# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 8
**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:** [December 31, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/141 "2015-12-31T02:43:49Z")
Anyhow, as far as the larger question goes, I think I would put those probably on the American side of the ledger, although they have some things in common with some of the thicker Sicilian styles, although nowhere near as doughy, with almost an inverse proportion of dough to sauce and toppings. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/142 "2015-12-31T07:03:05Z")
Pizza is one of those dishes that’s been adopted and adapted all over the world. The question is how different it has to be for us to consider it unique to a country or culture. Deep dish pizza was invented in the U.S., which either makes it uniquely American or simply a variation of the Italian original. I understand that spaghetti with meatballs is a lot more common in the U.S. that in Italy, and that the U.S. version is different from the Italian version. Does that mean the dish is American or Italian? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/143 "2015-12-31T15:27:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, fajitas is really borderline-to-no for me. I don’t really understand what is so unique about them compared with the countless types of taco dishes served throughout Mexico. They’re not, except for the derivation. Tex-Mex was something that sort of grew up on the border, with Mexicans and Mexican-Americans adapting N. Mexican cuisine to ingredients available in the US. Fajitas were something that apochryphally came about when Mexican ranch-hands in S. Texas marinated and grilled undesirable cuts of meat (i.e. skirt steak) over charcoal and ate them as tacos. Eventually this was something that restaurant owners realized they could make and sell for cheap, and that seemed like it was a lot more classy than the standard cheese enchiladas, tamales and the like typically served in Tex-Mex joints of the day, as it is a sort of “roll your own” thing with pico de gallo, grilled onions, guacamole, etc… as condiments. In reality, it’s very similar to the N. Mexican dish “arracheras”, but is a sort of Tex-Mex spin on it- I’m not to sure that cheese, sour cream or flour tortillas are typical in Mexico. But ultimately, Tex-Mex and Italo-American favorites like our various regional style pizzas and spaghetti and meatballs are the same thing- local US adaptations of foreign dishes to take advantage of local ingredients (and a lack of scarcity in some cases). Hell, even our beer is the same. Originally in the late 19th century, German immigrant brewers learned that to brew reasonably clear and light Pilsner-style beers with the local 6-row barley(high in protein and clouding potential), they had to cut it 20-30% with corn or rice, which is low in protein. This is where the original recipes for American lagers come from- they were more or less Euro-style up to WWII, when they were lightened in gravity, body and hops to appeal to working women, and they never recovered, being lightened and de-bittered even further in the next few decades. But the addition of rice or corn was originally NOT a cost-saving measure- it was a deliberate decision made to try and get the beer right using local ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/144 "2015-12-31T18:30:01Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Does that mean the dish is American or Italian? If it comes down to being possibly two different countries then America wins because we are awesome and we deserve it. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/145 "2015-12-31T22:16:10Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Corn might be pretty uniquely American. Germans reportedly wouldn’t eat it during the Berlin Airlift, thinking it was insulting to expect them to eat food intended for pigs. Corn on the cob is popular in China and Korea (Koreans put corn in salad, on pizza, in lots of dishes we might not expect it!), but it’s not a strain we popularly eat in America. It’s popular enough in England. In season, corn on the cob is available pretty well everywhere, and you can get weird pre-cooked shrink wrapped stuff fairly well all year round. Dunno why you’d want to, mind, it tastes pretty nasty compared to fresh. ---
**Author:** ![botsgotme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@botsgotme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/botsgotme)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/146 "2015-12-31T22:36:17Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Sourdough was in used in Europe for a long time before it crossed the oceans. Some strains are claimed to be original but it may not be possible to unravel the actual history. > > There’s hardly anywhere left here in RI that makes actual Johnnycake. The name has become a synonym for ordinary cornbread to many people. RI “Johnnycake” must be made with white corn meal-grown only in RI. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2016, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/147 "2016-01-01T02:27:51Z")
Pemmican. North American. EPIC bars are an excellent modern version. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2016, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/148 "2016-01-01T02:29:20Z")
> [@botsgotme](#): > > RI “Johnnycake” must be made with white corn meal-grown only in RI. Is Rhode Island even a real state? I think, in similar fashion to Pluto, Rhode Island should be down-graded to _state-oid_ status and be positioned just off the southern tip of Florida, where it can be referred to as the nation’s pee droplet. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/149 "2016-01-01T03:17:53Z")
