Best Food Resipeie in USA
Oh boy, where do I begin?! You’re going to have an endless stream of options because the choice in food is varied - as I’m sure is the case in your country as well. Different regions have different specialties and people with different food preferences will give you widely varying options.
America is a melting pot of cultures, so you can sample a whole variety of international cuisines here. If you are from Morocco, for example, you might not have encountered several options for Boba tea (Taiwanese tea with tapioca balls) in your country. On the other hand, although Taiwan is quite far away from the States, you will still get Boba tea in many cities across the US. I’m certain that many parts of the world have access to some American dishes too.
So, to limit the scope of this answer, I’ll restrict my answer to a few iconic American dishes that are a must-try and their regional variants.
1. Hamburgers: There are several types of hamburgers but skip the ones they serve at joints like McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s and opt for a nice sit-down restaurant burger. (Yes, In-N-Out is also fast food and it’s a noteworthy poor man’s great burger, but probably not as good as a proper sit-down burger joint). Burgers come in different types of buns: brioche, ciabatta, (sesame/flax/caraway/poppy) seed buns, English muffin, Kaiser/onion/potato roll, and so on. My personal favorite is the sesame seed bun because of the additional flavor profile. Go for a medium (medium rare if you prefer a little juicier) beef burger, but well-done for chicken or turkey. I prefer to top mine with lettuce, tomato, raw onions, cheese, and pickles, but you could add various other kinds of toppings (bacon, egg, avocado, chili, pastrami, sauce, etc.). I’d recommend keeping it simple to get a good taste of the meat that’s central to the flavors.
2. Steak: The meat comes from cattle or from other grazing animals like bison, reindeer, lamb, goat, etc. Here, I’m going to focus on the most commonly used meat: beef. There are several cuts of steak based on the portion of the cattle the meat is obtained from such as - prime rib, ribeye/Delmonico, t-bone, porterhouse, filet mignon, tenderloin, sirloin, strip, etc. The bone-in ribeye is probably my favorite because of the marbling (fat mixed with muscle), but I also like the filet mignon. The Steak shown below is a filet mignon - it tends to be thicker than the other cuts, so there is a gradient in the cooking temperature between the outer layer and the center. Steaks are usually enjoyed rarer in their Doneness than burgers as they are expected to be juicier, so perhaps you can go for a medium rare. Many chefs, who are worth their salt, may refuse to make you a well-done steak. Steaks are usually served with a choice of grilled veggies: asparagus, zucchini, Brussel sprouts, carrots; and other veggies: creamed spinach, mashed/baked potatoes, etc. You should definitely go to the steakhouses/fine dining establishments for the real steak experience. The cheap steaks won’t give you the same pleasure.
3. Pizza: The key styles are California, Chicago, Greek, and New York. There are more variations of Pizza in the United States in addition to flatbreads and calzones. NY-style is thin crust and large, Chicago is deep-dish (thick pan pizzas), Detroit (thick crust), California (thin crust, non-standard toppings), Greek (thicker crust with Mediterranean toppings). Always eat your NY-style pizza by hand (fold it if needed). As evident, these styles are popular in their respective regions (where you’d get their best versions), but you should be able to find them all over the US.
4. BBQ: I personally prefer Texas BBQ, but other styles exist in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kansas, Oklahoma, etc. Different areas are known for different meats (Texas: beef, KC: beef/pork/lamb with sauces, Carolinas: pulled/shredded/chopped pork, Memphis: wet/dry ribs) so you may choose according to your preferences. You can get brisket, tri-tips, baby back ribs, short ribs, beef back ribs, clods, chicken, turkey, lamb, goat, and other meats/cuts. I prefer BBQ smoked with hickory or mesquite wood, although oak, pecan, and other wood are also used.
5. Southern fried chicken: It comes in several variants, including chicken strips, fingers, fries, crisp and boneless wings, nuggets, popcorn chicken, hot chicken, and Country Fried Chicken. The popular fast food chains that serve fried chicken are KFC, Popeyes, Church’s, Bojangles’, Lee’s, Chick-fil-A, El Pollo Loco, and others. However, fried chicken is also available in other regular eating establishments. Fried chicken is wildly popular in the Southern and Midwestern states.
6. Buffalo wings: Although a type of fried chicken that is non-battered, they have their own unique significance in American culture, being widely consumed at sporting events viewing parties. Typically coated in cayenne pepper and butter, they come in several degrees of hot sauces and can get infernally hot. Flavors include barbecue, lemon pepper, pepper Parmesan, garlic, sweet-and-sour, honey mustard, Thai chili, Caribbean jerk, honey garlic, habanero, ghost pepper, and peanut butter and jelly. Since their introduction, restaurants have introduced hundreds of different flavors of chicken wings.
7. Tex-Mex: A combination of Texas and Mexican cuisines, Tex-Mex is wildly popular in the southwestern United States. The flavor profiles are unique and many a time, tangy because of the addition of lime to various dishes. Pictured are Fajita and Chili con carne. Definitely try some fresh guacamole and sour cream with your Tex-Mex dishes. Try the different hot salsas and picante sauce too.
8. Pies and Cheesecake: Although pies were technically not invented here (the recipe was imported from Europe), "as American as apple pie" is a saying in the United States that means "typically American." Blueberry, Blackberry, Cream (coconut, banana, etc.), Buttermilk, Key Lime, Pecan, Peach, Cherry, Pumpkin, Rhubarb, Sweet Potato, Strawberry, and other pies were however invented in the United States. Cheesecake is a variant of pie with a crusty bottom layer and a cream cheese top layer and is available in several regional variants as well (New York, Chicago, Pennsylvania Dutch, Philly, etc.).
9. Hot dog: Arguably the most American of foods, the hot dog consists of a frankfurter in a bun, with standard condiments such as mustard, ketchup, and relish; as well as additions that vary by region (onions, radish, dill pickles, celery salt, Tex-Mex chili, sauerkraut, tomatoes, peppers, mayo, lettuce, cheese, etc.).
10. Burrito: Invented and popularized in San Francisco, the Mission Burrito preceded the California Burrito. These two styles are distinctly different from the Tex-Mex Burrito, and altogether are the three styles of Burritos in the United States. Burritos are widely popular across the United States as breakfast foods as well as for lunch and dinner and on-the-go. They consist of beans, rice, and meat, along with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream wrapped in a tortilla, and in the California Burrito case, the stuffing contains potatoes and queso (cheese) also.
Finally, check these out for a take on some amazing regional flavors: The One Must-Eat Food in Every State
I guarantee you won’t be hungry for options. The hardest part is to decide what to eat. And now, having written this answer, I have developed a voracious appetite.
Apologies, if I’ve missed any regional foods. Readers, feel free to drop a note if you would like me to list some other dish.
Disclaimer: All images are copyright of their respective owners or Creative Commons, as the case may be.
Image source Google
Thanks for Reading
0 Comments