Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
Americans Reveal 30 Things Non-Americans Do That Are Like Breaking Spaghetti In Front Of Italians
Interview With Expert
Culture and food have been representing civilizations ever since they came into existence. Curiously, the people who are part of it don’t really appreciate it when someone does something against their culture. And it’s pretty universal, if you think.
I'm sure that anyone speaking badly about gladiator fights would offend ancient Romans, just like anyone speaking badly about cricket offends Indians right now. So, when Americans were asked, “What is the American equivalent to breaking spaghetti in front of Italians?” they instantly voiced their thoughts. We have compiled some of the best ones for you, just scroll down and see!
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Putting the knife covered in peanut butter in the jar of jelly or jam.
Uncle Panda 7 months ago (edited)
Amateur. You lick the peanut butter off the knife before using it for the jelly.
Karl der Große 7 months ago
Did this yesterday. I regret it, but I can't say that I never do this.
Janelle Collard 7 months ago
If you're the only one using the peanut butter + jelly or jam, I don't see anything wrong with it.
Load More Replies...
Auntriarch 7 months ago
I remember seeing jars of both substances, like a peanut butter and jam ripple, did I imagine that?
ColdSteelRonin 7 months ago
Been around a long time. In the 80s when my dad would do the shopping he would get it rather than 2 separate items. The product he would get was called Goober Grape. It's an abomination in my opinion.
Load More Replies...
Upstaged75 7 months ago
My mom does this. It makes us crazy. Sometimes I just want toast with jelly and don't want it to taste like peanut butter! I like peanut butter and I like jelly - but not together. I've never seen the appeal.
Huddo's sister 6 months ago
I hate it when people in Australia do this with vegemite and butter
RELATED:
#2
There was a guy on TikTok visiting from the UK and they went to a Mexican restaurant and poured the salsa over the chips in the basket. That did me in.
ElfVibratorGlitter 7 months ago
Only if there's other stuff already on them and then they're nachos.
Kabuki Kitsune 7 months ago
The guys from "Jolly" on Youtube did this. Which makes me think the TikTok video that OP saw, was stolen, as the "Jolly" guys don't upload to TikTok.
Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost 7 months ago
I live in Arizona. My eyeballs just fell out of my head!!!
Maggie Fulton 7 months ago
When I was a kid, my niece visited Phoenix from Chicago. We went to a Mexican restaurant, and she unrolled her enchilada to cut it up.
Barbara Wilcock 7 months ago
If you pay for you food,it's your choice how and what you do with it
Matt Baxter 7 months ago
I absolutely would. Dousing a communal basket of tortillas wouldn't make you mad?
Load More Replies...
Vanessa Panerosa 7 months ago
I went to a burger restaurant yesterday and they made guacamole tableside. . . Using only avocados, onions and a lime wedge. What’s up with the production value if you’re omitting half of the ingredients? I just wanted to purchase some cilantro, garlic and salt and finish the job for them (and also introduce them to actual Mexican food). You’d think for a country they conquered they’d be a bit more familiar with it, Barcelona is sorely lacking in good Mexican cuisine.
#3
I watched a guy from NJ roll a NY style pizza from tip to crust and eat it like a burrito. I saw a NY guy watch that, and I saw his soul leave his body that day.
Ace 7 months ago
So how would you react to a European eating it with a knife and fork like a civilised person?
Nikki Sevven 7 months ago
It depends on the pizza. If it's a deep dish or has loads of messy toppings, I'd eat it with a knife and fork, and I'm American.
Load More Replies...
BrunoVI 7 months ago
I think we're trying to trade it to Denmark, but they don't want it.
Load More Replies...
tameson 7 months ago
I'm from New Jersey and I love NY style pizza. But it is exceedingly greasy, You have to do something to control the grease or you will end up with it all over your face and probably your clothes too. I used to fold it in half, but even then you would get grease dripping from the end. I often would blot it with a napkin and then fold it. So I think I understand this guy's reason for rolling it up.
Andrei Iepure 7 months ago
First you guys need to figure out what pizza is. What you have is not it
I don't know about you, but while scrolling through the list, I realized that food and culture are literally like inseparable besties. Even though I am somewhat of a foodie, who can understand food better than a chef? That's why Bored Panda interviewed Sakshi Kulkarni, a chef at the 5-star restaurant Soho House in Mumbai.
She mentioned that she has learned about and loves to cook food from all types of cuisines. Whether it be Indian, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, or American, she has tried her hand at all, and expressed that food is intricately related to the culture of that country. It's so much more than just fuel for our body; rather, it tells the tale of our heritage, history, and what truly makes us us, Sakshi expressed.
"In some cultures, food is also tied to pride. So when someone messes with how that food is 'supposed' to be made or eaten (like breaking spaghetti in half before boiling it), it’s not just about the food. It’s about what that action represents," she added.
#4
Raisins in the potato salad, at least to some.
Nicole Weymann 7 months ago
"To SOME"?? I wouldn't even have guessed the pic was showing potato salad. I like raisins and almonds well enough in müesli and apple strudel, but THIS is blasphemy. I wouldn't even put corn in there, but it doesn't induce an immediate cringe either. (For the cooking enthusiasts and for some perspective: my potato salad includes vinaigrette, sometimes sour cream and/or mayonnaise, sauteed onions, sometimes cucumber and/or hard boiled eggs and apple slivers, parsley and sometimes chives)
Load More Replies... 
