American Cuisine: Facts

American Cuisine

America is commonly known as the globe's melting pot. People from all around the world immigrate to North America and bring their cultures and traditions along with them. It is commonly believed that the original inhabitants of the land were Native Americans, but even they are believed to have migrated down from Asia during the last ice age. No other country in the world looks quite like America. Although the great diversity makes our country unique and fascinating, it also creates an identity crisis for the nation as a whole, especially when it comes to the culinary world.

American cuisine, by definition, is a style of food originating in the United States. American cuisine, however, often "reflects the multicultural background of Americans. We are a country of people from many countries, living together in one melting pot. American cuisine, similarly, is the fusion of cuisines from many places (Mitchell/McBride)". It is often argued that Americans do not really have an authentic cuisine, but have produced food that has been heavily influenced by different cultures. The first cookbook published in the United States after the American Revolution was written by Amelia Simmons in 1796, and it was titled, American Cookery. It, however, only contained recipes which were brought over from France or Britain.

If we look at modern America, we can divide the nation into six main culinary regions: the northeastern region of the United States or New England, the Pacific and Hawaii, the Midwest, the American South, the West, and the Southwest. The cuisines in each of these regions differ, and have unique culinary influences.

New England's first settlers were the Puritans from Eastern England. When they arrived to America, they brought several recipes with them which consisted of dairy and baked goods such as baked beans, turkey, porridge, and pie. They soon began to adopt many original Native American foods. New England cuisine has a big focus on seafood since the people heavily rely on the nearby seaports. They also have several farms in the inlands which makes their cuisine rich in dairy. Over the last couple centuries, New England cuisine has been more influenced by Italian Americans, Irish Americans, and the Portuguese. Some of New England's cuisine has spread throughout the United States, and foods such as baked beans, clam chowder, and ice cream have become popular.

The roots of Midwestern cuisine can be traced back to Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe. The Swedish, Polish, Germans, and Greeks were all immigrant groups which influenced the region's cuisine. Many of the traditional dishes in that region did not contain strong seasonings, and spicy foods did not exist until the recent immigration of Latin Americans and Asians into the region. Since the land is far from the coast, Midwesterners never relied much on seafood. The cuisine of that region has also been heavily influenced by regional agriculture. The Midwest produces vast amounts of corn, wheat, beans, wild rice, fruit, beef, pork, and dairy. The Midwest is sometimes referred to as "the breadbasket of America." CURRENT POPULAR DISHES

The biggest influences in the cuisine of the American South come from Native American, Scottish, French, Irish, Spanish, and African American immigrants. The