1

Oreo

Image: ABHISHEK HAJARE

Who better to start this article than Milk’s absolute best friend? Oreo has been the king of American cookies since its very beginning. Dunk it, twist it, or just eat it: There’s no bad way to eat an Oreo.

Did you know that Oreos were originally sold as part of a trio of cookies? Not only that, they were sold under a much less marketable name: Hydrox, which doesn’t really fit such a delicious treat.

2

Snickers

Image: Joshua Fernandez

Have you ever wondered where the name "Snickers" comes from? You might be inclined to think that it comes from the hearty laughter that might arise after eating one of these delicious bars, but the answer is actually rather strange: It comes from a horse! Specifically, it was the name of the Mars family horse, who decided to immortalize their beloved stallion in 1930.

Regardless of its unusual name, Snickers is one of the most beloved candy bars in America, if not the world. Over their 90 years of history, they have produced a number of delicious variants of their traditional caramel and peanut filling, including dark and white chocolate, as well as peanut butter and almond.

3

Apple pie

Image: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

We’ll continue with an American icon. If you ask anyone from outside the United States to choose 3 things to define our country, they’ll probably include apple pie . This beloved sweet treat is heavily associated with the 4th of July celebrations, but let’s be honest: There’s no bad time to have a slice or two of apple pie.

For such a culinary staple, apple pie definitely has a lot of variants. For instance, you can enjoy a delicious apple pie à la mode by adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Other toppings include custard, whipped cream, or (surprisingly) a slice of cheddar cheese.

4

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup

Image: Terrance Barksdale

We debated which Reese’s product to include in this list: their delicious Peanut Butter Cups or their outstanding Pieces. We decided to go for the Peanut Butter Cup, if only for one reason. This amazing product was one of the first to showcase what a dynamic duo of chocolate and peanut butter make.

The story of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup s goes back to 1928, when H. B. Reese, a dairy farmer employed by the Hershey Company, decided to start his own candy company after he was let go of his job. The rest is history! Almost 100 years after, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are still one of America’s most cherished sweet treats.

5

Beignets

Image: Jessica Tan

If you ever find yourself in the beautiful city of New Orleans, you’ll be amazed by everything "The Big Easy" has to offer, from its amazing jazz, gorgeous architecture, and mouth-watering food. In that regard, take this piece of advice to heart: Don’t leave New Orleans without having some delicious beignets with a hot cup of coffee.

Like many of the things that make New Orleans so special, beignets come directly from French culture. They were most likely brought over by French colonists in the 18th century. However, Louisiana-style beignets stand out because they are topped with powdered sugar and are mostly eaten for breakfast.

6

Boston Cream pie

Image: Marko Klaric

Boston is known as "Beantown" for its affinity for beans, but don’t you dare think beans are the only culinary treat this city has to offer. With that in mind, we would like to present a slice of delicious Boston cream pie as evidence.

Many believe that the Boston cream pie was created in 1856 by Chef Mossburg Sanzian at the Parker House Hotel. Regardless of its origins, this cream-filled delicacy has grown to become a staple of Boston cuisine, being declared the city’s state pie in 1996.

7

Donuts

Image: Courtney Cook

If TV has taught us anything, it is that police officers and donuts go hand in hand. But let’s be honest: You don’t really need to be an officer to enjoy a delicious donut . This tasty treat has become an instantly recognizable pop icon, with its iconic shape and many colorful frostings.

It is believed that donuts were first brought to America by Dutch settlers, who brought a similar pastry called an olykoek to New York. In time, donuts would be happily adopted by the entire country. Nowadays, millions of these treats are consumed around America every day.

8

Hershey’s chocolate bars

Image: Janne Simoes

Let’s continue with " The Great American Chocolate Bar." Over 120 years ago, the very first Hershey bar was sold by American chocolatier and businessman Milton Hershey. This first bar unknowingly started one of the most lucrative and iconic chocolate companies in the world.

