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shadowkatSwiped from cactuswatcher..
25 Foods that Non-Americans find Disgusting
25. Chicken and waffles.
It's a Southern Dish - and tends to be Fried Chicken and Waffles. And just no. I didn't know it existed until I discovered that I couldn't eat them.
24. I like mint-flavored things. Skeptical European should realize mint flavor in toothpaste is there because people might like it.
This is true. I love Peppermint Ice Cream. And adore mint chocolates. Best girl scout cookies were the mint chocolate cookies (which are unfortunately not Gluten-Free.) Also adore York Peppermint Patties.
23. Corn dogs.
Didn't like them, when I could eat them. A big fair thing. See them a lot at street fairs and carnivals and state fairs. [You can buy hot dogs that are just beef and low on additives by the way. See Hebrew National.]
22. Twizzlers.
Don't like them. And they have gluten in them - so it makes even more sense now. Not a fan of licorice at all.
21. Candy corn.
Too sweet. Those days are gone.
20. Sweet potato casserole.
Eh, I only eat sweet potatoes if served as french fries with salt, or as a backed potato with butter and cinnamon. I also liked them in a dish my mother did with granny smith apples, apple cider, and molasses. (But can't do that now. Too sweet).
19. Root beer is a favorite of mine.
Mine too. Unfortunately can't have it any longer. It's not the flavor for cough medicine here.
18. Australians apparently are unimpressed by the Floridan Import - Outback Steakhouse. (Australians also have beets on hamburgers, so...)
It's really just a steak franchise. Depends on which one you go to? Not all franchise restaurants are created equal. I can't eat the blooming onion - so never had it. Some have great steak and baked potato.
17. Cakes and candies. Well, people get used to what they have.
I've had European candy and US. European cakes and US. There's not much difference. It depends on the brand.
16. Grits.
Depends on how it is made. It's basically along the same lines as Polenta. But a little thicker, white and more like rice in consistency. And it is a Southern Dish, created by African-Americans. If cooked right - it's flavorful. Shrimp and Grits is excellent. So too is breakfast grits. Tend to find it mostly in the Deep South, and in places like Missouri. My mother's family made it.
This is a dish made by people who didn't have a ton of money. It's from corn, and easy to make.
15. American cereal.
Depends. Not all cereals are created equal. The kids cereals are too sweet, have marshmellows, etc. I grew up with Lucky Charms - marshmellows colored.
But the UK and Australia have this stuff too - I've been overseas, guessing a lot of people haven't? We also have cereals without sugar.
14. Hot pockets.
Okay, not crazy about them. Diabetic nightmare. They also burn the mouth.
Kind of similar to a frozen calzone. But smaller, and with more additives.
13. Processed American Cheese.
Can't eat it. Makes me ill. Used to have to be specific about it. It's gross. Tastes like plastic. Most disgusting thing on the planet. I hated grilled cheese and mac and cheese for years, until I figured out the problem with American Cheese.
12. Ice. Europeans should realize that most of the U.S. lies at the latitude of Madrid or south of there. After a few days of American hot summer days, you might appreciate ice more.
Yep. We're hotter than Europe. Or used to be. I think the past few summers may have changed their minds. Also, again Iced Tea - Southern Invention.
We have a mix of cultures - with a mix, you get more experimentation. Dry heat - less likely to ask for iced tea, desert climes do hot tea. But humid climes - need iced tea. So it really came from the hot humid Southern United States.
11. Fruit salad.
I agree, disgusting. Unless, it's just fruit (although it's usually fruit that I don't like - rarely berries, mostly melons, grapes, apples (and not crisp ones), and orange slices, and just eww. I had family members who liked to put it in gelatin with marshmellows - so it was this jello concoction with marshmellows, fruit, and gelatin.
10. High fructose corn syrup. Added sugar in any form is sugar.
The difficulty with high fructose corn syrup is that it is added to more things than sugar is. And you have to be careful and look for it. (For example? It's in medications, sauces, cereals, processed foods, processed breads, sodas, etc.) I treat it and sugar the same.
9. In recent years our white bread has been made with more and more sugar, which it doesn't need. I've been noticing that whole wheat has become sweeter lately. I wish they'd stop doing that!
Another reason I no longer eat bread.
8. Ranch dressing. Not really a fan, it's creamy and often tastes like mayo. Prefer, Italian, Cesar (if done right), or oil and vinegar.
Don't do salad dressing at all any longer. They add flour and glutens to it as thickener. So I just do oil and vinegar, or lemon juice. I've been off dressings since roughly 2005. Occasionally will do Cesar, assuming they make it right.
