In my view, there is nothing like American cuisine. American cuisine is a fusion cuisine. The fusion in this case means that it takes ingredients from more than one cuisine, mixes them together, and creates something new. American cuisine encompasses ingredients and techniques from around the world. It is basically a product of both regional uniqueness and international diversity. American food reflects the origins of its international diversity and blend of their culture and culinary mix. The fact that America does not have a cuisine is a measure of its democracy and ethnic diversity.
For me, Cuisine is a form of cultural expression in ways of preparing food. It is about bringing the flavors out of the ingredients at hand. Expensive ingredients do not necessarily make great cuisine. It is all about using the right ingredients in right quantity. Individuals and families from various nations and ethnicity have settled in the US, and through their cuisine, they share their heritage.
The United States is a land of delicious eating. It has unique food traditions, festivals, and events. Rather than unifying national style of cooking, the U.S. is a nation of regional cuisines. Regional traditions and diversity are the two important ingredients that make American cuisines attractive and diverse. Food choices vary from one region to another because of variation in culture, tradition, and climate. In the U.S. every region, state, city and town has its own unique food traditions and establishment, which is a combination of local tradition and diverse influence from around the world. The regional foods associated with the North East are cranberries, oyster, apples and cheese-steak. Regional foods from South East are collards, peaches, shrimp, tomatoes and okra. Corn, beef, grains, pasta, pizza are the regional foods in mid west. Salmon, clams, cheese, apples, strawberries are regional food in North West. While, chilies, tortillas, corn, beans, grapes, lettuce, avocados are regional food of south west. There is a rich diversity in American food culture. This can be very much experienced by traveling across the country. For example, regional differences exist even in the word “Barbecue.” It means pork in south and beef in the southwest.
There has been a major influence on American food over time. In 1700, a new country was formed by settlers from all parts of Europe and Africa, which resulted in mixing of cultures and cuisines. Some of the major influences on US cuisine came from African slaves. They carried with them seeds from their native foods, yams, okra, watermelon etc. The enslaved Africans created southern cuisine; sweet potato pie and candied yam as cook in Southern plantation kitchen by combining native foods with those of European colonists. African-Americans played a major role in molding the renowned cuisine of the South.
The American popular food “Barbecue” was discovered after the mingling of Native Americans, Anglo, and African traditions. In 1852, Chinese immigrants arrived in California to work in mines, pick crops, and build the railroads. Even though they were confined to the Chinese community and legally kept away from mingling with the broader population, they brought new traditions and ingredients to American dinner table. Over time, descendants of Chinese workers of gold rush era and the new Chinese immigrants started moving out of the China towns, as a result their cuisines became popular and a part of the American eating experience. It is said that there more Chinese restaurants in the US than the McDonald, which is a popular fast food chain.
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