What American Cuisine Really Is

[Calypso 464]

Hamburger, pizza, sausage, bread... they are not originally from the U.S.

I have gone to Italian, Indian, Mexican, Thai, Filipino, Chinese, and Japanese restaurants in places that I visited but I haven't spotted any authentic American restaurant. I mean a restaurant with that description.

Today is January 27. I arrived in the U.S. on October 27 last year. In my three months here, I have only been to Orlando, Los Angeles, San Diego, Burbank, Glendale, and Santa Monica. Maybe I haven't seen much but I am starting to ask myself: So... what is American cuisine really? You know, food that Americans can proudly call their own... food that has originated in the U.S.

Hakuna matata.

God bless us all.

FAE

[Nik+Heather 121]

Well, I think that's because we as a people aren't really all originally from the US, I suppose. I would contend that the American versions of many of these are uniquely American. If you want to find things which are "purely" American, then you need to look Native American.

I am not an expert, but these are the things that come to mind:

Wild rice (Minnesota)

Squash

Maize -> Corn

Potatoes

Buffalo Wings (*stomach growl*)

Certain fish - Salmon? I know they have been fished and eaten in the north west for centuries.

Turkey

Barbeque??(reaching now)

Hot Dogs?

Edited January 27, 2010 by Nik+Heather

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

There is no such thing as American cuisine. The only food "invented" by Americans is Hot Dogs and Burgers, basically highly unhealthy junk food. Everything else has been brought over by the immigrants who make up the fabric of this country today. A country, by the way, that has the highest rate of obesity in the known Universe.

For that reason people outside the US might want to experience Italian, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, Armenian, or Libanese cuisine, but not American. America is, and will ever be, a fast food, cheap, throw away society. Those with a taste for the eclectic and the financial means to enjoy life will look elsewhere.

[Wyld Blu 35]

America is, and will ever be, a fast food, cheap, throw away society...

And yet...here you are.

-Blu-(just sayin')

[Tygrys 143]

Hamburger, pizza, sausage, bread... they are not originally from the U.S.

I have gone to Italian, Indian, Mexican, Thai, Filipino, Chinese, and Japanese restaurants in places that I visited but I haven't spotted any authentic American restaurant. I mean a restaurant with that description.

Today is January 27. I arrived in the U.S. on October 27 last year. In my three months here, I have only been to Orlando, Los Angeles, San Diego, Burbank, Glendale, and Santa Monica. Maybe I haven't seen much but I am starting to ask myself: So... what is American cuisine really? You know, food that Americans can proudly call their own... food that has originated in the U.S.

Hakuna matata.

God bless us all.

FAE

Ever tried Ribeye, T-Bone or Porterhouse? I think you should...

[Yurika & Jim 77]

California Roll (sushi). We don't eat sushi with avocado in Japan...

[Tygrys 143]

There is no such thing as American cuisine. The only food "invented" by Americans is Hot Dogs and Burgers, basically highly unhealthy junk food. Everything else has been brought over by the immigrants who make up the fabric of this country today. A country, by the way, that has the highest rate of obesity in the known Universe.

For that reason people outside the US might want to experience Italian, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, Armenian, or Libanese cuisine, but not American. America is, and will ever be, a fast food, cheap, throw away society. Those with a taste for the eclectic and the financial means to enjoy life will look elsewhere.

And you would prefer bratwurst with sauerkraut? Now, that's really eclectic and enjoyable... and not cheap or fast food either, of course.

[Calypso 464]

California Roll (sushi). We don't eat sushi with avocado in Japan...

I like the Roll House Sushi Japanese restaurant several blocks from where my husband and I live. We go there every Saturday evening for dinner. I never ordered any roll with avocado. Their chef are Japanese-looking though and even their servers.

FAE

Edited January 27, 2010 by Arbind.Ariadne

[Calypso 464]

Their chefs are...

[Calypso 464]

Ever tried Ribeye, T-Bone or Porterhouse? I think you should...

If you meant such and tri-tip steaks are originally American, yes, I have tasted them.

FAE

[Lia792 5]

Actually, living outside of the country, I can say that there are a lot of foods that one finds in America or are made in a certain American way but you will not find that food made that way in the country the food is originally from. America has always been a melting pot, now the mixing bowl. I think Nik+Heather spoke correctly that indigenous American food would be that of the Native Americans. However, from the 1500s on, other foods have been developed and eaten in a very American way in the US.

For example, pizza:

In Italy, it's a type of pie, nothing like our American pizza.

In Mexico, it's a thin crusty thing with possibly chili and ground beef on top, maybe even avocada, depending where you eat it...

Mexican food:

eat Mexican food in Mexico, and then eat in the US. My SO says, "What are fajitas? What are burritos?" because they are not eaten in the south of Mexico, but instead come from Tex-Mex cuisine. Actually, American "Mexican food" is a completely hybrid entity.

Same with varieties of Chinese food...

I love Middle Eastern food, but here in Mexico I noticed an interesting variant - little pieces of pomegranate were mixed in with my hummus since pomegranate is kind of a delicacy here.

I have come to the conclusion that as an American, I am culturally programmed to eat and enjoy a variety of different foods with the flavors Americans tend to enjoy. Here in Mexico, most Mexicans can go all year without ever craving Chinese, Lebanese, Italian, Argentinian, Indian...but many Americans are used to eating such a variety of foods that having the same flavors day after day becomes restrictive.

