# Foods Americans like that non-Americans find disgusting **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2015, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054 "2015-09-21T01:22:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/81 "2015-09-22T14:42:26Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Am I misunderstanding you? While there certainly exists American ‘cheese’ made this way, I don’t believe you can actually use the word ‘cheese’ if it doesn’t have milk fat. And you can certainly buy actual cheese which is American cheese, though I think it has to be labeled as ‘processed cheese.’ And it should only be consumed hot and melted. most of the “singles” which are labeled as a “cheese food product” are durable and synthetic. American cheese _is_ cheese, close to unaged cheddar, but since it contains an emulsifier to keep it “smooth melting” it has to be labeled as a "cheese product. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/82 "2015-09-22T14:47:01Z")
I will happily admit to the crime of enjoying spray can cheese. As a kid, we would go to the neighborhood swimming pool daily in the summer, and my mother used to give us all a dollar for the snack machines. I’d get a Hawaiian Punch and a packet of Ritz Bits Sandwiches with Cheese every time (no wonder I was a fat kid). I developed a love of fake cheese products that I still associate with childhood fun. As an adult, I’ve bought spray cheese maybe as frequently as once a year, but never had trouble finishing it. If you plunked a can down in front of me right now and told me I didn’t have to worry about the calories, I could down the whole thing in five minutes. Without crackers. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/83 "2015-09-22T14:51:23Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Having grown up with Hershey’s chocolate, I do feel compelled to defend it. No need; some of us where not allowed chocolate on any regular basis growing up, and on those 1-2 times a year where we were allowed a taste, it was Hershey’s: one section of a frozen chocolate bar * * * I’ve seen black and white movies from the '20s and '30s making fun of Americans and their Tobasco Sauce. Later on, it was ketchip/Catsup. I like both (just not together). Evidently, we like our sauces and we like saving money on our kids chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/84 "2015-09-22T15:05:13Z")
I took a French ex-girlfriend to the US who had quite a refined taste. The whole trip, from a gastronomic point of view, was a horror for her. She vomited a few times and we had to search very hard to find food that she could stomach. I think it was the processed nature of so much of the food. Even salad tasted processed. And seconded on Hershey’s being uneatable. I’m not sure what that stuff is - it might have been chocolate once. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/85 "2015-09-22T15:20:33Z")
> [@Oops\_I\_Went\_Poopies](#): > > Grits are pretty gross. > > Pumpkin seems odd on its own, but a lot of the “pumpkin” flavor really comes from a mix of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. The pumpkin itself is kind of a base which provides the texture and color and complements the spices well; without the spices, pumpkin falls flat. What you said about pumpkin can also be said about grits - they are the base that gives the dish it’s texture, but by themselves are pretty bland. One must add salt, pepper and butter (NEVER sugar, you strange Northerners) to get the true grits experience. One can also add bacon, gravy (sausage or red eye are best), cheese, shrimp, cream - dang near anything with flavor (except sugar, did I mention that?). Oh, and only[’real’](http://shop.noramill.com/Yellow-Grits-10-LB-Plastic-Bag-YG-10.htm)grits (which require a long [cooking](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/24/how-to-cook-grits_n_3139307.html) time, BTW). Instant grits are gustatory masturbation, they’ll do if one has no choice but don’t hold a candle to the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/86 "2015-09-22T15:39:29Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The only time I’ve seen that stuff [marshmallow fluff] in the wild, I was helping a friend pick up a piece of heavy furniture he had found on Craigslist. I suspect that much of the marshmallow fluff sold gets used in making a particular brownie recipe, at least in my experience. I do buy it sometimes, however, because commercial marshmallows almost always have gelatin and I’m a vegetarian; marshmallow fluff makes a decent s’more – the best American sweet, by far, furriners take note – so I use it for that purpose. Or to make rice krispie treats. You can get animal-product-free marshmallows, but I’ve never found any that weren’t absurdly expensive. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/87 "2015-09-22T16:08:41Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > huevos rancheros on the other hand, washed down with a bloody mary and a bottomless cup of that horrible coffee is food of the gods. (American coffee is truly awful, as is the creamer stuff but it does the job) If you like that, you need to try [migas](http://www.texasmonthly.com/food/migas/). They taste like _breakfast enchiladas!_ Even a great breakfast taco with chorizo pales next to an average plate of migas. But yeah, most U.S. coffee is terrible. When I was taking care of my mom, she complained about my 1 heaping tablespoon/cup coffee, and I had to back it off quite a bit before she was happy drinking her quart a day. The good coffee in the U.S. comes from New Orleans, get some Cafe Du Monde with or without chicory and enjoy. But yeah, I loves me some Dr. Pepper or root beer, aerosol cheese on Chicken in a Biscuit crackers, with pumpkin pie (the nutmeg transfer device) as dessert, How does the rest of the world feel about cranberries and turkey? ETA: And yeah, the rest of the new world seems to like turkey fine. I’m asking about the continents it’s not native to. ---
