If you have read my blog before, you know that I am a big fan of Italian food. I also love Greek, Turkish, French, Spanish – you name it, I love them all. But if you’re going to tell me that America has no culinary identity of its own, you better end that sentence with ‘just kidding’ or realize that I can never be best friends with you. Nothing personal, I just do not make friends with people who spread rumors about food. Food is too near and dear to me and American cuisine is distinct, diverse, and just as unique as Indian or Argentinean.
First, let’s just dispel the rumors. Those of you that have lived in America know so, for the rest of us, here is the shocker: America is much more than McDonalds and honestly, we do not even care too much for it unless we have to. What do I mean by that? Actually, it has become so hard for McDonalds to get younger American consumer that is more health conscious than ever before to eat at its restaurants. They have not only introduced a series of healthier options but have also announced over a $1 billion make-over campaign to rebrand its image. The only time most people go to McDonalds is when they are craving a quick in-and-out meal, are on a very low budget, or just need to resort to comfort food. Do we love it? Probably. I love all fast food. I do not understand what is there to not like about delicious fried chicken, tender beef patties, cheese, or the fries. Is that all that defines American food? No, it does not.
Have you ever heard of cheesy and creamy Pasta Alfredo? How about tender and spicyGeneral Tso’s Chicken? Wait a minute. Isn’t that Italian and Chinese? Yes, try finding Pasta Alfredo in Italy and General Tso’s in China. While you’re at it, also look for the Eiffel Tower in Tokyo and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Tel Aviv. Why not? your chances are just about the same. Actually, your chances of winning a lottery or getting struck with lightening would be much higher. Your chances of finding the Eiffel Tower in Tokyo will also be higher, I am sure there is a miniature souvenir somewhere out there. Both Alfredo sauce and General Tso’s are uniquely American culinary creations.
Now since we are coming to grips with the fact that America has its own cuisine that spreads beyond the landscape of just fast food, here is something to think about. If you have had corned beef hash and scrambled eggs for breakfast, you were probably in the Northeastern United States. How about a Philadelphia cheese steak with cheese whiz? Philadelphia cream cheese spread can also be found on European supermarket shelves. New York has its own distinct style of Pizza which is just as unique and different as pizzas from Naples and Rome. Actually, in a recent blind taste test, the experts rated New York pizza as the second best in the world after Naples. Then there are the delicious assortments of the New York cheesecake. The New England clam chowder is one of the best soups I have ever had, and honestly, lobster bisque comes in at a close second. I can go on and on with the North East alone but let’s move on. In the Midwest there are the Wisconsin cheese curds, the Chicago style deep-dish or hot dogs, and a line of delicacies made out of bison meat. Down South you get gumbo, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, baked beans, slow cooked BBQ, fried okra and grits. Then there is Tex Mex and everything is big in Texas BBQ. In the Southwest you get a selection of burritos, rattlesnake fillets, stuffed peppers, and Chimichanga. The West coast gives you a creative selection of hamburgers, the jaw-dropping Napa Valley wines, a wild selection of freshly hunted and grilled game, and Rocky Mountain Oysters to name a few honorable mentions.
Then we have the coast-to-coast superstars like pecan pies, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a selection of delicate steaks that come in cuts like skirt, rib eye, porterhouse, New York strip, hanger, and so on. American ice cream flavors such as party cake mix or cheesecake bits are as unique as the gelato you buy in Rome with your fancy Euros. American cookie and cereal selections are the largest in the world, American breakfast, so famous, that it’s served at every decent hotel from Pakistan to Canada under the name continental breakfast. Basically, my point is, that America has an extremely long line of very unique culinary items that are both delicious and indulging; these span from salad dressings that can dress any piece of lettuce like Cinderella, and ice-cream toppings that can look any beautiful scoop of ice cream into a monstrous beast.
So, now since we have shattered your myth that America has no food, let’s just get you educated on your second myth which is: All Americans are overweight. First, come to grips with the fact that America is a whole continent wide. It’s like Europe, in your terms, New York to Los Angeles literally means Istanbul to London. Yes, some people in Mississippi might be overweight and less fashion savvy. So are some people in a small town in Slovakia. Just like well-dressed people in Paris, you have people dressed better than you and I ever can be, in New York City. I know Romans are skinny and fashion forward, San Francisco can give Rome a little run for its money on any day. Do you get the idea? Yes, I think you do. It’s a continent, and therefore, it has diversity.
Some of American food may be fatty or unhealthy, but that goes for every culture. I mean let’s just take a double quarter pounder with cheese at McDonalds which has 513 calories, 29g of protein, and 28g of fat with 40g of carbohydrates. Let’s compare that to a small 100g portion of pasta with two spoons of olive oil and 30 g of grated cheese, which comes in at a whooping 752 calories, 26g of protein, and 38g of fat with 80g of carbohydrates. It has more calories, more fat, more refined GI altering carbohydrates, and fewer proteins. I am being generous, I am comparing extreme fast-food of America to “oh the europeans are so healthy pasta”. Is reality getting hard to digest? Well, next time, run with these facts. The point is, there is good and bad food everywhere and you should not buy into hype. That man, who made infamous Supersize Me movie, forgot to tell you that just like him, if you ate mammoth servings of anything that is not called fresh fruits and vegetables, anywhere on this planet, you will gain weight. He ate three large meals at McDonalds for over a month, would you like to try to eat three large lasagna meals every day for a month? The outcome will be the same if not worse.
Anyways, long story short, you learned two things today. One, American is its own, unique, and very diverse culinary culture which extends far beyond fast food. The second thing you learned is to not buy into rumors, and realize that just like any place on this earth, America has both overweight and underweight people which could be a result of many things ranging from health disorders to unhealthy personal lifestyle choices. Truthfully, while the world has spent a lot of time perfecting that escargot, or trying to feed you pasta carbonara on repeat, American cuisine has thrived on reinvention where mashed potatoes evolved into wasabi mashed potatoes, gnocchi got a fashion make-over with whole-wheat sweet-potato version, and macaroni and cheese got to flaunt its all new lobster mac and cheese look.
Next time, do me a favor. When someone makes fun of American food, educate them. Empower them to RethinkCuisine, I promise, none of us look smart talking about things that are not true. You can tell me that you do not like it, but do not tell me that its only unhealthy or that it doesn’t exist, unless you’re going to also tell me that the sky is green and that tigers grow on trees, that will make it a lot easier for me to understand where you’re coming from!