If you look closely at American cuisine and the history behind it, you’re likely to notice two things. One, there are several foods that are normal to Americans but totally strange to foreigners. And two, some of the dishes that you always thought were international were actually created in the United States. While some popular dishes originated overseas and later became Americanized, others are totally American. Keep reading to find out which international foods you didn’t realize weren’t actually international.

Created In New York: English Muffin

The English muffin is one of the foods from across the globe that has interesting origins. Why? Because it’s not actually English. Despite its name, this food was actually created in New York City. Its inventor, Samuel Bath Thomas, was English, but he was in the United States when he came up with the idea.

The English muffin was based on the crumpets that are common in the United Kingdom. Both are griddle cakes and totally unlike the regular American muffin. British crumpets tend to be eaten whole while English muffins, which Thomas called toaster crumpets, were cut in half to make toasting them easier.

Created In Florida: Cuban Sandwich

One of the most surprising foreign foods that are really American is the Cuban sandwich, which was actually invented in Key West, Florida by Cuban immigrants who were working as cigar makers. Later, the dish was refined in Tampa. It was based on the meat sandwiches that were popular among workers in Cuba during the 19thand early 20thcenturies.

A traditional Cuban sandwich typically consists of roast pork, ham, pickles, mustard, and Swiss cheese. The bread used is similar to a baguette in that the crust is thin. These days, you can find Cuban sandwiches with salami in them instead of ham or pork. This reflects the large Italian population in Tampa, where the recipe was later adapted.

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Created In Dallas: German Chocolate Cake

It’s easy to see why German chocolate cake is one of those foods that you didn’t know was actually American. The recipe was formulated in 1957 when a housewife from Dallas, Texas, Mrs. Clay, made a chocolate cake using ‘German’s Sweet Chocolate’ from the Baker’s Chocolate Company. The chocolate in question was created by Samuel German, who was born in England, not Germany.

At some point in time, after the recipe had gained national recognition, it became known as ‘German chocolate cake’ rather than ‘German’s chocolate cake’, falsely leading people to believe that the cake was German in origin.

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Created In Arizona: Chimichangas

Ask the average person and they’ll tell you that chimichangas are a classic Mexican dish. But believe it or not, you won’t find this Southwestern staple across the border due to the fact that it’s an American invention. While Phoenix restaurateur Woody Johnson claimed that he created the recipe, it was supposedly invented at El Charro Café in Tucson, Arizona. The story goes that the owner of the restaurant, Monica Flin, accidentally dropped a burrito into boiling fat.

Burritos (served in the way Americans eat them) are not authentically Mexican and are only popular in the north of Mexico, so deep-fried burritos are definitely not something you’ll find in Mexico.

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Created In New York City: Spaghetti And Meatballs

Many people think of spaghetti and meatballs as a quintessential Italian food. In reality, the dish is thought to have been created by Italian immigrants who were living in New York City in the 20th century. Most cultures have their own form of meatballs and authentic Italian meatballs tend not to be served with spaghetti.

These days, you will commonly find spaghetti and meatballs in Italy, but this is to cater to American tourists rather than to keep up with authentic culinary traditions. Rather than eating pasta and meatballs, Italians tend to eat Bolognese sauce, which is made with ground meat and herbs, or ragù, the tomato-based sauce flavored with slow-cooked meat.

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