As an American and a foodie, one of my favorite things to do when visiting different countries is try local cuisine. Some foods, such as butterscotch ice cream, are more readily available -- and more delicious! -- in other countries.
However, there are some dishes that are just plain questionable. Personally, I never got why certain countries serve beans as part of their breakfast.
Of course, we're not the only ones that find certain foods questionable. People from other counties find some American foods questionable as well.
Redditors were only too happy to share their experiences with this topic.
It all started when Redditor HurtHurtsMe asked:
"Non-Americans, what American food do you find questionable?"
American Desserts
"My parents are immigrants, they always say the desserts (grocery store cupcakes and stuff) has so much sugar it feels too gritty and uncooked to them. Also soft baked things, like chewy chocolate chip cookies they thought were weird in the beginning, like the cookie was undercooked. I love soft baked cookies though so I baked them all the time, they’ve come around to liking them haha."
"Another one I hear a lot is the food coloring. My mom is often perplexed and grossed out by very saturated unnaturally colored foods. (Usually frosting or candy) She tells me it just LOOKS unhealthy and is unappetizing."
"Also, my mom is low key traumatized from twizzlers LOL. She said the first time she saw it she wondered why people were chewing on plastic. She then tried it and said it also tasted like plastic. Haha."
– DaburuKiruDAYO
Unaptly Named Restaurant
"As an Australian, I would like to know what in the flying firetruck a "Bloomin' Onion" has to do with anything, let alone the rest of Outback Steakhouse's menu."
– weyamav220
Not Just Lemonade
"Four loko. It’s banned here in Canada and I can understand why."
– AT1787
"Four Loko is a Canadian brand of lemonade. It originally had alcohol(~11% by volume)and caffeine. This mix was banned in Canada around 2010 so they dropped the caffeine and kept the alcohol."
– yeahmaybe2
"I turned 21 a year or so after they made the change...but my dad saved a box of 9 cans and sent them back to college with me. They were no f*cking joke"
– TurboShartz
Thanksgiving Food
"Sweet Potato Casserole recipe topped with pecans and marshmallows “traditional side at Thanksgiving table”"
– pixgarden
"I saw a youtube video of people trying traditional american thanksgiving food and I was convinced the potato marshmallow casserole was a joke. surely it's not for real ?"
– RonaIdBurgundy
In Days Of Yore
"Anything from the 50’s. Especially if it includes jello, mayonnaise or raisins"
– bakedmaga2020
"I will not be convinced that 50s cuisine was anything other than angry housewives taking revenge on society."
– Straight-faced_solo
"I remember a lime jello tuna salad ring made in a bundt pan by a distant relative. We told her with her work schedule she shouldn't bother with bringing food to pot lucks"
– DefrockedWizard1
Definitely A Werid One
"Corn candy or whatever the name is."
– le_krou
"Candy corn. It's good in small doses, anything more is too much."
– Freodrick
"To be fair, a lot of Americans find candy corn to be questionable"
– singleguy79
Ick.
"I feel a lot of our more unique foods were beaten out of the culture by the post-WWII obsession with frozen processed food pushing out traditional “poor” food."
"Kidneys, liver, beef tongue, chitlins, and other offal used to be staples of the American diet."
– DavidPuddy666
"My grandmother was born in 1936 and she is delighted that no one eats those things anymore lol"
– ibbity
Not A Staple Everywhere
"Pb&j had me confused for a while but when i took a bite i loved it. Not judging any other non-americans for not trying this because peanutbutter and jelly aren't put together in most countries outside of America."
– mastercubez
"I keep seeing this reference, and I am just gobsmacked that pb&j is mentioned so often. It's so ubiquitous in the US, that I have never even considered it would be considered odd by non-Americans."
– TesticularTentacles
Not Sure That's Even A Salad
"Minnesota salads 🥲😬 like WTF America! crushed pineapples and marshmallows are not ingredients that belong near a salad"
– Yalaeinhorn2704
"Majority of Americans share your sentiments lol"
– YoureHereForOthers
"I'm from Pennsylvania and I never heard of Minnesota salad. Just Googled it and YO WHAT THE F*CK'S GOING ON IN MINNESOTA"
– stealthbeast
Not Real Cheese
"I'm sorry but those slices of American cheese have always tasted so fake and plastic to me personally."
– weyamav220
"Slices of cheese product often are not cheese, so that's why."
– ooooooooooooolivia
"They are designed to melt quickly, which is why they're popular for burgers at cookouts or maybe a grilled cheese sandwich (though you really should pair it with other cheeses too). It's not "good" cheese by any stretch, but Americans really love convenience!"
– phantommoose
Double Tea
""Chai Tea""
"For anyone don't know - Literally means "Tea Tea""
"BTW, it doesn't taste like Chai"
– puripy
""What is this? Hot leaf juice?""
– Beowulf1896
Not For The Current Environment
"Hershey's Chocolate"
– SuvenPan
"100% agree. If I recall correctly it was supposed to be cheap affordable chocolate back in 1905 and really caught on as something the military would send with soldiers to help with morale since it lasted a long time and wouldn't melt as easily as other options."
– Dingo_Winterwolf
Kraft And Cheese
"Kraft Mac and cheese. It tastes nothing like real Mac and cheese"
– Rosieapples
"My Indian friend finds Kraft Mac and Cheese to be incredibly questionable. Honestly, I gotta agree that sh*t a bit too bright yellow to be normal."
– Incomingfenderbender
In A Can
"Spray… cheese??"
– spudboy226
"My mind is boggled by the amount of comments saying spray cheese. I’ve lived in the US my entire life (40 yrs) and worked in a grocery store for many years. I’ve never had it, and I’ve rarely seen people buy it."
"I think it is a niche thing. Definitely not flying off the shelves. It’s just so interesting seeing so many comments about it. Is that how we are advertised in other countries?"
– InspectorRatched
"I don’t know anyone who actually eats it either, but the vet clinic I work at goes through the stuff like crazy. Put a little on the exam table and it’s great for distracting dogs and some cats during vaccinations and minor procedures like nail trims."
– RoseFeather
What Witchcraft Is This?
"Orange circus peanuts. What are they? How do they have so much sugar but taste so horrible? What science experiments created them?"
– me047
"My dad loved them. I think he was the only one."
– Redditisgarbage666
I have the same questions!
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
@aricchen/X
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
@hydemia411/Bluesky
