AMERICAN

CUISINE
• American cuisine is one delicacy that’s hard to
define, given that it was introduced and influenced
by immigrants over the early years. From Northeast
to Mid-Atlantic, Southern to Southwest, the
eccentric blend of exotic food eventually made
America what it is today: a unique myriad of steak
houses, sandwich shops and burger joints.
• A true melting pot when it comes to staple
ingredients – from chicken, wheat, corn, and
bread – these components are key in just about
any quintessential American food. The most
recognizable ones are the all-time classics such
as pizzas, burgers, hotdogs and pot pies.
However, when it comes to defining the cuisine
by locality, it is a different matter altogether.
 HISTORY and INFLUENCE of AMERICAN
CUISINE
Philippine culture is influenced by so many others, such as Malay, Spanish,
Chinese, and American. Each have their own stories, and the history of American
influence on our cuisine is a much more recent one, which has everything to do
with their occupation of our islands. Along with the Joes came canned goods, a
necessity during time of war. They introduced us to food of convenience, which
was important during that era: pressure cooking, freezing, pre-cooking, canning.
It was cultural imperialism and soft power at work; soon we were hooked on the
ideal ways of the West.
•Flavors and Assimilation
American junk food was and is a novelty; the high fat and salt
content made it a special treat that kids looked forward to. Our
palates are used to a lot of salty, sour, sweet, all intense flavors
that allowed us to embrace whatever sodium or sugar-laden food
was popular then. We loved it so much, that we even started
adopting and adapting beloved dishes into the Filipino culinary
repertoire, turning them into staples: for example, American
spaghetti turned into a Filipino one, with a sweeter sauce and
chopped-up hotdogs, fried chicken and hamburgers are so
ubiquitous that they’ve even become common and standard
street food, and corned beef with rice is almost as beloved as our
cured tapa. Heck, some of our most popular fast food chains offer
mainly Western-inspired menus.
•Imports and Chains
Chains were big then and remain influential for many reasons.
The flavors we are now accustomed to ensure that we keep
coming back to the same counters, and the fact that these logos
symbolize treats “from abroad”. Popularity stems from nostalgia,
and American food has become so familiar to us, that it might
even be the comfort food we first think of, or what we cook at
home. That stubborn phrase colonial mentality has a lot to do
with it too; we love whatever is new and foreign, and would give
whatever money we had to something everyone else was talking
about. KFC, McDonalds, Burger King all enjoy crowds and hordes
of people, and you can just imagine what will happen when
places like Pink’s or Halal Guys open their doors here.
• Whatever reason we had for loving this junk in the first place hardly matters;
we’re in too deep and we just can’t tear away from our beloved burger buns
and our super-saturated fats.
• American cuisine reflects the history of the United States, blending the culinary
contributions of various groups of people from around the world, including
indigenous American Indians, African Americans, Asians, Europeans, Pacific
Islanders, and Hispanic Americans. Though much of American cuisine is fusion
cuisine reflecting global cuisine, many regional cuisines have deeply rooted
ethnic heritages, including Cajun, Louisiana Creole, Native American, New
Mexican, Pennsylvania Dutch, Mexican-American, New England, Soul food, and
Tlingit.
• Early Native Americans utilized a number of cooking methods in early American
cuisine that have been blended with early European cooking methods to form
the basis of what is now American cuisine. The European settlement of the
Americas introduced a number of ingredients, spices, herbs, and cooking styles
to the continent.
• The various styles of cuisine continued expanding well into the 19th and 20th
centuries, proportional to the influx of immigrants from many different nations;
this influx nurtured a rich diversity in food preparation throughout the country.
• When European colonists arrived in Colonial America, they raised animals
for clothing and meat in a similar fashion to what they had done in Europe.
Their cuisine was based upon what they had consumed in Europe.
• The American colonial diet varied depending on the region settled.
Commonly hunted game included deer, bear, bison, and wild turkey. A number
of fats and oils made from animals served to cook much of the colonial foods.
• Prior to the American Revolution, New Englanders consumed large
quantities of rum and beer, as maritime trade provided them relatively easy
access to the goods needed to produce these items: rum was the distilled spirit
of choice, as the main ingredient, molasses, was readily available from trade
with the West Indies.
• American cuisine finds its identity in the diversity of its origins. The
blending of indigenous ingredients with those of a constant flow of
explorers, conquerors, and immigrants has led to the development of
a cuisine that shows the imprint of many cultures. For culinary
purposes, it’s helpful to view the United States regionally, and to
consider the different cultures and ethnicities of each area. During
your experience, you will begin a journey that will explore popular
food dishes from 8 main regions of the country. These 8 regions are
New England, Mid Atlantic, Southeastern and the Gulf Coast cuisine
which includes /Cajun/Creole Cooking of the South, Midwest and
Southwest regions also known as the “heartland of America”,
Nouveau Style Cuisine of the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii.
While exploring these food regions we will touch upon most of the
major cooking techniques such as braising, boiling, poaching,
roasting, baking, sauté, and frying.
Northeastern Dishes
• The Northeastern dishes (Maine, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts) offers an abundance of seafood-centric dishes,
given its strategic location near the Atlantic Ocean. Lobsters and
clams in particular are heavily used, with popular dishes such as the
lobster roll and clam chowder earning a name for themselves.

