I write often about how non-Americans view American food, and if the comments are any indication, these stereotypes and connotations about what food in the US actually is (and isn’t) drives many Americans up a wall. So I rounded up a bunch of responses from the BuzzFeed Community. Here are the false “American food tropes” that people are seriously tired of hearing.
1.
“That we all eat processed, greasy foods all the time. I absolutely do not. In fact, the only time I ever eat ‘fast food’ is when I take road trips.”
2.
“I don’t understand people who complain about portion sizes at restaurants in the US. You aren’t being forced to eat the whole thing. Just take it home. It’s a win-win situation.”
3.
“Take it from an American, root beer is very decisive, even among Americans who grew up with it. I recommend trying a root beer float once, but have a Coke on hand if you don’t like the actual taste of root beer.”
4.
“People assume that we’re all super unhealthy, but Americans eat nutritiously too. Carrot sticks with a sandwich is a lunchtime staple, and we also love some quick oats in the morning. And don’t even get me started on our smoothie game.”
5.
“Boxed mac ‘n’ cheese is strictly reserved for convenience. Most Americans know that the real stuff is homemade on a stovetop or baked, and it blows Kraft out of the water.”
6.
“Non-Americans acting like American cheese is the only thing we eat here in the states is SO funny to me.”
7.
“Chicago-style pizza is far from a norm here. I live about two hours south of Chicago and we eat plenty of pizza, but Chicago-style is a treat for once every few months, at most. And we can only manage one slice per person, so it serves as leftovers for another night.”
8.
“That Americans only take their coffee to go. Sure, oftentimes we’re in a rush given our work culture, but I can assure you that if you pop into just about any coffee shop — even in bustling midtown Manhattan — you’ll see plenty of people sitting down while enjoying their coffee. There’s definitely a strong take-out culture here, but we’re not all constantly in a rush.”
9.
“Chicken and waffles is not a southern staple, contrary to much public opinion. It’s what northern people think that southern people eat, but TBH I’m pretty sure it originated in NYC.”
10.
“Deep-fried Oreos always show up on lists of ‘popular’ American foods. They exist, yes. You can get them as a specialty item at fairs and carnivals, but they’re very far from popular.”
11.
“There is no one universal peanut butter and jelly, and it isn’t a garbage food. There IS an important difference between jam, jelly, and preserves. Peanut butter and jelly is one thing, but for me, peanut butter and blackberry preserves hits the spot.”
12.
“I always hear non-Americans complaining that our bread is sweet. It’s certainly not. Sweet bread is sweet, but regular white bread isn’t. Wheat bread isn’t. Sourdough is not sweet. I don’t know what kind of bread tourists are eating.”
13.
“I’ve heard non-Americans hating on American beer, saying American beer is all bad. We have thousands of craft breweries across the country now. Many have won awards around the world. Saying US beer is bad because of Coors is like drinking a Heineken, disliking it, and saying that all European beer is bad.”
14.
“I definitely wouldn’t call it a common American thing to put other foods inside Jell-O to make a Jell-O salad. Like, maybe back in the 1950s this was a thing, but I think we’ve moved on as a country.”
15.
“I’ve heard people say fluffernutter sandwiches are quintessentially American, but I’ve never had a fluffernutter in my life. I have never seen one nor have I never (to my knowledge) known someone who eats them. Maybe they are a more regional food, but I’ve lived on the west coast, the southeast, and middle America and have never come across them.”
16.
“In-N-Out is not the epitome of a good ‘American’ burger. The hype is ridiculous. It’s better than many other fast food places, but it’s still fast food after all. You can find better burgers at many places.”
17.
“Let’s talk American cheese slices. A lot of folks mostly non-Americans) compare it to good quality French cheese as if the latter doesn’t exist in the US. I’ve never bought American cheese thinking ‘gee, this $2 plastic wrapped cheese is just as good as $20 Camembert de Normandie.’ It’s the same idea as buying a 12-pack of cheap beer for $8 vs. a quality bottle of wine for $100. It just serves a certain purpose.”
18.
“It’s hard to generalize American food because many dishes are so regional. I live in the southern Great Lakes region and have never heard of putting marshmallows on sweet potatoes (in fact, we eat roasted sweet potatoes, not sweet potato casserole). Also, fried chicken and waffles not a thing where I’m from.”
19.
“I hear so many people complaining about how unhealthy food is in the US. We may have Krispy Kreme in the states, but Italy has a gelateria on every corner. I gained 10 pounds during my first month there.”
20.
“For whatever reason, it seems as if a lot of non-Americans don’t believe we have freshly baked bread here. This one drives me up the wall. Like yeah, we don’t have it on every corner, most supermarkets have bakeries.”
21.
“No one is claiming that Americanized international foods are ‘authentic.’ But it is distinct. American Chinese food isn’t like authentic Chinese, but it was largely created by Chinese immigrant communities and reflects a unique cultural context. Likewise, ‘American’ Indian food (which is also very British) is a fusion of Indian and Western cuisine and has become its own unique thing.”
22.
“People say that American cuisine is fast food. They are quick to judge ‘American restaurants’ by the American-owned chains that exist in their home countries. KFC is more popular internationally than it is in the US. We don’t all eat at McDonald’s every meal. And no, any restaurant in Times Square is not the norm for the US.”
23.
“In our grocery stores, the shelf space where the Cheetos mac ‘n’ cheese sits is is usually always full. That’s because no Americans want to eat it.”
24.
“I went to Italy, and there was a restaurant selling ‘American pizza,’ which was pizza topped with french fries, hot dogs, and Ranch. The waiter said it’s how everyone eats pizza over there in America. I’m from America…and I’ve never once seen anyone eat that.”
25.
“Why does the world think we all eat Chees Whiz? It’s disgusting, and I’ve literally only seen it eaten once in front of me. That’s because my friends and I bought a can wanting to know if was any good back in high school.”
26.
“That American wine isn’t as good as European wine. We have wines here that rival the best French wines. Literally. In fact, a blind tasting between French wines and California wines resulted in the latter being winners, and what effectively made Napa world-famous.”
What’s a stereotype about American food, culture, or way of life that you’ve heard from non-Americans that simply isn’t true. Tell us in the comments.
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