It can be scary to try out new foods, whether you fear insulting the chef or getting an upset stomach. But American foods are well-known and pretty popular around the world, so a lot of people have opinions about them.
They shared them when a person posed the question “What American foods/drinks/snacks/etc. do you think are disgusting? Which do you think are good?” in the subreddit Ask An Australian and they were ruthless.
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
I know it’s not really addressing the question, but CocaCola soft drinks such as coke and sprite are actually better in Australia as they use cane sugar as opposed to the high fructose corn syrup of the US
One other thing that most Australians don't get about American food tastes - Starbucks. WTF makes you guys consume that c**p?
Hershey's chocolate. I ate a Hershey's kiss once and it was like literal vomit. Then I tried another one just in case it was an acquired taste. It. Was. Worse. I'm never one to pass up chocolate but damn those things were so foul I had to give them away.
Hershey's is not chocolate. But then I grew up with Lindt & Cadburys chocolate.
in Europe, Hershey's isn't sold as chocolate, it's sold as "chocolate flavour" because the cocoa content isn't actually high enough for it to be considered actual chocolate. or something like that. :')
Load More Replies...I honestly thought it tasted a bit like vomit too the one time I tried it.
Load More Replies...I don't know any American who like chocolate that actually eats Hershey's.
I was SOO excited to try Hershey's kisses when I went to NY from UK, was extremely disappointed
Fun fact: American chocolate often contains butyric acid, which comes from the milk fats in the chocolate and is the same chemical that is found in vomit that makes it smell bad. This is why to people who haven't grown up eating American chocolate it can have that more acidic or sour taste
Hershey's kisses are awful. I've tried the standard North American Cadbury's as well- terrible stuff. British Cadbury's is totally different and much better.
There is a scientific reason that some people think it tastes like vomit. Google it
Butyric acid. Can be found in vomit, and Parmigiano cheese.
Load More Replies...Hershey's kisses look exactly like dog chocolate treats I remember from growing up. They're probably the same c**p just repackaged.
Hershey's was the best growing up. Now that I work for a Gourmet wholesaler, Hershey's is foul.
butyric acid, that is what people are Redding to when saying they taste like puke
Yep, Hershey’s kisses are disgusting. I grew up with Cadbury’s chocolate and Milka. American chocolate doesn’t count as chocolate; it’s truly disgusting.
So apparently the milk used to spoil on the way to the factories, and people got used to it. After things advanced so it didn't have to spoil, they still added things to it to keep the taste people were accustomed to
you guys like to p**s all over Hershey's chocolate, But when I got stationed with the British military for a year I learned you guys have some nasty c**p you eat too. Baked beans on everything and this nasty sole killing yeast paste they would keep on the dinning hall table. I did love the mustard though, I wish I could find that here. I know this is about Aussies but I hear it is very close to the same.
Marmite is the yeast paste and I agree, it's foul. Even marmite's advertising is "you love it or hate it". They admit noone is in between. But on beans, don't pretend Americans don't eat them also. They're not a unique British invention, even our #1 brand is Heinz, an American company.
Load More Replies...More than a decade ago, Hershey's was tolerable, and there were several alternative US sources for chocolate. It really has gotten worse.
This is like the old argument between Anerican and European wine. They're different, get over it. Drink... or, in this case, eat... what appeals to you.
Does Nestle own a spambot? I mean if you called it over-sugary blandness, I could respect that opinion. Literal vomit?
Butyric Acid, what gives sour milk it’s tang and also a stomach acid that you taste when you vomit. It also acts as a natural preservative in foods. European chocolates are made using high heat over a short time which creates a carmalization flavor profile. Hersheys uses fresh milk and low heat which which creates this slightly sour flavor which people used to euro chocolate really pick up on
Load More Replies... What America has done to cheese is a crime against nature. That liquid stuff in a can, just... Why?!
I'll also never understand the American fascination with making everything cherry flavour. For one thing, cherries don't taste like that. For another, why would you want a soft drink, a snow cone, or even a condom that tastes like cough syrup?
