British and American food cultures may share some similarities, but there are certain dishes from across the pond that just don’t sit right with most of us Brits.
While Americans love their bold flavours, extreme portion sizes, and often bizarre combinations, many British people find some of their favourite foods downright off-putting. Whether it’s their overly sweet concoctions to things that barely qualify as food, these are just some of the American foods that most of us struggle to stomach (or even think about!) here in the UK.
1. Biscuits and gravy
For Brits, biscuits are sweet, crunchy, and best enjoyed with a cup of tea. But in the US, they’re soft, doughy, and smothered in a thick, greyish sausage gravy—which, to many of us, looks like something that should never be poured over bread.
It’s not just the appearance that’s off-putting; it’s the combination itself. A buttery scone-like bread covered in a heavy, savoury sauce just feels wrong when you’ve grown up associating biscuits with jam or clotted cream. While Americans swear by it as a comforting breakfast, Brits tend to see it as a textural nightmare.
2. Grits
Ask most Brits what grits are, and you’ll get blank stares. But once they find out it’s essentially a bowl of corn-based porridge, reactions tend to be mixed—at best. The idea of a bland, gloopy dish made from ground corn doesn’t exactly scream delicious.
Even when served with cheese or butter, grits still struggle to impress our taste buds. The texture, which is somewhere between mashed potatoes and wallpaper paste, is a big reason why most of us take one bite while on holiday in the States and decide never to try it again.
3. Meatloaf
There’s something deeply unsettling about a slab of minced meat baked into the shape of a loaf. While we’re no strangers to minced meat dishes — think shepherd’s pie or meat pies, both of which are delicious — there’s something about slicing meat like a loaf of bread that just feels wrong.
To make matters worse, many American versions are topped with a layer of ketchup, which just adds another level of confusion. While it’s a beloved comfort food in the US, we tend to struggle to get past its dense, brick-like appearance.
4. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Americans treat PB&J like the ultimate childhood staple, but for Brits, the combination of peanut butter and jam (because let’s be honest, it’s jam) is just bizarre. Mixing a savoury, nutty spread with something sweet and fruity doesn’t seem natural.
While peanut butter has gained popularity in the UK, the idea of pairing it with jam still doesn’t sit well with many. We tend to prefer jam on toast or peanut butter on its own, and the thought of combining them often leads to scepticism at best and disgust at worst.
5. Deep-fried butter
It’s hard to explain deep-fried butter without it sounding like a parody of American excess. Often found at state fairs, this artery-clogging invention is exactly what it sounds like: a stick of butter, battered and deep-fried until golden. Oh, and with a bit of batter on it!
For most Brits, the idea of eating butter as a main ingredient, let alone in deep-fried form, is completely baffling. While Americans insist it melts into a rich, creamy centre, we’re mostly left wondering why it exists in the first place.
6. Hershey’s chocolate
British people take their chocolate seriously, which is why many find American chocolate, particularly Hershey’s, completely inedible. The problem? It has a distinct, almost sour aftertaste, which comes from butyric acid — something also found in vomit.
Compared to the creamy, rich texture of Cadbury’s (which is nowhere near as good as it used to be, either!), Hershey’s often tastes waxy and artificial to us. While Americans have grown up with it and don’t notice the difference, most of us take one bite and immediately wonder if something has gone off.
7. Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows
For most Brits, sweet potatoes are a savoury food — roasted, mashed, or made into fries. The American tradition of turning them into a sugary, dessert-like casserole topped with marshmallows is a complete mystery.
It’s not just that it’s overly sweet; it’s the combination of textures and flavours that doesn’t make sense. Mixing soft, mashed sweet potatoes with sticky, melted marshmallows feels unnecessary when the dish would taste perfectly fine without the added sugar overload.
8. Corn dogs
A hot dog on a stick, covered in a thick layer of deep-fried cornbread batter — it’s one of the most American foods out there. While it’s a staple at fairs and sports events in the US, most people from this country struggle to see the appeal.
Maybe it’s the slightly sweet flavour of the batter combined with the saltiness of the hot dog, or maybe it’s the sheer density of it, but corn dogs don’t usually go down well with British taste buds. The idea of eating a deep-fried sausage on a stick just feels unnecessary when a proper sausage roll exists.
9. Cool Whip
Whipped cream is a simple thing: fresh, airy, and made from actual cream. But in America, there’s Cool Whip — a processed, long-life, oil-based version that barely resembles the real thing. For those of us used to fresh dairy products, it’s a hard no.
The texture is oddly thick, the flavour is artificial, and the fact that it can sit in a tub for months without going bad is more than a little concerning. When real whipped cream exists, it’s hard to see why anyone would choose a synthetic alternative.
10. Spray cheese
Cheese should not come in a can. Full stop. Yet, in America, you can find “Easy Cheese” in a pressurised aerosol can, ready to be squirted onto crackers, sandwiches, or straight into someone’s mouth.
For people from the UK, this is an absolute culinary crime, an abomination. Cheese is meant to be aged, rich, and full of flavour — not foamy and shelf-stable for years. While Americans see it as a fun, nostalgic snack, we’re usually horrified by its very existence.