7. Sweet tea. I don't use sugar or sweetener in my tea, so if I order iced tea at a restaurant and get sweet tea, it's not a pleasant surprise.
I've gotten in the habit of asking for unsweetened ice tea. Hard to find in stores. And a lot of restaurants - if they don't make it themselves, it's sweetened. Snapple? Sweetened. Most brand teas are sweetened, have to brew it yourself for unsweetened.
6. Fake bacon bits, are, well, it depends on your mood. Think of them as flavored croutons. Better than nothing on your salad, they can't compare with real bacon.
Ugh. I don't like them. But I remember being with a group in London once, that weirdly craved the things, along with Cheese Whiz. (Eye roll). I thought they were insane.
5. Deep fried God-knows. It's all too much for my tastes.
This is a British thing too, apparently. There are British Restaurants in NYC that Deep Fried Everything. So I think that's a Brit transport. I don't do it - can't, allergic. Will get ill. And the appeal has always been lost on me.
4. Twinkies.
Never liked them, even when I could eat them. I did quite a bit as a kid. They are gross.
3. Chicago style pizza
This is mainly a chain that started in Chicago, so it was called Chicago style, I think. But what it is is Deep Dish Pizza. Huge fad in the 1980s, and in college. We loved it back then. It's basically a Pizza as a Pie, with a filling, and a pastry style crust. Comes in a pan. And you have layers of meat and cheese. Crust can be thin or thick.
2. Pop tarts.
These are basically a tart (think a calzone) with filling (can be jelly, icing, or jam) - often iced on the outside, and put in a toaster. It pops out and its done. You can make your own. Most people buy them. Depends on the brand - some are good, some too sweet, some like cardboard. I had them growing up.
1. Biscuits and Gravy
First? The American version of Biscuits is NOT a cookie. It's more like a Scone. Second? Depends on who makes it - this is a Southern Dish, and if not made right - it's horrible. I can't eat them - and have always found them disgusting. My mother's loves them, as does Wales. But only if done right - homemade biscuits (not Pillsbury), baked right, with gravy that is not too floury and has the right amount of butter - is good.
I honestly think other cultures have it - they just call it something else?
Because in Europe - Biscuits are basically what Americans call "cookies", and Scones are what Americans call Biscuits.
25 Foods that Non-Americans find Disgusting
25. Chicken and waffles.
It's a Southern Dish - and tends to be Fried Chicken and Waffles. And just no. I didn't know it existed until I discovered that I couldn't eat them.
24. I like mint-flavored things. Skeptical European should realize mint flavor in toothpaste is there because people might like it.
This is true. I love Peppermint Ice Cream. And adore mint chocolates. Best girl scout cookies were the mint chocolate cookies (which are unfortunately not Gluten-Free.) Also adore York Peppermint Patties.
23. Corn dogs.
Didn't like them, when I could eat them. A big fair thing. See them a lot at street fairs and carnivals and state fairs. [You can buy hot dogs that are just beef and low on additives by the way. See Hebrew National.]
22. Twizzlers.
Don't like them. And they have gluten in them - so it makes even more sense now. Not a fan of licorice at all.
21. Candy corn.
Too sweet. Those days are gone.
20. Sweet potato casserole.
Eh, I only eat sweet potatoes if served as french fries with salt, or as a backed potato with butter and cinnamon. I also liked them in a dish my mother did with granny smith apples, apple cider, and molasses. (But can't do that now. Too sweet).
19. Root beer is a favorite of mine.
Mine too. Unfortunately can't have it any longer. It's not the flavor for cough medicine here.
18. Australians apparently are unimpressed by the Floridan Import - Outback Steakhouse. (Australians also have beets on hamburgers, so...)
It's really just a steak franchise. Depends on which one you go to? Not all franchise restaurants are created equal. I can't eat the blooming onion - so never had it. Some have great steak and baked potato.
17. Cakes and candies. Well, people get used to what they have.
I've had European candy and US. European cakes and US. There's not much difference. It depends on the brand.
16. Grits.
Depends on how it is made. It's basically along the same lines as Polenta. But a little thicker, white and more like rice in consistency. And it is a Southern Dish, created by African-Americans. If cooked right - it's flavorful. Shrimp and Grits is excellent. So too is breakfast grits. Tend to find it mostly in the Deep South, and in places like Missouri. My mother's family made it.
This is a dish made by people who didn't have a ton of money. It's from corn, and easy to make.
