I recently posted an entry about a new (U.S.) American diner is Pavas, http://www.words2u.net/pmwiki/?n=Restaurants.SneakyPetesDiner and got a comment from a friend on Facebook “Sounds great! I love that real “American food” includes Cuban sandwiches.” By the way, if anyone wonders, ‘American’ in this article refers to the United States of America, rather than the continent or the indigenous people inhabiting the continent. If this definition is good enough for Almodovar (Los Abrazos Rotos, 22 minutes, 09 seconds), it is good enough for me.
That got me thinking, ‘what is American food, anyway?’ About the only thing that I can think of across the places I have lived in, is Apple Pie, which, quite frankly, is not distinctly American. They have those in France, Germany, England, and many other places.
How does one judge a national food? By volume? Uniqueness? Prevalence? Would McDonald’s billions of hamburgers sold make it the quintessential American food? I hope not. Is the doughnut it? Breakfast cereal? Soft serve ice cream? Sneakers bar?
As I recall, in New York City, Pastrami on Rye and corned beef sandwiches were it. In New Jersey, it was Pizza (served by a guy named Vinnie or Tony), or macaroni and meatballs at the local diners. In Florida, it was ropa vieja, Peruvian grilled chicken with rice and black beans, Cuban sandwiches (ham and cheese in a baguette, heated and pressed) and of course hamburger and fries. In La. it was chicory coffee, beignettes, and everything fried and stuffed into a huge roll with mayo (poboy is looking more and more like the Michelin guy, and I mean the tires, not the guide). In the Midwest it is steak, bar-b-q anything, with red banes, potato salad and coal slow (phonetic spelling). California has its avocado salad, organic food, and new age cooking. Ohio had its Cincinnati Chili and Polish Sausages. Can’t think of anything else right now, but I am sure there is more.
To sum it all up, I still am not sure what American food is, exactly. Can you help? Put a comment with your suggestion of American food, and maybe tell a bit more about your background – how you are connected (or not) to the US of A, and where you got your perspective.
P.S. Messages have to be approved, as I get lots of (rather clever) spam, so it may take a day or two to make it. Also, if you enter Latin-American or Central/North/South American dishes, mention the country the cuisine is associated with.