Let’s eat the American way!

First, let ’ s remember our lesson about the American States ! Each team member has two minutes to memorize as many states as he / she can, with its proper location ! Then, each team will have to replace these states on a blank map !

Ready to play the game? Click on the picture below, and try to get the highest score !

But what is « the American way »?  Give some examples of food you think are related to the USA.  What can you see on the next picture?  Can you name all of these typical dishes from each of the United States of America?

Source: map-of-the-united-states#.jl3y194AR

Let’s remember!  In Texas, the typical dish is ________________.  In Florida, the typical fruit is ___________________.  In California, the typical fruit is _________________.  In Hawaii, the typical _________ is ___________________.  In Indiana, the typical snack is ______________________.  In …  Don’t you remember? Let’s have another look, then!

Source: map-of-the-united-states#.jl3y194AR

 In the 17 th century the English established their first permanent settlement at Jamestown. The English settlers brought their typical sturdy food with them, and started to blend it with local ingredients like turkey, lobster, maple syrup, clams and almost always corn to create dishes such as Indian pudding, Boston brown bread, clam chowder and Maine boiled lobster.

 Further in the South, people gained an advantage from a more moderate climate which allowed them to use an even greater diversity of vegetables. African Americans introduced the barbecue, all kinds of fritters and many greens. They also brought with them important techniques, for example, how to smoke meat, fry greens and make up spicy sauces. They created what is known as Southern Cuisine today - simply because they were the servants in Southern kitchens.

What would an American ball game be without a hot dog? Well, Germans have introduced a whole lot of ways to make sausages, and the fact that they moved to the Midwest was the reason why Milwaukee is now one of the Nation’s greatest beer brewers. Another European nation that joined the gourmet-tongues of America is Italy. The Italians, who arrived in the late 19 th century, gave America one of its most important touches in taste. They have reimported their use of the tomato, which we think is the most Italian vegetable at all, used to spice up all that pasta, pizza, and salads. Chicago - style pizza

In southern Louisiana we can still find some examples of the French cuisine, like Creole and Cajun cuisine. Both have the use of rice and seafood in common, both are highly spiced and borrow concepts from each other. The difference is that the roots of Creole cooking have grown from the region’s earliest colonial history when the French first settled the area and fought with Spain for control long before the Louisiana Purchase. Their way of cooking is a mixing of French cuisine strongly affected by Spanish, African and Caribbean food, whereas Cajun food is more of a country way of cooking. After the French inhabitants of Nova Scotia were driven out by the British in 1755, they went south and finally found their place in the swamps of Louisiana. They learned then to keep their cuisine and added the available ingredients such as game, shrimp, and crawfish. They only use few herbs but serve the food which is mostly cooked in one pot with a relatively hot sauce.

French cuisine + Influences of Spanish, African and Carribbean food. Long before the Louisiana Purchase (1803) CREO LE FOOD People came from Nova Scotia ( Canada), and came to Louisiana in 1755, after the Great Upheaval. CAJUN WAY OF COOKING : cooked in one pot with hot sauce They were Acadians, they became Cajuns. Added shrimp, game and crawfish to their food. In common: rice seafood, highly spiced

Crawfi sh and corn GOMBO JAMBAL AYA

The late 19 th century brought many Asians to America. Especially due to its geographical location, California was one of the centers for Asian immigration. The result was that these new Asian Americans not only brought their native food but also mixed it with the Mexican cuisine resulting in dishes such as chili. Another well known fact is that they also created new dishes. For instance: Did you know that a dish which is thought of as genuinely Chinese, Chop Suey, was actually created in San Francisco, where a guest wanted to eat something in a late hour and received a stew out of chicken scraps? Adapted from :

Dishes like chili, fajitas, salsa, tortilla chips, corn chips, chimichangas, quesadillas, burritos, and nachos may be great food, but they are home grown American inventions. Even dishes that exist in Mexico like enchiladas, tacos, and tamales are cooked and served differently in the United States. True Mexican dishes are not cooked to be burning hot (with chiles) as are many of their relatives north of the border; chile sauce is a condiment in Mexico, to be added according to the taste of the dinner. What about the Mexican influence?

Let ’ s recap ! Give three examples of cajun or creole cuisine: 1.CRAWFISH AND CORN 2.GOMBO 3.JAMBALAYA Asians brought Asian food and created: CHOP SUEY We think this food is Mexican but it was, in fact, created in the US : 1. CHILI 2. FAJITAS 3. SALSA 4. TORTILLA CHIPS 5. CORN CHIPS 6. CHIMICHA NGAS 7. QUESADIL LAS 8. BURRITOS 9. NACHOS Germans introduced: 1.Sausages Italians introduced: 1.Pizza 2.Pasta 3.Salad English brought their food with them and added: 1.Turkey 2.Lobster 3.Maple syrup 4.Clam 5.Corn Techniques introduced by African– Americans: 1.Smoke meat 2.Fry greens 3.Make up spicy sauces

B. Bergeron Giudicelli Collège Pierre Bayrou Saint Antonin Noble Val Ac-Toulouse