There are plenty of foods eaten around the world that Americans think are just plain odd. In Asia, for example, eating fried insects is commonplace and, while unorthodox and less common in the U.S., it is a staple of the culture's food and a good source of protein. Meanwhile in South America, eating cuy (guinea pig) has been a widespread practice for centuries, and though many North Americans may find it abhorrent to eat a beloved family pet, the guinea pig holds no such honor in non-Western societies and is often raised explicitly for food. There are plenty of foods eaten in the States that are also thought of as a little strange.
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Admit it, you've looked at aerosol spray cheese that comes out of a can -- that bright-yellow, gooey, cheese-like concoction that's sprayed onto bread, squeezed onto other foods like hot dogs, or just eaten straight from the nozzle -- and thought "that's a strange thing to be eating." You're not alone... many American foods baffle people from other countries.
Even American "classics" like the corn dogs are a little mind-boggling... a hot dog, battered, deep-fried, and then smeared with ketchup and mustard is not a combination many people would turn to when it comes to preferred snack foods
Still, while many favorite American foods may be considered downright strange by the rest of the world in some ways it can be a good thing -- America (in this case meaning the U.S.) is often criticized for not having its own cuisine. The expression "as American as apple pie" is not really accurate since the British were eating apple pie centuries before. The hot dog is really a German, not an American invention. But... the corn dog amalgamation, strange as it may seem, that's entirely American in origin.
Read on to see what other foods are enjoyed across the U.S. that the rest of the world thinks are strange.
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This ground-up meat creation is a lot like a hot dog but slightly “springier” or “fluffier” and is carved from a slab and used in sandwiches, stews, or eaten by itself. It’s right up there with meatloaf as odd meat foods the rest of the world can’t quite understand.
Photo Credit: © Flickr / Chie Gondo
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Photo Credit: © Flickr / Chie Gondo
-- Serusha Govender, The Daily Meal
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