Karynne Williams 7 months ago
I can honestly say I have never in 55 years of life, seen raisins in potato salad, ever. I think this is an urban myth
geezeronthehill 7 months ago
Its a fiber bomb. If consumed, stay near facilities.
Load More Replies...
Bored Retsuko 7 months ago
I love raisins in (some) dishes. But yeah, doesn't really fit with corn.
Karl der Große 7 months ago
My grandmother made it like that. If it was a holiday, she would use golden raisins (sultanas) and black raisins. I actually like it like this.
#5
Cooking a steak well done.
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 7 months ago
I’m sorry but unless it’s cooked to death I just can’t palate it.
BrunoVI 7 months ago
Who TF keeps piling on the down votes to NoName? It wasn't the funniest joke in the world, but it was harmless and mildly amusing.
Load More Replies...
Beth Wheeler 7 months ago
It ain't done if it ain't well done. You can still have a tender juicy steak that's well done
nottheactualphoto 7 months ago
How? And I mean steak (rib eye at al), not something you would braise, such as brisket or chuck.
Load More Replies...
Child of the Stars 7 months ago
Cooked properly, a well done steak is still juicy and flavorful.
Kenny Kulbiski 7 months ago
Wine snobs,then beer snobs now we've got steak snobs.I like steak but it's just a piece of cow. You don't need all that mystical ritual. Just cook it like you like it.
Janissary35680 7 months ago (edited)
A Turkish comedian had a routine of "advice" for his countrymen visiting the US for the first time. One of the items was "Be sure to tell the waiter you want your steak cooked. If you don't, they'll forget to do it." 😄
Rick Murray 7 months ago
Living in France I have to say "well done" (which means everything from pink in the middle to cremated). I technically like it pink in the middle, which is "à point", but I've had times when I've asked for that and it's come out actually raw in the middle. The French have many categories of "show it a flame and consider it done" and very little in the way of "actually use that flame on that meat". These days I tend to buy a bit of meat and do it myself, it's far less hassle.
Tabitha 7 months ago (edited)
So, if I prefer my steak cooked Pittsburgh style (my absolute favorite way to eat steak), how would I order it in France?
Load More Replies...
Peter Bear 7 months ago
Y'all just shut up about this. The customer is always right in matters of taste; you eat your steak however you like, and let other people eat what they pay for.
#6
Ketchup and mustard belong on hot dogs. It's the norm in the south. Fight me.
David 7 months ago
I hope you mean NYC Onion Relish and NY Deli Mustard, the proper way
Load More Replies...
Nuku Nyara 7 months ago
I also eat my hot dogs with at least ketchup and mustard, my corndog as well. My ratio leans a bit towards mustard with just a touch of ketchup. Give me some dill relish and onions as well.
Beth Wheeler 7 months ago
Mustard, chili, slaw and onions is the way most of us southerners eat hot dogs
Upstaged75 7 months ago
No ketchup for me!! Mustard is the best. Adding chili, cheese, and onions is good too. There's a place called Haute Dog near me that makes the most amazing stuff. 20 different kinds of hot dogs as well as other delicious food.
Snakebite Mcghee 7 months ago
If I have to eat a lips and a*****e sandwich it's with sweet relish and ketchup
The Darkest Timeline 7 months ago
Oh, look at fancy-pants, “no tongues in my hot dogs” person over here! How do you do, your majesty?
Load More Replies...
Igor914624 7 months ago
"Dirty" Harry Callahan famously states, "Nobody - I mean nobody puts ketchup on a hot dog!"
Rick Murray 7 months ago
Ketchup, mayo, those weird onions that are like fried and boiled at the same time, and forget the hotdog. That'll do me.
Mel in Georgia 7 months ago
There are so many ways to make a delicious dog - Chicago dogs, chili dogs, corn dogs, cheez whiz on dogs, chutney on dogs ... wait, I'm starting to sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump ... anyway, I love them all!
Nikole 7 months ago
I hate yellow mustard and live in Chicago. No one really gives a shít. You know what makes an awesome hot dog topper? Guacamole with a lot of onions. You’re welcome.
Load More Replies...Sakshi elaborated that in a lot of cuisines, there are really specific ways things are done. Not just because it tastes better that way, but because those methods have been passed down for generations, she said.
"Grandma did it that way, her grandma did it that way, and so on. So when someone comes along and does something totally different, especially if they act like it's better, or if they don’t seem to care, it can feel like they’re ignoring or disrespecting that whole history," she noted.
Also, Sakshi believes that some of these food violations reinforce stereotypes or just get things totally wrong. She gave an example of when people dump pineapple on everything and call it “Hawaiian,” or they mash random stuff into "fusion" dishes without understanding the originals. As per her, it can feel like people are making a cartoon version of a culture’s food instead of actually appreciating it.
#7
Apparently it’s common in the UK to drink instant coffee. The way they feel about heating up water for tea in a microwave is the way I feel about their instant coffee.
Heffalump 7 months ago
UK person. Never bothered about people heating water in the microwave: I've done it myself. The problem is that many Americans put the teabag in first, then heat the water, boiling the teabag. This just makes the tea disgusting tasting.
Upstaged75 7 months ago
I'm American and I've literally NEVER seen or known anyone who puts the bag in first. The majority of us at least know how tea works - even if some do heat the water in the microwave.
Load More Replies...