15. American cereal.
Depends. Not all cereals are created equal. The kids cereals are too sweet, have marshmellows, etc. I grew up with Lucky Charms - marshmellows colored.
But the UK and Australia have this stuff too - I've been overseas, guessing a lot of people haven't? We also have cereals without sugar.
14. Hot pockets.
Okay, not crazy about them. Diabetic nightmare. They also burn the mouth.
Kind of similar to a frozen calzone. But smaller, and with more additives.
13. Processed American Cheese.
Can't eat it. Makes me ill. Used to have to be specific about it. It's gross. Tastes like plastic. Most disgusting thing on the planet. I hated grilled cheese and mac and cheese for years, until I figured out the problem with American Cheese.
12. Ice. Europeans should realize that most of the U.S. lies at the latitude of Madrid or south of there. After a few days of American hot summer days, you might appreciate ice more.
Yep. We're hotter than Europe. Or used to be. I think the past few summers may have changed their minds. Also, again Iced Tea - Southern Invention.
We have a mix of cultures - with a mix, you get more experimentation. Dry heat - less likely to ask for iced tea, desert climes do hot tea. But humid climes - need iced tea. So it really came from the hot humid Southern United States.
11. Fruit salad.
I agree, disgusting. Unless, it's just fruit (although it's usually fruit that I don't like - rarely berries, mostly melons, grapes, apples (and not crisp ones), and orange slices, and just eww. I had family members who liked to put it in gelatin with marshmellows - so it was this jello concoction with marshmellows, fruit, and gelatin.
10. High fructose corn syrup. Added sugar in any form is sugar.
The difficulty with high fructose corn syrup is that it is added to more things than sugar is. And you have to be careful and look for it. (For example? It's in medications, sauces, cereals, processed foods, processed breads, sodas, etc.) I treat it and sugar the same.
9. In recent years our white bread has been made with more and more sugar, which it doesn't need. I've been noticing that whole wheat has become sweeter lately. I wish they'd stop doing that!
Another reason I no longer eat bread.
8. Ranch dressing. Not really a fan, it's creamy and often tastes like mayo. Prefer, Italian, Cesar (if done right), or oil and vinegar.
Don't do salad dressing at all any longer. They add flour and glutens to it as thickener. So I just do oil and vinegar, or lemon juice. I've been off dressings since roughly 2005. Occasionally will do Cesar, assuming they make it right.
7. Sweet tea. I don't use sugar or sweetener in my tea, so if I order iced tea at a restaurant and get sweet tea, it's not a pleasant surprise.
I've gotten in the habit of asking for unsweetened ice tea. Hard to find in stores. And a lot of restaurants - if they don't make it themselves, it's sweetened. Snapple? Sweetened. Most brand teas are sweetened, have to brew it yourself for unsweetened.
6. Fake bacon bits, are, well, it depends on your mood. Think of them as flavored croutons. Better than nothing on your salad, they can't compare with real bacon.
Ugh. I don't like them. But I remember being with a group in London once, that weirdly craved the things, along with Cheese Whiz. (Eye roll). I thought they were insane.
5. Deep fried God-knows. It's all too much for my tastes.
This is a British thing too, apparently. There are British Restaurants in NYC that Deep Fried Everything. So I think that's a Brit transport. I don't do it - can't, allergic. Will get ill. And the appeal has always been lost on me.
4. Twinkies.
Never liked them, even when I could eat them. I did quite a bit as a kid. They are gross.
3. Chicago style pizza
This is mainly a chain that started in Chicago, so it was called Chicago style, I think. But what it is is Deep Dish Pizza. Huge fad in the 1980s, and in college. We loved it back then. It's basically a Pizza as a Pie, with a filling, and a pastry style crust. Comes in a pan. And you have layers of meat and cheese. Crust can be thin or thick.
2. Pop tarts.
These are basically a tart (think a calzone) with filling (can be jelly, icing, or jam) - often iced on the outside, and put in a toaster. It pops out and its done. You can make your own. Most people buy them. Depends on the brand - some are good, some too sweet, some like cardboard. I had them growing up.
1. Biscuits and Gravy
First? The American version of Biscuits is NOT a cookie. It's more like a Scone. Second? Depends on who makes it - this is a Southern Dish, and if not made right - it's horrible. I can't eat them - and have always found them disgusting. My mother's loves them, as does Wales. But only if done right - homemade biscuits (not Pillsbury), baked right, with gravy that is not too floury and has the right amount of butter - is good.
I honestly think other cultures have it - they just call it something else?
Because in Europe - Biscuits are basically what Americans call "cookies", and Scones are what Americans call Biscuits.