# Why does the idea of "American food" seem so... incoherent? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 6, 2006, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237 "2006-11-06T01:34:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/1 "2006-11-06T01:34:42Z")
Most world cuisine tends to have “stereotypical” foods associated with them, at least in my mind, for better or worse. Mexican food, I think of tacos and burritos. Italian food, pasta. Japanese food is sushi, udon, and katsu. But no such images, at least none nearly as strong, comes to mind for American cuisine (the closest thing would be burgers, mac and cheese, and steak, none of which are - arguably - uniquely American). What would be the biggest reason for this? The assimilation of so many cultures, and thus their foods? IS there any such thing as “American food”? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/2 "2006-11-06T01:46:23Z")
Corn. Things made out of corn. “Maize,” to those people in Yurrip. Tomatoes. Peppers and chilies. Turkeys. Chocolate and coffee. Cranberries, blueberries, avocados, sweet potatoes. Potato potatoes. All the plants and animals that are indigenous to the New World, and never made it to the Old until after 1492. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2006, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/3 "2006-11-06T01:59:37Z")
[QUOTE=Leaper] Most world cuisine tends to have “stereotypical” foods associated with them, at least in my mind, for better or worse. Mexican food, I think of tacos and burritos. Italian food, pasta. Japanese food is sushi, udon, and katsu. But no such images, at least none nearly as strong, comes to mind for American cuisine (the closest thing would be burgers, mac and cheese, and steak, none of which are - arguably - uniquely American). What would be the biggest reason for this? The assimilation of so many cultures, and thus their foods? IS there any such thing as “American food”? [/QUOTE] I would say hamburgers and hot dogs fit the idea pretty well. In Europe, when I came across an American restaurant, it generally meant they served hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, chicken wings, that sort of stuff. America has a lot of fairly unique cuisine–look at Cajun cuisine, American BBQ (from ribs to pulled pork to brisket), Southern soul food, Tex-Mex, etc… I think there’s plenty of food that qualifies as uniquely American. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/4 "2006-11-06T02:03:49Z")
Apple pie. Maybe spam, American cheese, and tuna casserole. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/5 "2006-11-06T02:14:26Z")
Some other dishes which are uniquely American include fried chicken, clam chowder, meatloaf, potato chips, hot dogs, chili con carne (yes, it’s American), ice cream cones (but not ice cream), gumbo, grits, chicken fried steaks, biscuits and gravy and traditional turkey dinners. ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/6 "2006-11-06T02:20:55Z")
Well, you have all the Cajun / Creole stuff. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/7 "2006-11-06T02:22:24Z")
Plus soulfood. BBQ, chicken-fried stuff. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/8 "2006-11-06T02:34:11Z")
Pizza, deep dish and normal, too. But the thing is, ‘American’ style is like saying ‘European style’. There’s a lot of food out there. Now, you want to cook Tex-Mex? You want to cook like a Yankee? How bout some southern soul food? Maybe a little Cali nouvelle cuisine? How bout some Cajun? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/9 "2006-11-06T02:35:08Z")
We are large…we contain multitudes. And their food. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/10 "2006-11-06T02:37:46Z")
Crabcakes! Yum! ---
**Author:** ![gredbioz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6a8cbe/32.png) [@gredbioz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gredbioz)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/11 "2006-11-06T02:41:55Z")
Buffalo Wings. Gumbo. Chicago-style Pizza (New York-style is more common outside the U.S., I think). Grits. Ranch Dressing. Waffle fries. Clam Chowder. Hoagies. Pumpkin Pie. Oreos. Chimichangas. Tacos. Burritos. Fajitas. Nachos. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/12 "2006-11-06T02:45:46Z")
I agree with others. There is tons of uniquely American food and whole cooking styles that aren’t really united so it is hard to just throw a label on them. Most of what we consider Italian food in the everyday sense is really American including typical pizza. Likewise for Tex-Mex and California-Mex. I would guess that the U.S. has invented more cooking styles than any other country in the world. Cajun, Creole, some styles of seafood, California-Asian-Fusion, BBQ, American Chinese, Hamburgers, hot dogs are just a few of them. They don’t have that much in common so “American Food” isn’t a very good umbrella label. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/13 "2006-11-06T03:28:31Z")
[QUOTE=KRC] Apple pie. Maybe spam, American cheese, and tuna casserole. [/QUOTE] Ya know, until I parsed this sentence right (I hope) I was quite put off my feed by the thought of a spam, American cheese, and tuna casserole. ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/14 "2006-11-06T03:32:53Z")
Greens! Collard or Turnip, then there is Poke Salat! Top that. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/15 "2006-11-06T04:15:58Z")
Anything and everything supersized. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/16 "2006-11-06T04:58:52Z")
[QUOTE=DesertDog] Ya know, until I parsed this sentence right (I hope) I was quite put off my feed by the thought of a spam, American cheese, and tuna casserole. [/QUOTE] Not from Wisconsin, are you? Just add a side dish of jello with fruit in, maybe topped with tiny marshmallows… ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/17 "2006-11-06T05:22:26Z")
Mmmmmm Potted Meat Food Product. 🙂 I think the other posters have summed it up. American cuisine? Which part of America? Do Europeans eat Bratwurst or Haggis? Do they drink Whiskey or Vodka? As was also said before, much of the stuff Americans identify as _enter culture here_ cuisine was invented in the USofA (oftentimes by members of that culture, though), this includes Fortune cookies, General Tso’s Chicken, and properly made pizza. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/18 "2006-11-06T05:23:17Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] Most of what we consider Italian food in the everyday sense is really American including typical pizza. Likewise for Tex-Mex and California-Mex. [/QUOTE] A lot of the time people go to great lengths to point out that the Italian food found at Olive Garden or the Chinese or Mexican food at innumerable restaurants throughout the country aren’t “real” Italian/Chinese/Mexican food at all. This is usually said derisively, as if we just can’t get it right or something (I know you’re not saying that, **Shagnasty** ). But I’ve been wondering lately if we should take it as a badge of honor, and start calling what we know as “Italian/Chinese/Mexican food” just…American food. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/19 "2006-11-06T05:48:52Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] Just add a side dish of jello with fruit in, maybe topped with tiny marshmallows… [/QUOTE] No, no, no! Tiny marshmallows (the ones about 1/8 to 1/4 inch size) go in glorified rice salad, with pineapple bits. You’re thinking of _midget marshmallows_ (about 1/2 inch size) – those are the ones that go in or on jello. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237/20 "2006-11-06T05:52:56Z")
[QUOTE=t-bonham@scc.net] Tiny marshmallows (the ones about 1/8 to 1/4 inch size) go in glorified rice salad, with pineapple bits. [/QUOTE] Marshmallows, of any size, going in a rice salad? Pineapple I can kinda see, but marshmallows? For that matter, what in the world is rice salad? And here I thought I was fairly familiar with American cuisine! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-idea-of-american-food-seem-so-incoherent/379237.md?page=2)