Karl der Große 7 months ago
I lived close to the US border with Mexico for a while. There are a lot of people from Sonora who are so used to the taste of instant coffee that they will continue to drink it even when drip coffee is available and less expensive. I imagine it is true of the other states of Mexico, too.
Pittsburgh rare 7 months ago
I'm Spanish and growing up instant coffee was everywhere, so I got used to it. I still like it
Load More Replies...
Ace 7 months ago
This is a fair point. I'm from the UK, but been living in Europe for 26 years and using proper bean-to-cup machines for 20-odd. Going back to the UK occasionally I'm often surprised by the continued use of instant coffee. Although TBF it's still better than most of the "coffee" I've been served in the US...
Nina 7 months ago
You do know the UK is part of Europe right? Brexit didn't get you out of that
Load More Replies... Michelle C 7 months ago
Instant coffee is decent if made well; for example, the German brand Mount Hagen is excellent!
Upstaged75 7 months ago
I'm not sure it's really considered coffee, but back in college I used to drink those powdered instant International Delight things. They're probably closer to hot chocolate than coffee. But they were pretty tasty. 😊
Nikole 7 months ago (edited)
Were those the ones that had women talking about their vacation to Paris and the waiter was named Jean Luc?! I could have eaten the French Vanilla kind by the dry spoonful… (but I was maybe 13 or 14).
Load More Replies...
Bret Sander 7 months ago
Satan, "I'm here to make your life miserable" Me, "I thought that's what instant coffee and non dairy creamer were for".
SlothyK8 7 months ago
Look, people: I'm a civilized American. I own TWO electric kettles for tea and would never dream of nuking a cup of water. But instant coffee? NOOOOOO!!!
Börje Strömming 7 months ago
Isn’t your American coffee kinda meh anyhow? Not trying to be rude, just what ive heard. Either meh or a sugarbomb.
Load More Replies...
#8
Warm soda no ice.
Vanessa Panerosa 7 months ago
Room temp coffee? I feel like the first half of my day is dedicated to the battle against that 🤣🤣
Load More Replies...
Andrew Bridge 7 months ago
Funnily enough coca cola was invented before refrigeration so it's supposed to be room temperature
Becky Samuel 7 months ago
Ice boxes were in use long before the invention of Coca-Cola.
Load More Replies...
Upstaged75 7 months ago
I admit it. I'm an ice fiend. My dad often accuses me of using an "excessive amount" of ice. 🙄 Which is basically like saying I'm using too much water. 😂 I just like stuff cold. I don't even drink coffee because I dislike any warm beverages.
AuspiciousTree283 7 months ago
They need to chill with the ice (no pun intended). It dilutes the flavor too quickly.
#9
Ketchup on Pizza, I saw this in Mexico & was floorredddd.
Ghostpotato 7 months ago
So how do you guys feel about ketchup on pasta? It's very normal here in Sweden, elbow macaroni with meatballs or sasauge and ketchup is a typical kids meal.
featherytoad 7 months ago
I was sitting around one day and wondering what I could add to my pepperoni pizza just for something different. Sour cream was pretty good on it.
Janissary35680 7 months ago
The local Domino's includes little packets of mayo and ketchup in the box along with the pizza. The first time I though it was a mistake because they have hamburger menus too but nope. Mayo and ketchup every time. 🤷♂️
Our expert also narrated that sometimes, food customs are like unspoken rules in a community, and doing things a certain way, like how you eat, when you eat, and what you eat, is part of fitting in. She said that when someone breaks those rules, even if it’s harmless, it can come across like they’re clueless or not making an effort to understand.
"At the end of the day, people usually aren’t offended just because you broke pasta or added ketchup to something you shouldn’t. What really bothers them is what it seems to say that their culture, their traditions, maybe even their identity, don’t matter to you."
"Of course, if you’re doing it out of convenience or because you just didn’t know, most people aren’t going to flip out. Intent does matter. But still, making a little effort to understand and respect food traditions goes a long way. It shows you care. And honestly, that’s what people really want," Sakshi explained.
#10
America has a lot of different regional foods, but as an east coast guy, a cheesesteak is a really simple "dish" composed of shredded up steak with melted cheese on a hoagie roll. It's so simple I did not think it could be f****d up.
Then I traveled some. Wow, I was f*****g wrong. I have seen a cheesesteak made in every wrong combination it possibly could be, but the worst was ordering a "Philadelphia Cheese Steak" on a cruise ship and getting an actual steak with a slice of cheese melted onto it. I was completely flabbergasted.
Karl der Große 7 months ago
The cook saw the name of the food and improvised a recipe. Be glad you didn't order the toad in the hole.
Tabitha 7 months ago
Then why didn’t the chef use Philadelphia cream cheese? I mean, if you’re going for the most ludicrous interpretation of something you’re obviously clueless about, why not go whole hog with it?
Load More Replies...
jet 7 months ago
On a cruise, ordered the Coney Island Hot Dog, which I really really wanted. They put a sausage on a hoagie roll in front of me and my soul was just crushed.
Nicole Weymann 7 months ago (edited)
Okay, I googled both just now (not being familiar with the finer points differentiating a hot dog from a C I Hot Dog, or a hoagie from a CIHD "bun"). I still have no idea.
