Food is such a huge part of cultural exchange! Not only do Academic Year in America students bring their culinary customs from home to the United States during their exchange year, but they also get to try and experience new foods that are typical of American culture. We asked our current students to share their favorite, least favorite, and strangest food experiences in the States so far. Here’s what they had to say!
Nathalie from Germany, living in Ohio:
- My favorite food I tried yet is Panera bread. I could go and eat it every single day!
- The food I liked the least was bubble tea. And my hostmom said it looks like fish eggs so now I always have to think about fish eggs when I see bubble tea.
- The strangest food was peanut butter with jelly sandwich, because I never thought it’s gonna be good but I tried it and now I love it!
Luca from Italy, living in Montana:
My experience in the States is amazing and obviously my favorite food that I tried here is the famous American cheeseburger. My least type of food that I tried is chili, too hot for me. My most strange food probably is elk and deer, stuff that I can’t find in my continent.
Fynn from Germany, living in Ohio:
- Favorite: Wendy’s burger
- Least favorite: McDonalds burger
- Strangest: DQ burger
Sweta from India, living in Kansas:
Though it’s not really typically American food but it is a typical American so-called tradition and for me, the FAVORITE food would be the inevitable desserts!
Bodhana from Ukraine, living in Ohio:
- Favorite: Cheesecake
- Least favorite: Eggnog
- Strangest: French toast
Tea from Albania, living in Illinois:
My favorite is blue cheese.
Paul from Germany, living in Ohio:
My favorite food so far were ribs that my host dad made. I don’t really know about my least favorite food. I’m not very picky. The weirdest thing I’ve tried was chocolate covered bacon. My host cousin told me about it and it’s surprisingly good.
Domante from Lithuania, living in Ohio:
- My absolute favorites are tacos!!! 😂
- My least favorite is eating apple sauce with literally EVERYTHING! Chicken, rice, even mac&cheese!
- And the strangest combination was eating french fries dipped in a vanilla milkshake.
Pietro from Italy, living in New York:
My favorite food I ate in US was a New Mexican dish, red enchilada at a the Shed in Santa Fe, while I was on a road trip. This has been my host dad favorite restaurant since he was 14, that was the main reason why we went to Santa Fe, and it was worth it.
Selina from Germany, living in Indiana:
Sweet and sour chicken is my favorite food.
Sarra from Tunisia, living in Washington (State):
I have a lot of favorite foods that I’ve tried here but one of my favorites is Chicken Teriyaki. I tried it the first time 3 months with my international exchange friends ago and I loved it. Even though I love chicken teriyaki, I’m still learning how to eat it with chopsticks. My Asian friends tried to teach me, as well as my host family but it didn’t work! So I still need to work on that!
Ceren from Turkey, living in Indiana:
- Twinkies and mac and cheese are the best foods!
- Corned beef was the worst.
- The strangest is buffalo wings.
Mame from Senegal, living in Oregon:
My favorite food is lasagna. My least favorite is pickles. The weirdest food I had is junkyard food burgers :).
Mohammad from the Phillippines, living in South Carolina:
- Favorite: Mac’n Cheese
- Least favorite: Shrimp Alfredo
- Strangest: Pie
Lynn from China, living in Kansas:
- What has been your FAVORITE food to eat here in America? Crawfish Etouffee
- What has been your LEAST favorite food to eat here in America? Pizza because we almost eat it every day.
- What was the strangest food you tried while here in America? Twizzlers taste like cardboard
Giulla from Germany, living in Iowa
- Favorite: Chicken alfredo
- Least favorite: Corn and beans
- Strangest: Candy corn
Viola from Germany, living in Ohio:
FAVORITE food: Pumpkin Pie!!! (I almost ate a whole one by myself at Thanksgiving time, which my host parents still make fun of me for 😊)
Stefanie from Germany, living in Washington (State):
- Favorite: pizookie
- Strangest: ice cream with root beer
- Strangest: ice cream with root beer
Maialen from Spain, living in North Dakota:
- Favorite: Vegetable food
- Least favorite: Sauerkraut
- Strangest: Beef tongue
Ahmed from Bahrain, living in Illinois:
- Favorite dish: Chicago style deep dish pizza
- Least favorite dish: Tom Yum soup
- Most exotic dish: Sea eel w/ chicken teriyaki
Andi from Indonesia, living in New York:
- Favorite: Chicken wings!
- Least favorite: Peanut butter
- Strangest: Chili
Ella from Germany, living in Kansas:
- Favorite: Reese’s peanut butter cups
- Least Favorite: Sausage pizza
- Strangest: Green bean casserole
Alyssa from Mozambique, living in South Carolina:
- Favorite food. Homemade desserts.
- Least favorite: sour cream based food; Sweet potato pie
- Strangest: Japanese/Chinese food
Rosa from Germany, living in Nebraska:
My favorite food here in the US is a classical Burger! I just love the meat. My least favorite and probably the strangest food I’ve tried is Runza. Runza is a weird fast food restaurant in Nebraska, the food consists of a lot of cabbage.
Hoor from Pakistan, living in Arizona:
Fried chicken has been one of my favorite dishes in USA and I also love the candies here.
Pauline from Germany, living in Wisconsin:
- Favorite: Cheese Curds (the ones from Culver’s are the best)
- Least Favorite: Mac and Cheese out of the box
- Strangest: My host family has Norwegian ancestors so for Christmas we had Ludafisk, a type of fish.
Natalja from Germany, living in Minnesota:
- Most favorite: peanut butter whit basically everything, best thing though, is peanut butter with Oreos
- Least favorite: there isn’t really one
- Weird: mac and cheese
Jackson from China, living in Illinois:
I never seen any drink with cherry flavor before I came to America, and the cherry flavor tastes like bad almond to me…
Emilia from Germany, living in Texas:
- Strangest: Cactus candy
Lia from the Republic of Georgia, living in Missouri:
- Favorite Lasagna and Spaghetti
- Strangest: Crabs and Octopus
Sophie from Germany, living in South Carolina:
- Favorite: Mac and Cheese
- Least favorite: Pickles
- Strangest: Cotton Candy Grapes
Larissa from Austria, living in New York:
The strangest food was a fried Oreo.
Muzne from Kenya, living in Florida:
My favorite food is buffalo chicken sandwich and the strangest food is crabs.
Lazar from Serbia, living in New York:
- Favorite: Pizza
- Least Favorite: Chicken Enchiladas
- Strangest: lollipop with scorpion inside
Amira from Italy, living in Missouri:
- The best food I had so far is an oreo milkshake made in a place called Texas Hot… you could find chuncks of oreo cookies and it was soooo good
- My least favorite food is pizza with pepperoni, because I am Italian and I can feel the difference between an American pizza, which I don’t really like, and a real Italian pizza (we do not put pepperoni and pineapple on pizza!!!!!)
- About the strangest food, I haven’t tried anything strange yet
Andreea-Diana from Moldova, living in Ohio:
My favorite food in America is sloppy-joes with tater tots and corn. My least favorite food is chicken-noodle soup. The strangest food I’ve tried probably was Lebanese food.
Moritz from Austria, living in Kansas:
- Favorite: Chicago Style Pizza
- Strangest: My host brother’s hamburger patties marinaded with Dr. Pepper
Xueer from China, living in Nebraska:
- Favorite: Burger and pie
- Least Favorite: Sheraton kind of chicken salad
- Strangest: Raw carrots, Chinese usually do not eat that kind of carrots.
For more information on hosting an exchange student with Academic Year in America, visit our website: www.academicyear.org!
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