Seems like most of the things mentioned are packaged food and drinks that they only disliked so I’ll go the other route.
American barbecue, Buffalo wings, and the Cajun type of stews were my favorite.
There's a store not far from me called USA Foods so I have had a fair bit of US snacks and your chocolate tastes not like chocolate. And I have read about why that is and it has to do with milk regulations and so on but it's just not pleasant to eat.
candy corn is straight up terrible. I honestly don't get it's appeal at all.
I do like old bay. I know it's regional, but it's amazing.
I've tried a few of your cereals, like cookie crisp and those lucky charms things. I used to think coco pops were sugary. You guys take sugary to a whole new level.
As for what I think tastes good, milk duds. Love milk duds.
Anytime I think of American food, I think, high sugar, high corn starch, hormone fed livestock and that weird orange plastic cheese thing.
Oh and excessively large portion sizes.
That said, nice to have occasionally, but certainly wouldn't want to be having that too often.
Good: Pumpkin pie. I thought it was a bizarre idea. My fiancé fell in love with it whilst he was eating from a USAF mess for a few months. I found a recipe online and talked it over with an American friend and made him one during a covid lockdown baking spree. It was amazing. We got a pre-made one from our local Costco a few months ago. That one was trash. I’ll stick to making my own.
Also good: everything I managed to try at the Cheesecake Factory.
Also good: Barbecue.
Disgusting: basically everything else. “Minnesota salads” spring to mind right now.
Your chocolate is vile. It tastes like bile. Sorry for the rhyme haha
I’ve never understood the popularity of Oreos. Also Reese’s peanut butter cups. I was so excited to try them because id read about them but I think I almost had a vom, they were so BAD.
Chipotle flavoured things are starting to be popular here, sometimes that’s really nice. But hit and miss
Biscuits and gravy. They served it to my Mum when she was in Texas on holiday. What the hell you guys.
Your soft drink (Soda) sizes are f*****g ridiculous, no one needs that much sugar.
Turducken should probably be a crime.
I love Laffy Taffy, Reese’s especially the holiday shapes, Cinnabon, Wendy’s, TGI Friday’s, Cheesecake Factory.. CORN DOGS I miss those so bad and we have nothing like them at all. I miss most the basic chain restaurants like Applebee’s, Denny’s, ihop. Miller’s ale house mountain melt 😍
Hated bread. Your regular bread is donuts. Impossible to find bread that wasn’t dessert.
Coca Cola is not as good either. The obsession with those post mix drink machines where you can mix and match flavours, the flavours are all gross and even normal coke comes out tasting disgusting from them.
Portion sizes are stupid, but so cheap! I would be huge if I lived there permanently.
The Peanut butter chocolate things are tops. Oreo suck!
Turduckens are brilliant
When I went to America I liked there food but there’s so much of it it overflows.
Also American bacon is kind of funny and awful coffee but I’m from Melbourne we are spoiled for coffee
American breakfast cereals are awful. I tried cinnamon toast crunch and lucky charms once and it was just bizarre. Why do you people eat candy for breakfast? Breakfast is supposed to be a slow release food to give you long-lasting energy to get through the day, not just sugar and marshmallows...
American coffee is awful. It's either stale, burnt drip coffee or a starbucks bucket-sized monstrosity with a ton of sugar. I always cringe when I see people talk about a frappuccino like it's a normal thing for a human to consume on the regular.
Twinkies are f****d. I tried kool-aid (tasted like medicine) and capn crunch (wayyy too sickly sweet; high fructose corn syrup?). Butterfingers are weird, it's like a peppermint crisp texture, very strange experience. Hostess donettes were weirdly not sweet enough. I don't get the ranch obsession, and hersheys chocolate is vile.
I've never tried that white lumpy gravy, but I don't think I'd be able to eat it, its so off putting visually.
Enormous foldy pizza is great, pop tarts are really good (I think toast em pop ups are better). Chips ahoy bikkies are good. Takis are awesome, I've only had the fuego ones which were spicier than I expected, but really good. I love Krispy kreme.