Load More Replies... Al Fun 7 months ago
I would rather eat a properly prepared steak with a slice of cheese than a cheesesteak
Beaker72 7 months ago
Totally agree, if anything the OP should be grateful to the chef for showing them the error of their ways
Load More Replies... Jean Novotny 7 months ago
On the west coast we like our cheesesteak sandwiches with meat and cheese also added with green peppers and cooked onions.
Bill Swallow 7 months ago
Peppers and Onions are more than acceptable on a good cheesesteak.
Load More Replies...
Upstaged75 7 months ago
Real Philly cheesesteaks are supposed to have Cheez Whiz on them. 🤮 I prefer provolone.
BeesEelsAndPups 7 months ago
No, that's just Pat's and Gino's. Those places are tourist traps. Normally they will use American cheese, which I also dislike. But the fact is a real Philadelphia Cheesesteak has whatever cheese you put on it. I make mine with Steakums, fried onions and mushrooms, and provolone.
Load More Replies... Bill Swallow 7 months ago
Be glad it wasn't served with Philadelphia Cream Cheese on it! Reminds me - I need to go hit Fuddruckers sometime for one of their Rib Eye sandwiches...
Stannous Flouride 7 months ago
There's a really funny bit by a stand-up comedian who was warned in advance about asking a Philadelphia audience where to get the "best vegetarian Philly Cheese Steak." But then does it anyway with exactly the results that were predicted.
#11
Eating a hot dog in a bun from the side instead of the end.
ptm45 7 months ago
who cares how someone eats hotdogs, in your gut they're a disgusting mess anyway
Load More Replies...
zak 7 months ago
Although, I suppose a vegetarian could eat one like it's corn on the cob, and just throw out the cob/weiner 🤔
Vanessa Panerosa 7 months ago
I can also shove fistfuls of spaghetti in my mouth with my bare hands but I think that this is a “you” problem
George Costanza 7 months ago
I don't think anyone actually does this. Only idiots on TikTok/YouTube do nonsense like that.
#12
I once watched in horror as my bothers trailer park GF put ketchup on top of a $50 Filet Mignon. When she asked the waiter for ketchup he looked concerned.
Vanessa Panerosa 7 months ago
Living in Europe I’ve come to realize I find they are very set in their ways about a lot of things, but then you go and say something like that and I would literally throw my body between you and the Heinz
Load More Replies...
Gabby Ghoul 7 months ago
Honestly, filet mignon is almost flavorless. Super tender, but kinda flavorless. Ribeye is where's it's at.
S Bow 7 months ago
Absolutely agree, bone in ribeye for the win. Can't afford it anymore, but the memories are delicious.
Load More Replies...
JL 7 months ago
The customer is always right in matters of taste. You don't have to like it but not much you can do about it.
Nicole Weymann 7 months ago (edited)
Well, technically there are at least two things they could do (though someone earning their living as a cook or server will likely do neither): 1) not bring them the ketchup 2) refuse service in general/throw them out. It would needlessly escalate the situation, but I could definitely see how a server or Michelin star cook might be tempted. Imagine a 250 € menue created by a renown artist, the restaurant booked months or even years in advance - and one of the patrons occupying a much coveted seat drowns your masterpiece in food additives. It's disrespectful, if not downright rude, and a host might feel justified in exercising property rights.
Load More Replies...
Beth Wheeler 7 months ago
NOOOOOOOO. Don't put ketchup on steak especially an expensive steak!
Having said all of that, Sakshi also stressed that everyone has their own style and preference for cooking and eating food. She is sure that just as she is displeased by some things that other people do, similarly, they might also not like the way she cooks or eats something.
"And that's perfectly fine, too. The food police can frown all they want, but if that's what makes you comfortable, you do it that way. Just keep in mind that you don't do it purposely to offend them. I mean, don't go looking for trouble by purposely breaking pasta under the nose of an Italian who already takes too much pride in their food," she summed up.
#13
Squashing all the juice out of the steak with the turner while it’s on the grill.
SlothyK8 7 months ago
My mother's special grilled steak recipe: Buy the worst quality steak available. Drop it onto the coals and give a squirt of vegetable oil to get the coals to flame up. Poke the steak repeatedly with a fork so that all of the juices drip onto the coals, making the flames worse. Flip the steak over and repeat. To check doneness, compare the steak's color and texture to a pair of used WWII-era combat boots. Serve with a table saw.
Geohann Luther Yenco 7 months ago
honestly i would do this a little bit so it won't be greasy.
#14
Eating chicken wings (the quintessential American party food), but leaving a bunch of meat between the two bones of those flat pieces as you discard the bones.
**EDIT:** No, actually, not eating chicken wings badly.
Putting a cast iron pan into the dishwasher. Eating chicken wings incompetently will get you dirty looks, the second one will get you written out of grandpa's will.
Beth Wheeler 7 months ago
Don't ever put cast iron in a dishwasher. Wash it by hand, dry it really good and wipe it with oil to season it.
Karl der Große 7 months ago
You can't go back in time to raise these people right. You might as well try to live with them.
#15
Pouring milk before the cereal.
Artoonist Corine 7 months ago
I can't stand my cereal to get soggy. I pour milk then put enough cereal to cover the top, eat it then repeat = no soggy cereal.
winterwidow87 7 months ago
I hate soggy cereal too but i still put cereals before milk. I put the cereals in the bowl and then i put just enough milk to cover the top. No soggy cereal.
Load More Replies... Karl der Große 7 months ago
Weird. I know someone who puts the toothpaste on, then a little water. She also brushes before she flosses.
