American Foods?

Question

I have a project due on American Foods and the usual suspects (hamburger, hot dogs, apple pie, pizza... are not truly American in the sense that they are also claimed by other cultures & cuisines).

So far, I have sloppy joe's, meatloaf and buffalo wings. Any other 100% American foods that are not found outside the USA?

*****Also, where do SLOPPY JOE's get their name?

Answer 1

French fries weren't invented in America, but potato chips were. One day, a customer in a restaurant (in New York, I think) complained that his fries were too thick and not salty enough. Disgruntled, the chef decided to give the customer too much of what he wanted, so he sliced some potatoes paper-thin and salted the life out of them. The customer loved them. Thus, potato chips were born.

As for other things that were invented in the US. . . chop suey was invented by a Chinese chef living in California. Fortune cookies were invented in either San Francisco or Canada, depending on who you ask, but they definitely didn't come from China. Fajitas, I believe, are strictly Tex-Mex, and not actual Mexican food.

There are a lot of southern favorites that generally don't make it out of the south, much less into other countries. Biscuits 'n gravy, grits, sweet potato biscuits, aligator meat, jambalaya, fried green tomatoes, etc. You might want to look into some of these.

Answer 2

I would think,

Pinto Beans and Cornbread

Steak

Cajun foods, Jambolaya. Frenc influence, but truely american

Theres a ton ov European variations but American invented, like Chicken fried steak.

Answer 3

Grits is another common American food. Well, it is in the south. But if you make them, be sure to use some butter or else they won't taste very well.

Collard greens, cornbread, pumpkin pie, cobbler, mint juleps (a drink), fried green tomatoes, gumbo, red velvet cake, jambalaya....

Try these sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foo...

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

Answer 4

What about biscuits & gravy? I'm from Texas, and biscuits and gravy are a breakfast favorite. Biscuits are basically a kind of bread in small, soft cakes that have been cut out and baked. Here my recipes....enjoy!

~Southern Biscuits~

2 cups all purpose flour

1 TBS baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

5 TBS chilled butter

1 cup milk, buttermilk can be used

1 TBS sugar

PreHeat oven to 425.

In large bowl sift flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and sugar. Cut the butter into this mixture until it is coarse crumbs. Add milk, a little at a time and toss til you get a dough that sticks together. But not too sticky. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gather into a disk shape and knead lightly a few times just til smooth. Pat the dough to 3/4 inch thick and cut . Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes.

For the delicious gravy:

½ pound ground breakfast sausage or bacon, depending on your taste

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons all purpose flour

3 cups cold milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the sausage or bacon until it is cooked and has released as much of its fat as possible. Remove it with a slotted spoon and do NOT drain the grease. You’ll need it to make the roux. (I said this was delicious, not health food). You should have about 2 tablespoons of rendered pork fat. Add the butter and melt it. Then add the flour a little at a time over medium heat, constantly whisking. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Now start adding the cold milk a little at a time, whisking incessantly. Toward the end of the milk add the sausage or crumbled bacon back in. When you reach the desired consistency add salt and pepper to taste.

Answer 5

it used to be that truly American means its processed, frozen, microwaveable, or heat and serve. Things have changed if you look at fresh grown food.  America still has great farmlands  If you want to think in regional cuisine think about seasonally grown things, geographic style like Manhattan clam chowder. You have fish like Halibut, sockeye salmon from the pacific coast, oysters grown in Washington, Oregon, and California. Shrimp from gulf coast, maple syrup from New England America cuisine doesn't mean you have to think fast food. Take a look at slowfoodusa.org. They list some great current American foods.

Answer 6

I agree with the others that you should look into Southern cuisine. It's a very unique blend of European food: adjusted European dishes to fit the foods available in America and adjusted African dishes , adjusted by the slaves to fit the scarce resources.

It's not the healthiest food on earth, but it's an interesting reflection of American history.

Answer 7

Pumpkin pie, peanut butter, maple syrup (along with Canada), root beer, and coney dogs.  As for the name, "Sloppy Joe", the sloppy part is easy enough to understand since it can be a messy meal to eat.  "Joe" is mid-20th Century American slang for "guy".  "Sloppy Joe" mean the same thing as "Messy Guy".  It wasn't named after any particular Joe.

Answer 8

Pot Roast

Fried Chicken

Corn Bread

Pork Chops

Baked Chicken

You know I consider any thing made in America to be American. I mean like sweet potato pie was probably created down south but isn't down south still in America? I might be wrong on this and there will probably be One thousand and one who will say I am wrong but it's my way of thinking....