> [@Tibby or Not Tibby](#): > > I like Aussies and mean them no disrespect, but, c’mon, their time-line as a nation is roughly the same as the United States, yet they only invented 4 foods (and kind of dopey ones at that): Vegemite (blech), Weet-Bix (they misspelled “_wheat_”), Neenish Tart (sounds like a squeamish prostitute) and Pavlova (couldn’t they think of a famous Aussie to celebrate instead of a Russian ballerina? And besides, _“I’d like a piece of Pavlova”_ sounds quite dirty). You missed a couple of our ‘inventions’. Google Meat Pie, Chiko Roll and Dim Sim. Or better yet…[check this out!](http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/top-10-eat-out/a-field-guide-to-australian-takeaway-classics-) Oh, and like Russell Crowe, pavlova came from New Zealand. 😛 > [@Tibby or Not Tibby](#): > > Given the relative youth of the United States, I believe American cuisine is remarkably rich and diversified. Certainly this is in no small measure due to its confluence of ethnic and national mongrelism. But, once you get off the boat or cross into our borders, when you whip up something new using American pots and pans and indigenous ingredients—it’s All-American Cuisine, baby. Historically, Australia’s cuisine was abysmal and was imported directly from the (mainly) British early settlers. Dinner was meat and three (overboiled veggies) breakfast toast (with Vegemite 😃 ) or porridge, lunch was always a Vegemite sandwich when I was growing up! And not having any land borders with other countries, we didn’t have the privilege of sharing food ideas with neigbours. It was really only the post-wars immigrations (WW1, WW2, Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraq War etc) that saw the miracle of new foods arriving on our shores. Nowadays in the capital cities and many of the regional cities and towns, you can take your pick to either buy the fresh produce or eating at a restaurant from one of many different cuisines. Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Indian, Greek, Turkish, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Jewish (kosher or otherwise), Chilean, Mexican, Moroccan, or an eclectic combination of two or more of the above! Shit, when I lived in central Melbourne, I could get ALL of those mentioned within either a 10 minute walk or drive. Even though I live in a regional town now, it’s still only a 20 minute drive to get to the specialty grocery stores for the essential ingredients to make my own stuff. But as a foreign poster, my list of uniquely US foods are (in no particular order), the hamburger, peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, pumpkin-pie, corn or clam chowder and cookies\*\*. \*\* Only because nobody else in the world calls them cookies except for you 'Merkins, and because of the saturation of 'Merkin stuff across the world, my grand-children now ask for COOKIES in the BISCUIT section of the supermarket. [[shakes ancient and arthritic fist at the USA]]. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2016, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/150 "2016-01-01T07:15:03Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > You missed a couple of our ‘inventions’. Google Meat Pie, Chiko Roll and Dim Sim. Or better yet…[check this out!](http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/top-10-eat-out/a-field-guide-to-australian-takeaway-classics-) Oh, and like Russell Crowe, pavlova came from New Zealand. 😛 Ok, well, now you’re just digging your country’s hole even deeper… _“Dim Sim”, “Chiko Roll”_ and _“Google Meat Pie”_? Who the hell gives names like that to food? …obviously Aussie’s do, and that’s my point. “Dim sum” I can excuse. It’s a Chinese dish, and as we all know, Asians don’t have a good grasp of the English language (e.g. _flied lice_). But _“dim sim”_ from a non-Asian speaking people? That’s just madness. “Chiko roll.” Kind of a stupid name, but ok, wrap some dead chicken parts in a roll and call it a “chiko” roll—no problem. But, that’s not the case, my furry Aussie friend, is it!?! I did a little “chiko roll” sleuthing and discovered there’s no chicken flesh parts at all in a “chiko roll.” NO! You put \*\*mutton \*\*in your so-called “\*chiko \*rolls!” What?..you call sheep _“chickens”_ in the land down under?!? That’s sheer madness! It borders on lunacy. “Google meat pie”: [shudder] I don’t even want to think about what kind of horrendous, genetically malformed creature you Aussie’s call a “google” [/shudder]. I will not sleep well tonight thinking about it, I can tell you that. > [@kambuckta](#): > > \*\* Only because nobody else in the world calls them cookies except for you 'Merkins, and because of the saturation of 'Merkin stuff across the world, my grand-children now ask for COOKIES in the BISCUIT section of the supermarket. [[shakes ancient and arthritic fist at the USA]]. 😃 Yeah, we call small, sweet, flattened dough disks, “cookies”, because that’s the name God intended for them to be called. I know you Aussies and you Brits think it’s cute to call them “biscuits”, but that’s a direct insult to God. His boy, J-dog, died for something of lesser consequence. Repent, heathens! Biscuits & Gravy is a traditional Southern American breakfast food (i.e. it was sanctioned by Jesus himself). Take a [good long gander](http://www.chowstatic.com/assets/2014/09/30499_buttermilk_biscuits_sausage_gravy_3000.jpg) at it. It’s mighty fine! Fluffy, cat-head buttermilk “biscuits” smothered under smooth pork n pepper white gravy! It don’t get any better than that, son. You kangaroo rustlers want to pour pork n pepper white gravy over a couple of Nabisco chocolate chip cookies?!? You better have some money to pay the hangman, so he puts you out of your misery quick like. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/151 "2016-01-02T01:37:13Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > And, apparently, the German Dr. Oetker company thinks [we put it on pizza](http://www.najcena.si/product/34533/dr.oetker-pizza-big-americans--supreme-zamrznjeno-450g.). (That’s on a Slovenian website, but it’s a German company. I discovered that exact pizza when I lived in Hungary, where “American” anything in a menu description often meant the inclusion of sweet corn. I found that, and the name “Big Americans” for the line of pizza both slightly amusing and a bit insulting.) I think I WOULD try this, but apparently Dr. Oetker doesn’t think Americans really would buy it, as I’ve never seen that corn pizza in my local grocer’s freezer. I think their main point has nothing to do with corn but that “Big Americans” are “Crispy Outside- Soft Inside” ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128/152 "2016-01-02T02:21:14Z")
Trader Joe’s carries in its frozen section a Mexican pizza made with a corn masa base and refried beans, cheese, and various toppings. It’s actually quite tasty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-are-uniquely-american/741128.md?page=7)