Americans Food Habits

The standard stereotype for the eating habits of Americans can be explained in this picture:

or this one...

No, it is not like that actually:)

We can say that American cuisine portrays American society – multiculturalism made the cuisine mixed and regional. You will easily come across Mexican, Italian and Chinese restaurants all across America and situated next to one another. Each region can propose a unique and savoury meal you will not forget.

                      Iconic American Dishes

Which dishes did the survey’s participants identify as quintessentially American? While regional nuances qualified some of the answers (North Carolina–style barbecue, Cincinnati chili, southern fried chicken, New England clam chowder, or Chicago-style pizza), most answers did not include geographic markers. They appeared simply as apple pie, corn on the cob, hamburger, crab cakes, or lobster. 

          When looking at the complete series of answers written in by each respondent, including his or her definition of American cuisine, it becomes clear that these simple dishes carry a lot of meanings. Maryland might be implied in the crab cake answer. Maine is so tightly linked to lobster or the lobster roll that adding an origin to the dish would be superfluous. Many dishes, such as jambalaya, shrimp and grits, or pecan pie, have their roots in the American South. It is arguable that the participants wrote their answers for a knowledgeable audience, one that does not need specification. Of course, everyone would know that jambalaya is from Louisiana. We would not think of calling the dish Louisiana jambalaya. After all, French fries are not called frites françaises in Paris. Through our shared identity comes a shared understanding of these hidden meanings.

                 Similarly, the five dishes most often cited as quintessentially American did not include specific geographic characteristics. Rather, these dishes tended to embody comfort and home, or the low-key setting of a diner: “Diner food—cheeseburgers, shakes, apple pies. Comfort food—mac ’n’ cheese, meatloaf,” was an attempt of one respondent to define the most iconic American dishes. Sweets provide comfort, undoubtedly, which can explain the prevalence of apple pie in the answers, aside from its traditional association with the U.S. (Apple pie is, of course, a dish that originates in England.) On the panel in Charlotte, Laura Shapiro described our love affair with dessert as the “defining feature of American cooking.” She stated: “We are the ones who turned salad into a dessert. We invented ginger ale salad. We’ll do anything for dessert.”

(source: The State of American Cuisine James Beard Foundation)

Representative American Foods

Traditional Thanksgiving dinner with Turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce

Creole Jambalaya with Shrimp, Ham, and Andouille Sausage

Pancakes, eggs, sausage, and bacon.

A Caesar salad containing croutons, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire, and pepper.

                            American Food Habits

Generally speaking, American food is considered rather bland by those accustomed to hot or spicy cuisines. Salads are very popular and are served all year round. Many people in this country have become calorieconscious and are trying to keep down their weight. This is evident in menus offering low calorie or "weight watchers" meals. Grocery stores now offer a huge array of low-fat, "light," or no-fat foods, from ice cream to soup to snack foods. "Diet'' drinks (meaning without calories) such as ginger ale or cola are also popular. If you do not want low calorie items, read the labels carefully to avoid disappointing choices.
            Waiters in restaurants tend to assume that everyone drinks coffee, especially at breakfast and after dinner, but you do not have to do so! Some people drink coffee or tea with their meal; others drink wine or just water.
          When dining out, you can ask for tea, milk, soda, beer, wine, or water if you prefer these to coffee. Restaurants cannot serve beer, wine, or liquor unless they are licensed to do so. Normally, when eating in a home, it is considered polite to take whatever is being served and not to ask for something different unless the host gives you a choice or unless you want water.
           The main course in American meals is usually meat, fowl, or fish, but rarely is more than one of these served at the same meal (except that seafood can be used as an appetizer shrimp cocktail, pickled herring, oysters, for example).         Most Americans eat quickly during the day that is, breakfast and lunch unless it is a social, business, or family occasion. The evening meal, however, is usually leisurely and a family time. Racing through daytime meals is part of the fast pace described earlier. Lunch breaks at work are limited to a half hour or an hour. There is also another reason others in public eating places are waiting for you to finish so they too can be served and get back to work on time. Each one hurries to make room for the next person. There is a real difference in leisure and timing here between a meal that is "social," meaning shared and enjoyed, and one that is "just a meal."                                                                                                     

(source: Living in the U.S.A. Lanier)

How to Make Dessert in a Truly American Way

Martyna