How often are you guys actually eating “American” food?

41 comments

1. I guess we’ll have to define what constitutes American food in many cases here. Does bacon, eggs, toast and jam count? Sandwiches? Grilled meat? Salads? What’s “American” food that isn’t the very narrow palette you included?

2. About the same.

3. Massachusetts here: during the summer it’s a heavy diet of anything cooked outside; burgers, dogs, wangs, chicken. In the smoker for ribs, pork, more wangs, a brisket is a special treat due to cost.

   We have some pretty awesome seafood in this state. We do a lot of steamers, little necks, etc. Not a huge fan of lobster. Harpoon season for swords are a favorite and anticipated weeks in advance

4. Several times a month.

   I eat a ton of grilled chicken though, if that counts than I eat that all the time.

5. Probably 80% or more of what I eat counts as American if you expand that to include dishes with an international inspiration but adapted in America: Italian-American food, American-style Chinese food, Tex-Mex, etc.

6. If you mean stuff like hot dogs and hamburgers—- rarely. I eat Asian food, some Mexican, some Indian, a little Italian, etc. etc., things from all over the world. But that’s pretty much what it means to be American.

7. Our diets tend to be almost identical.

8. >burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, bbq, wings

   i don’t eat a lot. like, generally. once a day eater.

   but i do attend a lot of bbqs. and people eat those ravanously. fried chicken’s a little different but plenty of us eat our fair share for sure.

   i know when i hang out with younger ‘hipper’ friends they typically want to order japanese/thai/indian food. but i mostly hang out with people a bit older than me (i’m 35) and you can pretty much always get a burger if you want one. super common.

9. I had hot dogs for lunch today. I had leftover Greek food for dinner. I plan on having Thai for lunch tomorrow.

   During the week, I tend have a rotation of Taco Bell, Burger King, bagels, and sandwiches for lunch. Dinner during the week is usually Italian, though it can be American stuff like burgers, pancakes, and hot dogs.

10. Wings are simply too expensive now, but i’ll probably have a turkey burger once a week. I mostly eat Mexican food.

11. Does yogurt, nuts, and fruit count as American? Smoothies? Tomato soup? Roasted bell peppers and onions with venison sausage?

    I don’t eat hamburgers, fried chicken, or any of the things you mentioned that often. But it’s also not an inclusive list and “American food” has a very loose definition.

12. I live in Kansas. I probably have the sort of foods you listed as American foods 3-4 times a month- burgers the most and hot dogs and fried chicken the least. I cook and eat food that originates from a variety of cultures.

13. What an obnoxious use of quotes. Every thing I eat is American by nature of it being prepared here.

14. I get a hotdog when we go to Costco and eat the occasional pizza. Other than that, very rarely. Most of the food I eat on a day to day basis is some sort of international cuisine, and my area has far more ethnic restaurants than American ones. Even when we go get bbq, it’s Korean, Japanese, or maybe even Hawaiian. If we host a bbq at home, we’re likely grilling Vietnamese marinated meats. We get Korean fried chicken and Chinese style wings instead of American.

15. Is grilled pork chops and rice and veggies American? Or steak and potatoes? Casserole?

    I feel like so much of the food I eat is basic food but maybe other people think it’s uniquely American.

16. >As for American food (burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, bbq, wings)

    I mean I don’t think these are staples for the average American I would call them American party foods. They are quick and easy to make and are hand foods.

    A more typical American meal would include a carb (potatoes/pasta/rice) a vegetable and a protein. At least that’s what I eat 90% of the time as a kid and an adult.

17. If we serve it in America, it’s American food. Besides, most ethnic food in the US is really a fusion, so it’s not Mexican but Tex-Mex, not Chinese but Chinese-American.

    So I eat American food every day.

18. What do you consider American food?

    In the summer I won’t lie, chicken nuggets, pizza and burgers are eaten probably at least weekly.

19. I have burgers and pizza once per week, hot dogs twice per month, and a pb&j sandwich every day.

20. Creole and Cajun food was big for me growing up so probably about 95% of the time while growing up.

21. I don’t really know what American food is…so, no idea. If we do have a regional cuisine I highly doubt it can be summed up as burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, BBQ, and wings…and I hardly eat any of those things anyway.

22. Most of my common dishes are Asian, middle eastern, Italian, and Indian.

    I eat stereotypical “American” stuff like burgers or sausages on a bun once a month or so.

    I’ve got two kids though so I cook a lot less complicated stuff these days. Like yesterday was Mac and cheese with broccoli and tuna with some fresh blueberries on the side.

23. This reminds me of the post a few weeks ago with the teenage brit OP who was soooooo pedantic about what constituted “American Cuisine”, but very much the opposite energy.

    I’d argue that a number of westernized dishes are American, so I would say decently often.

24. I would say that calling burgers and fries “American food” is the same as saying Fish n Chips is “british” food.

    We eat diff foods than the ones you stated that are “american” more typically. Like anything anyone would make at home thats a typical dish.

25. wtf even is “american” food? I think that question needs to be defined first. If American food = burgers, pizzas, hotdogs etc… then I don’t eat much of it then

26. I had a PB&J for breakfast, a bowl of chili for lunch and left-over Sloppy Joes for supper. So I think I went 3 for 3 today.

27. I live in Hawaii. A lot of the dishes are served here are kind of like dishes from other places but served only in Hawaii or have a local take on it.

    Korean Meat Jun – which I understand is a Hawaii thing.

    Saimin – a Chinese noodle with Japanese broth.

    Patele – a local take on Puerto Rican pastele.

