Have you ever thought about what you’re actually consuming when you fire up a hot dog? Here is some of the gross American food we’re actually eating in the United States.
Deep-Fried Butter
It’s true that things taste pretty good after being deep-fried. Now, normally, that applies to Oreos or fish, but not this time. This time, it’s even better.
Someone pushed it too far when they created deep-fried butter. That someone is Abel Gonzales Jr. He created the dish for a 2009 State Fair in Dallas, TX.
For what it’s worth, deep-fried butter actually won a prize for being the most creative entry. We have to hand it to him — it is creative.
Garbage Plates
If you’ve ever gone to a buffet, there’s a good chance you unknowingly created your own garbage plate. This Rochester, NY phenomenon is gaining steam.
It’s perfect for the glutton inside all of us. Garbage plates are almost like unique art forms, with your choice of meat, home fries, and macaroni salad.
There’s a ton of layering involved. And even if the food is garbage, the best garbage plates still look like masterpieces on Instagram. Serve us up.
Chitlins
Fans of the movie Babe, you may want to look away. Seriously, we’re warning you! Chitlins are made from a disturbing part of the pig.
Also known as chitterlings, this dish is made from pigs’ small intestines. Chitlins are quite popular in the South, and they grace many plates of soul food.
They’re pretty good to cook with; they have a relatively mild flavor, and will soak up whatever spices you use in your meal. We’d try it!
Jell-O Salad
Jell-O salad is an interesting dish. It consists of Jell-O and a multitude of other ingredients such as chopped-up fruits, veggies, marshmallows, or cottage cheese.
Though they were extremely popular — in both sweet and savory forms — during the ’60s and ’70s, Jell-O salads are still pretty classic. If a bit gross.
This is especially true in the Midwest, where many people seem to really enjoy them. We’re glad they like the, but that doesn’t make them good.
Burgoo
Now, to be fair, there are plenty of different types of burgoo. So, let’s talk about burgoo in its traditional form; it’s often served up in Kentucky.
Burgoo is a type of spicy stew. Sometimes, chefs make it with venison or mutton. But oftentimes, it’s made out of animals like squirrel, raccoons, and possums.
Sure, it makes sense to eat those small animals in cases of emergency. But otherwise, how can they even provide enough meat? Also, squirrels are too cute to eat.
Brain Sandwiches
The contestants on Survivor had difficulty choking down brain, but maybe it was because it wasn’t in proper sandwich form. Or maybe it was because it was brain.
But brain sandwiches are very popular in Indiana. They used to use cow brain, but switched over to pig, all thanks to Mad Cow Disease.
There’s a proper way to cook the brain so that it’s at its best. Make sure you have cold hands so that the brain doesn’t melt.
Clam Pizza
Remember when anchovies were the worst pizza topping imaginable? Then, people started hating on pineapple. Now, there’s another gross pizza topping in town: clams.
But now clams have made their way unto unsuspecting pizzas. Frank Pepe’s white clam pizza from New Haven, Connecticut, has been praised pretty heavily, in fact.
We can’t say that we wouldn’t try it. But you have to admit — it’s not what most people would order on a nightly basis.
Spam Musubi
Spam itself is an odd choice, but Spam Musubi? Yikes. This dish takes inspiration from Japanese onigiri, with the Spam served on rice, with seaweed.
My husband actually makes this one on occasion. I can always tell what went down based on the way the kitchen smells afterward. It’s not great.
The dish originated in the United States — Hawaii, to be exact, where Spam is exceedingly popular. And a Mrs. Mitsuko Kaneshiro is responsible for creating them.
Lamb Testicles
Bulls aren’t the only animal whose testicles became people food. People enjoy lamb testicles, too. The dish is called “lamb fries,” to soften the impact a little bit.
If you’re dying to try them out, they’re most popular in Kentucky. At least people are using every part of the lamb, right?
They’re not only eaten in Kentucky or in the United States. They’e popular in different parts of the world as well, including Italy, China, and Turkey.
Alligator Tails
When I think of alligators, I think of pure fear. I don’t think of them as appetizers, especially when mozzarella sticks exist. Or literally anything else.
But people in Florida (because of course it’s Florida) would disagree. In fact, many Southerners actually fry up alligator tails to eat as snacks.
I will say, it does seem pretty cool to be able to tell someone you’ve eaten alligator before. We’d give this gross American food a chance…maybe.