Popular Dishes

Clam powder Lobster roll

• This region is fairly conservative with its spices, but typical spices
include nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, especially in
desserts, and for savory foods, thyme, black pepper, sea salt, and
sage. Typical condiments include maple syrup, grown from the native
sugar maple, molasses, and cranberry sauce.
• The beach plum, is a species of plum native to the East Coast of the
United States, from Maine south to Maryland Although sometimes
listed as extending to New Brunswick, the species is not known from
collections there, and does not appear in the most authoritative
works on the flora of that Canadian province.
• Typical favorite desserts are quite diverse, and encompass hasty
pudding, blueberry pie, whoopie pies, Boston cream pie, pumpkin
pie, Joe Frogger cookies, hand-crafted ice cream, Hermit cookies, and
the chocolate chip cookie, invented in Massachusetts in the 1930s
Southeastern Dishes
Native American food and cuisine is recognized by its
use of indigenous domesticated and wild food
ingredients As the Americas cover a large range and
there are over 500 currently recognized Native
American tribes in the US alone, Native American
cuisine can vary significantly by region and culture. For
example, North American Native cuisine differs from
Southwestern and Mexican cuisine in its simplicity and
Wild Rice directness of flavor. The use of ramps, wild ginger,
miners' lettuce, and juniper berry can impart subtle
flavors to various dishes.
Meanwhile, dishes down South (Texas, Florida, Tennessee) feature
heavier flavors’ with a common reliance on frying and barbecuing.
With corn, rice and chicken being an integral presence, barbequed
meat, fried chicken and bread pudding are just some of the famous
Southern staples. The most important Native American crops have
generally included corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, sunflowers, wild
rice, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, peanuts, avocados,
papayas, potatoes and cacao.
Fried chicken is among the region's best-known exports. It
is believed that the Scots, and later Scottish immigrants to
many southern states had a tradition of deep frying
chicken in fat, unlike their English counterparts who baked
or boiled chicken. However, some sources trace the origin
of fried chicken to Southern and Western England where
most of the Early settlers to the South came from. They
conclude that Southern and Western England had a strong
tradition of frying, simmering, and sautéing meats in a
skillet as opposed to East Anglia which favored baking and
boiling meats. Fried Chicken
Fajitas is a popular Tex-Mex dish made from marinated, grilled skirt
steak that is served in a wheat flour tortilla. The earliest printed
mention of the word fajita referring to food appeared in 1975, and ten
years later it had become one of the most popular dishes of Tex-Mex
cuisine.
The word fajita is derived from the Spanish faja, meaning
girdle or strip, referring to a cheap cut of beef covering the
diaphragm that was considered somewhat undesirable by
many locals. In the 1940s, Mexican ranch workers used to
tenderize the skirt steak by pounding and marinating it in
lime juice before cooking it over an open fire and serving
the meat in a wheat tortilla along with
numerouscondiments.
One of the hallmarks of traditional American cuisine is the classic
pecan pie. It consists of a thin pastry crust that is topped with a
mixture of eggs, butter, flour, a sweetener such as brown sugar, syrup,
or molasses, and a handful of halved or chopped pecans.

