The United States Its Food and Its People Where It All Began

Our American Heritage Food is a reflection of who we are & where we came from. The foods eaten in a given area will tell about geography, climate, history, and culture.

American Cuisine Dynamic Diverse Constantly changing Carved out of layers of the past with each generation keeping some traditions of the past while adding new tastes and flavors Uniqueness of each region is beginning to disappear

True American Regional Cooking Shaped by: History—who settled in the region; what traditions did they bring Climate---determined growing season: type of food that could be grown (wheat did not grow well in the NE Terrain---determined type of food that could grow; cranberries in the NE, rice in the south, etc. Availability of ingredients---seafood vs. beef

American Indians Excellent farmers (most were) Cultivated 50% of the world’s plant including: potatoes, pineapples, corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, tapioca, avocados, tomatoes, chili peppers and more

Early Settlers Poor farmers, sought Indians for advice Corn---how to use it. Grew corn & beans together then cooked them together (succotash) Substituted cornmeal for oatmeal & wheat creating new dishes.

The First Immigrants The English settled in the northeastern mid-south parts of what is now the U.S.

The Spanish settled in what is now Florida.

More Immigrants English, Dutch, German, French settled in the northeast. English, French, Spanish settled in the Deep South Most immigrants settled with individuals of similar culture. African slaves were part of all of the colonies

Reason for Immigration Reasons varied Religious freedom Slavery Opportunity to own property Economic opportunity

Unique Characteristics of Early American Food High protein base, high fat base Corn very important early; now wheat based Good bakers

Food Meant Hospitality First Presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Madison) established tradition of good food and dining. President Jefferson is considered the country’s first gourmet.

America Today Cornucopia of people More cultures, ethnic groups are found in the United States than anywhere else in the world Total of the minority population is close to exceeding the majority population Latinos are the fastest growing group

American Food Cuisine of the U.S. is a combination of all of these cultures and ethnic groups Each group tried to incorporate its cuisine into its new life in the United States We love to snack and love snack foods. It is believed to be a habit dating back to the 1800’s with free lunch in bars to encourage drinking

Holidays and Foods Holiday traditions are closely associated with food in North America Immigrants brought many of these traditions plus we have added many of our own

Example of Ethnic Based Holidays Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) –Cajun Foods –King Cake (baked with a tiny plastic doll--- person getting it is supposed to throw the next Mardi Gras party) –Rich colors of purple & gold –Big time party

Cinco de Mayo –Observed by the Mexican Americans –Means fifth of May –Marks the victory of Mexican troops over the French –Foods include sweet breads coffee & cinnamon flavored hot chocolate

Kwanzaa –Relatively new holiday –African American –Focus on African cultural heritage –Between Christmas & New Year’s Day –Karamu---a ritual feast held on the next to last night of the week long festival

Chanukah –Eight day Jewish festival held in December –Also called Festival of Lights –Commemorates regaining of the temple of Jerusalem –Light one candle each day (menorah) –Eat latkes (potato pancakes) & sufganiyah--- potato doughnuts among other things

NEW ENGLAND Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Delaware, Connecticut, & Rhode Island

New England Cuisine Influenced by: Location---abundance of seafood Short growing season--- –Food had to be sensible –Crops had to be suited to the short season –Food needed to be hardy

The Indian Triad Corn Beans Squash

Corn Corn lacks gluten---Mexican Indians adapted by making tortillas, New England Indians did not.

Foods Made From Corn Johnny Cakes: type of bread or pancake, consisting of corn meal, boiling water & salt. Dates back to (1 st Thanksgiving) Corn Mush: (Hasty Pudding) Cornmeal boiled in water Fried Mush: Mush that is cooled, sliced, fried in lard and served as a pancake. Indian Pudding: Milk flavored with molasses & thickened with cornmeal. It may have eggs, sugar, butter, etc.

Brown Bread: Cornmeal, wheat flour, sour milk, molasses. It was often prepared by steaming. Corn Chowder: Green corn kernels, mild, potatoes, onions and salt pork.

Squash We ate pumpkins at morning Pumpkins at noon If it were not for pumpkins We would be undoon.

Beans Unknown food to the Europeans Quality source of protein Often planted together with corn

Dishes Prepared with Beans New England Baked Beans (Boston Baked Beans): the most important bean dish. An acceptable food for the Sabbath because it could be prepared the day before. –Any type of bean cooked with salt pork, molasses, and sometimes sugar. Tomato was seldom used.

Succotash: Corn and beans cooked together; sometimes prepared like a chowder. –Hominy is often the form of corn used today.

Other New England Dishes New England Boiled Dinner: Dates back to the days when the only cooking utensil was a large kettle. Combination of meat (often corned beef) cooked with potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, cabbage. Red Flannel Hash: made from the leftovers of a New England Boiled Dinner. The leftovers, including beets were ground & fried in an iron skillet. Name comes from the appearance the beets gave the food.

Chowder: cream soup made from thickened milk. Clam Chowder is one of the more popular forms today. (Our potato soup is a form of chowder.) Lobster Clam Bakes Cranberries Maple Syrup –Sugar in the snow: maple syrup poured over bowls of clean snow where it hardens like taffy.

MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland

Original National Cuisines Dutch (Netherlands) German English

New York (New Netherlands) Farmers and bakers Bread Basket of the Colonies Brought animals from Europe Preserved foods

Dutch Foods Koekjes---cookies Olykoeks---doughnuts Molasses cakes Gingerbread men Waffles Cole slaw Cottage cheese

Pennsylvania Dutch Feinschmecker Country Feinschmecker: those who know how good food tastes and eat plenty of it. Dutch---actually Deutsch PA Dutch country is located between Lancaster & Allentown, PA Settled there in search of religious freedom

Religious Groups Mennonites---most important group Crefeblers Dunkards 7 th. Day Adventists Amish Moravians

Main Religious Groups Today Plain People: Amish, Mennonites Gay Dutch: Lutherans & reformed churches

Two Common Bonds Common language: German dialect interlaced with English and own idioms. Huge appetites---believed that if you were not hungry it was because you were not working hard enough.

Foods Created by PN Dutch Pickled pigs feet Blood pudding Scrapple: pork with cornmeal Smoked beef tongue Hog Maw: cleaned pig’s stomach stuffed with sausage, diced vegetables and baked.

Seven Sweets and Seven Sours Believed in serving a balance at each meal Mixture of sweet and sour relishes, dried fruits, salads

Big Time Bakers Kuchen: yeast dough coffee cake Lebkuchen: Xmas Cookies Sticky buns Funnel cakes Crumb cakes Pretzels & pretzel soup Pies at every meal: shoofly, green tomato, vinegar, funeral pie (raisin), Amish half-moon pies

Other PN Dutch Foods Chicken corn soup Dishes made with cabbage Starchy foods---dumplings, potatoes, pies, noodles Anything with apples Sauerbraten: beef roast marinated in vinegar Schnitz & knepp: ham butt, dumplings, & dried apples

Philadelphia Ice Cream Home of the ice cream soda (1874) Philadelphia cheese steak sandwich

New Jersey Fresh vegetables Truck farmers Home of the beefsteak tomato

Maryland Chicken Terrapin soup Blue crabs