Kitchen in the USA

Santos Kirk

I think when it comes to American food, almost anyone has images in their head of fast food or other heavy and filling food.

However, in this article I want to talk not only about famous burgers, but also about other popular dishes in different parts of the States.

The most popular dishes in the USA

The United States is a large and multinational country. Of course, in different parts of the country, recipes for cooking dishes have their own variations, but these are popular in all corners:

Central States cuisine

  • Corn (corn) – it is used to make bread, butter, cereal, American hot dogs and much more. Corn dogs, for example, are best at festivals or various fairs.
  • Rocky mountain oysters. Such oysters are a traditional, albeit unusual for us, Colorado dish. In fact, “oysters” is just a name. In reality, these are fried beef or sheep testicles. Of course, it is difficult to prepare this yourself, so it is better to go to a restaurant for a tasting.
  • Fried chicken. Fried chicken is probably also associated with traditional American cuisine, just like burgers. However, in fact, the custom of cooking poultry in this way came to the United States from Great Britain. Later, fried chicken became a national dish, and it is believed that the best meat is served in Kentucky. By the way, KFC was founded here.
  • Runza (runza). Like many others, this dish of American cuisine is meat. Locals describe it as “pockets with a beef”, but to me it’s like a pie or a sandwich. Very tasty, hearty and homemade. You can try Runza for breakfast in a cafe of the same name (Runza) in Nebraska or the adjacent parts of Kansas, Iowa, Colorado. See the location of the chain’s restaurants on the official website.

American Southwestern cuisine

Speaking of the cuisine of the South and West of the United States. it must be noted that it absorbed the influence of Latin American countries. Even in Mexico they say that all the best chefs left for America a long time ago. Spicy food, meat, stewed vegetables – these are the main components of the cuisine of these states.

  • Taco (taco). This is a national Mexican dish, a tortilla with various fillings (meat, vegetable and fish). It is believed that the best tacos are prepared in California, Texas and Arizona. A popular place among Americans where you can try tacos and more is the Mexican fast food Taco Bell.
     
  • Chili con carne (shilie con carne) is another popular Mexican-American dish. This is minced meat with hot chili pepper, as well as tomatoes and onions. Spices and garlic are often added to the recipe. You need to be prepared that chili-con-carne is oh-oh-oh-so spicy – I believe from personal experience. So be careful!
  • Enchiladas (enchiladas) are something Americans really love and something I can’t live without. Tortilla rolls (corn tortilla) and all kinds of fillings: from chicken or beef to simple vegetables. As a rule, ENCHILADAS are served with guacamole (avocado sauce) and sour cream sauce. It is better to try in restaurants. Look for the tastiest ENCHILADAS in Florida and Texas.
  • Seafood (seafood). It would be foolish to talk about the cuisine of the Southwestern states and not mention seafood. Fish, shrimps, molluscs, crabs – all this is an integral part of the gastronomic culture of the region. Seafood in huge quantities is delivered to stores in the form of semi-finished products, and in cafes and restaurants you can always find a fish dish to your taste. And, actually, the famous roles of “California” are not called that for nothing. Their recipe was invented here and has nothing to do with Japan.

Northeastern US cuisine

Here, the influence of Mexican gastronomic traditions is practically not felt. Favor seafood, pastries and vegetables:

  • Clam chowder (slam chowder) – soup made of clams and milk broth with the addition of ham and vegetables. It is better to try the dish in one of the Maine cafes.
  • Although Chicago’s pizza is called a pizza, I think it’s a pie. She is very popular not only in Chicago. but also throughout the country, but still, it is in the Illinois performance that it is the best.
  • Corn porridge. The cuisine of South Carolina combines the gastronomic traditions of different countries, and the ingredients in the recipes can be completely incompatible, at first glance. An example of such a dish, where French trends are mixed with American ones, is corn porridge with shrimp and arugula. Usually, it is eaten for breakfast. You can try it in any cafe in the state.

I would like to single out New York cuisine separately in a conversation about the culinary traditions of the northeastern states. She absorbed the trends of the Old World, Latin America, and Africa. New York is a city and a state in which new culinary establishments are constantly appearing, aimed at completely different consumers. Here you can find vegan cafes, restaurants of various nations of the world (Italian, Chinese, Russian cuisine, etc.), numerous markets, trendy gastropubs. Nevertheless, there are dishes that, in all this diversity of different cuisines and places, are associated specifically with New York. Such dishes are loved and prepared all over the world, but New York is the best place to try them:

  • New York bagel (bagel New York) is a bun with a bagel-shaped filling. It is believed that the bagel came to New York from Poland, but was greatly modified. New York is plump and quite large, salmon and soft cheese are often used as fillings. Later, the dish became so popular that many bagel restaurants opened in the city.
  • New York Cheesecake (Cheesecake New York). probably the most popular cake in the US and I think in Europe. These cheesecakes are made with “Philadelphia” cheese. You can buy it in a store, the nearest coffee shop or in a good restaurant.
  • Donuts (beignet) – here I am not talking about the famous Donatos, which are eaten so much by police officers from American TV series, but about Louisiana donuts from New Orleans. You can try them to the sounds of jazz at Cafe Du Monde.

America is the birthplace of a huge number of drinks, which later became part of the culture of the country (and, by the way, not only in the USA). The most popular of them are:

What else to try

While I am in the US, many friends ask me to bring or send them various goodies that are not sold in Russia or Europe. And, of course, being at home, I also miss the unusual tastes of store-bought chocolates and cookies.

So, for example, here you can find Oreo cookies with double chocolate or with mint; Kit-Kat with peanut butter, fruit filling. I also recommend trying Milka chocolate from MM’S; popcorn with the taste of caramel, cheese, bacon, candy or cheeseburger; chocolate Wonka Words – famous dragees from the Wonka Company (just like in the movie about Willy Wonka).

Food prices

The prices of products and ready meals depend, firstly, on the state, and secondly, on the place. As for the state, the prices are lower in the central states of America (Kansas, Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska, Alabama). The most expensive are New York and California. In terms of location, the cheapest option is day markets and markets, as well as supermarkets. The average check in the store is 30-50 USD. More expensive, of course, in restaurants and cafes.