I struggled with the butter and eggs, the colour and taste was a lot different from what I am used to.On our last day in America after holidaying for 4 weeks I was craving a home cooked meal and the meal I ordered had green beans in it. I was surprised to see they had battered & deep fried the beans, rather than just cook them.
The best food I had was some brisket nachos at the drags, absolutely delicious.
The free soft drink refillls (brought to table without me asking for more) were hard to get used to, I had to say no a few times and the servers weren't able to accept that I didn't want it just because it's free.
I was on a recent thread where a homemade dessert was revealed to have mayonnaise in it. Many Americans on the thread were horrified by the idea of mayonnaise.
I was taken aback. Not only is mayonnaise simply beaten-up oil, egg yolk, and vinegar or lemon juice (common ingredients in many desserts and other things), but American cuisine is otherwise famed for pop-tarts, string cheese, eggo waffles, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Kool-Aid, ranch.
While acknowledged as being fast food / snacks for kids, these items aren't generally met with dozens of *ewww!* replies. But mayonnaise seemed to be really disliked.
Deep fried butter and candy Bacon come to mind as being ewww, put geez I love a Philly Cheese steak and Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia
I have lived in the US before, so I do have some inside knowledge (though I do understand some foods are pretty regional).
Genuinely never understood the love for PBJ sandwiches. The combination of the two is kinda something I never would try.
I don't think most things are disgusting per se. However the sizing of the products are pretty gross. As you mentioned the XL Big Gulp - it isn't what is in it, but the quantity that makes me a bit ill.
What I love?
I love A&W Root Beer. It is starting to become a bit more common here then it use to be, but one still have to go to specialist food stores or a Coles with an International Food and Beverage Aisle/Section, and on top of that it is still pretty damn expensive.
I tried your "biscuits". As I suspected, really bad scones. Milk in gravy is tantamount to a war crime, too
Been a long time since I have been but I still have no idea why you broil steak. Couldn't wait to get home to get a properly cooked steak!
I’m a sugar fiend, so I had the culinary time of my life when I was in the states. Sweet tea, Kool Aid, Cinnabon, Count Chocula, Halloween candy from Walmart- all fantastic. However, I seriously don’t understand how people can eat biscuits and gravy.
Jack Daniels.
People don't seem to realize we don't all eat the bad, over-sweetened stuff. The US is a big place with lots of differences.
It has nothing to do with being a big country. Every country has its regions with different cuisine, dialect and other differences. That‘s what most US Americans don‘t understand either. (No, Germany is NOT only Bavaria!). This is just about stereotypes and what we get as „American food“ in our own stores. Funnily enough your own movies spread those stereotypes too.
Load More Replies...I would love to make an American food tour one day. But only for cooked stuff. Reubens and cheese steak sandwich, brisket, chicken and waffles, clam chowder, gumbo and what not. Now I'm hungry.
Agreed, if you go order regional favorites cooked fresh, much better.
Load More Replies...Now do other countries! Seriously though - thanks. You haven't crapped on America in almost a week. I can write one of these in my sleep now - none of these are original.
Yes please! I want to see more of the world and not only the US!
Load More Replies...Don't think I'll trust the opinions of a country that thinks Vegemite is normal!!!!!!
vegemite is an acquired taste. In SA and UK we have bovril which is very similar. Basically meaty plus so much salt you might die.
Load More Replies...I'm absolutely agree that American food is skewed wayyyy too sweet and processed. It's easy to visit and only be exposed to the chain restaurants and touristy places (usually bad). But there is amazing cuisine here, if you know where to go!
I think it is absolutely hilarious how mad some people are getting about people making stereotypes or judgments off small things. Chill out, it's BP, they are supposed to be light hearted and fun. "Americans" do it all the time to other countries, turn around us fair play.
Eh, I don’t usually see any articles on BP where Americans get to tell other countries whatever they’re doing is disgusting and wrong. It gets annoying having everything we do in the states boiled down to a few stereotypes though. No, not all the food here is overly processed garbage. Most people don’t start their day with 79 grams of sugar. Not everyone eats processed cheese from a can. And please don’t judge an entire country’s food based on the one gas station you stopped at when you needed a snack.