**Author:** ![1224rattusrattus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ec9cab/32.png) [@1224rattusrattus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1224rattusrattus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/88 "2015-09-22T17:00:39Z")
Cranberry sauce (a jelly like substance) is a traditional addition to Turkey and roast ham for Christmas dinner. Turkey doesn’t get a lot of love outside that one week of december, though in Britain it appears as an alternative to sliced sandwich chicken. Hershey bars are problematic as they really aren’t good enough to justify importing, we already have our own entry level chocolate brands. However american imports are such a big thing now that shops selling just these sort of items are quite common. The level of psychedelic colours on the packaging is much higher than it is on European brands. And believe it or not they are trying to market twinkies over here but something got lost in translation. I imagine they’re dirt cheap in the states but over here a big box could set you back as much as ten dollars. They’re alright but as you’d imagine few people can stomach that kind of price. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/89 "2015-09-22T17:10:34Z")
I suspect okra is not particularly liked. Its a hard sell for many southerners for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/90 "2015-09-22T17:44:28Z")
People outside the Federation think root beer is disgusting [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6VhSm6G7cVk/hqdefault.jpg "DS9 Garak drinks root beer (The Way of the Warrior)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VhSm6G7cVk) ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/91 "2015-09-22T18:01:11Z")
Should I assume no one wants to go to the [Fluff Festival](https://unionsquaremain.org/fluff-festival/)with me this weekend? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/92 "2015-09-22T18:09:27Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > Should I assume no one wants to go to the [Fluff Festival](https://unionsquaremain.org/fluff-festival/)with me this weekend? Direct link to the Festival page: [http://www.flufffestival.com/](http://www.flufffestival.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/93 "2015-09-22T18:26:37Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > Should I assume no one wants to go to the [Fluff Festival](https://unionsquaremain.org/fluff-festival/)with me this weekend? Trust me, if Dayton were anywhere near Massachusetts I’d be so there. Alas. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/94 "2015-09-22T18:31:13Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Am I misunderstanding you? While there certainly exists American ‘cheese’ made this way, I don’t believe you can actually use the word ‘cheese’ if it doesn’t have milk fat. And you can certainly buy actual cheese which is American cheese, though I think it has to be labeled as ‘processed cheese.’ And it should only be consumed hot and melted. Yes, what he’s talking about isnt “cheese” it’s “Pasteurized Process Cheese Food”. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/95 "2015-09-22T18:34:40Z")
> [@grude](#): > > They hate wonderbread type loaves cuz they taste like cake, too sweet and the texture is all wrong. Yeah, because Euros would never eat anything like [Brioche - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brioche)…:rolleyes::dubious: ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/96 "2015-09-22T18:36:49Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > That marshmallow **Fluff** they had at Aldi once. Marshmallow fluff is good in a sandwich with peanut butter. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/97 "2015-09-22T18:41:16Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Hey, I like spray cheese and I know a lot about cheeses from all over the world. It isn’t fine dining but it certainly has its place and it has been around for a very long time so it isn’t just a flash-in-the-pan gimmick. Many people claim that truly “authentic” Philadelphia Cheese Steak sandwiches require a can of Cheese Whiz and I tend to agree. Sometimes fancier cheeses just fuck up a perfectly good recipe for no good reason. The same is true for American Cheese in general (really only Kraft American cheeses). American Cheese melts very well and is the best choice for all but the fanciest cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. There are things like party dips that you can make with blocks of Velveeta that fail miserably when you try to substitute anything else. Actually some of the Mexican style cheeses melt the same way. Mind you, get Real American Cheese, not “Pasteurized Process Cheese Food”. Real American Cheese is mild and melts nicely. Many Cheese-steak aficionados swear _by_ Provolone and swear\* at \*Cheez Whiz. Note that Cheez Whiz can NOT be authentic, since Cheez Whiz didnt even come out until the cheesesteak had been eaten for decades. I make the same party dip with chili and grated mild cheddar or better yet the “Mexican style” grated cheese. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/98 "2015-09-22T18:43:44Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I recall a British girlfriend really not liking US bread or chocolate- to the point where after we’d broke up, and I was going to the UK, she still begged me to bring her back some UK chocolate. . They have taste tested American vs UK milk chocolate and found them about the same. Unless of course the choco is Hershey process. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/99 "2015-09-22T19:00:24Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > I will happily admit to the crime of enjoying spray can cheese. Heh. There was a supermarket where I used to live that had a line of store-brand products under the name “Old Fashioned,” which looked a little absurd when applied to a can of spray cheese. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > From the very cite you reproduce, Hershey’s doesn’t add it to the milk chocolate\* – it’s a result of the processing of the milk. It’s also wholly unsubstantiated, as far as I can tell. Barring some sort of proof, I call urban legend on the butyric acid. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054/100 "2015-09-22T19:29:52Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > It’s also wholly unsubstantiated, as far as I can tell. Barring some sort of proof, I call urban legend on the butyric acid. Just smell it. It smells like vomit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-americans-like-that-non-americans-find-disgusting/732054.md?page=6)