Pernille 7 months ago
This is alors a problem in France, some psychopathes insist on milk first, and on the French equivalent to BP the discussion turns animated, until some poor sod (usually me) makes a grammatical error, and everyone forgets what goes first:)
Nicole Weymann 7 months ago
German psychopath here: milk first, and cereal only by the handful. Eat up and repeat until done. I hate soggy cereal, and this way they stay crispy.
Load More Replies...
Spoken like a true chef, wouldn't you agree? Anyway, folks. That's it from our end of the rope, as we hand things over to you. Americans (or rather anyone), feel free to share what food violations offend you. Just leave them in the comments. Also, don't forget to upvote your favorites from this list!
#16
Beer with ice.
Karl der Große 7 months ago
I had neighbors who were raised in Cincinatti. They put ice and salt in their beer. They drank a lot of beer, too. They claimed that if I went to Ohio, everyone who had Irish heritage would do this. I later met a woman who immigrated from Ireland who put ice in red wine.
DrBronxx 7 months ago
Ice in red wine, I've heard of because room temp isn't for everyone, but ice in beer? Maybe people with Irish heritage do that, but Irish people don't.
Load More Replies...
Mel in Georgia 7 months ago
Yeah, a lot of my older friends put ice in wine and prefer sweeter wine. Yech.
Placebo Domingo 7 months ago
All connoisseurs know that beer is best enjoyed with whipped cream on top.
Melissa Harris 7 months ago
They're attempting to chill the awful cheap beer to the point is losses all flavor.
#17
Man, judging by these comments many Americans would be furious that I eat chips out of a bag with a spoon...
Nuku Nyara 7 months ago (edited)
I'll eat Cheetos occasionally with chopsticks and I'm full blooded American
Load More Replies... Nikki Sevven 7 months ago
I'm not furious, but I am confused. How does the chip stay on the spoon?
#18
Ketchup on your prime rib!
Michael Largey 7 months ago
Frankly, I'm very glad they didn't put up a picture of a prime rib with ketchup on it.
Load More Replies... Karl der Große 7 months ago
OK, this one is a hard "no." Ketchup makes everything taste like ketchup. I think you should only use it if the food is really bland or unpalatable.
featherytoad 7 months ago
My grandfather did this. You name it, he put ketchup on it. He was in the military, and this habit just followed him back home to civilian life.
Load More Replies... Papa 7 months ago
I agree, except for the "sauce" part. I like mine with just plain ground up horseradish.
Load More Replies... nottheactualphoto 7 months ago
Ketchup is already sweet. Sweet Baby Rays is even sweeter, while still being ketchup-adjacent. No thanks.
Load More Replies... 
Rob Stevens 7 months ago
It's a bored panda listicle scraped from another site. Do you think they'd bother to get it right?
#19
Taking a bite out of a KitKat bar instead of breaking into pieces.
Chewie Baron 7 months ago (edited)
You sick evil bǎstard!! I bet you kick puppies too.
Load More Replies...
Susan 7 months ago
What about nibbling the chocolate from the sides and ends, then pulling the layers apart and eating them one at a time? No......just me then?
Kalikima 7 months ago
I do that with just about everything with layers, it's so satisfying.
Load More Replies... Nuku Nyara 7 months ago
I love eating a KitKat out of the bar only when people are watching. Lately I haven't been a fan of the taste of milk or so dark chocolate. I enjoy white chocolate and other KitKat flavors from Japan though.
#20
In some BBQ places, using a fork and knife to eat ribs.
Karl der Große 7 months ago
If I am eating at home, then I have a dog to lick the grease off my hands. They frown on that at most restaurants, so a knife and fork are not so bad.
Papa 7 months ago
You know you can lick your own fingers after eating ribs, right?
Load More Replies...
Uncle Panda 7 months ago
I was in the deep south of the US with a friend from the north. We stopped at a roadside fried chicken place. Brad ate his fried chicken with knife and fork. I looked over to see the entire kitchen staff watching him in astonishment.
Another Panda 7 months ago
I do prefer clean hands. And wheelchair users really need clean hands, too. Fork & knife solve the problem.
George Costanza 7 months ago
My wife refuses to get her delicate hands dirty. She def eats ribs with a fork and knife. And it tastes the same to her, so who cares?
PeepPeep the duck 7 months ago
I depends on what you like eating, I love the cartilage and bits that aren’t accessible with a knife and fork so I would be like 🥺🥺 nawwwww. But yeah eat how you want.
Load More Replies... Bill Swallow 7 months ago
... Don't get me started on restaurants that have the temerity to serve ribs - *good* ribs, even - WITHOUT having wet wipes and *lots* of napkins / paper towels on the table. Just ate at a place like that a few days ago. Great ribs, eight different sauces on the table, no wet wipes, and to put the icing on the cake, only hot air dryers in the rest rooms!
Melissa Harris 7 months ago
I hate getting my hands dirty while eating but would never in a million years try to eat ribs with a knife and fork.
Michelle Klein 7 months ago
I have braces and have to do this..... feels soooooooo WRONG the whole time 😃
#21
Breaking spaghetti in front of italian-americans.
