People From Around The World Explain Which American Foods They Find Questionable
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!
- Americans Attempt To Describe What Walmart Is Like To Europeans ›
- Eaters Shamefully Admit Their Favorite Junk Food They Can't Say No To ›
CW: Deaths and accidents.
News of someone's death is always sad.
In some cases, one can at least take comfort in the fact that the deceased at least lived a long, fulfilling life.
In other cases, however, news of someone's death is an unspeakable tragedy.
Particularly if this person was still young, and had so much more to offer in the world.
Be it a tragic accident or as the victim of an act of cold blood, some stories are so heartbreaking that even those who never met them can't help but shed a tear.
"What is the worst way you've ever heard of someone dying?"
Earthquake
"In the recent earthquake in Turkey, a woman and her baby in her arms got stuck after their building collapsed."
"They were able to talk to and hear outside but unable to come out."
"People around were trying to relax her, saying that help is on the way. (the weather was extremely cold)."
"After a couple hours, the woman said, 'leave me, go look for other people, my baby is dead'."
"Makes me get the chills."- fruitysucculent
Hot Air Balloon Accident
"I knew some folks who died when a hot air balloon crashed into power lines."
"The balloon ignites and basically becomes plastic/nylon magma that covered the basket and all of the people inside it."- 72Rancheast
Wind Turbine Accident
"There's a photo of 2 guys on a giant wind turbine that caught on fire."
"Probably not the worst, but man seeing that photo of them hugging each other right before was like getting punched in the chest."- 1Oshester
Farming Accident
"I'm a farmer."
"One of the neighbors was baling hay and got out to clear a jam with the round baler running."
"His leg got caught in the tines, and he was pulled into the machine and crushed, then spun around and around for over an hour before he was found."
"Absolutely terrible way to go."- ianj2807
Radiation Poisoning
"Hisashi Ouchi."
"83 days of radiation poisoning."- Cabbages6969
Amusement Park Ride Gone Wrong
"I once read about an amusement park tragedy where there was a log ride that collapsed, and the carrier dropped the people essentially into a gear meat grinder."
"2 children survived out of like a dozen people, by clinging onto the safety bars until their arms went numb."
"The emergency crew who came to save them described it as the most horrific thing they ever witnessed, and many still need therapy to this day to help them cope with the aftermath they witnessed."- noisyturtle
Burned Alive
"Burning alive has always seemed about as bad as it can get to me."- penguinpolitician
Sawmill Accident
"I remember when I was young hearing about an incident in a sawmill in a neighboring town."
"Three guys crawled inside the mill’s debarking machine, basically a giant drum lined with teeth that tear bark off of sawn logs."
"They climbed inside to do some kind of maintenance but didn’t lock the machine out properly."
"I think basically when the next shift arrived they didn’t know anyone was in there and they kicked it back on to start their day."
"They almost literally were put through an industrial wood chipper."- aerfgadf
Drowning
"I saw a video a few days ago of a mother of 2 wanting to do a polar plunge so they opened up a hole in a channel and as soon as she jumped in the current of the water underneath swept her away under the ice and she died."
"Imagine the panic that went through her mind as she was trapped under the ice not to mention the freezing temperatures she exposed herself to."
"That has to be one way I don’t want to go."- Huaco_kid
Desperate To Fit In
"At my university, there was a guy who wanted to sneak in at an event at a student club."
"So he thought it would be an awfully good idea to climb down the chimney."
"And he ofc got stuck."
"And this was just before the summer leave, so the entire place closed down while he was still stuck in the chimney."
"When they came back they discovered the stench from his corpse."
"He must have thirsted or suffocated to death in that place."
"Hour after hour just sitting there."
"Really bad way to go."- GubbenJonson
Trapped In Their Own Home
"Man got trapped in his closet by a fallen cabinet."
"He was recluse so nobody was coming to check on him."
"He realized he had to save himself, and broke through the ceiling and broke a pipe off, intending to tunnel his way out."
"It was a water pipe, and cold water started hitting down from above."
"It was several days before he died, trapped in the closet with water beating on his head."
"The only reason he was found was because the neighbor stopped hearing him banging for help, and suddenly got nervous and called the police to check on things."
"Secure your heavy furniture, y'all."- bruicejuice
Australian Bushfires
"In Australia during the bushfires - a family were cut off and trapped so they jumped into their water tank to avoid the fire."
"Boiled alive."- Plebarian
Choking At The Dinner Table
'My friend's husband choked to death at the dinner table in front of his wife and young kids last year."- 2021Blankman
Caving
"Basically any caving incident where someone got stuck and couldn't be rescued so they just had to stay pinned there til they died."
