Ordinary Foods in the US that Might Seem Weird to Foreigners

When it comes to food, tastes can greatly vary. And it’s not just about your favorite food and your best friend’s favorite food – this is about how in one part of the world there are people who find it gross to eat insects, but at some other part across the world there are people who would never touch spaghetti!

Most American consumers have no idea that they have been eating a lot of ordinary foods in the US that might seem weird to foreigners. As you go down that list, be prepared to have question marks popping out of your head, as some of these might seem so common to you that you would never think anyone would think them weird.

Maple Bacon

It’s true that a lot of people all over the world recognize the great taste of bacon. But sweetened with maple?

There are people who live outside the US that are put off by the distinct flavor combination many Americans are fond of having with their bacon. The same goes for salted but chocolate covered pretzels and chicken with waffles and syrup. They simply find the combinations unusual.

Corn Dogs

Now this one’s an oddity to foreigners in more ways than one. Corn dogs are essentially hot sausages dipped in cornmeal butter, right?

The first thing is that foreigners already find hotdogs weird because of their meat content. And then there’s the part where some cultures outside the US don’t eat ground up corn because they’re usually used as animal feed. And now there’s a very popular American treat that combines those ordinary foods in the US that might seem weird to foreigners. Imagine how bizarre the end result seems to them.

Grits

As mentioned above, there are cultures that don’t eat much corn, even the very basic corn on the cob. In Europe, corn products are used widely as animal feed.

Grits, on the other hand, are ground up kernels that are then boiled in milk – a popular dish among Americans. And for people who come from countries that use corn as animal feed, the idea of eating the stuff in such a ground-up form is just out of the question.

Hot Dogs and Spam

Many foreigners like their meat plain and simple, but Americans like to grind them and mold them into various interesting shapes and sizes. Hence you’ve got stuff like Vienna sausages, meatloaf, and hot dogs.

Believe it or not, this is one of the most common ordinary foods in the US that might seem weird to foreigners.

PB&J

Yes. Some people don’t understand peanut butter and jelly, and the reasons are as varied as the ways you can mix peanut butter and jelly together into a sandwich.

But the point is that a lot of non-Americans find this weird.

But even the ordinary foods in the US that might seem weird to foreigners can, in some instances, be appealing to them as well. It’s all a matter of giving them a try.