    Hawaiian beef stew

    Hawaiian style custard pie

    And since Hawaii is a only in the USA, a lot of my food is American. But pineapple pizza is not one of them.

28. Tons of ethnically inspired foods are American. Like, the Philadelphia roll is American, despite being sushi. Spaghetti and meat sauce was an American dish made by Italian immigrants. The fortune cookie? American.

    Most of the “non American” food I eat is so Americanized it might as well be American. Exceptions might be the Greek place run by first generation Greek immigrants, the one authentic sushi place, and most of the Thai places.

29. This morning I had a bacon egg and cheese sandwhich.

    Yesterday I had cereal for breakfast, grilled cheese for lunch, and then soba at a restaurant that focuses on mostly korean and spanish food.

    I would call the grilled cheese American, not sure about the rest.

30. Why do people put the word American in quotations?

31. It can be really difficult to define “American Food”.
     

    For example, Coleslaw is an extremely common side dish with BBQ, Hamburgers, and just grilling out in general. However, there are records of it in Europe dating back to 500+ years ago. Many of the ingredients are different now, so is this considered American or not?
     

32. I would have to say mine is about 70% but I include all the food I eat because of my German Ancestry (5th generation Midwest) Bratwurst, Porkchops…..

33. If I eat like grilled chicken with rice and broccoli is it American? What about how I prepare or season it? I typically season it with salt and pepper and maybe thyme, basil, rosemary, or any other herb blend. Does that make it American since that’s not how other cultures would season their chicken?

    I don’t eat burgers or hotdogs at all because I don’t like processed meats. I eat fried chicken only a few times a year because it’s not healthy. I eat bacon a lot but only turkey bacon.

    But I wouldn’t say the food I’m eating isn’t “American” because of the way it’s prepared vs how it would be prepared elsewhere.

34. Mostly American with some Tex-mex and Asian-inspired food. Frequently on our menu at home are cheesy chicken fritters with corn salsa, ground turkey rice bowls with teriyaki sauce, pork chops with different glazes (tomorrow is chipotle raspberry), chicken with a variety cream sauces (next week is chive cream sauce), pesto chicken paninis, and pork meatballs with marinara.

35. I’m pretty sure lobster rolls are from New England or northeast US.

    Like you guys, we have a lot of diasporas here in the US, so we have a very international cuisine.

    We keep a rotation going , but I do like many American dishes. I like crawfish boil, jambalaya, French dips, Mexican-American dishes like carne asada burritos, steaks, meat loaf, burgers, etc. southern soul food.

    To answer, I don’t stick to just locally developed food. That’d be pretty weird for Americans. We’re all about the diversity and variety. My wife and I also make a lot of food from our respective ethnic backgrounds, but we definitely have American dishes in the rotation.

36. “As for American food (burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, bbq, wings)…”

    What you’re describing falls under the definition of junk food or fast food to me. Hardly part of my diet at all.

    If I were invited to attend a big company picnic where hamburgers were grilled, then I might have one. But we’re talking about once a year or so.

    America is a melting pot, just as much where I live in the PNW as in many other regions. Consequently, I cook and order (in restaurants) dishes from many, many different food traditions. My parents were both immigrants, and my mother cooked an incredible variety of dishes (never those junk/fast kinds of foods, though). It was all served on our American dining table, so it was all American to me.

37. I hardly ever eat American food. I usually eat Tex Mex (I guess Tex-Mex is technically American) or Mexican food every day. When I get tired of Mexican I usually eat at a Middle Eastern restaurant. I am working on recreating some of their recipes at home. The Lebanese Lentil soup in particular. They also have a roasted cauliflower salad with honey tahini dressing. I eat there a lot. Me and my friends go to a Cuban restaurant a lot. I make Italian food at home sometimes. Occasionally I eat Thai or Indian food. I honestly can’t remember the last time I ate American food, It was probably last Christmas.

38. Canadians eat the same as Americans

39. Can i add the following to the list of American foods?

    Potato salad
    Deviled eggs
    Cole slaw
    Mac & cheese
    Collard greens & turkey neck
    Cold cereal
    Fried clams
    Fish dip
    Nachos
    Caesar salad
    Biscuits

    I pretty much live on potato salad.

40. I don’t agree with confining the boundaries of American food to the things you mentioned. Burgers and hot dogs are themselves contributions from German immigrants, fried chicken is a tradition born from African-Americans in Dixie.

    I consider American food to be all foods brought here by immigrants that we’ve given our own twist and fusion to. NY slices and Chicago deep dish are American food. They were invented by Italian immigrants, but are nevertheless American. The only place you’ll find those types of pizza anywhere outside of America are at American-themed pizza shops.

    California rolls and intricate sushi rolls with elaborate decorations and toppings are the American twist on sushi. You don’t find that stuff in Japan. That’s American food. And it’s phenomenal.

    Burritos are not found in Mexico outside of in the northern borderland states. You know why? It’s a Mexican-American food. Breakfast burritos are a uniquely American thing. And it’s amazing.

    Bagels, donuts, kugel, all that wonderful stuff you find in bakeries across Southern California and NY, that’s American food. Brought and developed by Jewish immigrants, but still American.

    Same goes for coconut curry, our version of pad thai, Chinese food staples like chicken chow mein and orange chicken, and the list is infinite.

    This is what foreigners, especially Europeans, don’t understand about America. Canada is the same way as us. You guys have some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had, dishes developed by Sikhs in Toronto that can’t be found anywhere else on earth.

41. Im not sure there is “american food”. I would say american food is fast food….which i never eat.