Everytime someone finds out I’m an international student, the first thing they ask is: “What do you miss the most from your country?” The answer is — and always will be — food. 

My apologies to all Americans reading this, but food in the USA is not that great. 

Fast food? Yes, that’s the best, but actual meals? Those could use some work. Food for me means Sunday lunches where my family gets together and sits down to eat the feast my aunt spent all day cooking. It means, above all, sharing moments and making memories with those you love. 

While all that is still true to me, American cuisine made me rethink a lot of nutritional choices with foods that probably don’t have much thought put into them. Here are some American cuisine occurrences that will always remain a mystery to me.

First of all, we need to talk about Ranch. What is it? A salad dressing? A condiment? Dipping sauce? All of the above shouldn’t be an option, yet somehow it is the answer. Ranch was created by Steve Henson, a Nebraskan plumber on a construction trip in Alaska in 1949. How can one trust something created by a plumber? Google says it is a salad dressing. Therefore, here is my request to all you ranch lovers out there: stop putting it on pizza, fries, wings and any other foods that are not salad.

Not everything needs to be fried and not everything needs to be put on a stick. Proof of that is the corn dog, which is basically a fried hot dog. There is no clear creator for this deep-fried dish, but I would guess that it was born from curiosity and a nearby fryer. I can grasp the concept of  a corn dog, yet will refrain from accepting one.

Then we have beef jerky.  Americans, how far is too far? While it’s a somewhat good idea,  it reminds me too much of the treats you give to dogs, and it smells like them too. To all the brave beef jerky lovers out there, I give you the utmost respect.

The last thing I wish to address is root beer. I’ll admit, this one I kind of like. However, it has to be included, as it still is very weird. I can’t even describe what it tastes like. It’s soda but it isn’t. It’s not bad, but I can’t honestly say it’s good either.

In conclusion, American cuisine is very much … eccentric. There are wonders within it, such as Pop-Tarts or pancakes, but I think most of it will always be weird to me. I still make an effort to try new things, even those I know are terrible — yes, I am referring to ranch. 

I have to admit I’ll never get used to dinner at 6 p.m. — which is completely inconceivable to someone who is used to 8 p.m. dinners. I encourage you, Tigers, to try a traditional dish from a different culture. Food is a way to discover and learn about new places, and it is one of the many ways we can see how different and similar we all are.

Edited by Abby Henshaw, ahenshaw@themaneater.com