Regional foods are endlessly interesting and sometimes controversial, since some dishes that are a must-have in certain parts of the world are seen as strange or even off-putting to eaters outside of that region. One such dish is frog eye salad, a western U.S. staple at Thanksgiving dinners, potlucks, family reunions, and more.

Frog eye salad is a sweet pasta salad that's typically served as a side rather than dessert, putting it roughly in the same category as ambrosia and Watergate salad, two other controversial foods. This salad uses a pasta called acini de pepe, and when combined with other ingredients, the small, round noodles look a bit like frogs' eyes.

To make frog eye salad, start by making a simple custard out of pineapple juice, eggs, sugar, salt, and flour. Cook the combined ingredients over medium heat until thickened, then chill the custard; once the mixture has cooled, add cooked and chilled acini de pepe, canned pineapple, canned mandarin oranges, and whipped topping.

Refrigerate the salad overnight, or for at least eight hours, and stir in shredded coconut and mini marshmallows just before serving. If you want a little variety with your frogs' eyes, try adding other ingredients, like sliced bananas, maraschino cherries, sliced strawberries, or cream cheese, which makes for a smoother texture.