Akutaq
Akutaq is mostly enjoyed in Alaska, but it’s a legitimate dish. What’s in akutaq, you may wonder? Well, glad you asked! Let us tell you all about it.
Akutaq is an ice cream dish that, when made traditionally, uses seal oil. Sometimes, reindeer fat is used. Berries are often used as a natural sweetener.
The other name it often goes by is “Alaskan ice cream.” As for me, I’ll stick to good ol’ Ben & Jerry’s, thank you very much.
Koolickle
Did you ever wonder what’d happen if you tried to brine a pickle in some other liquid? Well, someone did — which is probably how Koolickles got their start.
Likely invented by a pregnant woman with weird cravings, but definitely invented in Mississippi, Koolickles are pickles brined in Kool-Aid. Oh yeah. Kool-Aid pickles.
Pretty gross American food. Now, people all across the country make them, for the novelty of it, if nothing else. We have to admit, we’re curious.
Green Bean Casserole
Green beans, fried onions, and cream of mushroom soup combine to create green bean casserole. It’s a dish often enjoyed by Americans at Thanksgiving.
It definitely wasn’t present at the first Thanksgiving in the 17th century. But it’s managed to become a holiday staple, whether you like it or not.
It was created in 1955 by a woman named Dorcas Reilly for Campbell’s. Interestingly enough, she has no memory of how she came up with it.
Olive Loaf
Can we talk about olive loaf for a second? I feel like it’s always the weird second cousin at the deli party that nobody wants to acknowledge.
Olive loaf is exactly what you think it is — a loaf of meat with olives embedded in it. Definitely not as bad as an animal’s testicles.
According to The Daily Meal, this was most popular in America in the 1950s. But why does this still exist when ham is an option?
Spray Cheese
It took me a long time until I realized that Kraft Singles weren’t actual cheese. And the same can be said for spray cheese.
I’m not here to hate on the stuff, as it’s served me well in life, even though it probably doesn’t count as being cheese. Technically.
It was produced in Wisconsin early on, which is known as the cheese capital of the United States. So it’s got that going for it.
Pickled Pigs Feet
If you live in the southern United States, where these are popular, you’ve probably seen these in grocery stores before. My question to you is… why?
They look… not great. I’m going to go ahead and say they also taste… not great. I’ve never had them, so that review is unfair.
I feel like I’m smelling these things through the screen right now just by looking at the picture. But then again, I’m not from the south.
Scrapple
I lived in Pennsylvania for a large chunk of my life. And a pretty decent segment of that time was spent in diners, where they served American fare.
That’s where I learned what scrapple, a dish created in Mid-Atlantic United States, was. But I never tried it. It just seemed a little too strange.
It’s literally a loaf of pork scraps and cornmeal that can be cut and sliced. Why even bother when meatloaf already exists? The world will never know.
Turducken
Only in America would somebody think of stuffing an entire chicken into a duck that’s later stuffed into a turkey. That’s three uncomfortable layers.
Not to shame anyone who loves turducken, but they’re all pretty gruesome if you think about it. That’s way too much meat, and way too many animals.
Dr. Gerald R. LaNasa, a surgeon from New Orleans, is often credited as being the one who invented the dish. Like most foods, the origins have been contested.
Bull Testicles
You might know them better as “Rocky Mountain Oysters,” but no — this food has nothing to do with seafood. They’re bull testicles. Yep, bull testicles.
Created by ranchers in the Rocky Mountain area of North America, they also may be called “meatballs,” which is anatomically accurate. It’s also highly misleading.
At least they’re usually deep-fried. If we learned anything from deep-fried butter, it’s that some things taste better that way. In fact, most things do.
Pineapple On Pizza
We already talked about clam pizza, but for non-Americans, this is right up there, too. Even in America, it’s a heated debate: pineapple or no pineapple.
No matter where you stand on the debate, the fact is that pineapple on pizza just isn’t traditional. You’d never find this dish in Italy.
Would pineapple on pizza cause pizza’s forefathers to roll over in their graves? Probably. Is it good anyway? We’ll leave that for you to decide.
American Cheese
Sure, we can all agree that spray cheese isn’t the greatest cuisine to come out of America. But what about American cheese?
You know, those plasticky orange slices of “cheese” manufactured and sold primarily by Kraft? They’re a staple for American grilled cheeses and other simple sandwiches.
