# What foods are uniquely American? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128 "2015-12-22T21:53:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/1 "2015-12-22T21:53:21Z")
[This thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=778842) which discusses student complaints about cultural appropriation and ethnic foods in Oberlin College’s dining halls, got me to wondering: If the goal is to serve food that hasn’t been culturally appropriated, then what food would that be? What foods are _uniquely_ American? This will be hard to define, I know, but you can certainly argue your case for whatever food you care to nominate. I suspect we’d all agree that pizza is right out, for example. But what about the [California roll?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_roll) Depending on who you talk to, it’s believed to have been invented in California - but by a Japanese chef. So is it uniquely American? Or is it just a lame imitation of traditional Japanese cuisine? Dunno. If it’s not uniquely American, then what is? Even classic southern barbeque is a mutation of native Caribbean cuisine. Fried chicken? [Maybe not.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fried_chicken#History) So what are the nominees? ---
**Author:** ![Torontonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/45deac/32.png) [@Torontonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torontonian)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/2 "2015-12-22T21:54:27Z")
Chicken balls ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/3 "2015-12-22T22:04:20Z")
Corn dog ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/4 "2015-12-22T22:12:53Z")
Chicken fried steak? Sweet tea? ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/5 "2015-12-22T22:12:54Z")
All that deep fried weirdness that you see at State Fairs. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/6 "2015-12-22T22:15:48Z")
Cotton candy? And I think pumpkin pie. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/7 "2015-12-22T22:16:45Z")
Maize Corn. Breakfast cereals. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/8 "2015-12-22T22:16:56Z")
Waldorf Salad. There’s a reason it was used in Fawlty Towers as a dish ordered by an obnoxious American. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/9 "2015-12-22T22:22:23Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Waldorf Salad. At that, Cobb Salad. How about a Philly Cheesesteak? Maybe a Reuben? ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/10 "2015-12-22T22:22:29Z")
Fry bread ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/11 "2015-12-22T22:26:41Z")
We should maybe mention New England Clam Chowder (and Manhattan Clam Chowder, and Clams Casino, and Oysters Rockefeller). ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/12 "2015-12-22T22:35:37Z")
Corn bread. Heck, corn PUDDING. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/13 "2015-12-22T22:41:11Z")
Eggs Benedict. ---
**Author:** ![Torontonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/45deac/32.png) [@Torontonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torontonian)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/14 "2015-12-22T22:46:58Z")
Chips and french fries ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/15 "2015-12-22T22:49:31Z")
S’mores. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/16 "2015-12-22T22:50:27Z")
Cajun ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/17 "2015-12-22T22:51:20Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > All that deep fried weirdness that you see at State Fairs. You’d probably have to do item by item research to figure out if Minnesotans or Scots fried each one first. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/18 "2015-12-22T22:51:56Z")
Fortune cookies. ---
**Author:** ![Torontonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/45deac/32.png) [@Torontonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torontonian)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/19 "2015-12-22T22:52:52Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Cajun Cajun is French-Canadian. It was brought down south from Quebec at the time when french and brits really hated each other and french said fuck it and immigrated from St Lawrence river ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/20 "2015-12-22T22:54:21Z")
Chili con carne, apparently. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128.md?page=2)