Pferdchen 7 months ago
FYI: Scientists at MIT finally discovered how to break spaghetti into just two pieces. I think they're still working on the whole noodle slapping into your chin mystery 😁 https://interestingengineering.com/science/feynmans-age-old-spaghetti-dilemma-finally-solved-by-mit-researchers
Motherofguineapigz 7 months ago
My mom broke the spaghetti when we were kids. We made an awful mess sucking the noodles if they were too long.
ReenieTino 7 months ago
I hope it's not in front of a future mother-in-law!! That would be unforgivable!!
Caro Ansaldo 5 months ago (edited)
I'm Argentinian, and I also hate it... my boyfriend breaks them.. He is forbidden (by me) to cook spaghetti...
#22
Eating a burger with a fork and a knife. Especially a fast food burger.
Another Panda 7 months ago
I love deconstructing my burgers with a knife and fork, especially if they hugely messy and the toppings will end up everywhere but my mouth.
Jumping Jellyfishes 7 months ago
Sometimes necessary if made too tall or are so messy they fall apart
Richienotsorich 7 months ago
Sometimes they're so large you have to cut them.in half to be able to eat them without it all falling apart. Make burgers wider not taller.
Damned_Cat 7 months ago
I once had a new boss that I couldn't decide whether or not I liked. My mind was made up for me when we went to lunch and she ordered a club sandwich that already comes cut up into quarters. She proceeded to eat those little wedges with a knife and fork, and it was then I knew I could never trust her.
Russell Bowman 7 months ago
Eat it turned upside down ... the larger bun side absorbs more juicy drippings
#23
Microwaving a steak and calling it ‘well done.’.
Fire Singer 7 months ago
I'm pretty big on people can eat things cooked however they want, like well done steak if that's their preference, but microwaved beef...I can't condone that unless you literally have no other option!
Load More Replies...
Nikole 7 months ago
Yeah, it’s a toaster oven. If they had seared it in a pan first, that’s not horrible at all.
Load More Replies... Rick Murray 7 months ago
Ah, I mentioned this above. I hope people who microwave cow pieces get trampled in the afterlife by the cows they desecrated.
Rick Murray 7 months ago
And that picture is absolutely not a microwave. All that metal would be sparking like buggery if it were.
Load More Replies... 
Vanessa Panerosa 7 months ago
I refuse to believe anyone does this. Unless youre the Tiger King.
MeowZedong 7 months ago
A cook at a Benigans I worked at would microwave steaks and char the outside on a grill when he didn't start making one when he was supposed to
#24
Mixing bourbon of decent quality with soda.
Peter Bear 7 months ago
'Decent quality' is intended for a mixer. 'High-quality' should be enjoyed neat, or else you're wasting money.
Karl der Große 7 months ago
This is horrible. I won't argue with someone adding water to their Bourbon, though.
Tabitha 7 months ago
Best if the water in in the form of “rocks”, to use a bar term. Three fingers of your smoothest bourbon, one rock, please.
Load More Replies... Jrog 7 months ago
That's idiotic. There are whole *genres* of cocktail that require bourbon and soda: Highballs, Rickeys, Collins etc. The Whiskey Collins and the Kentucky Mule are two world favorites.
PeepPeep the duck 7 months ago
Yes but brands like wellers etc are designed to be sipped and appreciated as is or with water on rocks. Your general $40-100 bottles are not what OP means
Load More Replies...
michael Chock 7 months ago
Why would you want a terrible whisky coke? I wouldn't use Lagavulin, but Jameson or Costco scotch, definitely.
The Darkest Timeline 7 months ago (edited)
The Costco blended 12-year scotch is surprisingly good
Load More Replies... Roshan Kassan 7 months ago
My mom taught us that whisky is only meant to have one ice block OR made with coffee.
Uncle Panda 7 months ago
I was 15, in a bar, and knew I'd erred by the look on the barman's face. "Scotch and coke, please." It was awful.
Arthur Waite 7 months ago
I found, by experiment, that Scotch and 7-Up makes a reasonable match. Sweeter and thins out the shock of the liquor. They still give me sour looks, though.
Load More Replies...
Jay F 7 months ago
What if you can't tell the difference in qualities of liquor and they pretty much taste the same?
The Darkest Timeline 7 months ago
The lowest quality stuff will be very heavy on ethanol so I wouldn’t bother. Spend a few more bucks for decent and mix away.
Load More Replies...
#25
Whatever those S'mores were on Great British Bake-Off.
And: ketchup on a hot dog in Chicago.
Tabitha 7 months ago (edited)
People who never ate s’mores in conjunction with camping just don’t get how to properly cook the marshmallows. The marshmallows are just your normal marshmallows (not huge, not square, no colors or other flavors, just plain old marshmallows), they have to be put on a stick (when we went camping as kids, we used actual sticks—-the greener the wood, the better—-peeled off the bark with a pen knife, and speared our marshmallows on them), held over an open flame (like a campfire), until they soften and actually have char marks on them. Then, and only then, can you put them in the graham cracker (no other kind of cracker, ffs) with the Hershey bar (this makes them authentic), so they can melt the chocolate. A genuine smore is a little piece of heaven right here on earth. Same goes for just eating the browned and gooey marshmallows right off the stick. It will also never not be sad to see that inevitable marshmallow that cooked too long, got too gooey, and slid off the stick into the fire. Such a waste to witness the death of a good marshmallow.