As we grow up and try more authentic cheeses, most of us realize that American cheese just isn’t it. But there’s still something nostalgically delicious about the stuff.
Huge Portions
This one isn’t a particular dish. It’s more so the way that American food tends to come in huge, heaping portions that other countries take issue with.
People in many countries are raised to eat everything on their plates. It’s a commendable lesson that leads to less food waste, which we’re all for.
But when those people come to the States, they often find themselves eating two or three times as much as they normally would. The plates are huge.
American Tacos
Here’s something I and many people I know couldn’t agree with more. The American taco is simply an abomination and an insult to authentic tacos everywhere.
It all starts with a hard corn taco shell. Then you add ground beef seasoned with mass-manufactured “taco seasoning” and some nonspecific cheese sauce or shredded cheddar.
Follow that up with diced tomatoes and lots of sour cream, and you have yourself a weird take on a delicious Mexican treat. We’ll take the original.
Deep-Dish Pizza
Residents of Chicago be warned: not everyone is a fan of this Illinois delicacy. To some, it’s an affront to what pizza was meant to be.
Deep-dish pizza is certainly a departure from the classic pizza slice. Rather than a thin crust with cheese and sauce, you have a lot more…of everything.
So while a pig slice of deep-dish pie might look appealing to many Americans, it’s just not appetizing for many others. To each their own!
Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows
Even to many Americans, this dish just doesn’t sound right. Sure, sweet potatoes are sweet. But they’re not a dessert, and they certainly don’t go with marshmallows.
According to Southern Living, this interesting dish likely came from a recipe pamphlet in 1917. It was created and distributed by the Angelus Marshmallow Company.
Surprise surprise, a marshmallow manufacturer was behind the creation of this marshmallow marketing scheme of a recipe. Why do people still make it today? It’s beyond us.
Donut Burger
If you’re looking for a quick way to give yourself a heart attack, look no further than the donut burger. It’s, unfortunately, exactly what it sounds like.
A donut burger is simply a hamburger, but instead of a bun, you’ll find a donut in its place. Honestly, we’re afraid to try it.
There’s some debate about where this culinary combo came from. Paula Deen has claimed its creation as her own, but many trace it back to Luther Vandross.
Sloppy Joes
You can’t deny that a food is gross when it literally has the word “sloppy” in its title. So is it weird that I’m now craving one?
These ultra-messy sandwiches made of ground beef with a thick sauce were the highlight of elementary school hot lunches everywhere. I can just smell it now.
According to Blue Apron, many people attribute the Joe to a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa. Apparently, a cook in 1930 (named Joe, of course) created this masterpiece.
Chicken Gizzards
Let’s take another trip down south to look at this unsettling regional dish. If you don’t know what exactly a “gizzard” is, you’re not alone.
Chicken gizzards, as it turns out, are actually made of the stomach of a chicken. Gizzards actually aren’t just an American ingredient. They’re used in many cuisines worldwide.
In the States, though, chicken gizzards are typically breaded and deep-fried. They need to be thoroughly cleaned first to remove anything…unpalatable…that might be left behind.
Poor Man’s Gravy
Also known as “red-eyed gravy,” this gravy is not what you might expect. Or did you expect it to contain coffee and sometimes cola? I sure didn’t.
This is yet another specialty that comes from America’s south. Usually, it’s made of salt-cured ham drippings mixed into a gravy with coffee. The coffee deglazes the pan.
That might not sound too bad, but what if you replaced the coffee with a splash of cola? We can’t say we’ve tried it, and we probably won’t.
American Nachos
There are two different images I get when I think of “nachos.” One is of a delicious plate of tortilla chips with seasoned ground meat, real cheese, and salsa.
The other? Soggy tortilla chips drenched in queso that you might pick up at the bowling alley. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve had and enjoyed both.
For people in other countries, though, learning that we call the latter “nachos” might come as a shock. It’s just another gross American food that we love.
What’s Your Favorite Gross American Food?
Sure, the foods on this list are gross. But they’re ours. So what’s your favorite messy, weird, or off-putting guilty pleasure when it comes to gross American food?
For me, most of the dishes on this list are just a no-go. I’m not interested in turducken or pickled pigs’ feet, or in bull’s testicles, for that matter.
But occasionally, a Hawaiian pizza just hits the spot. And you can’t tell us at SoYummy that Chicago’s deep-dish pizza doesn’t look delicious. So what if it’s gross?