As someone who has never visited the USA, I am fascinated by the country. I'm drawn to the iconic landmarks, the unique history, and, most importantly, the amazing food. Taco Bell, Wendy's and Chick-Fil-A are the stuff of legends to me, and I long to experience the greasy goodness that only American fast food seems able to offer.
It seems that I'm not the only one either, as one Reddit thread revealed the foods that non-US folks are simply itching to taste...
1. Corndogs
I can safely say, hand-on-heart, that I don't have the slightest inkling what a corndog is. Is it just a hot dog on a stick? What exactly is corny about it? I've no idea, but I want it. Reddit user, 'chinuplad' feels the same, as they wrote: "I'm from Scotland and we have battered sausages aplenty from the chip shops, so I'd love to see how corndogs compare."
2. Sweet/savoury food
Where I'm from, a proper breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, mushrooms and toast. Sometimes with tomatoes and black pudding, if you're in the mood for it. However, in the states, there seems to be some fascination with putting syrup on breakfast - and all over savoury foods for that matter. User 'd44nny' said they were most interested in "Chicken and waffles with maple syrup" as part of a sweet/savoury combo, adding: "[it] sounds so wrong but still I need to try this".
3. State fair food
"I want to go to an American state fair and eat everything in sight," wrote H3ll0KITTYBEC. I'm not even entirely sure what a state fair is, but I totally agree with this sentiment.
4. Biscuits and gravy
As someone from the UK, this sounds gross. For us, biscuits are cookies, and gravy is that brown stuff you pour over your roast dinner on a Sunday afternoon. 'NorthEasternGhost' seemed to think the same thing, saying, "I've seen pictures of it before... it's not at all what I imagine when I hear 'biscuits and gravy' and I want to know what that is supposed to taste like." After doing a bit of research, I realise it's more like some kind of scone with meat grease - and I want it immediately.
5. Pumpkin pie
My only experience with pumpkins is tearing their guts out to make a lantern at Halloween, so I'm curious to find out what they'd taste like as a dessert. 'DriftingCloud' was also keen to try the sweet treat, lamenting the fact that, "canned pumpkin is only imported from the US and hence expensive". Curse you, import duties.
6. Gumbo
This is something I've only ever heard mentioned in films, despite having a few good friends from North America. Various users on Reddit said they were eager to try the dish - especially the authentic stuff from Louisiana.
7. Grits
Again, this is something that gets lost in translation, as - to me - grit is the stuff you put on roads in winter to stop them icing over. Not tasty. However, user catusmi helpfully explained that it's actually "very similar to polenta". Tasty.
8. Bagels
Yes, bagels exist outside of the States. Yes, you can get them in pretty much any store that sells other kinds of bread. But do we have the variety the USA has? No way. As Long Islander 'pyth1100' explained: "I take quality bagels for granted far too often. A real egg bagel, toasted with veggie cream cheese, that's how you start the day." Great, now I'm drooling.
9. Beef jerky
"Beef jerky seems really interesting," wrote Calcifer1. This is something I have actually tried, and I have to say I was a little confused by the whole experiences. It's chewy, sort of sweet, and not really what I was expecting from cured meat. However, I can see why others would want to give it a go.
10. Literally everything
"Australian here," wrote user helpiamabanana. "I want to try everything in Walmart or Costco or whatever the hell it is." Um, can I be the first to say,
SAME. American stores look like food heaven, and if I ever get the chance to visit, Walmart will be one of the first places I check out.
So, there you have it. Or don't have it. It all depends on where you're reading from, I guess.
