13 Quintessentially American Foods (That Are Deeply Weird, Misunderstood, Or Just Plain Gross)
![13 Quintessentially American Foods (That Are Deeply Weird, Misunderstood, Or Just Plain Gross)](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/8/8/2/901882_320x180.jpg)
Ah, food. The lifeblood of any culture, the source of sustenance and pleasure, the thing that brings us all together. From the earliest days of human existence, food has been a source of joy, comfort, and nourishment. It is the thing that binds us, and it is the thing that sets us apart.
Throughout history, food has been a source of innovation, exploration, and discovery. From the Incas creating peanut butter to Thomas Jefferson bringing macaroni and cheese to America, food has been a source of curiosity and delight.
And now, as we stand on the brink of a new era, food is once again at the forefront of our collective imagination. From spiral-cut hot dogs to Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, the dishes of today are just as inventive and delicious as the dishes of the past.
So, without further ado, we present to you 13 foods that have shaped the course of history: from the Maine Clam Chowder War to the invention of peanut butter, these dishes have made an indelible mark on our culture. Enjoy.
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Masturbation-stopping cereal: Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.
![CRACKED John Harvey Kellogg, a doctor and religious Seventh-Day Adventist from Battle Creek, Michigan, created CORN FLAKES in the 1800s as part of his mission to stop people from masturbating.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/9/2/901092.jpg)
![Every year, Americans eat around 14 billion HAMBURGERS That is more than 440 burgers every single second. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/9/0/901090.jpg)
Peanut butter: Incas 1, Everyone else 0.
![The Incas were actually the first to make PEANUT BUTTER by roasting and grinding peanuts to make a paste. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/9/4/901094.jpg)
Economics of food: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
![HOT DOGS are usually sold in packs of 10 because of the way meat is priced, while buns and sandwich rolls usually come in packs of eight because the baking trays they come in are usually sized to fit that number. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/8/9/901089.jpg)
Pizza pioneer.
![In 1943. someone at Pizzeria Uno in Illinois thought of making a pizza using a cake mold. They filled it up with all the toppings and sauce, and that's how the DEEP DISH PIZZA we know (and love?) was born. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/9/5/901095.jpg)
Jefferson: Macaroni pioneer.
![Thomas Jefferson brought MACARONI AND CHEESE recipes and a pasta machine from France to America in the late 1700s. Не even served the dish at a fancy dinner in 1802. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/8/6/901086.jpg)
Lobsters: not for the wealthy.
![Back in colonial New England, LOBSTERS were so common that they were basically considered garbage. They were often served to servants and prisoners. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/9/1/901091.jpg)
Fancy Jell-O, indeed.
![CRACKED Gelatin dishes like the JELL-O SALAD were a real treat back in pre-industrial Europe and the American colonies. They were so fancy that they were often used as centerpieces on the tables of the rich, powerful, or noble.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/8/8/901088.jpg)
NASA
![Fish dishes like SEAFOOD GUMBO aren't allowed on space shuttles because of how strong the odor is. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/8/7/901087.jpg)
The Maine Clam Chowder War
![In 1939, Maine Representative Cleveland Sleeper tried to make it illegal to put tomatoes in CLAM CHOWDER This led to a heated debate, known as the Maine Clam Chowder War. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/8/3/901083.jpg)
Fried chicken: not just for Southerners.
![CRACKED Scottish immigrants brought FRIED CHICKEN to the U.S. in the 1700s, and slaves made it popular. Even though they weren't allowed to own much, they were often allowed to keep chickens for food.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/8/5/901085.jpg)
Cheesecake: Not just for desserts.
![CRACKED Arnold Reuben is famous for his sandwiches, but he's also the one who invented the NEW YORK STYLE CHEESECAKE The story goes that he was at a dinner party and the hostess served a cheese pie, and he started playing with the recipe later.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/9/3/901093.jpg)
As American as apple pie?
![CRACKED Apples aren't native to the U.S. and the earliest known recipe for APPLE PIE was actually written in an English cookbook from 1381.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/8/4/901084.jpg)