OT: Completely off the wall question...

[Sam]

Background: I've a friend spending the semester in Germany for college. Makes my being an insomniac cool, she has someone to talk to before she heads off to class (or like now just before she goes to bed). Current discussion has turned to food -- specifically 'ethnic' or 'cultural' foods.

Seems the (jokingly) preconceived notion of "American food" is anything that comes out of McDonalds (for the record ... I'll eat grass first).

So what IS "American" food? I'm not talking about something we snatched and bastardized (like "American Chinese -- I've an Asian friend who loves giving me crap about my liking chinese. "You don't eat real chinese." "Yeah, well until you start cooking for me, this is my only option"), but real honest to god, home grown with American pride food?

So far we've only been able to come up with potato chips and barbecue, with cornbread, chicken dumplings and chili being suspected American inventions.

[hpkingjr]

Sam:
You need to try to get some sleep. How about fried Okra?

[Sam]

Sam:
You need to try to get some sleep. How about fried Okra?

I've actually slept more in the last 10 days than I normally sleep in a month. Picked up an UGLY head cold/sinus infection (which has now morphed into laryngitis) at the Busch race weekend before last. For future reference: If they are predicting snow (yes, it snows in Vegas -- further proof I'm in hell), do NOT park your ass on the top of the Earnhardt terrace.

Anyway ... Okra is North African (Ethopian) ... though how it migrated out is a mystery. (I adore fried okra).

I had suggested anything deep fried (only an American could come up with a "Deep fried Snickers") but apparently the Germans are big on deep frying too.

[emmad]

check out this site lol

http://inventors.about.com/library/inve ... tochip.htm

[austique]

That is so funny because I went through this my last year in graduate school. We were having a group dinner and I was the lone American in the group. Everyone was going to bring a dish that represented their country (Indonesia, Georgia, and Khrgystan). I couldn't come up with anything that was truly American and they said "Oh, bring cheesecake thats our favorite dessert back home."

Chili is actually a bastardized version of Latin chili dishes. Potato chips are a European invention I think (durn it there was a Secret Life of... on just a few nights ago). The Chinese and Koreans probably had the first barbeque although the American version kind of stands alone. I'll totally go with you on the cornbread though. Chicken and dumplings may have orignated in Europe as well which further proves my long held assumption that we have no unique culture and are a mutt of a country

Buffalo (American not the water variety) would be a unique meat. The peanut butter cup was invented here

[Rick]

When my wife was in pharmacy school, they had a party where you had to bring a wine from your home state. Being from Kentucky, choices were slim, so she brought Maker's Mark. Since then, I think of Maker's Mark as Kentucky Wine.

[Sam]

Potato chips are a European invention I think (durn it there was a Secret Life of... on just a few nights ago).

Potato chips are American ... blame some stuck up rich dude in the hamptons or something that complained his french fries were too thick and pissed off the chef.

[Shammy Davis]

SAM: Chitterlings are a true American dish; either fried or boiled.

[austique]

Potato chips are a European invention I think (durn it there was a Secret Life of... on just a few nights ago).

Potato chips are American ... blame some stuck up rich dude in the hamptons or something that complained his french fries were too thick and pissed off the chef.

I defer. You are correct and turn off Food Network!

[madelyn]

Turkeys are indigenous to North America and comprised a fair portion of the Aztec diet, as well as having some religious importance. Since they migrate, they were also found at Plymouth Rock. Corn is also a native North American plant (corn on the cob, cornmeal, etc.). Also, cranberries. I know there are more... however these feature primarily in American Thanksgiving because they are truly native American foods. Northern Pike is a native American fish. Also a lot of the bass family.

The turkey eventually made its way across the pond, but the early English Christmas dinner featured goose, roast beef or game, not turkey.

[WarHorse]

As I understand it, chili is Texan. Corn and potatoes came from the Americas, as well.

Black-eyed peas would probably pass anyone's test, though I can't be positive.

[Nessa]

You can add corn dishes, beans(various kinds like black-eyed, chickpea, runner), squash(pumpkins, zucchini, butternut ect).

Oops you guys beat to some of these

[wilf]

Sam my dear! The only truely American dish of course is..............ROADKILL! Especially Possum! Remember"You are never alone with a schizophrenic"

[xfactor fan]

Popcorn. Which we borrowed from the Native Americans who domesticated corn, and the versions that pop.

[ak1]

Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies...yummy (somewhere in one of my cookbooks is the story of their creation)

Steamed crabs from the Chesapeake Bay with lots of Old Bay