Load More Replies...I remember older Norwegian-Americans in the Midwest serving dishes at potlucks they were adamant about being Norwegian... so many horrible combinations of ingredients and flavors. And then Norway isn't actually a culinary destination to begin with...
OK. Two things Australian - Vegemite and musk flavored Life Savers. I'm not going to judge a countries food based on only two items but considering that you eat those 2 items, I am going to take any opinions on US food with a grain of salt.
Why so much Oreo hate? You can get them in a lot of places outside the us, they taste ok, and a lot of flavours are surprisingly either vegan or vegetarian
I don't think it's so much "hate" as just this kind of disappointment feeling. Oreos seem to be such a well known thing in the US that we imagine they must be some sort of food ambrosia, so to find out that they're really just a kinda boring sweet cracker with a vaguely creamy-ish filling is a real let down.
Load More Replies...The sweetest substance I've ever tasted in my life was key lime pie I still don't know how one could achieve that level of sweetness and why someone would ever subject their tastebuds to that.
It’s definitely not supposed to be like that all! Should be very tart with light sweetness. Give it another try if you can sometime!
Load More Replies...Do people in other countries realize A LOT of Americans do make wonderful food? These lists are so repetitive. It’s like they think we all live in a trailer park and only get food from 7-Eleven. Good grief.
Because the question was skewed - it asked for “What American foods/drinks/snacks/etc. do you think are disgusting? Which do you think are good?” It asks people to say what they hate and what they love - pretty good really if most of the ones hated are the same junk foods on the whole.
Load More Replies...I kind of like Hersheys though. Lord the amount of hate in this post about it is wild.
Visiting one small location in the US, then crapping on the entire country is like visiting Liverpool, then crapping on all of Europe. The US is not homogenous, ffs.
true, but once you've been to liverpool and seen layabouts in tracksuits on the side of the street, you kinda HAVE seen the most important thing about europe /jk.
Load More Replies...Is everybody here 12? I think of American food, I don't strictly think of Saturday-morning treats for kids. You realize that's all any of this stuff is? To me, foods I associate with America include Hamburgers, hot dogs, beef steak, french fries, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, meatloaf, brisket, BBQ ribs, corn on the cob, peanut butter, pork chops, fatty bacon, subs, grilled cheese sandwiches, casseroles, waffles, fair food (deep-fried anything), mac & cheese, and on the coasts, lobster or crab; plus various foods we blamed other countries for (even though most of the other food naturally has has overseas precedents): spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, chili, pizza,
IMO? People who eat vegemite are on shaky ground calling anyone else's food choices unpalatable. BTW, get over it. We don't all eat out of the one aisle int he store that is overprocessed junk, in any country. And every country *has* that aisle.
I love how BoredPanda makes sweeping gernalisations about the United States that just fuel more and more stereotypes on this site. Nobody is eating squeeze cheese and pop-tarts everyday. Australia also has pie floaters, chiko rolls, and musk sticks so they shouldn't be the ones to talk here.
Load More Replies...I LOVE baking American recipes. Macadamia cookies, Rocky Road Cookies, Pumpkin pie, Apple pie. …..
Bearing in mind if you grew up eating this stuff, it seems normal. That said, I do agree with the portion sizes being too big, and too much sugar/salt/fat in things. Folks like stuff that's highly seasoned, but rather than actually using spices we just salt the heck out of it. Breakfast cereals are mainly marketed to kids, so they have cartoon characters on the box and way too much sugar inside.
I see it as you get your money’s worth. You just don’t eat it all in one Sitting. Split the portions up so you have lunch and dinner for the next day as well.
Load More Replies...I have a very sweet tooth so I would probably love American food and I quite fancy trying biscuits and gravy. The picture looked nice.
Look up on YouTube UK high schoolers try biscuits and gravy for the first Time ! They really liked it.
Load More Replies...The very worst, number one most disgusting thing I ever put in my mouth was root beer! Holy c**p, it's absolutely horrendous! I looked forward to trying it for decades, seeing people drinking it in movies all my life so when I saw it in a local (UK) shop I bought it and couldn't wait so I open and had a big swig walking back home. I had to spit it out immediately, in the middle of the road. I can't even think about it without gagging.
