The 10 Most Disliked Foods In The U.S. & The 10 Most Loved Eats
Ever wondered which foods make Americans swoon with delight or cringe with disgust? Our eating habits reveal fascinating cultural patterns and personal quirks that shape our national identity.
From coast to coast, certain dishes consistently earn passionate devotion or fierce rejection, creating an edible map of America’s taste buds.
1. Liver and Onions
The mere mention of liver and onions sends shivers down many American spines. That distinctive metallic taste combined with pungent onions creates flavor trauma that often stems from childhood dinners.
My grandmother insisted it ‘built character,’ but all it built was my ability to secretly feed food to the dog. Despite its nutritional benefits, this old-school dish remains firmly on America’s culinary blacklist.
2. Black Licorice
Black licorice divides America with its powerful anise flavor that hits like a botanical punch to the taste buds. Halloween candy sorters nationwide immediately exile these dark twists to the reject pile.
The FDA actually warns against consuming large amounts due to potential heart effects from glycyrrhizin.
Licorice haters describe the taste as medicinal, overwhelming, and reminiscent of cough syrup—a flavor profile that seems deliberately designed to offend American palates accustomed to sweeter treats.
3. Blue Cheese
Bold, funky, and unapologetically moldy—blue cheese dares Americans to embrace decomposition as a delicacy. The pungent aroma alone triggers fight-or-flight responses in cheese-timid diners. “It smells like feet!” remains the most common complaint.
At a dinner party last year, I watched someone discreetly spit their blue cheese appetizer into a napkin with such practiced stealth it suggested routine experience.
Despite gourmet credentials, many Americans remain convinced blue cheese is punishment, not pleasure.
4. Spam
Spam represents processed food fears incarnate. This WWII-era meat product suffers from reputation issues and texture concerns that many Americans can’t overcome. The gelatinous coating particularly disturbs the uninitiated.
Hawaiian and Asian-American communities embrace Spam enthusiastically, creating delicious dishes that showcase its potential.
However, mainland America largely maintains skepticism about this canned meat product, despite its remarkable versatility and cultural significance.
5. Oysters
Slippery, briny sea creatures, consumed raw, oysters represent textural nightmare fuel for many Americans. The experience of swallowing what essentially looks like oceanic mucus requires courage many aren’t willing to muster.
The texture gets described as “like swallowing a loogie” by detractors. Oyster enthusiasts’ poetic descriptions of “tasting the sea” don’t help when that’s exactly what skeptics fear.
Despite coastal popularity and aphrodisiac reputation, inland America remains particularly resistant to these polarizing bivalves.
6. Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese suffers from severe texture issues in America’s food hierarchy. The curds-and-whey combination creates visual and mouthfeel challenges that many find insurmountable.
Diet culture’s embrace further damaged its reputation, associating it with joyless eating plans rather than pleasure. My fitness-obsessed aunt’s “cottage cheese and fruit” lunches became a family punchline.
Despite protein benefits and culinary versatility, cottage cheese remains perpetually misunderstood.
7. Beets
Earthy, vibrant beets polarize American diners with their distinctive soil-like flavor profile. Their crime? Tasting exactly like what they are—plants grown underground.
Many Americans’ beet trauma originates from childhood encounters with canned versions—slimy, unnervingly purple discs that stained everything they touched. Despite nutritional superpowers and trendy salad appearances, beets remain suspicious characters on American plates.
Their tendency to temporarily dye bodily functions alarming colors doesn’t help their reputation.
8. Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts have spent decades as America’s vegetable villain. These mini-cabbages earned their bad reputation through years of being boiled into mushy, sulfurous submission by well-meaning parents.
Growing up, my brother once hid his sprouts in a houseplant that mysteriously faded away the next day. Recently, roasting techniques and bacon additions have begun rehabilitating their image, but deep-seated childhood trauma keeps them firmly on the most-hated list.
9. Anchovies
Tiny fish, enormous hatred. These salty, intensely flavored fillets consistently top America’s food aversion charts, especially as pizza toppings. Their powerful umami punch and distinctive fishiness create immediate polarization.
Pizza delivery drivers report anchovy orders are so rare they sometimes check twice to confirm. Interestingly, many Americans unknowingly enjoy anchovies in Caesar dressing and Worcestershire sauce—proving it’s the visible presence, not necessarily the flavor, that triggers revulsion.
10. Cilantro
Cilantro creates America’s greatest food divide—delicious herb or soapy nightmare? This polarizing plant contains aldehydes similar to those produced by certain bugs and soaps, which roughly 14% of people genetically perceive. No other ingredient inspires such passionate rejection.
