People go on about 'Yank' food - But what is it??

Question

As far as i can tell, yanks eat a mix of Italian, Chinese and Mexican food and sandwiches which are a British invention,
or McDonalds which is not actually food.

No offence to Americans intended but do you have a cuisine of your own? What is it?

OK - i will give you barbecue baby back ribs!
Sorry if i seem to have made a 'widespread generalisation' - It seems to me Americans are always on this website saying how awful British food is.
How can you not like sausages with mashed potato!!

I have never eaten boiled beef - nobody in the uk boils beef!

i have not eaten at mcdonalds in the last week - or the last year come to that -

and i am not a snob.

And i have travelled to the us, and i had some tasty food there - but no better than i have eaten here at home, so i dont think i am being at all ignorant!

My question was simply asking what americans deem to be american food -
whether they think british food is good or not is irrelevant -

Answer 1

American cuisine is a mixture of German, English, Irish, Mexican, French and all the other countries on the planet. American cuisine changes depending on the part of America you are in. There is Western - such as steaks, BBQ, lots of beef - there is Southern - which involves a lot of fried foods - there is California - which is a lot of fruits and veggies. It just depends.

Answer 2

There is an American Cuisine. Unavoidably, it has it's roots in the many cultures of the immigrants that make up the country. But these imported cuisines are adapted by each successive generation.

There seems to be two schools of thought, both are equally valid.

One is the "everything in the pot" school of cooking which includes, stews, casseroles, chili, and soups. These often combine ingredients and methods from a variety of traditional cuisines.

The second has sprung from "California Cuisine" which can be characterized by the use of local meat and produce, an emphasis on combining different flavors on the plate rather than in the pot(see above). These tend to include light sauces to add continuity to a dish, rather than be the predominant flavor. This approach heavily influences "American Restaurants" but has made great headway into American kitchens.

There are, of course, regional specialties. The many types of barbecue is the best example. Clam bakes could be called a coastal version of the barbecue. Typified by long, slow cooking over heat that is not too excessive.

Answer 3

American cuisine takes on all facets of our IMMIGRANT culture. Some things were adapted, but some things are uniquely American. A prime example is barbecue. Uniquely American, because its styles originated in different times throughout the country. Pork in the southeast, chicken in the south (especially barbecued chicken in Alabama), beef in the midwest and southwest. I believe smoked sausage served with barbecue is unique to Texas. That's just one. Grilling is more uniquely American (as opposed to British boiling, French sauteeing, and Chinese wokking) as well, both meat and vegetables.

So, no offense to you Brits, but do you still boil your beef and fry everything else and serve it with greasy chips? So why isn't McDonalds food? I'd be willing to bet you've eaten some in the past week. Was it air? No one likes a snob, Sparky.

EDIT: I've been to the UK many times, and the food left me unimpressed. My first visit was at age 10 (1970). The typical restaurant meal then was a boiled roast, gluey mashed potatoes, and peas. The only way your cuisine has improved is from importing Indian cooking. As for why I don't like your sausages, they have no spice. Try Texas sausage with jalapenos, especially venison sausage. You'll never look at bangers and mash the same way again.

I will admit to having Marmite in my pantry. I use it for gravies.

Answer 4

WELL YANK FOOD IS STOLEN PROPERTY
lets see all the other answers talk about ..........nothing
southern food is as close as they get but that is from the french cajuns
i will give them this they have truly found a way to steal anything that is good freeze it ,dry it, homgenize it,pasturize it and generally Bastardize place it in a vacuum sealed bag and are then able to carry it to the nearest microwave and wolf it down in 2 seconds flat so they have more time to think about the next forage into the freezer at home or 7-11 for some TWINKIES

Answer 5

Mostly Americans do not eat Italian food, but Italian-American or Americanized Italian food. Not Chinese, but Americanized Chinese food. Not Mexican, but Tex-Mex or Americanized Mexican. Etc. Food gets Americanized because you can't always get the same ingredients in all locations. You have to substitute. Also Americans for a long time didn't like to eat offal, weren't familiar with many spices, and stuck to a limited variety of vegetables. Also, different cuisines interact with each other and influence each other. In New York Jewish and Chinese food produced "matzoh foo yung". Mac and cheese uses Italian pasta with English cheese.

Answer 6

I completely disagree with the poster that "yank" food is basically fried junk food. I also disagree with the poster that said Americans eat large portions of meat and very small serving of vegetables. There are many Americans who eat a very healthy diet and avoid junk food and eat a well rounded diet that includes large servings of fresh, healthy vegetables. You really can't make such widespread generalizations and expect it to be true. As far as "American" food, yes we do get a lot from out immigrant forefathers and have also developed many regional cuisines using what is available in that area of the country.

Answer 7

If you are talking about food served in the home, 'Yank' food all depends on the cultural heritage of the family in question!

Our cooking usually uses more spices than British cooking and fewer sauces than French cooking.

A 'typical' Yank meal usually consists of a VERY big meat portion, a fairly small amount of vegetables and some form of potatoes. Some people aways have a salad on the side and some people never have salad.

The general rule, when it comes to the spice rack, is that each person has mastered only a few different herbs and spices but will use those that they are familiar with very skillfully (well... to the best of his/her ability anyway.) A few of us (like myself) come from "The Impoverished Student's School of Culinary Arts." We learned that with a well stocked spice rack, you can make just about anything taste good. Then there is a third class (I am also a member of this) that I suppose could be classified as the "never be afraid to experiment school."

YANK FOOD (def.): Generally, junk food, fried or deep fried anything, and overcooked vegetables... If it doesn't look like 'Yank food', just put some ketchup on it! LOL
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Answer 8

"Immigrant food"
America is mostly a nation of immagrants. For example fish and lefse. Always thought it was Norwegian. But Norweigans in Norway don't eat this dish. It was concocted by early immigrants come from Norway to make use of what is available here in a way that would be comforting to them. I believe that is how a lot of "yank" food came about: Immigrants coming over, wanting to preserve the tastes they're use to yet being resourceful enouph to work with what this land offers. Then these were handed down. Evolved. Became what is now unique to America.

Answer 9

Barbecuing was brought over by the African slaves and taken over by Southerners.So is not an American dish.
Ironic in a way the food the south is most proud of is a byproduct of the people they so despised and mistreated.

Answer 10

I lived in Kent for over a year and absolutely refused to eat Kidney Pie or anything with liver, heart or brains, haddock or kippers for breakfast. I did go for roast beef and curries. American cuisine is like the variation of English we speak here, always dynamic always changing, always adding new things. I like apple pie, fried chicken, jambalaya, Turkey and Boston Baked Beans, those are traditional, like hash browns. I refuse to live by stereotypes, some things like sushi and tacos have made it into the menu but we are no less American because of it and you are no less English because you like curries and chutneys.