How well do you know American food?
American food is far more than burgers and fries. Six questions, from easy to hard, about regional dishes and their stories.
Did you know?
- The ice cream cone became famous at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, where vendors served ice cream in rolled waffles. Several people later claimed to have invented it.
- Cajun and Creole cooking both come from Louisiana but differ: Creole cuisine developed in New Orleans with more tomatoes and city influences, while Cajun food comes from rural French-speaking communities.
- Hawaii's 'plate lunch' — rice, macaroni salad and a main dish — grew from the lunches of plantation workers from Japan, China, the Philippines, Portugal and other countries.
The flavors of a nation
American cuisine is a patchwork of regional traditions shaped by Native American foods, European settlers, African American cooking and waves of immigrants from around the world. Dishes vary dramatically between regions: seafood chowders in New England, barbecue in the South, Tex-Mex in the Southwest and Pacific-inspired cooking in Hawaii and California.
Native foods
Many staple American foods were first cultivated by Native Americans, including corn, beans, squash, wild rice and turkey. Cornbread, succotash and maple syrup all have roots in Native food traditions that settlers adopted and adapted.
Barbecue country
American barbecue has many regional styles. Texas favors beef brisket, Kansas City is known for sweet tomato-based sauce, Memphis for dry-rubbed ribs, and the Carolinas for pork with vinegar or mustard sauces. Friendly rivalries between regions are a big part of barbecue culture.
Immigrant influences
Immigrants transformed American food. Italian Americans popularized pizza and pasta, Chinese American cooks created new dishes, and German immigrants brought hot dogs and pretzels. Today Mexican, Korean, Vietnamese and many other cuisines continue to shape how Americans eat.
Southern cooking
Southern food includes fried chicken, biscuits, collard greens, grits and cornbread. It draws deeply on African American culinary traditions, and dishes like jambalaya and gumbo show the influence of Creole and Cajun cultures in Louisiana.
Diners and comfort food
Classic American diners serve pancakes, burgers, milkshakes and pie at any time of day. Comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese, meatloaf and apple pie remain popular symbols of home cooking in the United States.
Pizza styles across the country
Pizza arrived with Italian immigrants and developed regional forms. New York slices are thin and foldable, Chicago deep-dish is baked in a tall pan, Detroit-style pizza is square with crispy cheese edges, and New Haven's coal-fired 'apizza' has a charred crust. Debates about the best style are a lively part of American food culture.