What American Cuisine Really Is

[ScottThuy 140]

oh - here is some ethnic american

Vietnamese Sandwiches... at the vietnamese shops in Houston.

Uniquely American - not made or sold (to the best of my knowledge) in Vietnam.

One can find a Banh Mi in VN.. but the thing we find here is a US version as in the US most dont want anything to do with the lesser cuts of meat... Bánh mì or bánh mỳ

[wayno 9]

There is bplenty of American cuisine. The country is so large with seperate areas that each region has it´s own but it is still American. Spending a lot of time abroad there are times when I´m craving "comfort food" from home, though I usually try the local flavers.

Some examples i can think of are;

chicken and dumplings

MD steamed crabs with local sweet corn

cream of crab or MD crab soup and a crabcake

carolina BBQ with coleslaw, baked beans and sweet tea

country fried steak or pork chops smothered with gravy and mashed potatoes

good cuts of aged beef like ribeye and NY strip (not beef which is killed and grilled--we let it rot! LOL)

How bout new orleans and cajun flavors from down that way as mentioned

hush puppies

cheesesteak subs

oyster po boys

fried chicken

virginia ham and mashed sweet potatoes

collard greens

corn bread

roasted turkey with all the trimmings and lots of gravy

Fried turkey

gravy fries

open faced hot roast beef or turkey samiches on white bread smothered with gravy

peanut butter and jelly samiches

fried balony sandwiches

grilled cheese and tomato soup

scrapple

home fries

grits

shrimp and grits

she crab soup

venison (deer) in many parts as well as other wild game

There are many more. Its not just fast food or fried either. Many flavors from many different regions. I better quit now because i´m making myself hungry.

[jundp 191]

One can find a Banh Mi in VN.. but the thing we find here is a US version as in the US most dont want anything to do with the lesser cuts of meat... Bánh mì or bánh mỳ

Now I'm hungry! There is a fabulous Vietnamese deli here in Seattle (called, unoriginally, the Seattle Deli!) with amazing Banh mi and also the best iced coffee I've ever had outside of New Orleans.

[Mrs.J06 4]

Whatever it is - put it on a stick to make it authentic Minnesotan!

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is the ultimate American food to me.

[Yurika & Jim 77]

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is the ultimate American food to me.

I agree . And also I don't understand why American loves it...

[david'sgirl 134]

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

Pretty much anything is "american" food since we are a mix of just about every culture.

I suppose Apple Pie is considered American. The foods you mentioned may have originated elsewhere but a pizza in New york wont be the same as a pizza in Sicily and I would bet no one in China eats what we call "chinese" take out. We have americanized versions of things.

If you want to try real american style cookin go to any diner and check out the Blue plate Specials. Meat loaf and mashed pottes, Chicken and bisquits, Open faced turkey sanwich, Eggs and bacon any time of the day and pie with ice cream on top. Have it with a coffee or a root beer and I suppose that is as American as anything.

There is bplenty of American cuisine. The country is so large with seperate areas that each region has it´s own but it is still American. Spending a lot of time abroad there are times when I´m craving "comfort food" from home, though I usually try the local flavers.

Some examples i can think of are;

chicken and dumplings

MD steamed crabs with local sweet corn

cream of crab or MD crab soup and a crabcake

carolina BBQ with coleslaw, baked beans and sweet tea

country fried steak or pork chops smothered with gravy and mashed potatoes

good cuts of aged beef like ribeye and NY strip (not beef which is killed and grilled--we let it rot! LOL)

How bout new orleans and cajun flavors from down that way as mentioned

hush puppies

cheesesteak subs

oyster po boys

fried chicken

virginia ham and mashed sweet potatoes

collard greens

corn bread

roasted turkey with all the trimmings and lots of gravy

Fried turkey

gravy fries

open faced hot roast beef or turkey samiches on white bread smothered with gravy

peanut butter and jelly samiches

fried balony sandwiches

grilled cheese and tomato soup

scrapple

home fries

grits

shrimp and grits

she crab soup

venison (deer) in many parts as well as other wild game

There are many more. Its not just fast food or fried either. Many flavors from many different regions. I better quit now because i´m making myself hungry.