It’s a medicine like flavor which is definitely an acquired taste. Sassafras is the ‘root’ flavor of root beer
Load More Replies...i’m reading these comment and people seem to be angry with the fact that it’s another US post- if you want i could do a “incredible snacks from singapore” if it would be interesting to you or smth? Edit: typo sorry
Love all the dessert pai, super great sallads and great sandwishes. And of course the ribs...
Americans could probably stop paying income tax if the federal government started taxing sugar in food.
You can have flavourful food without it being full of sugar or anything else that will k*ll you
Load More Replies...We LOVE sauces! It's like the dippin' capital of the world! BBQ, ketchup, mustard, ranch, yogurt dill, hummus, queso... Hmm maybe we like them too much...
Load More Replies...We can laugh at ourselves, but we're sick of these same articles getting copied and pasted. They do it at Buzzfeed too. It stopped being funny after years of the same content.
Load More Replies...People don't seem to realize we don't all eat the bad, over-sweetened stuff. The US is a big place with lots of differences.
It has nothing to do with being a big country. Every country has its regions with different cuisine, dialect and other differences. That‘s what most US Americans don‘t understand either. (No, Germany is NOT only Bavaria!). This is just about stereotypes and what we get as „American food“ in our own stores. Funnily enough your own movies spread those stereotypes too.
Load More Replies...I would love to make an American food tour one day. But only for cooked stuff. Reubens and cheese steak sandwich, brisket, chicken and waffles, clam chowder, gumbo and what not. Now I'm hungry.
Agreed, if you go order regional favorites cooked fresh, much better.
Load More Replies...Now do other countries! Seriously though - thanks. You haven't crapped on America in almost a week. I can write one of these in my sleep now - none of these are original.
Yes please! I want to see more of the world and not only the US!
Load More Replies...Don't think I'll trust the opinions of a country that thinks Vegemite is normal!!!!!!
vegemite is an acquired taste. In SA and UK we have bovril which is very similar. Basically meaty plus so much salt you might die.
Load More Replies...I'm absolutely agree that American food is skewed wayyyy too sweet and processed. It's easy to visit and only be exposed to the chain restaurants and touristy places (usually bad). But there is amazing cuisine here, if you know where to go!
I think it is absolutely hilarious how mad some people are getting about people making stereotypes or judgments off small things. Chill out, it's BP, they are supposed to be light hearted and fun. "Americans" do it all the time to other countries, turn around us fair play.
Eh, I don’t usually see any articles on BP where Americans get to tell other countries whatever they’re doing is disgusting and wrong. It gets annoying having everything we do in the states boiled down to a few stereotypes though. No, not all the food here is overly processed garbage. Most people don’t start their day with 79 grams of sugar. Not everyone eats processed cheese from a can. And please don’t judge an entire country’s food based on the one gas station you stopped at when you needed a snack.
Load More Replies...I remember older Norwegian-Americans in the Midwest serving dishes at potlucks they were adamant about being Norwegian... so many horrible combinations of ingredients and flavors. And then Norway isn't actually a culinary destination to begin with...
OK. Two things Australian - Vegemite and musk flavored Life Savers. I'm not going to judge a countries food based on only two items but considering that you eat those 2 items, I am going to take any opinions on US food with a grain of salt.
Why so much Oreo hate? You can get them in a lot of places outside the us, they taste ok, and a lot of flavours are surprisingly either vegan or vegetarian
I don't think it's so much "hate" as just this kind of disappointment feeling. Oreos seem to be such a well known thing in the US that we imagine they must be some sort of food ambrosia, so to find out that they're really just a kinda boring sweet cracker with a vaguely creamy-ish filling is a real let down.
Load More Replies...The sweetest substance I've ever tasted in my life was key lime pie I still don't know how one could achieve that level of sweetness and why someone would ever subject their tastebuds to that.