After that first bar sold at the start of the 20th century, Hershey has produced a myriad of iconic products, including their "Cookies ‘n’ Creme Bar" or their "Air Delight Bar." Regardless, you know that whenever you unwrap a delicious Hershey’s chocolate bar , you’ll find some of the world’s finest chocolate inside.

9

Cobbler

Image: Beyza Ç.

Let’s face it; the word " cobbler " is an awful-sounding word for such a delicious treat. Not only that, historians can’t seem to agree on where this name comes from. Many believe that it is a variant of the verb "to cobble", while others state that it comes from its resemblance to a ‘cobbled’ stone pathway. But we digress: Let’s instead just focus on how delicious they are.

Although originally created in the United Kingdom, cobblers are particularly popular in America, with many states and regions having their very own special variants. American cobblers are literally too many to mention, so we’ll just highlight a few of our favorites, like the "Brown Betty" (made with fruits and sweetened crumbles) or the "apple pan dowdy".

10

M&Ms

Image: Oksana Zub

We’ll end this article with one of America’s most iconic pieces of candy. At first glance, M&Ms are deceptively simple: They are just small and colorful pieces of chocolate. However, as anyone who has eaten a handful of M&Ms will tell you, there’s something magical to these small yet wonderful sweet treats.

M&Ms were created in 1941, inspired by a similar British product called "Smarties". The two Ms featured in the name come from Forrest Mars Sr., who created the product, and Bruce Murrie, stakeholder and son of Hershey Chocolate’s president.

1

No opening umbrellas on the street

Image: Edu Lauton

In Montgomery, Alabama, it is considered an offense to open an umbrella on a street for fear of spooking horses .

This raises questions about whether one should open an umbrella since the main use of it happens in the street.

2

No driving over 2000 sheep down Hollywood Boulevard

Image: Andrea Lightfoot

In Hollywood, California, it is illegal to drive more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time .

Apparently, you can drive one thousand and nineteen hundred and ninety-nine sheep, no problem. But not two thousand at one time.

3

No loose cats without tail lights

Image: Pacto Visual

In Sterling, Colorado, cats may not run loose without having been fitted with a taillight . Maybe this originated in some road accident involving a feline but one has to wonder if this is the best method of action. Especially since attaching a taillight to a cat does not seem like an easy thing to do.

4

No educating dogs

Image: Caleb Fisher

For whatever reason, you may not educate dogs in Connecticut . Something must have happened at some point in history serious enough for the local legislators to forbid the Connecticuters from educating their dogs.

5

No leaving the ship, if you are a rat

Image: Joshua J. Cotten

In Tampa Bay, Florida, rats are forbidden by law to leave the ships docked at port. The spirit of the law probably requires ship owners to prevent rats from leaving the ship but, for some reason, the phrasing of the text makes it seem as if it is directed to the rats themselves.

6

No road crossing, if you are a chicken.

Image: Vidi Drone

In Quitman, Georgia, it is illegal for a chicken to cross the road . Quite probably, this law is directed to chicken owners so that they prevent their feathered friends from roaming on the roads and causing accidents. But, still, it should be more clearly stated.

7

No fishing from a giraffe’s back

Image: MARIOLA GROBELSKA

Who in their right mind would attempt to fish from a giraffe’s back , right? Apparently, this exact thing happened in Boise, Idaho, prompting the passing of a law to forbid this outrageous behavior from happening ever again.

8

No flying over the village, if you are a bee

Image: Dmitry Grigoriev

In Kirkland, Illinois, bees are not allowed to fly over the village or through any of its streets . How exactly did the legislators who passed that law expect to enforce it, we honestly do not know.

9

No lions at the movies

Image: Andrew Liu

In Baltimore, Maryland, it is illegal to take a lion to the movies . As it should be. No one should be taking live lions into a movie theater filled with people, ever, anywhere in the world. Not even if the showcased movie is The Lion King.

10

No pant-less horses

Image: Silje Midtgård

As with most of the other examples in this list, this is a law that -hopefully- no one is paying any attention to. Horses are required to wear pants at all times in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. Seriously, how do you put pants on a horse?

