# Is there a distinct national "American Cuisine"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 3, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542 "2012-10-03T02:04:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/41 "2012-10-03T22:58:59Z")
Grits are definitively Southern. As in, I’ve seen definitions of “the South” as “anywhere where it’s easy to get good grits”. Which still makes them _an_ American food, since as others have mentioned, the South is part of America. I mean, by comparison, is there any distinctive Chinese cuisine? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/42 "2012-10-03T23:02:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Grits are definitively Southern. Absolutely. I don’t think anyone is contesting that. > [@](#): > > As in, I’ve seen definitions of “the South” as “anywhere where it’s easy to get good grits”. Which still makes them _an_ American food, since as others have mentioned, the South is part of America. I mean, by comparison, is there any distinctive Chinese cuisine? Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/43 "2012-10-03T23:13:29Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Burger and Fries > Steak and Potatoes > Pizza > Fried Chicken > I think the above poster was saying (in regards to southern food) that regional foods don’t represent American food, but rather a subset of American food. The above four are pretty ubiquitous across the country, at least in terms of meat eaters. > > Here in New England, cornbread would be highly unusual to see. What, you’ve never heard of johnnycakes? > [@pulykamell](#): > > Weird, I live in Chicago, and I had cornbread, grits, and even sausage gravy every once in awhile growing up. (I mean, hell, didn’t Quaker sell grits and flavored grits in similar packages to Cream of Wheat and oatmeal? I mean, no offense to Southerners for the blasphemy, but I remember those being quite common at the local supermarket.) And my parents were Polish immigrants (my father would make the sausage gravy–I suspect that was from his days in Vietnam.) Southern food _is_ American food. I found grits on the menu of a decidedly _bas cuisine_ hot dog-and hamburger joint in downtown Chicago in 1995. Southern food is actually pretty ubiquitious; but in other parts of the nation, it’s labelled _soul food_, and associated with African-Americans. Which makes sense; in the big cities of the Midwest, it’s a cultural relic of black migration from the South in the early decades of the 20th century. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/44 "2012-10-04T00:49:06Z")
Hamburgers, hotdogs, fried chicken, meatloaf, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes with gravy, chili, catfish, hashbrowns, BLT, peanut butter, PB&J, corn flakes, BBQ, baked potatoes. There’s not much in the way of green vegetables there. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/45 "2012-10-04T00:57:54Z")
Turkey is unique to the New World, so that should top the list (even if they were mostly found in Mexico 500 years ago). ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/46 "2012-10-04T01:32:05Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Turkey is unique to the New World, so that should top the list (even if they were mostly found in Mexico 500 years ago). Just think: a drunk but smart pervert would have made the turkey displace the Bald Eagle as pure America! if he had his way. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/47 "2012-10-04T02:16:47Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Green and red gelatin dessert filled with cabbage and carrots! Oh, I’m changing my answer to this. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/48 "2012-10-04T02:26:02Z")
Anything that qualifies as junk or comfort food is as American as apple pie. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/49 "2012-10-04T02:36:16Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Just think: a drunk but smart pervert would have made the turkey displace the Bald Eagle as pure America! if he had his way. Yeah, bald eagles are stringy. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/50 "2012-10-04T03:10:25Z")
I’d argue that looking for a distinct, somehow unified “American Cuisine” is about as fruitless of a pursuit as looking for the same thing in Europe. We have roughly the same number of people split up into 50 states vs. about the same number of European countries, minus Russia. Granted, there’s not too much culinarily speaking to differentiate some states from each other within a region (seriously… what makes Nebraska different from Iowa, and both of those different than Kansas? Or Mississipi, Alabama and Georgia? Or Tennessee and Kentucky?), but the same can be said for many European countries (Central European seems to be variations on the theme of cabbage, sausages, fried cutlets and beer, for example). I think you could argue that many US regional cuisines and those of a few big states or particularly unusual states (Louisiana in particular) are as distinctive as any in the world. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/51 "2012-10-04T04:09:53Z")
