What is America's most traditional meal?

Question

I'm writing a book about Traditional recipes of the World.
Cant figure out what the most traditional meal in the USA would be .... McDonalds?

Serious folks! This is going into my book! The United States traditional food, POTATOES?! I once saw someone say potatoes are what poor people eat! And I need the recipe. Please

Answer 1

Must be Mcdonalds!!!!

Answer 2

One traditional food of the United States is corn. When the first white settlers came to America they would never have survived the first winter if the natives had not shown them how to grow maize (what is now called corn). Unlike the type of corn we are used to now, this was more like the corn we use at Halloween for decoration. Also because the settlements were on the seacoast a lot of seafood was consumed. Natives also grew gourds (our pumpkins and squash) and collected nuts and berries. These are some foods I would say are traditional.

Answer 3

Anyone who answers hamburgers, hotdogs, etc...Needs to get in a car and actually SEE the country that they presumably live in.

To the OP, you might want to rephrase your question. Ya see, "traditional" isn't really clear enough. If someone were to ask me what the traditional meal of Argentina is; I'd answer beef (parilla), pasta, alfajores, etc...Yes these things make up typical Argentine cuisine BUT, with some exception to the meat, all these things were introduced by the European immigrants. The italianas brought pasta into the region. Alfajores came from Spain, etc...

So how far back to you want to go? Staple Argentine foods that existed before the huge wave of immigration is gonna be different than what you see now.

Back to the USA. Same thing. Are we talking pre-immigrants/settlers (in which case you'd have squash, corn, beans (i think), etc) or are we talking modern USA, immigrants and all...in which case, like someone already mentioned, it's a regional thing. "Who" happened to settle in each region is going to play a big role in the cuisine of that area. Cajun/Creole in Louisiana, Texas' southwestern cuisine, Maines' chowders, etc...

Btw, hamgurgers and hotdogs were ALSO brought to this country from Europe.

Answer 4

When you ask this question now days you are going to get many replies and each one will be different with the mix of ethnic groups in the USA at this time. There was a time when there were not as many different people living here. So all the new groups moving here have added to our cuisine.....Years ago it was meat and potatoes but with the Latin and Asians living here meat and rice are eaten mostly....with all groups eating vegetables of their choice..and spiced up with their own seasonings....Recently here in Florida after the hurricanes many Mexicans have moved to our city and opened their restaurants...after dining there I've had the pleasure to try their wonderful rice milk drink that I'd never have unless they had it on their menu......So what we had before keeps changing with the new people who come to our country. I think of these words....TRY IT YOU'LL LIKE IT!........

Answer 5

~Define your question? Which region and which ethnic group? If you qualify a product which has only been on the market for 60 +/- years (McDonald's) as "traditional", you apparently don't understand the subject matter of your book.
Shrimp and crawdad is as traditional in Louisianna as is steak in Kansas City or Lobster and potatoes in Maine.
The one thing all Americans have traditionally and uniformly eaten since Jamestown was founded is the land and resources of others, but we've always done it on diet as diverse as our citizenry.

Answer 6

Hmmm mabey pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn bread and iced tea.

Can't go wrong with chicken/turkey pot pie either.

Apple/Cherry/Peach pie for dessert- apple I guess being the most traditional of the bunch.

By the way, most americans don't eat this anymore because it takes a long time to prepare.

Answer 7

From a British perspective, my idea of a traditional american home-cooked meal would be MEATLOAF with mashed potatoes, a couple of vegetable side dishes and some kind of gravy. Probably followed by apple pie for dessert. To me, meatloaf is a typically american dish - one that is uncommon outside the US.

Answer 8

The most traditional?

I would have to say is the Thanksgiving feast, which would be Turkey, Ham, potatoes either mashed, or sweet potato, corn on the cob, beans, many fruits, and breads, pies, and sweet cakes for dessert

Answer 9

Hamburger

Answer 10

you acquire between the main varied cusines in the international. There are close by dishes that have their very own flare. Southwest is a fusion of yankee flavor into Mexican food. Coastal areas have a important sort of seafood with diverse impacts remember on which coast. The Midwest is common for BBQ, and so are the Carolinas. classic dishes in united statesa. are BBQ ribs, Smoked ham, roast beef, grilled chicken, apple or cherry pie, peach cobbler, corn on the cob, corn bread, and ham and beans. yet it is purely a tip of the iceberg... Many areas have their very own sort of pizza, burger, and warm canine to boot. you have a important sort of recommendations to %. from because of the fact there are so might close by favorites.

Answer 11

I would think it's steak and veggies on the side, usually beans and mashed potatoes.
It's super traditional. Or probably cornbread, the early Americans didn't have rice and all they ate with their food, especially the carb side was cornbread.


Jenova