Most of the time when we enjoy cuisine everywhere we expect that food to be of local origin or imported, however very few of us realize that many of the foods we eat today in the US have purely American origins. What are the reasons for such an occurrence? The first thing we must take into account is that much of the US population has roots based all over the world, but mostly Europe and their ancestors and past have greatly contributed to local cuisine. The strongest influence we can see in traditional American food is that its origin is mostly European. Society itself has brought forth the need for a mixed variety of meals due to its historical roots which affect the way people see food. Much of those wonderful recipes we enjoy today have been either created through experimentation of different meals or mirror images of something that was seen elsewhere in the world, but it was changed and improved in new ways in the US. Nothing can create an opportunity for interesting new meals than a mix of different cultures and traditions under the same roof. The following bullet points cover some of the more well-known follies and where they actually originated from:
Alfredo Sauce
Although most of us sincerely believe Alfredo sauce is inherently Italian it is in fact something that was mostly popularized in the US by a tourist couple who traveled to Italy. What we know as pasta Alfredo is in fact something very simple in Italy and in no way known under the same name. Back in Europe it is known as “pasta in bianco” or “pasta al burro”, but the couple who popularized it in the US knew it because of a local restaurant owner called Alfredo di Lelio back in 1914. Alfredo served this simple dish to Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks who spread the word back in the US. He later immigrated to New York and opened a restaurant there where he used the name of his meal and made it what we know today. In a sense Alfredo sauce was created by an Italian, but it is in fact more of an American food than it is Italian today.
Cuban Sandwich
A great combination of ham, Swiss cheese, pork, pickles and mustard, the Cuban sandwiches were in fact served to the locals in Tampa, FL. It was meant to be as close as possible to similar food back in Cuba. Many of the foods in the United States are of purely foreign origin, however even if this one draws inspiration from outside sources it is in fact an American creation.
Pasta Primavera
A true classic which sounds very Italian due to its healthy combination of pasta and vegetables, however it was actually created by the coming immigrants in New York in the 70s as a way of creating a meal suitable for all regardless of their national cuisine. Although you will hear many arguments and that its entirely possible that this meal may have Italian roots, it is not at all certain only Italians had influence over its introduction in restaurants across the US.
English Muffins
Although their creator Samuel Bath Thomas was an English immigrant, the idea about the English muffing occurred to him when he lived in New York back in 1894. It was originally based on the traditional English crumpets, except his were flatter than their European ancestors and they were made to split in half. Today we seem to enjoy those without even knowing their origins were on the West 20th Street.
Chimichangas
An absolutely rich and hearty Mexican creation made across the US and other locations in the Americas. Its origins can be debated, however the most popular of the stories mentions Tucson, AZ. A local founder and chef of the restaurant El Charro, one Monica Flin dropped a burrito in the deep fryer and instead of deciding it was a failure served to a customer, calling it chimichanga, which roughly meant “thingamajig” in Spanish. Other people have also claimed they invented it, and all of them on US territory so in all cases one thing is certain – this is something created on US soil.
Swiss Steak
There is nothing Swiss about this type of steak, as it is named after the process of tenderizing in its make. The first time this recipe was made popular was back in 1915 in the US. Ever since then its been present in the local cuisine, but its mistakenly considered Swiss in origin.
General Tso's Chicken
A deep-fried, spicy-sweet chicken that seems as Chinese as it can be, however its roots are very far from China. American Chinese food differs from the meals traditionally served in China itself, so this one was a 1970s creation from New York.
(Photo © iStockphoto / Shutterstock)
Although most of us sincerely believe Alfredo sauce is inherently Italian it is in fact something that was mostly popularized in the US by a tourist couple who traveled to Italy. What we know as pasta Alfredo is in fact something very simple in Italy and in no way known under the same name. Back in Europe it is known as “pasta in bianco” or “pasta al burro”, but the couple who popularized it in the US knew it because of a local restaurant owner called Alfredo di Lelio back in 1914. Alfredo served this simple dish to Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks who spread the word back in the US. He later immigrated to New York and opened a restaurant there where he used the name of his meal and made it what we know today. In a sense Alfredo sauce was created by an Italian, but it is in fact more of an American food than it is Italian today.
Cuban Sandwich
A great combination of ham, Swiss cheese, pork, pickles and mustard, the Cuban sandwiches were in fact served to the locals in Tampa, FL. It was meant to be as close as possible to similar food back in Cuba. Many of the foods in the United States are of purely foreign origin, however even if this one draws inspiration from outside sources it is in fact an American creation.
Pasta Primavera
A true classic which sounds very Italian due to its healthy combination of pasta and vegetables, however it was actually created by the coming immigrants in New York in the 70s as a way of creating a meal suitable for all regardless of their national cuisine. Although you will hear many arguments and that its entirely possible that this meal may have Italian roots, it is not at all certain only Italians had influence over its introduction in restaurants across the US.
English Muffins
Although their creator Samuel Bath Thomas was an English immigrant, the idea about the English muffing occurred to him when he lived in New York back in 1894. It was originally based on the traditional English crumpets, except his were flatter than their European ancestors and they were made to split in half. Today we seem to enjoy those without even knowing their origins were on the West 20th Street.
Chimichangas
An absolutely rich and hearty Mexican creation made across the US and other locations in the Americas. Its origins can be debated, however the most popular of the stories mentions Tucson, AZ. A local founder and chef of the restaurant El Charro, one Monica Flin dropped a burrito in the deep fryer and instead of deciding it was a failure served to a customer, calling it chimichanga, which roughly meant “thingamajig” in Spanish. Other people have also claimed they invented it, and all of them on US territory so in all cases one thing is certain – this is something created on US soil.
Swiss Steak
There is nothing Swiss about this type of steak, as it is named after the process of tenderizing in its make. The first time this recipe was made popular was back in 1915 in the US. Ever since then its been present in the local cuisine, but its mistakenly considered Swiss in origin.
General Tso's Chicken
A deep-fried, spicy-sweet chicken that seems as Chinese as it can be, however its roots are very far from China. American Chinese food differs from the meals traditionally served in China itself, so this one was a 1970s creation from New York.
(Photo © iStockphoto / Shutterstock)
Julia Dawson is traveller and dedicated writer. She likes exploring the beauty of untypical and unpopular exotic tourist destinations. Julia is constantly searching for new sources of inspiration and currently contributes articles on traditional national cuisines.
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