What is Scrapple? I cant believe there is a food I've never heard of.

[K and L 27]

It's a fried mush made of pork offal and cornmeal.

[wayno 9]

What is Scrapple? I cant believe there is a food I've never heard of.

It´s local to the mid-Atlantic. If you really know what its made from you probably wouldn´t eat it! How I understand its all the stuff they wouldn´t consider putting in hot dogs. scrappel= scraps processed into a gray mush.

[K and L 27]

Offal's delicious (or at least, can be), but the texture of scrapple leaves much to be desired.

Edited February 7, 2010 by K and L

[Yurika & Jim 77]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrapple

Hmm... I've been lived in New Jersey 2 years, but I've never heard or seen it.

Looks NOT yammy...

[david'sgirl 134]

It's a fried mush made of pork offal and cornmeal.

um sorry I asked! kinda sounds like haggis!

[4lovewelive 0]

I feel like I should say something on this subject, since I asked the same question when I got here. What is American cuisine? My fiance didn't really have an answer for me, but I discovered it myself.

I have been here for a month now and one of the things that I'm really excited about is the food. The variety of food in the stores. There are so many choices, so many options, that everyone can be happy.

I made a blog so I could keep in touch easier with my friends, and also to write about the things I like and this way adjust easier in USA. So far, the blog has really helped me a lot, but at the same time, my friends are worried that I am eating a lot and Im eating unhealthy food ))

I deffinitely don't eat a lot. My weight has been around 90 pounds for years I probably eat less than I ate at home, I just didnt blog about it so my friends now are freaking out

To get to my point, I feel like Im eating much healthier than I ever did. When I hear people saying that America is all about fast food and hamburgers and pizza, it just hurts me. It is my country now and even though I don't like it 100%, I have to defend it. That is not true. It is all about choices in here. You can choose. You can eat hamburgers or other fast food stuff, or you can eat good food. Noone forces you to eat bad food. I have eaten a portion of vegetables almost every day since I am here. I never did that at home even though I have always loved vegetables. I didnt even know how to cook vegetables in such a way to save most of their vitamins and I learned that from my fiance.

There are so many vegetables in here that I have never seen in my country, like yellow squash, rutabaga, black eyed peas... I have never eaten okras or asparagus before coming here. Now I love them.

I found a lot of salad mixes that I love - just green leaves that are perfect on top of a sandwich, or with a steak. I am amazed at hoa many fat-free products I found - fat-free milk (lactosis free too), sour-cream, low-fat cheese. Then I never ate turkey before coming here. It is probably the healthiest meet and I find it very tasty.

I was happy to find a lot of products without MSG (more and more difficult to find them in my country, except for organic stores that are really expensive), 100% natural eggs, organic chicken at good prices and I could go on and on....

The one thing that I was really unhappy about was the bread. I read the topic about it before getting here and I was a little scared. I dont like the sweet bread and I find that many of them are so sweet.... But, I discovered greek pita which is really good (whole wheat one is my fav), different wraps that aree also good and Im happy about it now.

I dont know if there are 100% authentic American food for the simple reason that there are people from all over the world in here. It's a mixture of cultures, hence of foods. Still, there are many foods in here that I never heard about before, or just variations of popular dishes, that I think they might be specific for USA: the famous peanutbutter and jelly (I really like it, give it a try), cornbread (we have a kind of corn meal in my country, like polenta), mashed potatoes with unpeeled potatoes (I loooove it), sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, barbecued ribs, fried chicken (it is different in my country), mashed potatoes with steak and gravy, biscuits, bagels, chili dogs, American pizza is for sure different than Italian pizza (thin and crispy), the potato soup is so different than the ones back home, but I looooove these ones so much , then there are the deserts: the famous American pies, cheesecakes, banana pudding, the cobbler, the chocolate lava cake (mmmmm), red velvet cake, marshmellows, etc etc

They might not be genuine American foods, but to me they mean America. And remember, if you don't like the food in here, just change it You have the choice!