> [@bump](#): > > (Or Tennessee and Kentucky?) Well, Kentucky does have a unique style of barbecue made from mutton. Mostly in Western Kentucky in the area around Owensboro, but that’s an interesting regional take on barbecue. It exists also in extreme southern Indiana, around Evansville (as far as I’ve been), but it’s mostly Owensboro. So that’s interesting. You can probably find similar subtle differences between Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama. (Like, I know Alabama is a standout for having “white” barbecue sauce for chicken [usually] that’s based on mayonnaise. Or that the Mississippi delta has its own style of tamales and hot links [which you can find in Chicago]. Georgia has chicken mull, and it’s own version of Brunswick stew, etc.) But, yeah, I get your general point–the broad cuisine in the states will be largely similar, only really distinguished by food geeks. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/52 "2012-10-04T05:10:31Z")
The weekly menu at my house while growing up: Meatloaf with canned green beans and mashed potatoes and gravy. Macaroni and ground beef–based goulash (aka “Hamburger Helper”). Fried chicken with creamed corn and mashed potatoes and gravy. Skillet chili. Tuna hot dish. Hamburger hot dish. Fried liver and onions. ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/53 "2012-10-04T07:23:41Z")
From an american foodie POV this thread is really depressing. Grits and hot dogs…pizza? Christ. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/54 "2012-10-04T08:53:45Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m actually kind of surprised that fried chicken is thought of as distinctly American. Or is it specifically KFC? It’s hard to get good fried chicken outside of the US, at least in my experience. Here’s a random list of foods that I get nostalgic for when I think about the US - BBQ ribs, fried chicken, deep dish pizza, grits, fried sea food, hot dogs, Butterfingers, peanut butter M&Ms, milkshakes, pie, American Chinese takeout, clam chowder, mac and cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/55 "2012-10-04T09:09:52Z")
I know that my relatives in Massachusetts love cornbread and corn muffins. I’ll grant you that they are first, second, and third generation Americans at least on one side. But they are not the only ones in that general area who love cornbread. My husband will often say that he wants “American cooking” when we go out to eat. By this, he means that he doesn’t want Mexican or Tex-Mex food (which I love and will suggest on just about all occasions). He wants steak or pot roast or meat loaf or fried chicken or chicken fried steak. Interestingly, he doesn’t regard Cajun cooking as American, and his mother was Cajun. In his mind, Cajun food has its own little beloved niche. So does Italian food, which is where he puts pizza. I regard most of the above as American food, even the pizza, and I’d include diner food in this category as well. Salisbury steak, burgers and hot dogs and fries, mall food, etc. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/56 "2012-10-04T12:40:39Z")
People who look down on grits are exactly the same people who love polenta. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/57 "2012-10-04T13:01:34Z")
Turducken. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/58 "2012-10-04T13:51:13Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > People who look down on grits are exactly the same people who love polenta. Now here’s a question. I believe I’ve only had hominy grits, which have a different, texture and flavor than polenta. Are most Southern style grits of the hominy type or of the regular (un-nixtamalized) corn type? If grits are usually hominy grits, then I can see how some might be put off by them, but like polenta. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/59 "2012-10-04T14:29:21Z")
There isn’t much difference at all. They may sometimes be ground courser, sometimes not. I’d be surprised if you haven’t had both varieties multiple times. I’ve never met anyone who claims to know the difference, much less prefer one over the other. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542/60 "2012-10-04T14:35:06Z")
The term “national cuisine” implies something that’s distinct from “collection of regional cuisines,” so things that are specifically regional, like green chili and grits, shouldn’t count. So definitely – Roast turkey and all the trimmings of a Thanksgiving dinner Fried chicken Hamburgers Corn dogs Pizza (but not regional specialties like Chicago deep dish) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-distinct-national-american-cuisine/636542.md?page=4)