Pecan Pie
Gumbo

There is nothing better to represent a true

taste of New Orleans than gumbo, a filling
soup that is usually prepared in large,
black, iron pots. A cultural and
gastronomical symbol of Louisiana, it can
be based on seafood and okra with
tomatoes, or on turkey and chicken with
added ham, sausage, and poached oysters.
The cheapest way to serve a crowd of people, jambalaya is
one of Louisiana's favorite dishes originating from the Cajuns
from the southern parts of the country, where food was often
scarce. At the time, there were many slaves in the country, so
the word jambalaya supposedly derives from the French
jambon, or ham, and the African aya, meaning rice.
Although some may think that chili con
carne is an authentic Mexican dish, it is
actually an original American dish,
made only in a few places in Mexico in
order to cater to the tourists. If the
dish were Mexican, it would still be a
staple on the Mexican menus
throughout the country, since
traditional dishes do not go away that
easily in Mexico.
Pulled pork is an American barbecue
technique of cooking pork meat slowly
over low heat, resulting in tender meat
that can easily be pulled into small
pieces. It is a specialty that originates
from the western part of North
Carolina, traditionally using shoulder
cuts of pork which are dressed with a
vinegar, pepper, and tomato sauce.
One of the most popular dishes in the
United States known as mac and cheese
combines tender, yet firm pasta and
melted cheese. The preferred American
combination includes curved macaroni
pasta and Cheddar cheese, but modern
varieties include various vegetables,
crispy breadcrumb topping, or gourmet
ingredients such as crab, lobster, or Mac and Cheese
truffles.
 Midwestern Dishes
Known as the breadbasket of America, the Midwest (Illinois,
Michigan, Wisconsin) serves as the centre for grain production, most
notably wheat, corn and soy. An apt reflection of its common
resources, Midwestern dishes are usually satisfying and hearty meals
such as bread pudding, Chicago deep dish pizza and pork tenderloin
sandwiches.
Midwestern cuisine today is a very eclectic and odd mix and
match of food ways, covering everything from Kansas City-style
barbecue to the Chicago-style hotdog, though many of its classics are
very simple, hearty fare.
* As with all of the Midwest, the primary meats here are beef and
poultry, since the Midwest has been raising turkeys, chickens, and
geese for over 150 years. Chickens have been common for so long that
the Midwest has several native breeds that are prized for both
backyard farming and for farmer's markets, such as the Buckeye and
Wyandotte.

Favorite fruits of the region include some native plants inherited from
Native American tribes like the pawpaw, and American persimmons are
also highly favored.
 Dishes You’ll Only Find in the Midwest
• Midwesterners will be the first to tell you that they’re friendly
and hardworking, so while food is important to them, the
more important thing is the community that comes together
at mealtime. So in Midwestern cuisine, you’ll find a lot of
casseroles (or hotdishes), shareable but easy appetizers, and
hearty party foods that are best enjoyed together. And while
these foods are associated incredibly closely with the
American heartland, you won’t be able to find them (or at
least find them done right) outside of the region.
 Beer Brats
Seriously, the middle of the
country loves it’s beer. Not only
do they drink it and cook their
meat in it, they’ll also mix it with
another Midwestern favorite
ingredient, cheese, and dip stuff
If there’s two things that in it.
Midwesterners truly love, it’s
meat and football. And there’s no
better dish for a classic tailgate
than a beer-poached bratwurst
Beer Cheese Dip
sandwich.
Midwesterners will infuse cheese
into every dish at every possible
opportunity, including every
single appetizer. It doesn’t get any
more classically Midwestern than
a cheese ball.
Cheese Ball

If Southerners bathe their vegetables in

meat, Midwesterners steep theirs in
cheese. This classic broccoli cheese dish
proves that while also incorporating
another classic Midwestern casserole
Cheesy Broccoli Bake
ingredient: cereal.
• Though this is a staple at any Midwestern Thanksgiving,
true families in the region will eat this casserole made from
green beans, mushroom soup, and fried onions year round.
And of course, all the ingredients better come from cans.

Green Beans
Casserole
What is known as a casserole to the rest of the country
is called “hotdish” in the Midwest. It’s a quick and easy
dinner for busy suburbanites, and these comforting
casseroles can get you through a long, cold winter

Hotdish
This meat and vegetable hand pie is traditionally found in the
U.K., but it made its way to the Midwest via Cornish miners in
Michigan.