[littlecrazyangel 1]

I feel like I should say something on this subject, since I asked the same question when I got here. What is American cuisine? My fiance didn't really have an answer for me, but I discovered it myself.

I have been here for a month now and one of the things that I'm really excited about is the food. The variety of food in the stores. There are so many choices, so many options, that everyone can be happy.

I made a blog so I could keep in touch easier with my friends, and also to write about the things I like and this way adjust easier in USA. So far, the blog has really helped me a lot, but at the same time, my friends are worried that I am eating a lot and Im eating unhealthy food ))

I deffinitely don't eat a lot. My weight has been around 90 pounds for years I probably eat less than I ate at home, I just didnt blog about it so my friends now are freaking out

To get to my point, I feel like Im eating much healthier than I ever did. When I hear people saying that America is all about fast food and hamburgers and pizza, it just hurts me. It is my country now and even though I don't like it 100%, I have to defend it. That is not true. It is all about choices in here. You can choose. You can eat hamburgers or other fast food stuff, or you can eat good food. Noone forces you to eat bad food. I have eaten a portion of vegetables almost every day since I am here. I never did that at home even though I have always loved vegetables. I didnt even know how to cook vegetables in such a way to save most of their vitamins and I learned that from my fiance.

There are so many vegetables in here that I have never seen in my country, like yellow squash, rutabaga, black eyed peas... I have never eaten okras or asparagus before coming here. Now I love them.

I found a lot of salad mixes that I love - just green leaves that are perfect on top of a sandwich, or with a steak. I am amazed at hoa many fat-free products I found - fat-free milk (lactosis free too), sour-cream, low-fat cheese. Then I never ate turkey before coming here. It is probably the healthiest meet and I find it very tasty.

I was happy to find a lot of products without MSG (more and more difficult to find them in my country, except for organic stores that are really expensive), 100% natural eggs, organic chicken at good prices and I could go on and on....

The one thing that I was really unhappy about was the bread. I read the topic about it before getting here and I was a little scared. I dont like the sweet bread and I find that many of them are so sweet.... But, I discovered greek pita which is really good (whole wheat one is my fav), different wraps that aree also good and Im happy about it now.

I dont know if there are 100% authentic American food for the simple reason that there are people from all over the world in here. It's a mixture of cultures, hence of foods. Still, there are many foods in here that I never heard about before, or just variations of popular dishes, that I think they might be specific for USA: the famous peanutbutter and jelly (I really like it, give it a try), cornbread (we have a kind of corn meal in my country, like polenta), mashed potatoes with unpeeled potatoes (I loooove it), sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, barbecued ribs, fried chicken (it is different in my country), mashed potatoes with steak and gravy, biscuits, bagels, chili dogs, American pizza is for sure different than Italian pizza (thin and crispy), the potato soup is so different than the ones back home, but I looooove these ones so much , then there are the deserts: the famous American pies, cheesecakes, banana pudding, the cobbler, the chocolate lava cake (mmmmm), red velvet cake, marshmellows, etc etc

They might not be genuine American foods, but to me they mean America. And remember, if you don't like the food in here, just change it You have the choice!

I agree with you 100%. American pie is really american

[littlecrazyangel 1]

At home everybody said to me that food is not good In USA.I Have to disagree because here you can find a lot of good tasty food. At farmer's market they have 'real' vegetables and fruits.

Since I'm here I bought at least 5 cookbooks and I realized that I enjoy cooking and I love Baking.I tried so many foods and I'm planning to try more.

What is interesting is that in many 'American cookbooks' you can find meals from other nations.