Top 10 American Foods That Seem Weird To Everyone Else

#10: Corn Dogs

What’s a state-fair favorite for many Americans is also an odd concept for people from other countries. The corn dog contains an unfamiliar flavor combination for many cultures, and its lack of nutritional value doesn’t help its image—but dare we say, a lot of Americans like it better than a regular hot dog. That crispy factor is huge! The invention of a hot dog on a stick coated in cornmeal batter and deep fried dates back to the 1920s or 1930s. Nowadays, corn dogs are a popular street food in South Korea as well. But to much of the globe, the American classic is an unorthodox food.

#9: Sloppy Joes

The name is enough to make these sandwiches bizarre. We think even many Americans would agree that ‘sloppy joe’ isn’t the most appealing name—not by any means. And if you mention it to someone from outside the US who’s never heard of a sloppy joe, ‘What?’ or ‘Huh?’ would be a totally reasonable response. But if they have heard of it, or better yet, seen it, they are still likely to think it’s weird—and honestly, understandably so. It’s seasoned ground beef with a tomato-based sauce, often with onions mixed in, slapped on a hamburger bun. It might taste good to many Americans, but let’s be honest—it doesn’t exactly look appetizing.

#8: S’mores

These iconic campfire snacks have warmed countless American hearts for over a century. Camping culture in the United States has been an integral part of s’mores’ legacy. But they’re also fun treats to have at backyard barbecues, or really any outdoor gathering, particularly at homes with a firepit. When Americans think of the quintessential outdoorsy snack, s’mores are right up there at the top of the list. But it’s a foreign concept to the majority of the world. Graham crackers themselves are very American. The combination of toasted marshmallow and chocolate in between two graham crackers is a distinct flavor profile—which may explain why s’mores come across as weird to many. But all we can say is: don’t knock it till you try it.

#7: Grits

This kind of porridge made from coarsely ground dried corn tends to be savory, but can also be sweet. Grits are a breakfast staple in the Southern United States—their place of origin. In fact, it’s the official state prepared food of Georgia. While similar porridges exist in other parts of the world, grits may be unfamiliar—especially given that Americans often add butter, cheese, salt, or pepper to them. Even with their popularity in the US, we’d go so far as to say that many citizens in non-southern states might not be able to explain what grits are. So it’s no surprise that the rest of the world might be perplexed by them as well. It’s an interesting name too: grits.

#6: Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Ah, the PB&J! This sandwich has made its name as an iconic American school lunch, a convenient at-home lunch, and a great on-the-go food to take on an outdoor adventure. First of all, American-style peanut butter, with all its creamy goodness, is unfamiliar to most of the world. So, when you add jelly to that, and bread, the whole combo becomes flat-out strange to many people. Then you have the fluffernutter: a peanut butter and marshmallow creme sandwich—which has both a funny name and an odd flavor combo for a sandwich. But we’re giving the nod to the peanut butter and jelly sammy here, due to its much greater popularity in the States.

#5: Sweet Potato Casserole

There’s already sweetness that comes with sweet potatoes—it’s in the name! So why add marshmallows on top? That’s what one of the main iterations of a sweet potato casserole does. And we understand if people question it. Is it a side? Is it a dessert? After all, marshmallows are known as treats—and an ingredient associated with junk food and dessert. In the US, sweet potato casserole is a classic Thanksgiving side dish—and something many Americans look forward to as the November holiday approaches. Some recipes skip the marshmallows and use pecans or brown sugar instead. But even then, sweet potato casserole is generally unusual to people outside the States.

#4: Chicken & Waffles

While this might seem like a newer delicacy to a lot of Americans, the roots of chicken and waffles can be traced back to the 1600s in Pennsylvania Dutch country, where waffles were topped with stewed chicken and gravy. The modern version—fried chicken with waffles, often topped with some butter or syrup—came along about three centuries later. These days, it’s mostly seen as a Southern thing, but you can find it all over the US. The combination of a traditional dinner food with a traditional breakfast food is peculiar to people in other parts of the world—and honestly, we get why. You might think these two foods would not go well together, but they absolutely do.

#3: Root Beer Floats

Originally made from the sassafras tree, root beers nowadays typically contain artificial sassafras flavoring. The taste can often be associated with medicine, and many people outside the US don’t understand the appeal of a fizzy, herbal-botanical drink. When they try root beer, it can be off-putting. Many Americans don’t get that medicinal vibe at all, and instead view root beer as a delicious soft drink. Even aside from all that, for people from outside the US who actually do like root beer, the idea of combining it with vanilla ice cream—to form what we call a root beer float—may seem unusual. Why combine these two sweets? Well, we don’t know—but we like it.

#2: Biscuits & Gravy

This southern breakfast dish combines textures of fluffiness from the biscuit with creaminess from the gravy. But one reason someone outside the US might think it’s weird starts with the definition of a biscuit. In the U.K. and many other places, a biscuit means something more like a cookie—flat, firm, and crumbly. So when they hear “biscuits and gravy,” they might imagine shortbread cookies topped with gravy—which, yeah, does sound gross. Even if people outside the US do picture the right kind of biscuit—you know, the fluffy, soft, bready kind—the idea of pouring white sausage gravy on it is still pretty unfamiliar—and likely unappetizing.

#1: Spray Cheese (Cheese in a Can)

Even a lot of Americans would probably admit that cheese in a can—a.k.a. spray cheese—is pretty dang weird. People from other countries have every right to ask what the heck we’re doing. We took a perfectly good, natural dairy product that’s been around for ages and turned it into a processed, artificial substance that sprays out of a metal can. Easy Cheese is the most well-known spray cheese brand. Americans put it on things like crackers, pretzels, and chips. The processed nature of American cheese is already enough to weird some people out. Cheez Whiz—the jarred processed cheese sauce—might make them grimace too. But cheese that you spray out of a can? That’s a whole different level of strange.

Is there a popular food you think is totally strange? Let us know in the comments!