- A British TikToker shared three American dishes he thought looked gross but were surprisingly delicious.
- He said gumbo tasted "divine" despite looking like it was scooped out of a wastebasket.
A British TikToker who visited the United States shared which American food he thought looked repulsive, but tasted "amazing."
Joshua Cauldwell, known as @imjoshfromengland2 on TikTok, named his top three American food finds in a video on Friday. Cauldwell documented his experience touring the US alongside fellow British TikToker Jase Riley on their shared account, @josh_and_jase_intheusa, since April. On TikTok, Cauldwell and Riley are known for their food taste tests and cultural analysis content.
@imjoshfromengland2 AMERICA, THESE ARE THE BEST!
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The two Brits posted about everything from "authentic Texas BBQ" to Cajun crawfish during their adventures.
In the video, which has 820,000 views, Cauldwell said the first American food to subvert his expectations were corn dogs. A corn dog is a sausage on a stick dipped in cornmeal batter and deep-fried. He and Riley posted a video where they tried corn dogs in August.
"Let's be honest, they do not look appetizing at all. You take one look at a corn dog, and you think, 'No, thank you,'" Cauldwell said. "But the minute you dip it in some mustard or ketchup and put it in your mouth … It tastes wonderful!"
Next, Cauldwell pointed to Louisiana-style gumbo, which is a popular stew that originated from an amalgamation of cultures found in the state. It's usually made from stock, a form of protein like sausage, seasonings, onions, celery, and other ingredients.
"When I first had it, I thought, 'What is that?' I thought, right, that the guy in the back had just scooped it out the bin," Cauldwell said, referring to a trash can. "However, I put it in me mouth. It tasted divine."
Riley shared footage of him and Cauldwell trying a bowl of gumbo for the first time in May.
"Cheers Louisiana," Riley said in the video as they ate the meal which included loads of spicy crawfish.
Lastly, Cauldwell said the American food that shocked him the most was biscuits and gravy. In the US, biscuits and gravy is a breakfast dish featuring soft dough biscuits topped with a white gravy that often includes sausage. Cauldwell tried the meal and shared his experience in a video also posted in May.
"This straight up looks like vomit, mate," Cauldwell said of the American breakfast item. "However, you try it, and it is the best American food. It is incredible! I love it!"
The video sparked a discussion among Americans in the comment section. Many weren't surprised that Cauldwell included biscuits and gravy on the list.
"I knew biscuits and gravy would be here," one user wrote, prompting Cauldwell to reply.
"I don't understand how it looks like that but tastes amazing!" he responded
Cauldwell's video is the latest discussion about US and UK cultures on TikTok, where comparing the two is a popular topic. In August 2021, one British TikToker who moved to the US said they were shocked by local grocery stores and wedding traditions.
More recently, TikTok users discussed the geographical differences between the US and the UK.