Let’s face it—American cuisine can be… unique. While locals might proudly dig into peanut butter and jelly or deep-fried butter, people from other countries are often left staring in confusion (and maybe a little horror). These 23 foods are some of the most bizarre, unexpected, and downright puzzling dishes according to foreigners. You might love them, but the rest of the world just doesn’t get the hype. Ready to see which American favorites make everyone else go “no thanks”?
Note: The content of this article does not reflect the Writer’s personal beliefs
Pork Rinds - no 23.
Deep-fried pig skin does not sound appealing. Americans love to snack on crispy, salty fried pig skin and we are not sure why. It is overly salty, super greasy, and makes us cringe when we think about what this popular snack is made from. No foreigner will ever ask for a bowl of pork rinds.
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 greasy 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.
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.
Peanut Butter and Jam Toast is a simple and popular breakfast dish in America that combines peanut butter and jelly on toasted bread. Although it looks rather unappetizing for most people outside of the US, 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 probably be 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 to decorate cakes and cookies. However, candy melts have 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 does everything have 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. It is 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 is made with pistachio pudding, canned pineapple, marshmallows, and whipped cream. Ingredients that all make sense separately, but when combined into one dessert, result 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. I am unsure how and why it was invented, so we had a hard time deciding whether it should be the first item 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.
This article was first published at Spatula Desserts.
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