It’s definitely not supposed to be like that all! Should be very tart with light sweetness. Give it another try if you can sometime!
Load More Replies...Do people in other countries realize A LOT of Americans do make wonderful food? These lists are so repetitive. It’s like they think we all live in a trailer park and only get food from 7-Eleven. Good grief.
Because the question was skewed - it asked for “What American foods/drinks/snacks/etc. do you think are disgusting? Which do you think are good?” It asks people to say what they hate and what they love - pretty good really if most of the ones hated are the same junk foods on the whole.
Load More Replies...I kind of like Hersheys though. Lord the amount of hate in this post about it is wild.
Visiting one small location in the US, then crapping on the entire country is like visiting Liverpool, then crapping on all of Europe. The US is not homogenous, ffs.
true, but once you've been to liverpool and seen layabouts in tracksuits on the side of the street, you kinda HAVE seen the most important thing about europe /jk.
Load More Replies...Is everybody here 12? I think of American food, I don't strictly think of Saturday-morning treats for kids. You realize that's all any of this stuff is? To me, foods I associate with America include Hamburgers, hot dogs, beef steak, french fries, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, meatloaf, brisket, BBQ ribs, corn on the cob, peanut butter, pork chops, fatty bacon, subs, grilled cheese sandwiches, casseroles, waffles, fair food (deep-fried anything), mac & cheese, and on the coasts, lobster or crab; plus various foods we blamed other countries for (even though most of the other food naturally has has overseas precedents): spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, chili, pizza,
IMO? People who eat vegemite are on shaky ground calling anyone else's food choices unpalatable. BTW, get over it. We don't all eat out of the one aisle int he store that is overprocessed junk, in any country. And every country *has* that aisle.
I love how BoredPanda makes sweeping gernalisations about the United States that just fuel more and more stereotypes on this site. Nobody is eating squeeze cheese and pop-tarts everyday. Australia also has pie floaters, chiko rolls, and musk sticks so they shouldn't be the ones to talk here.
Load More Replies...I LOVE baking American recipes. Macadamia cookies, Rocky Road Cookies, Pumpkin pie, Apple pie. …..
Bearing in mind if you grew up eating this stuff, it seems normal. That said, I do agree with the portion sizes being too big, and too much sugar/salt/fat in things. Folks like stuff that's highly seasoned, but rather than actually using spices we just salt the heck out of it. Breakfast cereals are mainly marketed to kids, so they have cartoon characters on the box and way too much sugar inside.
I see it as you get your money’s worth. You just don’t eat it all in one Sitting. Split the portions up so you have lunch and dinner for the next day as well.
Load More Replies...I have a very sweet tooth so I would probably love American food and I quite fancy trying biscuits and gravy. The picture looked nice.
Look up on YouTube UK high schoolers try biscuits and gravy for the first Time ! They really liked it.
Load More Replies...The very worst, number one most disgusting thing I ever put in my mouth was root beer! Holy c**p, it's absolutely horrendous! I looked forward to trying it for decades, seeing people drinking it in movies all my life so when I saw it in a local (UK) shop I bought it and couldn't wait so I open and had a big swig walking back home. I had to spit it out immediately, in the middle of the road. I can't even think about it without gagging.
It’s a medicine like flavor which is definitely an acquired taste. Sassafras is the ‘root’ flavor of root beer
Load More Replies...i’m reading these comment and people seem to be angry with the fact that it’s another US post- if you want i could do a “incredible snacks from singapore” if it would be interesting to you or smth? Edit: typo sorry
Love all the dessert pai, super great sallads and great sandwishes. And of course the ribs...
Americans could probably stop paying income tax if the federal government started taxing sugar in food.
You can have flavourful food without it being full of sugar or anything else that will k*ll you
Load More Replies...We LOVE sauces! It's like the dippin' capital of the world! BBQ, ketchup, mustard, ranch, yogurt dill, hummus, queso... Hmm maybe we like them too much...
Load More Replies...We can laugh at ourselves, but we're sick of these same articles getting copied and pasted. They do it at Buzzfeed too. It stopped being funny after years of the same content.
Load More Replies...