Upstaged75 7 months ago
We once ran out of marshmallows so we used Peeps in the smores. They look terrifying while they're melting! 😂
Sue 7 months ago
We made s'mores by microwaving the marshmallow, since camping was cancelled by the weather. First it expanded to be HUGE. It wouldn't turn brown no matter how long I microwaved it. I finally pulled it out & it was black inside but the outside still white but melted. I've learned to just put it until it gets huge, then scoop it with the graham cracker & put the chocolate on top. It doesn't brown, but it does taste good.
Nikole 7 months ago
Haha my younger brother used to just regularly eat marshmallows like that. No cracker, no chocolate.
Load More Replies... Lady Eowyn 7 months ago
I hate s'mores. The whole texture just gives me the icks. But, I'm autistic, which probably has something to do with it.
Motherofguineapigz 7 months ago
I also concur that marshmallows can be a texture nightmare. Can try quick apartment s'mores - Marshmallow fluff and Nutella on a graham cracker. Nuke 10 seconds.
Load More Replies... #26
Lo-fat cheese cheese curds.
JK 7 months ago
That is an "OH HELL NO" for me. I can't get decent cheese curds in the SW.
Load More Replies... Vanessa Panerosa 7 months ago
When I lived in Chicago oh, the cheese curds! I feel like Grandpa telling stories from the old country. Cheese curds! Far as the eye could see!
nottheactualphoto 7 months ago
The prairies were black with the thundering herds of cheese curds!
Load More Replies...
Mel in Georgia 7 months ago
Had cheese curds for the first time on a visit to the Dakotas recently. They were pretty good! But definitely fat bombs.
#27
No ice in room temp water at a restaurant.
Susan 7 months ago
I prefer room temperature water so I disagree. I can't drink it when it's filled to the top with ice. Waaaay too cold!
Nikole 7 months ago
Same. And I leave my bottles of beer out. I only drink things cold if they’ll go bad otherwise.
Load More Replies... Mel in Georgia 7 months ago
I much prefer my water at room temperature. Knew a woman who would order hot water instead of coffee or tea!
Chewie Baron 7 months ago
Drinking hot water is good for dieting. Allegedly.
Load More Replies... Jrog 7 months ago (edited)
This weird American obsession of using tons of ice. Ice is typically the least hygienic options in cooling drinks, since ice machines are not cleaned regularly. Studies have proven that 37% of ice samples from vending machines contained dangerous levels of coliform bacteria (the sh*t found in, well, sh*t) [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25198846/], while proper restaurants showed contamination in 2/3rd of cases [https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3765&context=thesesdissertations]. A 2006 ABC documentary found more bacterial charge in a restaurant ice cube than in the same restaurant's toilet...
#28
Eating a slice of greasy fast food pizza with a knife and fork.
Bianca 7 months ago (edited)
the thought of touching a greasy pizza with my fingers, is making my skin crawl. I hate greasy or sticky fingers. And yes I eat grilled chicken with a knife and fork.
Vanessa Panerosa 7 months ago
Everyone eats grilled chicken with a knife and fork - do you mean fried chicken?
Load More Replies...
Karl der Große 7 months ago
If the pizza is really hot, I use a fork. I can cool the bite off a bit before I bite it. (I love alliteration - that sentence was no accident.)
Rick Murray 7 months ago
I have a plastic knife and fork that I use at a certain burger flinger. I find the sensation of the sauce that always leaks out on my fingers to be massively unpleasant. Eww, no. 🍴!
Andi 7 months ago
Just to show how the American, lets call it, casual approach to food has spread across the globe, the early adverts for Pizza Hut when they came to the UK in the 80s showed people enjoying the pizzas with the voice over that went something like ... ' As you can see, these people are eating their delicious Pizza Hut pizzas with their finger, well they are American. Pizza Hut, cutlery included.'
Janelle Collard 7 months ago
When I went to Mexico years ago, this was the way pizza was eaten.
ReenieTino 7 months ago
I use a knife and fork it the pizza is extra cheesy & gooey. I like a very thin crust that will flop over allowing the toppings to slide off, usually all over the front of my shirt or lap. Only on the very end of the triangle, though. When the slice becomes "sturdy" enough to handle with my fingers...the fork & knife are no longer used!
Maggie Fulton 7 months ago
Only if it won’t hold together and the toppings are all falling off.
Wendy Miller 7 months ago
The only time you eat a slice of pizza with cutlery is if it's a lovely Chicago deep dish. That is the only time. Otherwise, use your hands.
#29
Calling a bacon egg and cheese an egg bacon and cheese.
Robert Trebor 7 months ago (edited)
I used to get confused looks when I would ask for Eggs McMuffin.
Fire Singer 7 months ago
I legit thought all chicken nuggets were called mcnuggets when I was a kid. And all breakfast sandwiches were egg mcmuffins. So I feel this one!
Load More Replies...
Margaret H 7 months ago
Calling that sliced orange stuff cheese is enough to make my skin crawl.
Gg 7 months ago
I work at a drive thru on the weekends and it hurts my brain the way people order a bacon egg and cheese sometimes. Ex I'll take one of those sandwich things. Okay what kind of sandwich? Ummm an egg sandwich. Just egg? Any cheese? Yeah cheddar cheese. Okay, egg and cheese. Yeah and bacon.
Beth Wheeler 7 months ago
Who puts lettuce and tomatoes on a biscuit? Leave the cheese off for me.
#30
Italians cutting pizza with scissors.
Nikki Sevven 7 months ago
I have one of those huge rocking pizza knives, which I call my bat'leth.
