them. Do you?
Note: The content of this article does not reflect the Writer’s personal beliefs.
Fried Twinkies - no 22.
Twinkies are a weird American food all on their own. The spongy, super-sweet cake and the odd fake whipped cream filling is just hard to like.
But then, Americans like to take these packaged cakes, cover them in batter, and deep fry them, making them even more unappetizing. Foreigners will stay far, far away from this classic American carnival food.
Chicken and Waffles - no 21.
Why are we combining fried chicken and sweet waffles? One is a classic breakfast food while the other is a heart-stopping dinner. The two should really be kept separate.
Plus, eating fried chicken on top of a waffle is kind of hard. You can't use your hands to eat a waffle the way you do with fried chicken. This American dish is just so confusing.
Spam - no 20.
Spam is a very strange processed meat that comes in a can. You can find in it multiple flavors like bacon spam or teriyaki spam. A few states in the US, like Hawaii, are obsessed with this very unique processed meat.
However, foreigners are not impressed with the tinned meat. It is a strange concept to crack open a can and slice some room-temperature meat but here in the US, we are all for it!
Cool Whip - no 19.
There is nothing worse than fake whipped cream and that is exactly what Cool Whip is. Cool Whip has almost no real ingredients at all. It is made from tons of chemicals that you can taste with every single bite.
Americans love to use Cool Whip to make desserts, put on top of ice cream, and eat by the spoonful with berries. No one else in the world would ever buy this super fake food.
Instant Ramen - no 18.
Those freeze-dried packets of ramen noodles are pretty gross. Most of the Instant ramen packs come with a little satchel of spices that are essentially pure salt and MSG.
There is nothing real about this so-called "meal" and something no one else in the world would eat. There is a reason why Instant ramen is so inexpensive- it's completely fake food!
Snow Cones - no 17.
Snow cones are a summer classic in the United States. The dessert is made with shaved ice that is covered in artificially flavored syrup. While Americans may find all that fake sugar and dye appealing, no one else in the world does. Snow cones are too fake and taste pretty terrible if you ask us.
Spray Cheese - no 16.
Spray cheese is essentially chemicals in a can that have a cheesy taste. It is not actually cheese at all but just flavored, artificial ingredients. The can is tipped upside down and the "cheese" is sprayed onto crackers to make a uniquely American appetizer.
Foreigners do not understand the appeal of spray cheese and honestly find it pretty repulsive. Just say no to fake, aerosol cheese.
Peanut Butter and Jam Toast - no 15.
Check out our favorite sweet breakfast recipe ideas!
Peanut Butter and Jam Toast is a simple and popular breakfast dish in America that combines peanut butter and jelly on toasted bread, which looks rather unappetizing for most people outside of the US, yet, it is probably still the most delicious one on the list.
Deep Fried Banana - no 14.
Check out our best banana desserts!
Deep-fried banana is a dessert commonly found at state fairs and carnivals, where a banana is battered and deep-fried, resulting in a greasy and heavy dessert that should be probably banned.
Bacon Maple Waffle - no 13.
Check out our recipe for Mini Bundt Cakes with Maple Glaze!
Bacon Maple Waffle is a breakfast dish made with waffles topped with bacon and maple syrup, which is way too greasy and a sweet savory flavor combination that is not highly desired first thing in the morning, however, we appreciate that it might be popular among some people.
S´more Cookies - no 12.
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S'more cookies are a twist on the classic campfire treat, made with graham cracker crumbs, chocolate, and marshmallow. While they are certainly very photogenic and might bring back lovely memories from your childhood, sugar overload and lack of texture make them hard to enjoy as an adult.
Donuts - no 11.
Check out our best sweet breakfast recipe ideas!
You might wonder, what´s wrong with donuts? They are popular all around the world however what makes American donuts gross is the thick, artificially colored, and tasteless sugar glaze. Don´t even get me started on the sweetness that is another level compared to European donuts.
Candy Melt - no 10.
Recommended reading about what makes chocolate real chocolate!
Candy melts are small discs of colored, flavored candy that can be melted and used for decorating cakes and cookies. However, you should know that candy melt has very little to do with real chocolate.
Candy Corn - no 9.
Candy corn made of sugar, corn syrup, and artificial coloring is one of the unhealthiest and worst-tasting candies in the US.
Fried Ice Cream - no 8.
Check out our best ice cream recipes!
The obsession with deep-fried desserts is unreal! While the hot and cold sensations make sense and can be enjoyable, why everything has to be deep-fried? Most of the time it just makes the dessert extremely grainy and destroys something that was already delicious before frying.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows - - no 7.
Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is a traditional Southern dish made with mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, spices, and marshmallows, which makes this dish one of the strongest candidates for America´s grossest food list.
Fruit Pizza - no 6.
Check out our Spring dessert recipe collection!
My heart already stopped at pineapple pizza but fruit pizza is a whole other level. It is the most unnecessary combination of sugar cookie crust, cream cheese frosting, and fresh fruit.
Watergate Salad - no 5.
Check out our best pistachio desserts!
Watergate salad made with pistachio pudding, canned pineapple, marshmallows, and whipped cream. Ingredients that all make sense separately but when combining them into one dessert results in an overly sweet, and artificial pudding with no one natural hero flavor or sophistication. Please, just don´t do this!
Ambrosia Salad - no 4.
If there is anything worse than Watergate Salad it is Ambrosia Salad. This "fruit salad" is made with the worst quality canned fruit, mini marshmallows, coconut, and whipped cream, which makes it way too sweet, heavy, and artificial tasting. Why not stick to chocolate chip cookies?
Candy Canes - no 3.
Check out our hot chocolate bomb recipe!
Candy canes are certainly a pretty addition to hot chocolate over Christmas however does anyone actually eat them? The peppermint-flavored candy is way too sticky and overpowering in flavor.
Clamato Juice - no 2.
Clamato juice is a beverage made from tomato juice and clam broth, which I am really unsure about how and why was even invented. We had a hard time deciding whether it should be really no 1. on the list.
Jello-O - no 1.
And here is our number one worst American food! Jell-o is a popular dessert made from gelatin, sugar, and artificial flavorings and coloring, and American desserts use it way too often. It lacks any sort of real flavor and is super gross! It really makes zero sense why anyone makes and eats this.
More for You
Classic Foods That Are Almost Gone Forever. Food trends can change pretty quickly and most of the 19 foods on this list have hung on for quite a long time. However, they are about to be gone forever. Once popular, they are now basically ignored. Take a look at these disappearing foods and maybe consider eating them one last time.
This article was first published at Spatula Desserts.
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