16 Unusual Foods That Confuse Everyone Who Isn’t From the Midwest Right Off

Naming is an unusual process. Let’s face it — be it food or person, names are extremely important to us. Very often, the first piece of information we have about anything or anyone is the name. If you’re at a noisy party with hundreds of people around and someone calls your name, it’ll rise up above the din and you’ll hear it. That’s because it catches attention in a way that a lot of other stimuli don’t.

Now this has some interesting implications. One that we are too ingrained to shake – we tend to like what we are like. Since foodies are an unusual breed, naturally, the weirdness is passed on to the foods they love best. People from the Midwest are no different. With the unusual geography and their strange catchphrases, the Midwestern’s food are expected to be just as confusing. It sort of comes with the territory, it seems.

While there are some names that just make us giggle — like Paczki and Scotcheroos. There are also the downright confusing ones (hey there, Puppy Chow) that sound like you should be giving it to your dog. But you know what? Feel no shame — it’s never too late to learn. So, roll up your sleeves and learn these Midwestern-isms, no matter where you’re from.

1. Ambrosia/Watergate "Salad

2. Hotdish

3. Puppy Chow

4. Cincinnati Chili

5. Horseshoe Sandwich

6. Chicago-Style Hotdog

7. Deep-Dish Pizza

8. St. Louis-Style Pizza

9. Beer Cheese

10. Goulash

11. Deep-Fried Cheese Curds

12. Anything “on a Stick”

13. Toasted Ravioli

14. Chipper

15. Paczki (pronounced as “ponch-key”)

16. Scotcheroos

Did we miss anything? Share them with us and help us put together a complete list of food with the most unusual names across the globe!