"Nutty Putty is probably the most well known one but I read about one recently where someone got stuck in a pit where there was really poor air flow, and the whole rescue team wasn't able to get them out so they just had to stay there slowly poisoning the air around them with their own exhaled CO2 until it suffocated them."
- MerylSquirrel
Death is always heartbreaking. And these stories definitely unlocked some new fears for us.
But not all deaths are tragic, and absolutely no one deserved what these poor people went through.
Many couples who've been together for many years will often look for a way to "spice up" their relationship.
Worried that their relationship has or is getting stale, they look for ways to reignite the flame that lit the fire when they first met.
One idea which is becoming more and more common among couples is to open their relationship up.
Allowing each other to see and have fun with other people, while remaining committed to one another.
For some, this proves just the ticket, as it opens up communication between the two of them, while also letting them meet new people and explore areas they hadn't with their partner.
For others, however, the very notion is a firm no, and the suggestion might even put their relationship in worse jeopardy than it was already in.
Redditor SuchShopping3828 was curious to hear how people would react if their spouses or significant others suggested opening their relationship, leading them to ask:
"Guys & girls, what would be your response if your partner propose open relationship?"
That Ship Has Sailed...
“'Why would you wait a quarter century to suggest this?''
"'Nobody else wants to sleep with us now'."
''Stop it'.”- AtLaw
Did You Have Someone In mind?
"Ask them who they want to f*ck."
"Unfortunately, this has happened to me before."
"Should have ended it there, but I dragged it out a bit longer."- Bobisburnsred
The Door Is That Way
"You are open to leave."- brianmmf
Those Vows Were Not Made In Vain
"My wife has a lot of medical issues, and at one point sex wasn't really an option."
"She told me that I could have an open relationship on my end if I wanted."
"My response was an immediate no."
"I'm married to her."
"I love her."
"There isn't anyone else in this world I'd rather be with than her, and that I would wait as long as she needed or indefinitely if that was the case."
"I am with her, not her vagina."- WardedDruid
Why? Just... Why?
"Cry."- Lil_CupNoodles
Not For Us
"I once asked what my spouse thought of 'open marriages'."
"Yeah... neither of us like that idea."
"It's just not my idea of a good relationship at all."
"I am a one woman guy and always will be."
"If they would like any other man, or men than they can have them, just count me out of it."
"I couldn't ever fathom that."- My_Space_page
Buh-Bye!
“'Aiiight, imma head out'.”- SunburntGemz
Close, But No Cigar
"I suggested it to my Partner a while back."
"He has a very high sex drive, the medication I need to be on has lowered mine considerably."
"I wanted him to not resent me because I just didn't want sex very much anymore."
"We very much thought about it, even to the point of making up rules and setting standards."
"In the end he came to me and said he didn't want to do it."- bambiisher
That's A Dealbreaker...
"That would be the end of it for me."
"I can totally respect that being how someone wants to live their life, but that isn’t for me."- TapReasonable2678
Uh-Oh...
"Weren’t we already in one?"- St_Vincent-Adultman
Is It Me?
"Probably break it off."
"I understand that monogamy isn't for everyone and I'm not gonna force it on anyone, but personally I'm not interested in an open marriage, and if my husband wanted one, the marriage might be too far gone."
"Even if he's okay staying monogamous, I may spend the rest of the marriage stressing over whether I'm enough, and wondering if he's getting what he wants behind my back."
"If his needs aren't being met, I'd want to have that conversation long before it gets to the point where an open marriage even crosses his mind."- VisualCelery
The End
"I would terminate our relationship, whether it's breaking up or divorce."
"Saves the both of us a whole lot of heartache and drama."- tadadesae
Been There, Done That.
"Tried it once."
"Destroyed the relationship."
"Automatic no from me from now on."- aregularguy92
Seriously? NOW?
"My daughters dad tried this and then proceeded to give me an ultimatum."
"I was about 10 months post partum and my libido hadn't really recovered yet, not to mention I was at the PEAK of my PPD."
"It wasn't a totally dead bedroom but not nearly as often as we used to."
"He kept asking me for a threesome which was great timing considering my self-esteem was already at an all-time low."
"So naturally I refused and told him to never ask me again."
"He then said he either needs an open relationship to satisfy his needs or he wanted to break up."
"Soooo I told him he's not getting my permission to cheat on me and we're done."
"We still lived together for a few months for financial reasons but from that point on we were roommates and coparents."
"He STILL gives surprised pikachu face at the fact I'm cold to him."- Ok_Shame_8377
Some people can compartmentalize love, commitment, and sex, allowing them the ability to make open relationships work.