11

No laying eggs at night

Image: Anita Austvika

It is unlawful for chickens to lay eggs before 8 AM and after 4 PM in West Virginia. Thankfully for chickens, they sleep at night and are active during the day, which prevents them from breaking the law.

12

No pictures of rabbits in June

Image: Gary Bendig

The State of Wyoming doesn’t allow you to take a picture of a rabbit during the month of June . The reason for this curious law is, perhaps, more understandable than most of the previous ones, and it has to do with avoiding harassment of the local wildlife.

1

John Quincy Adams’ alligator

Image: Robert Zunikoff

Adams kept an alligator in the White House bathtub, a gift from Marquis de Lafayette. Guests were reportedly startled by the reptile for months before it was relocated.

However, recent historians believe the story may be more myth than fact, reflecting the perceived eccentricity of both Adams and Lafayette rather than actual events.

2

Theodore Roosevelt’s badger

Image: Vincent van Zalinge

It’s clear that Teddy Roosevelt was an animal lover, keeping some of the most bizarre and unusual pets in White House history.

When Roosevelt’s children received a badger named "Josiah" from a girl in Kansas, the president didn’t hesitate to welcome it into the family home. The mischievous animal, however, often nipped at people’s ankles—including White House staff.

3

Martin Van Buren’s tiger cubs

Image: Mystery Cat

Yes—tiger cubs, plural. The Sultan of Oman gifted Van Buren two tiger cubs, but Congress demanded he surrender them to a zoo, citing laws against presidential gifts.

Van Buren fought to keep them but ultimately lost, and the cubs ended up in a public collection, marking one of the earliest disputes over presidential ethics and gifts.

4

Andrew Jackson’s parrot

Image: Ilona Frey

Jackson’s parrot, "Polly" learned to swear so well that it had to be removed from his funeral for cursing during the ceremony.

Known for his fiery temper, Jackson likely found the bird’s language amusing. Polly’s notorious vocabulary made it one of the earliest infamous pets in U.S. political lore.

5

James Buchanan’s elephant

Image: Wolfgang Hasselmann

This was a case of "almost." The King of Siam offered Buchanan a herd of elephants, suggesting they could breed in America. However, Buchanan politely declined—perhaps recalling Van Buren’s short-lived tiger ordeal? Still, he did maintain other exotic animals in Washington.

6

Abraham Lincoln’s turkey

Image: Tyler Jamieson Moulton

Lincoln’s son Tad named their Thanksgiving turkey "Jack" and begged his father to spare it—a story said to inspire the later turkey pardon tradition.

Jack roamed the White House freely and even followed Tad around, charming guests with his odd pet status.

7

Calvin Coolidge’s raccoon

Image: Joshua J. Cotten

Originally sent to be eaten at Thanksgiving—yes, eating raccoon wasn’t that unusual back then—"Rebecca" the raccoon was spared and became a pet. Coolidge even walked her on a leash around the White House gardens.

Rebecca had a custom house and enjoyed baths. Coolidge adored animals and also kept a wallaby, a bobcat, and even pygmy hippos!

8

Theodore Roosevelt’s hyena

Image: Matt Burke

By modern standards, it sounds insane, but Roosevelt was once gifted a hyena named "Bill" by an Ethiopian emperor—and he found the animal surprisingly affectionate.

Bill often roamed the White House lawn freely before eventually being sent to the Smithsonian, adding another chapter to Roosevelt’s legendary fascination with wildlife.

9

Woodrow Wilson’s sheep

Image: Sam Carter

During World War I, Wilson let sheep graze the White House lawn to save labor and raise war funds by auctioning their wool.

The move doubled as an environmental gesture and patriotic fundraiser. "Old Ike," a ram, became infamous for butting staff members and reporters alike.

10

Theodore Roosevelt’s bear cub

Image: Alla Kemelmakher

A black bear named "Jonathan Edwards" was among Roosevelt’s pets, inspired by his love of hunting and the outdoors.

Though kept briefly, the bear contributed to Roosevelt’s reputation as an adventurer—one that even inspired the creation of the "Teddy bear."