Culinary Traditions Of The United States

The United States is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Well, actually, the United States is home to a diverse ethnic makeup of people. While the majority of the United States' population are "white" descendants of Europe, it is also home to millions of Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Indians, Native Americans, and African-Americans–and that is only naming a few.

With such an extreme proverbial melting pot of people, the United States cannot help but to have the most diverse palate in the world. When you envision classic American food, you think of burgers and fries, chili dogs, and an ice-cold soda. Only in the United States will you be able to walk down the street and find a restaurant that serves Chinese food, a restaurant that serves Thai food, an Indian food joint, a Mexican restaurant, a Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits, and a McDonald's all on the same block! Fast food is a true culinary tradition in the United States. It was the birthplace of McDonald's, In-n-Out Burger, Fat Burger, Tommy's, Del Taco, Taco Bell, and most other fast food joints that may be situated on any given city's major thoroughfare. Americans spend in excess of $100 billion on fast food alone in 2000. There are more than 300,000 fast food restaurants in the United States. Fast food is part of the busy, on-the-go American lifestyle. It is popular and predictable; the fast food at McDonald's is always available; it's always ready, and most importantly the cost is always predictable.

Thanksgiving is also an extremely popular culinary tradition that the United States takes part in. During Thanksgiving, friends and family members usually congregate in the early evening or late afternoon to share a large meal together. The central part of the Thanksgiving meal is the Turkey, although some families may substitute with a ham or goose. Most times, the turkey is seasoned and oven-baked (this could take all day), but as time moves on increasingly more Thanksgiving turkeys are deep fried. Thanksgiving dinners are commonly served with mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing, yams, and various assortments of cakes and pies for dessert.

Grilling on a barbecue is also an American-style culinary tradition. Barbecuing (often abbreviated BBQ) is an American style of cooking that usually involves grilling meat (sometimes vegetables) while out doors, on a gas grill or charcoal grill. Outdoor grilling usually involves drenching the meat in a thick, vinegary barbecue sauce. The famous KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce was actually invented in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Americans love barbecued food because it is an easy eat! The slow grilling process breaks down the collagen (the tough part) in the meat, making for a more leisurely and pleasurable eating experience.

It could be said that the essence of true American cuisine is ease. Americans love anything that they can put together quickly and easily.

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