For others, it's a packaged deal, and the only thing that should be open in their relationship is their feelings.
Some of us just love the more scandalous moments in life.
They can be too far and few in between.
But when they come around, they always provide a good story.
Who doesn't love great mic drop action?
There is such freedom in embracing the... "I did that. And what?!" mentality.
Try it sometime. Within reason, of course.
Redditor Eyeso-pain- wanted to discuss everyone's scandalous moments of pride without care, so they asked:
"Redditors, What’s the most nsfw thing that you have done and don’t regret?"
Just telling a cold, hard truth is my mic drop.
Felt good.
Let's Chat
"Talked with my coworkers about our salaries."
ThaBossnian
"In all seriousness in the US under the National Labor Relations Act you have the right to discuss your salary with your coworkers and (legally at least) HR can't do a damn thing about it."
elementus
Hey Ladies
"This is tame but funny. Worked at a call center with other cubicles all around me. I went online to try and interpret a dream I had the night before. I typed in what I thought was Dreammoods, which is a dream dictionary but I must have skipped a letter because nude Dream girls started popping up on my screen and I could not get them to stop. It was rapid fire pop ups of Naked dream girls. LOL. I died."
RedHoneyBadger6
Smoking Hot
"I was living with my sister and her husband while in college (they lived just a few blocks from the school) one day while they were gone my gf came over wearing a sexy outfit. We were in the living room, making out furiously. She had just taken her skirt and top off and I heard a key in the lock."
"I was still dressed and booked it into the kitchen like I was grabbing sodas from the fridge and engaged them in conversation while standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room as she quickly got dressed out of sight."
"She looked smoking hot in that outfit, and that was the sexiest thing she’d ever done until after we got married."
Storyteller678
NDA
"Slept with a hotel guest all over the hotel and it was caught on camera, including on the clock. Because of the NDA we all had to sign, and their post on Instagram about how marvelous the hotel was to their following, I got away with it. But it was a funny meeting where my remediation was 'don't ever freaking do that again... but nice job.'"
DrJOsterman
Some outfits make magic.
I like Home Depot
"Had sex on the dishwashers in receiving at Lowes, with my fling at the time. That fling and I have been happily married for 12 years."
glittereddaisy13
Let's Play
"Went to a pro dominatrix. I apparently didn’t regret it since I’m seeing her tomorrow as well. Honestly it was a lot more chill than I expected. She was more than happy to just talk. Genuinely seemed like a nice person which put me at ease. I think it was mostly what I expected..."
Project_Legion
It Was Fun
"Was flirting with this person at work for a really long time but never did anything because work relationships are just too much drama. One day the power went out and I used a flashlight to get to the water machine in the big, infrequently used storage room that it was kept in."
"I’m sitting at a desk in the corner, reading my phone in the mostly dark, enjoying the quiet like a weirdo when she wanders in. We talked a bit and joked that it would be fun to go in the closet and have sex and if we thought anyone would find us. It was fun and no one found us."
Nippon-Gakki
48 Hours
"When I was in the army I decided to take a bus home from central Texas to northeastern Pennsylvania. It was a 48 hour trip. Somewhere south of Washington DC a woman gets on the bus and sits next to me as it's the only available seat. We start talking and hit it off."
"Later that night when it was nice and dark we sneak into the bathroom on the bus and get it on. We were supposed to get together later in the week but plans fell through. I heard from her once after that when she mailed me a letter with a photo of us someone took for us. I never heard from her again."
solemn_penguin
Plus 2
"My fiancée cheated on me 2 weeks before the wedding. I shagged both of his brothers no regrets."
rowenaravenclaw0
As savage as that move is... should y'all be married?
Do you have any stories to get off your chest? Let us know in the comments below.
People Describe The Creepiest Thing They've Ever Experienced That Chilled Them To The Bone
The older you get you realize... there are things that go bump in the night.
There can be danger around every corner.
And yes... somebody may actually be in the closet.
So being constantly creeped out is a norm.
Redditor unripenedboyparts wanted to hear about the horrors we've all been witness to, so they asked:
"What is the creepiest thing you’ve seen in the woods, or in the mountains, or in deserts, or caves, or in small towns, or in big cities, or in hotels, or in remote or rural areas, or while asleep, or home alone, or while on large bodies of water, or while on an aircraft or a nautical vessel?"
I don't camp.
I don't hike.
I don't do wilderness.
And this is why...
Textures
"Coming out of anesthesia from open heart surgery, every time I closed my eyes I could see a perfectly formed brick wall inches from my face. I could see the texture of the bricks through the paint, the mortar, all in perfect detail. Every time I changed rooms, the wall would change colors."
