Try These Odd American Eats If You Dare
If you're not American, chances are you've stumbled upon dishes that, while beloved in their homeland, are strangely revolting to you. And if you are American, you likely won't bat an eye at any of the foods on this list. Ready to be baffled? From spray cheese to squirrel (yup, that critter in your yard), here are 20 popular American eats that are weird to the rest of the world.
1. Spray Cheese
If Cheez Whiz wasn't revolting enough, the Americans have something even weirder to offer: spray cheese. Known as "Easy Cheese," this is essentially orange cheese in a can that doesn't require refrigeration. Gross as it sounds, its popularity most likely stems from the fact that it's sprayable, spreadable, and stringy.
2. S'mores
Any American camper has roasted marshmallows over a fire and smooshed them between graham crackers and chocolate to create s'mores. If you've had this sweet snack before and liked it, it might come as a surprise that it's not so popular outside North America.
3. Cold Pizza
Sure, hot pizza is yummy, but have you ever been too lazy to reheat a slice and just had it cold? Yup—it sounds weird, but many Americans actually prefer to eat leftovers straight from the fridge rather than warming them back up. Never tried it?
Give it a chance.
4. PB&J Sandwich
Ah, the beloved peanut butter and jelly combination. A classic American treat, PB&J is the perfect mix of savory and sweet. But while it's a favorite of many Americans, it's actually considered odd elsewhere. Outside of the red, white, and blue, people think it's weird to pair fruity jam with salty, fatty nut butter.
5. Shrimp & Grits
A Southern comfort dish, shrimp and grits is exactly as the name says: creamy grits (a type of porridge made from hominy cooked in water or milk with butter) topped with juicy, bouncy shrimp. Despite how beloved it is, non-Americans typically balk at the idea of it—probably because they've never tried grits before (which looks mushy at best), let alone paired it with shrimp.
6. Tater Tots
Crispy bite-sized potatoes, anyone? Though tater tots aren't as strange elsewhere outside the US as some of the other eats on this list, they're still not all that common. However, vacation to the UK or Korea and you'll still find local versions of them, where they're known as potato croquettes and mat-gamja, respectively.
7. Corn Dog
Hot dogs dipped in thick, cake-like batter then deep-fried, anyone? "Not I," says non-Americans. And honestly, who can blame them? Unless you grew up with this very American snack, you're bound to find it odd and maybe even revolting.
(But we think deep-fried butter takes the crown for weirdest carnival snack).
8. Pumpkin Pie
A staple dish during Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie is another American favorite that has non-Americans scratching their heads. Heck, they even find pumpkin spice weird! But while pumpkin pie might be an acquired taste for some due to their flavor and texture, one thing you should know is that they're not made from the same squash you carve jack o'-lanterns out of. Instead, they're made with sugar pumpkins, which are smaller, denser, and well, sweeter.
9. Kraft Dinner Mac & Cheese
Canadians will know this as "KD," but outside of the US and True North, Kraft Dinner Mac & Cheese isn't particularly enjoyed anywhere else. For one, making it with only the powder cheese and noodles it comes with probably doesn't sound or look appetizing. Plus, there are probably better homemade varieties if you were craving this comfort dish, anyway.
10. Biscuits & Gravy
Recommend this dish to any British person, and they'll likely stare at you like you're crazy. That's because biscuits in the UK aren't the same ones Americans know (which are fluffy, scone-like baked treats), and instead tea-time biscuits that Americans typically call "cookies". So, to them, biscuits with gravy certainly doesn't sound appetizing at all, even though this warm comfort dish is a Southern staple.
11. Ranch Dressing
Americans love dunking everything into ranch, and squeezing ranch onto everything. And yet, this tangy, creamy beloved dressing is a strange, strange thing to non-Americans. Ask for it anywhere else in the world, and they'll probably hand you mayo. In Europe, most don't even know what "ranch" is, so sometimes they'll just call it "American flavor".
12. Americano
Do you hate coffee? How about adding water to it? Do you hate it even more now? Well, not Americans. Aptly named the Americano, this drink is basically a diluted espresso. Sure, you might see on the menu outside of the States, but why order watered-down coffee?
Christina DiBernardo on Unsplash
13. Ambrosia Salad
Another popular Southern dish, ambrosia salad is a creamy fruit salad tossed with mini fruit-flavored marshmallows and whipped cream, yogurt, or sour cream. Sound weird? Don't worry, you're not the only one. Even some Americans find it odd.
14. Sloppy Joe
While there are many variations of a sloppy joe, at its core, it's a sandwich consisting of ground beef and onions drenched in ketchup or a tangy tomato sauce. The name alone will probably get you some confused stares outside of the US, but explaining the dish probably won't make it sound any less weird.
15. Meatloaf
Meat in the shape of a loaf?
Honestly, as American as this dish is, it's not the most popular even in its homeland, and for good reason. At best, meatloaf is... edible, but at worst, it's dry, overcooked, and bland. Non-Americans are probably glad they haven't experienced this odd invention.
16. Root Beer Float
Believe it or not, root beer is non-palatable to most non-Americans—they think it tastes like toothpaste or medicine. Adding a scoop of ice cream to it might make it a tad better, but then again, why not just have the dessert on its own, without the weird-tasting soda?
American Heritage Chocolate on Unsplash
17. Spam
You've got mail! And it comes in the form of salty, processed luncheon meat! Honestly, spam is one of the milder ones on this list, given its popularity in Asian cuisine, such as spam musubi and spam fried rice. Even then, its versatility aside, you've got to admit it's a weird thing to eat.
18. Garbage Plate
The name of this dish alone is probably enough to raise some eyebrows. Originating from Rochester, New York, and a trademark of the restaurant it was invented in, Nick Tahou Hots, this classic American plate consists of hot dog or hamburger meat piled atop fries or mac and cheese. It's typically served with a variety of condiments and buttered bread on the side.
Eugene Peretz from Northampton, MA, USA on Wikimedia
19. Rocky Mountain Oysters
Don't be fooled by its name—these aren't oysters at all. Instead, these are actually deep-fried bull testicles. In Canada, they're known as prairie oysters. Elsewhere in the world, like Spain, Mexico, and Argentina, they're called criadillas.
Vincent Diamante from Los Angeles, CA, USA on Wikimedia
20. Squirrel
Yup. That tiny furry animal collecting acorns in your backyard? That's dinner for some Americans. Which, if you really think about it, shouldn't be considered all that odd, given that other countries also eat gamey meat like venison and elk. In some parts of America, such as the deep South, squirrel meat is typically breaded or soaked in buttermilk before frying.
