"American" food

Daisy_Bumbleroot

Didn't realize this thread was a american food bashing thread, are the Brits in any position to criticize, really now!

I agree! I lived in Baton Rouge for two years and I can tell you that despite there being a fast food restaurant on every corner, some of the food from Louisiana is out of this world.


Two Words - CRAWFISH BOIL!!!!

runlilyrun

*Never had a buffalo wing... What's that lol.

A type of chicken wing that was first served in Buffalo, NY, I think - it was mentioned upthread.

My favourite American invention is a pizza burger

stephanieross1

We have apple pie and hotdogs, canada..
not quite so popular it's usually the cheap stuff
apple pie is usually for thansgiving
poutine is a big one here

mycupyourcake

America is a whole lot bigger than the United States. And it's a whole lot bigger than North America.

We have Mexican food. Then we have Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex, Flori-Mex, Cuban, Cajun, Southern-Soul food (which derives primarily from Ethiopian cuisine), the foods from the Mid-Atlantic, the New England foods, Carolina barbecue and low country boils, Memphis barbecue with sweet, tangy sauces, Kansas City barbecue with thick, sweet sauces, Texas barbecue with rubs and primarily using beef. We have unique pizzas from NY, Chicago, and California that don't even remotely resemble each other.

And then there's beef. Big, thick, juicy steaks cut on the bone or boneless, cooked on the hottest grills imaginable, and served simply with salt, pepper, maybe a little garlic, a side of green veggies and a baked sweet potato or baked white potato. Believe it or not, that steak comes from Italy, but Americans all over - from Texas to New York - have improved it and made it their own. And we have bison.

If there's one food that is uniquely American, though, it is corn. Roast corn, corn chowder, popcorn, cornbread, masa, corn cakes, corn tortillas, etc. Oh, and avocados. We have avocados. They're from the Caribbean and Central America and have been adopted in cuisines all over the world. In fact, the Americas grow a good bit of the world's produce.

I'm one of those "Americans" who has lived and been all over the world, (was born an expat, and spent a decent amount of my 30s as one). I appreciate what we have available in the United States more than anything. We get greater varieties of everything in the US than anywhere else in the world. Most people really have no idea how spectacular food is here.

It isn't all crappy fast food and boxes of pasta. Mac and cheese is Italian, by the way.

Thank you!!! Honestly I can't imagine why so many non-US types think all of our food is teh crap.

Also want to give a shout-out for utterly delicious local specialties -- lobster rolls, clam chowder, New England boiled dinner and Boston baked beans... Maryland crab cakes...the whole kick-@ss old Southern foodway (which by the way is ALL home made and very based on fresh seasonal produce)....tex-mex....cioppino....the American steakhouse tradition....

There is a huge farm-to-table movement in the US, and we have a long tradition of creative fusion cuisine.

Yes to both of you!! I may be biased, living in California (and in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the most culturally diverse cities in our country or world!) but we have so many good foods that aren't 'yellow or beige', that aren't fried or processed-- things you pick up at the market that are locally grown, fresh and COLORFUL! I shop at the Asian market, the Mexican market- specialty stores like Sprouts or Whole Foods.... we get the best of all of it! I'm sure every culture thinks their food is best, but I really am spoiled here in California where I can get pretty much any type fo food at anytime. Or better yet, the ingredients to make any type of food anytime. Like last nights dinner (see diary)... I made my own Thai coconut lemongrass stirfry to eat over basmati rice... DELICIOUS!

On the other hand- we do have a TON of fastfood joints EVERYWHERE that are pure crap! But I think those are everywhere-all over the world!

Thanks to all of the above! Let's not forget the amazing fresh cuisine of the Pacific NW. Where you can have trout and chantrelle mushrooms in an egg scramble.

I have lived overseas and have had to put up with people asking me to bring hot dogs to International School's food festivals to represent America (even worse is when Americans themselves suggest it or even when the Ambassador hosts diplomats at his 4th of July parties with McDonalds!). My foreign friends always were surprised that I cooked healthy food from scratch and most people overseas think Americans all eat McDonalds! It's really infuriating! I always wanted to do some TexMex or Thai or even sushi rolls for those International School food fairs for the American food booth just to thumb my nose at all those snobby Europeans with their ideas of what American food is or isn't!

laineybz

I'm in the UK, and yes, we have apple pies, including delicious home made ones, tarte tatin, apple turnovers and Mr Kipling individual ones (which I wouldn't recommend). Pies are usually savoury. I don't know if it's because I'm in the north of England, but there are an awful lot of bakers shops, sometimes almost next door to each other, selling mostly individual baked goods. There's a reality TV series about one of the big bakers here on TV at the moment, called "Greggs: More Than Meats The Pie" I believe. Whereas I've heard people in the US talking about McDonalds when they talk about obesity, here they'll sometimes talk about Greggs!

We do have hotdogs, particularly at the cinema and at fairgrounds!

Greggs calories are shocking lol. I used to love the sausage rolls and steak bakes...no more lol.

I'm in the UK also. As above, hotdogs are available in the cinemas etc. Or Ikea! Have been to NYC a few times and only tried a corndog on the 3rd visit. Wasn't overly impressed but i do love Hershey's Cookies and Cream and Lucky Charms! lol oh and US poptarts taste so much better than the ones sold in Morrisons x