What can we say? Midwesterners love convenient foods

and appetizers, including the hot dog.
 Nature of American Cuisine
The inhabitants of the Andean region developed more than half the
agricultural products that the world eats today. Among these are more than 20
varieties of corn, 240 varieties of potato, as well as one or more varieties of
squash, beans, peppers, peanuts, and cassava (a starchy root). Quinoa (which in
the language of Incans means “mother of cereals”) is a cereal grain crop
domesticated in the high plains area around Lake Titicaca (on the border of
Peru and Bolivia). By far the most important of the crops was the potato. The
Incas planted the potato, which is able to withstand heavy frosts, in elevations
as high as 15,000 feet. At these heights the Incas could use the freezing night
temperatures and the heat of the day to alternately freeze and dry harvested
potatoes until all the moisture had been removed. The Incas then reduced the
potato to a light flour. Corn could also be grown up to an altitude of 13,500
feet; it was consumed fresh, dried, or popped. They also made it into an
alcoholic beverage known as saraiaka or chicha.
• The manioc tuber, or cassava root, was another important staple of the
natives. This carbohydrate-rich food was easy to propagate but difficult to
process, at least for the bitter variety, which is poisonous when raw. To detoxify
manioc, the tubers had to be peeled and grated and the pulp put into long,
supple cylinders—called tipitis—made of woven plant fibers. Each tube was
then hung with a heavy weight at the bottom, which compressed the pulp and
expressed the poisonous juice. The pulp could then be removed, washed, and
roasted, rendering it safe to eat. The product was toasted into coarse meal or
flour known as farinha de mandioc. Starch settling out from the extracted juice
was heated on a flat surface, causing individual starch grains to pop open and
clump together into small, round granules called tapioca. The extracted juice,
boiled down to remove the poison, was used as the basis of the sauce known
as tucupi.
• Manioc meal became many things in the hands of the Indian women.
Pulverized meal was mixed with ground fish to produce a concoction called
pac¸oka, or pac¸oca. For the children, small, sun-dried cakes called carim˜a
were prepared. There was a porridge or paste known as mingau, and thin,
crisp snacks called beijus, made of either tapioca flour or dough from a
nonpoisonous, or sweet variety of manioc known as macaxeira or aipim. These
sweet manioc tubers, which are somewhat fibrous but considerably easier to
prepare, were also pared, boiled for several hours to soften them, and eaten
like potatoes. Soups are an indispensable part of the main meal and frequently
are a meal in themselves. Most South American soups originated in European
kitchens; a few date back to pre-Hispanic times. In the Andean countries there
are the mazamorroas or coladoas, creamlike soups made with ground dried
corn and ground dried beans, quinoa, amaranth, or squash. Variations of this
type of soup, called sangos, are probably the oldest Indian food. Sango was
the sacred dish of the Incas.
• The Spaniards introduced potajes (hearty soups), pucheros (pot-au-
feu-type soups), and cocidos (meat and vegetables soups) that are
popular in the southern countries of South America. Chile,
Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Paraguay have locros—thick soups
made with hominy, beans, squash, and sweet potatoes. Chupes,
popular in Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador, are stew like soups
prepared with fish, chicken, or other meat along with potatoes,
cheese, vegetables, and may include eggs.
 THE MOST COMMON DISHES IN NEW
ENGLAND
• The Native American cuisine as a part of the cookery style of early
colonists Practical and fugal cuisine.

Succotash Chowder Baked Beans

 THE MOST COMMON INGREDIENTS TO
THE COASTAL WATERS OF NEW
ENGLAND:
Lobster
Other shellfish: little neck clams, razor shell clams, blue mussels or
oysters. Much of this shellfish contributes to New England Tradition –
clambake
 American Meal Structure
• Breakfast and lunch are usually light and/or rushed during weekdays, but
during the weekends or special occasions, breakfast can be a much more
elaborate meal consisting of cereal, eggs, toast, pancakes, coffee, and/or fruit
juice.
• Lunch is usually served around noon, and an American lunch menu almost
always includes sandwiches, soups, French fries and more. Full desserts
(sometimes called "pudding" elsewhere) are typically only served after dinner,
and become more elaborate for special occasions.
• Dinner is considered the main meal of the day, usually served after 5:00 p.m
but before 10:30.
1. Turkey
2. Cheeseburger
3. Reuben Sandwich
4. Hot dog
5. Philly Cheese Steak
6. Nachos
7. Chicago-style Pizza
8. Delmonico’s Steak
9. Sandwich
Native American Delicacies

Buffalos are similar to cows, but have less fat

in their meat. And comes come from Europe
but buffalos are native to America.
Buffalo Burger

Barbecuing is an American hobby, usually done

in the backyard or in parks. Charcoal barbecues
are the best. We make hamburgers, hotdogs,
chicken, kebabs, corn, vegetables and more on
American Barbecue
the grill.
There are many kinds of pizza. Pizza is made with
mozzarella cheese but white pizza is different. It
used ricotta cheese, a whiter, thicker cheese.

Chinese food in the US is different than Chinese

food in Korea or China – but it still tastes great.

Gyro is a Greek food. It is a sandwich made with

pita bread, lamb, tomatoes, onions, and cucumber
yogurt sauce.
A pretzel is a bready snack, usually the
little hard ones (sold next to chips in the
snack aisle) or big soft ones.

Peanuts reboiled for at least 8 hours in different

spices like soy sauce or chili sauce. They are
delicious and soft – you can even eat the shell.
But, you can only buy them in the South (Florida,
Georgia, etc.) and usually only on the side of the
road.

Combination of Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Mountain

Dew, Dr. Pepper, Club Soda, Ginger Ale, and
Root Beer.