Culinary Traditions Of The United States

Not only is the United States the land of the free and home of the brave, it is also made up of a diverse group of ethnically different 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, just to name a few. With such an extremely 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, chilidogs and an ice-cold soda, apple pie and corn on the cob! It is only in the United States that you can walk down the street and find a restaurant that serves Chinese food, a restaurant that specializes in Thai food, an Indian food joint, a Mexican cantina, 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 many, many other fast food establishments that come to be situated on any given city's major thoroughfare. There are more than 300,000 fast food restaurants in the United States, so it is not surprising that Americans spent in excess of $100 billion on fast food alone in 2000. 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 never a surprise.

During Thanksgiving, friends and family members usually congregate in the early evening or late afternoon to share a large meal together. Thanksgiving is an extremely popular culinary tradition that the United States takes part in. The central part of the Thanksgiving meal is the turkey, although some families substitute with a ham or goose. Most times, the turkey is seasoned and oven-baked, which could take all day, but as time passes by, more and more Thanksgiving turkeys are being 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 referred to as BBQ, is an American style of cooking that usually involves grilling meat or vegetables outdoors on a gas or charcoal grill. Outdoor grilling usually involves drenching the meat in a thick, sweet 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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