GlobalPhreak
The Wolf
"I was up north. Far North British Columbia, Canada working in a (oil) rig camp out in the woods. I was working as a cook, I went out one afternoon for a smoke on the back deck. It was about 2 o'clock n the afternoon. It was a very quiet, still winter day. It was snowing those kind of big snowflakes that make it look like the world is moving in slow motion."
"So as I was standing there smoking, just staring off in the distance not looking at anything particular... you know looking left right, up down at my feet whatever. I felt something looking at me. Then I looked straight ahead. About 30 feet or less in front of me was the tree line of the forest, and directly in front of me in-between two trees I see the most gigantic wolf I have ever seen."
"This thing sitting looked like it was the size of a man standing. It was massive, sitting there and just staring right at me. We locked eyes, then I looked away for a split second and then looked back and it was gone. I don't know, it just gave me the weirdest feeling. It was definitely like, "hey.. I see you, I could eat you... butttt I won't, k byeee"
"Something I'll always remember."
vatersgonnavate
It’s absolutely unnerving...
"I live in a really remote part of Alaska. I think the scariest thing I’ve ever encountered is how silent the woods/tundra can be in the dead of winter. I’m talking like 'I feel like I am about to go insane' quiet. It’s absolutely unnerving. I become hyper aware of my heart beat and my breathing sounds like a f**king airplane taking off."
"And I know a lot of people will say 'it’s because a predator was near by' nah man, some places up here just have nothing. That’s what really freaks me out. I am absolutely alone in this one spot. I could drop dead and no one would ever find my body."
idontcareilikedogs
The Sow
"I rounded a corner in a trail in the Appalachian Mountains and came face to face with a sow black bear and her cub. Same situation, we locked eyes, she seemed to convey - look dude, I can un alive you in a second, but I’m not about it today so just be patient while I dig these bugs outta this hillside. I sat and watched this bear and cub for prob 20 mins at a safe-ish distance."
m0992104
Who Are You??
"There must be wilderness dwelling gamers out there, because I found a pile of xbox games in the mountains. Like two dozen in a pile in a remote location."
LittleBkGuy1
Those gamers are sneaky.
It Flies
"Hallucinated a flying whale alongside the night time flight from Alberta to Ontario when I was 12. It was snow white, seemed friendly enough. Roughly the size of a blue whale."
jakebreakshow
Onto the Rocks
"It happened when me and my parents were on vacation to some place near Spain when I was still little. We went to a little beach at some coastal town where I then immediately jumped into the sea with my swimming goggles on. I then crawled on to some rocks and walked around until I noticed a crab sitting on the rocks."
"I then traversed them carefully while trying to catch it, but it kept crawling away. This continued until I then followed it to a point where the little bay I was in ended and the open ocean began. So then little me decided that it was a good idea to jump into the open water to see if there was anything cool down there. I then jumped in, and I was immediately hit with the cold temperature of actual ocean water."
"But the worst part was that even with my goggles on, I couldn't see anything down there. I was met with a giant black void. No fish, no plants, no rocks. Nothing. I then immediately turned around and began swimming back as quick as I could. And since that moment I haven't gone beyond the shallows ever again."
Successful-Seaweed12
Orbs
"This was almost a decade ago; I live in a town outside of Phoenix, AZ. It was late in the afternoon as the sun was starting to set. I went out in the backyard to smoke a cigarette and play fetch with my dog. As I was throwing the ball I noticed a small orb shoot from the ground directly into the sky."
"A few seconds later another one followed, and another, and another, and another. It didn’t stop for a few minutes. At first I thought it was a Roman candle but I just couldn’t hear but you’d normally hear them fizzing as the fly. I couldn’t hear anything. It was dead silent. To this day, I still don’t know what those were."
ThurSTIII
Appendages
"When I was a kid in the early 80's my parents had a house they rented out to people. We were cleaning it out after a set of unsatisfactory tenants and I was going through the kitchen cupboards making sure they were empty. I saw a mason jar tucked way back in the corner of one of the top shelves so I hopped up on the counter, stretched my arm, grabbed it and hopped back down. When I looked at the jar I saw a finger floating in a clear liquid. I set it down on the counter, walked out of the kitchen and called, 'Mom, I found a finger!'"
Narmer_3100
Jiggles
"I was on a fishing boat just off the Pacific coast and there was an earthquake. The water jiggled a bit as we heard a boom and a quick shake. Only time I was on water during an earthquake."
teebpix
This is why I don't fish. Not even on dry land.
Do you have any bizarre experiences to share? Let us know in the comments below.