In summary, what I am saying is that I do believe there is an American cuisine, even though I also believe it is an arguable point, and that I believe that one would define American cuisine as that unique combination of many different cultures and foods, smoothly or otherwise. I have noticed that eating a different cuisine in a foreign country, for example, Italian food in the Middle East, or even a hamburger in Mexico will always result in a unique cultural variant of the native flavors. If I were to define strictly American flavors, I would identify a place such as Denny's or Applebee's as being foods that Americans in general grow up with, such as meatloaf, a big steak, hamburgers, Tex-Mex cuisine, American Italian food, scrambled eggs with hash browns, and our particular cocktails which can at times be surprising difficult to encounter in other countries.

[Calypso 464]

Actually, living outside of the country, I can say that there are a lot of foods that one finds in America or are made in a certain American way but you will not find that food made that way in the country the food is originally from. America has always been a melting pot, now the mixing bowl. I think Nik+Heather spoke correctly that indigenous American food would be that of the Native Americans. However, from the 1500s on, other foods have been developed and eaten in a very American way in the US.

For example, pizza:

In Italy, it's a type of pie, nothing like our American pizza.

In Mexico, it's a thin crusty thing with possibly chili and ground beef on top, maybe even avocada, depending where you eat it...

Mexican food:

eat Mexican food in Mexico, and then eat in the US. My SO says, "What are fajitas? What are burritos?" because they are not eaten in the south of Mexico, but instead come from Tex-Mex cuisine. Actually, American "Mexican food" is a completely hybrid entity.

Same with varieties of Chinese food...

I love Middle Eastern food, but here in Mexico I noticed an interesting variant - little pieces of pomegranate were mixed in with my hummus since pomegranate is kind of a delicacy here.

I have come to the conclusion that as an American, I am culturally programmed to eat and enjoy a variety of different foods with the flavors Americans tend to enjoy. Here in Mexico, most Mexicans can go all year without ever craving Chinese, Lebanese, Italian, Argentinian, Indian...but many Americans are used to eating such a variety of foods that having the same flavors day after day becomes restrictive.

In summary, what I am saying is that I do believe there is an American cuisine, even though I also believe it is an arguable point, and that I believe that one would define American cuisine as that unique combination of many different cultures and foods, smoothly or otherwise. I have noticed that eating a different cuisine in a foreign country, for example, Italian food in the Middle East, or even a hamburger in Mexico will always result in a unique cultural variant of the native flavors. If I were to define strictly American flavors, I would identify a place such as Denny's or Applebee's as being foods that Americans in general grow up with, such as meatloaf, a big steak, hamburgers, Tex-Mex cuisine, American Italian food, scrambled eggs with hash browns, and our particular cocktails which can at times be surprising difficult to encounter in other countries.

This is a splendid elaboration!

"I have come to the conclusion that as an American, I am culturally programmed to eat and enjoy a variety of different foods with the flavors Americans tend to enjoy."

FAE

[F & J 21]

I like the Roll House Sushi Japanese restaurant several blocks from where my husband and I live. We go there every Saturday evening for dinner. I never ordered any roll with avocado. Their chef are Japanese-looking though and even their servers.

FAE

I've never had sushi with avocado either...

I remember California Maki though - usually made with mangoes or peaches, I think ^__^;;

[smoahmad 0]

There is no such thing as American cuisine. The only food "invented" by Americans is Hot Dogs and Burgers, basically highly unhealthy junk food. Everything else has been brought over by the immigrants who make up the fabric of this country today. A country, by the way, that has the highest rate of obesity in the known Universe.

For that reason people outside the US might want to experience Italian, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, Armenian, or Libanese cuisine, but not American. America is, and will ever be, a fast food, cheap, throw away society. Those with a taste for the eclectic and the financial means to enjoy life will look elsewhere.

I wouldn't say that Americans have only invented fast food and junk food, though we certainly have produced and consumed quite a bit of it! The country was founded as a nation of immigrants, so of course our food has a basis in the cuisines of the immigrants who came over. But once here, often things took a life of their own and as different groups of people mixed and shared recipes and culinary work, and had to adapt older recipes to whatever ingredients were available here, distinctly new cuisines formed in America. Take Louisiana Creole cuisine, for instance. I grant that it would not be what it is today without huge contributions from the cuisines of France, the Caribbean, and West Africa, as well as the crops of the native Americans in Louisiana. But only in the New Orleans area were French colonists mixing with enslaved Africans and free people of color, and over time produced one of America's most unique cuisines.

And taste for the eclectic? There are all kinds of American dishes to be had that certainly are part of that category. Ever had a jibarito? It's American, by way of Puerto Rico and Chicago, now spread to other parts of the country. Basically a sandwich on plantains instead of bread, but just typing it makes me hungry... amazing, by the way.

(I happened to focus on the Creole food because I just got back from a family trip to New Orleans and the area, and I didn't have a bad meal once! Brilliant food culture down there, from high-end restaurants to po-boy shacks.)

[Krikit 1,164]

When I think of American cuisine, the following comes to mind:

• fried chicken/livers/gizzards, etc
  
• turnip/collard greens
  
• macaroni and cheese
  
• pulled pork
  
• sweet potato pie
  

I'm sure there are many more, but this is what comes to mind without having to think about it. lol