Rick Murray 7 months ago
Isn't there a sort of rolly-disc gizmo for doing this? [I don't cut my pizzas, there is only me so I just tear bits off]
Trisec Tebeakesse 7 months ago
See the reference to my long-deceased Great Grandmother elsewhere. Most of my family actually has a dedicated pair of "pizza scissors" for this purpose.
Karl der Große 7 months ago
I don't do this, but I know some people who butcher a lot of meat. They use scissors in all sorts of creative ways most people wouldn't think of.
Mel in Georgia 7 months ago
I use my kitchen shears for tons of stuff as well. Scissors definitely work more reliably than pizza wheels on pizza, for sure.
Load More Replies...
What do you think ?
DrBronxx 7 months ago
Jesus Christ. Why not just let people eat / drink / prepare things how they want to do it? Just because they do something differently, doesn't mean you have to do it like that, so why care so much?!
AuspiciousTree283 7 months ago
You're looking into it way too much. People say these things as a joke.
Load More Replies... ShortAttnSpanTheatre 7 months ago
I enjoyed this! It's interesting what our regional and international food differences are, and fun to examine our notions about what is and isn't acceptable.
K Barnes 7 months ago
These aren't regional or national preferences, they are individual preferences. These are individual's opinions that in no way represent the country that they're in.
Load More Replies... Miriam Insidecor 7 months ago
So many people don't wash their hands before eating out, so utensils really should be used.
The Darkest Timeline 7 months ago (edited)
If they’re on-hand, my FiL puts hot Hatch green chile and ketchup (Brooks, preferably) on steaks, even if they’re expensive cuts, cooked rare or medium-rare. I used to judge a little for it but, it’s his steak and that’s the way he likes it. He swears he can still taste the meat even under a mountain of those two condiments. He doesn’t tell me how to eat my food so, whatever.
David Beaulieu 7 months ago
I realize some of this is culturally specific, but honestly, let people eat what they want and how they want. Plus, no one knew tomato ketchup was delicious on fried potatoes until someone tried it.
Michał Osiecki 7 months ago
almost every American dish is a variation of foreign Cuisine so there is no way an American has right to complain how people it it.
Gavin Johnson 7 months ago
You gatekeeper your food however you see fit. But bear in mind that ten miles away there’s someone who swears that their way is the correct way to consume the food and they differ from you. As for the ‘rules’ relating to what you put on food, they can get in the sea, if I’ve paid for it then I’ll eat it with whatever condiments I see fit, it’s my food.
XenoMurph 7 months ago
Yes and those light hearted debates are part of the fun of food and recipes. As long as they stay light hearted.
Load More Replies...
Jaya 7 months ago
So many people getting bútthurt over how other people choose to eat. Y'all ain't got anything real to worry about?
AuspiciousTree283 7 months ago (edited)
What Wanda said. I have not come across someone being butt-hurt about it. They say these things as a joke.
Load More Replies... DrBronxx 7 months ago
Jesus Christ. Why not just let people eat / drink / prepare things how they want to do it? Just because they do something differently, doesn't mean you have to do it like that, so why care so much?!
AuspiciousTree283 7 months ago
You're looking into it way too much. People say these things as a joke.
Load More Replies... ShortAttnSpanTheatre 7 months ago
I enjoyed this! It's interesting what our regional and international food differences are, and fun to examine our notions about what is and isn't acceptable.
K Barnes 7 months ago
These aren't regional or national preferences, they are individual preferences. These are individual's opinions that in no way represent the country that they're in.
Load More Replies... Miriam Insidecor 7 months ago
So many people don't wash their hands before eating out, so utensils really should be used.
The Darkest Timeline 7 months ago (edited)
If they’re on-hand, my FiL puts hot Hatch green chile and ketchup (Brooks, preferably) on steaks, even if they’re expensive cuts, cooked rare or medium-rare. I used to judge a little for it but, it’s his steak and that’s the way he likes it. He swears he can still taste the meat even under a mountain of those two condiments. He doesn’t tell me how to eat my food so, whatever.
David Beaulieu 7 months ago
I realize some of this is culturally specific, but honestly, let people eat what they want and how they want. Plus, no one knew tomato ketchup was delicious on fried potatoes until someone tried it.
Michał Osiecki 7 months ago
almost every American dish is a variation of foreign Cuisine so there is no way an American has right to complain how people it it.
Gavin Johnson 7 months ago
You gatekeeper your food however you see fit. But bear in mind that ten miles away there’s someone who swears that their way is the correct way to consume the food and they differ from you. As for the ‘rules’ relating to what you put on food, they can get in the sea, if I’ve paid for it then I’ll eat it with whatever condiments I see fit, it’s my food.
XenoMurph 7 months ago
Yes and those light hearted debates are part of the fun of food and recipes. As long as they stay light hearted.
Load More Replies... Jaya 7 months ago
So many people getting bútthurt over how other people choose to eat. Y'all ain't got anything real to worry about?
AuspiciousTree283 7 months ago (edited)
What Wanda said. I have not come across someone being butt-hurt about it. They say these things as a joke.
Load More Replies... You May Like People Share 58 Moments Of Food Culture Shock They Experienced 30 Of The Most Irksome Things Annoying People Often Say Food Trivia And Quiz Questions For Foodies
Eligijus Sinkunas
Neilas Šurkus
Viltė Domkutė
Related on Bored Panda
