Mexico’s most confusing foods
Carnitas and horchata are among the foods that confuse the world the most. When it comes to Mexico’s most confusing foods, carnitas (ninth) and horchata (21st) ranked among the top 25 in the world.
A new study has revealed the most confusing dishes in the world: kimchi (Korea), falafel (Egypt), pho (Vietnam), and even the iconic American sandwich filling, peanut butter and jelly, are among the foods that confuse the majority of people.
Remitly analyzed 2,700 dishes from over 165 countries around the world to find out which cuisines cause the most confusion for those who try their delights. Kimchi was ranked as the most confusing dish, with nearly a million searches by people trying to learn more about the Korean dish.
When it comes to Mexico’s most confusing foods, carnitas (ninth) and horchata (21st) ranked among the top 25, and hundreds of thousands of people turn to Google each year to search for these delights.
The world’s most confusing cuisines, based on search data, are as follows:
1. Kimchi, 946,090 annual global searches (Korea).
2. Falafel, 752,850 annual global searches (Egypt).
3. Gyros, 662,700 annual global searches (Greece).
4. Couscous, 595,640 annual global searches (Morocco).
5. Tahini, 570,830 annual global searches (Syria).
6. Gnocchi, 532,200 annual global searches (Italy).
7. Ice Cream, 510,700 annual global searches (Italy).
8. Pho, 491,700 annual global searches (Vietnam).
9. Carnitas, 437,510 annual global searches (Mexico).
10. Shawarma, 387,410 annual global searches (Turkey).
11. Peanut Butter and Jelly, 385,200 annual global searches (United States).
12. Risotto, 378,840 annual global searches (Italy).
13. Haggis, 377,720 annual global searches (Scotland).
14. Hummus, 354,520 annual global searches (Israel).
15. Chai, 337,470 annual global searches (India).
16. Kava, 320,870 annual global searches (Pacific Islands).
17. Fufu, 303,600 annual global searches (Ghana).
18. Sushi, 283,720 annual global searches (Japan).
19. Foie Gras, 269,080 annual global searches (France).
20. Soju, 266,720 annual global searches (South Korea).
21. Horchata, 259,950 annual global searches (Mexico).
22. Sauerkraut, 251,340 annual global searches (Germany).
23. Ceviche, 238,510 annual global searches (Peru).
24. Miso Soup, 238,000 annual global searches (Japan).
25. Natto, 223,570 annual global searches (Japan).
The Top 10 Most Difficult-to-Pronounce Cuisines in the World:
In addition to the most confusing cuisines, the study also revealed the ones that are the most difficult to pronounce, analyzing the number of searches for each cuisine along with the term “how to pronounce.”
1. Gyros, pronounced ‘yi·ros’ (Greece) – 346,500 annual global searches.
2. Pho, pronounced ‘fuh’ (Vietnam) – 150,600 annual global searches.
3. Gnocchi, pronounced ‘no · kee’ (Italy) – 123,200 annual global searches.
4. Pizza, pronounced ‘peet · suh’ (Italy) – 53,800 annual global searches.
5. Quesadilla, pronounced ‘kay · suh · dee · uh’ (Mexico) – 40,200 annual global searches.
6. Focaccia, pronounced ‘fuh · kach · ee · uh’ (Italy) – 33,300 annual global searches.
7. Poke Bowl, pronounced ‘pow·kay bowl’ (United States – Hawaii) – 32,500 annual global searches.
8. Tzatziki, pronounced ‘sáb · ver · kee’ (Greece) – 27,000 annual global searches.
9. Gyoza, pronounced ‘vaya · ow · zuh’ (China) – 26,800 annual global searches.
10. Baklava, pronounced ‘ba · kluh · vuh’ (Turkey) – 24,120 annual global searches.
We know that trying the most popular and traditional dishes of a country can be one of the best parts of visiting or moving to a new country, and an excellent way to immerse yourself in the culture of a new place. However, these specialties, while highly appreciated by locals, can sometimes be difficult to pronounce or made with ingredients you may not be familiar with.
