When visitors step into an American diner for the first time, their eyes often widen with a mixture of fascination and bewilderment. The towering stacks of syrup-drenched pancakes, the mysterious white gravy smothering flaky biscuits, and the curious combination of sweet waffles topped with fried chicken can leave international travelers scratching their heads. These morning meals that seem perfectly normal to most Americans often represent a cultural culinary shock to those who grew up on lighter continental breakfasts or savory rice dishes.
Biscuits and Gravy: The Great Breakfast Confusion
Europeans expect biscuits to be sweet cookies, not fluffy, flaky bread smothered in thick, peppery sausage gravy! Many Europeans find the concept of savoury ‘biscuits’ completely foreign. The confusion starts right with the terminology and only deepens from there. If you want to see foreigners truly puzzled, mention biscuits and gravy. In the U.S., it’s diner breakfast 101. The heavy, filling nature of this dish particularly bewilders visitors who typically prefer lighter morning fare. Picture trying to explain to a French person why you’re pouring what looks like wallpaper paste over bread first thing in the morning. British people, in particular, might be reluctant to try biscuits and gravy because they’ll probably think the recipe uses their version of biscuits: the equivalent of an American shortbread cookie. Now, cookies and gravy are tough to get your head around!
Chicken and Waffles: When Breakfast Meets Dinner
It’s the same story with chicken and waffles, which many foreigners consider to be one of the weirdest foods in America. A Southern staple now available all over the country, chicken and waffles confuse so many foreigners because they are used to both ingredients, just not as a combo. Crispy fried chicken perched atop golden waffles, drizzled with maple syrup? Europeans often gasp at this sweet-savoury marriage that crosses breakfast and dinner boundaries. The combination of sweet breakfast food with dinner protein simply doesn’t compute in European breakfast culture. The mental gymnastics required to process this dish can be exhausting for foreign visitors. In many countries, waffles are served as a sweet dish, often accompanied by fruit, chocolate, and cream. The thought of adding fried chicken and then possibly eggs is kind of overwhelming for them. Think about it from their perspective: would you put ice cream on your steak?
Sugar-Loaded Breakfast Cereals
The high sugar content in American foods, especially in items like breakfast cereals and bread, is frequently startling to foreigners. This sweetness level, much higher than in many other countries, can make everyday foods taste unexpectedly dessert-like to those from different culinary backgrounds. Although healthfulness is strongly associated with breakfast cereal among consumers, it is recognized as a leading food source for added sugars. It can even contain more sugar per serving than ice cream or a donut. For instance, studies have shown that popular American cereals often contain significantly more sugar per serving than their international counterparts. Foreign visitors often wonder how Americans can justify calling something breakfast when it contains more sugar than most desserts. Yet, many popular cereals on grocery store shelves are comparable to candy with the amount of sugar they pack. And that’s especially bad if you’re sitting down to a bowl for breakfast.
Pancakes Drowned in Syrup
From towering stacks of pancakes drenched in syrup to savoury dishes piled high with meat, American breakfasts can be a real eye-opener for Europeans. What feels normal in the United States often looks unusual abroad, from the portion sizes to the bold flavour pairings. American pancakes are often served in stacks, with butter and maple syrup – an ingredient that is difficult to find in Europe, despite the reasonable number of maple trees that grow there. The British reaction is particularly telling: What blows my mind (as a Brit) is that you seem to eat pancakes with bacon? That just seems insane! European pancakes are thin like crepes and often eaten with simple toppings like lemon and sugar, making the American version seem like an architectural marvel of breakfast excess. I only ever eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, with lemon and sugar. Having them for breakfast and with bacon (which is best served in a sandwich whilst hungover) is crazy talk to me.
Grits: The Mystery Mush
What the fuck even is grits? It sounds like the most unappetising thing ever. ‘I had grits for breakfast’ – WHY ARE YOU EATING TINY ROCKS? This visceral reaction from foreigners perfectly captures the bewilderment that grits inspire. If you’ve spent time in the South, you know they’re everywhere. Creamy, boiled cornmeal – sometimes plain, sometimes dressed up with cheese or butter. To Southerners, it’s basic food. To Americans outside the South, it’s at least familiar. But abroad? Total mystery. Even the word “grits” throws people off. Grits are a Southern staple made from ground corn, but their appearance and texture can surprise the uninitiated. Served hot and often topped with butter, cheese, or shrimp, they resemble porridge but taste far more savory. Many foreigners can’t quite decide if grits belong at breakfast or dinner. The confusion is understandable when you consider that most cultures don’t eat what essentially looks like wallpaper paste for their morning meal.
Pop-Tarts: Candy Masquerading as Breakfast
Pop Tarts are revolting? That’s what one foreigner claimed according to Business Insider. Beyond their flavor, they couldn’t even understand why they were eaten for breakfast. Despite being beloved throughout the U.S., particularly among children, they haven’t had much success elsewhere. Foreigners find the artificial fillings and over-sweetened icing too much, especially first thing in the morning. These toaster-ready snacks are filled with frosting and flavored fillings like strawberry or s’mores. For many American kids, they’re a nostalgic breakfast – quick, sweet, and fun. Travelers, however, can’t believe anyone calls them “food,” let alone a meal. The idea of eating what is essentially a flat cake wrapped in foil for breakfast strikes many foreigners as the height of American food absurdity. Perhaps it’s the sweetness of the pastries themselves that foreigners find revolting – or the strange consistency of the filling. Can you blame them for questioning a breakfast that requires no preparation beyond popping it in a toaster?
Bacon and Eggs: The Protein-Heavy Morning Shock
Breakfast doesn’t get any better than bacon and eggs, but only if you’re in America. According to the Houston Press, this simple common American breakfast is weird to foreigners. There are several reasons why the American breakfast of bacon and eggs might seem strange to foreigners. Firstly, the concept of eating meat for breakfast is not common in many cultures. In countries like Japan and China, breakfast often consists of rice, soup, and vegetables. Similarly, in many European countries, breakfast is typically light and consists of bread, cheese, and sometimes fruit. The sheer quantity of protein Americans consume in the morning can be overwhelming for visitors accustomed to lighter fare. Apparently in France they would prefer a crossiant or baguette for breakfast. In Japan, a combination of rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables, seaweed, and grilled fish is preferred. In Russia, a porridge-like food called Kasha is a popular breakfast staple. In Columbia they want an arepa, while those across the globe in India want chutneys and dips with their flatbread.
What makes all these breakfast bizarreness particularly fascinating is how they reflect deeper cultural differences about food, timing, and indulgence. While Americans embrace the philosophy that breakfast should fuel you for a hard day’s work with substantial portions and bold flavors, many other cultures view the morning meal as a gentle awakening for the digestive system. These seven breakfast traditions continue to perplex and sometimes horrify foreign visitors, yet they remain stubbornly, wonderfully American.
What do you think about these breakfast culture clashes? Have you witnessed a foreigner’s reaction to any of these American morning staples?