Anti-cilantro communities thrive online, with members sharing horror stories of contaminated meals. Restaurant servers know the look of panic when cilantro-haters spot green flecks on their plates—a moment of pure culinary terror.
11. Pizza
Pizza reigns supreme in America’s heart. This cheesy, saucy circle of joy transcends age, region, and occasion—from birthday parties to late-night cravings. Americans consume approximately 350 slices per second!
The beauty lies in its versatility: thin crust in New York, deep dish in Chicago, or loaded with pineapple (controversially) in California. No matter how you slice it, pizza unites us in delicious harmony.
12. Chocolate Chip Cookies
Golden-edged with melty chocolate centers, these iconic treats embody American comfort in bite-sized form. The perfect balance of crispy exterior and chewy interior creates an irresistible texture sensation.
Invented by accident in 1938 when Ruth Wakefield added chocolate pieces to her cookie dough, this happy mishap transformed American desserts forever.
The smell of cookies baking remains one of life’s purest pleasures—instantly transporting us back to childhood kitchens.
13. Mac and Cheese
Sunshine-yellow, creamy, and carb-loaded—mac and cheese delivers a triple threat of comfort food perfection. Americans elevate this simple dish to an art form, from blue-box nostalgia to gourmet versions with truffle oil.
Last Thanksgiving, my cousin brought five different homemade varieties, causing a family debate that nearly overshadowed the turkey.
Whether baked with a crispy top or stovetop-creamy, this cheese-draped pasta provides a reliable dopamine hit that’s gotten countless Americans through breakups and finals weeks.
14. Hamburgers
Hamburgers symbolize American food culture like nothing else—juicy, customizable, and satisfyingly hands-on. From fast-food drive-thrus to gourmet bistros, the perfect beef patty on a bun transcends social boundaries. Americans consume 50 billion burgers annually!
When I moved abroad, hamburgers were what I missed most—not the taste alone, but the entire experience. Something magical happens when meat meets flame, cheese melts, and condiments add their symphony of flavors.
15. Ice Cream
Creamy, cold, and infinitely customizable—ice cream delivers pure joy in a scoop. Americans consume nearly 22 pounds per person annually, making it our frozen obsession.
Summer evenings in my neighborhood were marked by the ice cream truck’s magical jingle, causing children to materialize from nowhere.
From classic vanilla to avant-garde flavors like bourbon bacon, ice cream’s versatility matches our diverse palates perfectly. Even in winter, Americans brave brain freeze for this beloved dairy delight.
16. Fried Chicken
Crackling exterior giving way to juicy meat—fried chicken delivers textural perfection that Americans adore. Regional variations showcase our culinary creativity: Nashville hot, Southern buttermilk, or Korean double-fried.
My grandmother’s secret recipe involved an overnight buttermilk soak and a cast-iron skillet passed down four generations. The versatility impresses most, equally at home at picnics, fancy restaurants, or late-night refrigerator raids.
Fried chicken transcends trends, remaining consistently beloved through American food history.
17. French Fries
Golden, crispy potato sticks—America’s favorite vegetable delivery system! Despite the name, French fries are quintessentially American in how we’ve embraced and perfected them. Americans consume over 4.5 billion pounds annually.
The perfect fry achieves that magical contrast—crunchy exterior, fluffy interior—triggering pleasure centers our brains simply cannot resist.
Fast food empires were built on fry excellence. Even health-conscious eaters make exceptions for these crispy potato wonders.
18. Bacon
Bacon inspires cult-like devotion among Americans. The intoxicating aroma has literally been weaponized by restaurants to lure customers inside.
During the early 2010s bacon craze, I attended a “bacon festival” where people waited three hours for bacon-infused everything.
Its versatility astounds, enhancing breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, and even desserts. America’s bacon obsession transformed it from a simple breakfast meat to a cultural icon.
19. Tacos
Perfectly portable flavor bombs—tacos represent customizable culinary joy. Americans have embraced this Mexican import with enthusiastic adaptation, from traditional street-style to creative fusion versions.
Taco Tuesday transformed ordinary weeknights into celebrations nationwide. The genius lies in the format: a handheld vessel delivering perfectly balanced bites of protein, veggies, and toppings.
Last summer, my neighborhood taco crawl involved seventeen varieties in one delicious day!
20. Apple Pie
Cinnamon-spiced fruit encased in buttery pastry—apple pie symbolizes American tradition on a plate. The phrase “as American as apple pie” entered our lexicon for good reason.
My first baking attempt at age ten was apple pie with my grandmother, who insisted on hand-peeling every Granny Smith. The comforting aroma filling a home creates instant nostalgia.
Whether lattice-topped, crumb-covered, or à la mode, this dessert represents American comfort food perfection.