British Undeservedly Snotty about American Cuisine

[Oexmelin]

  If you think the "All American menu" is a cuisine, I'd say you missed the point of it entirely.  It is the opposite of a cuisine:  by definition it is the lowest common denominator menu, the "menu without surprises."

I am not surprised that you missed the whole point of local cuisine in the US; tourists seldom experience it.  It is often hard to get locals to cough up the names of the places where they go.

Yes. And so are the staples of every national cuisine: the lowest common denominator and things that have crossed the regional frontiers. Just like the magret de canard or the cassoulet. My point is that these sorts of regional variations exist everywhere.

As for "missing" or not the whole point of local cuisine, I have lived in Chicago for a year and have had enough friends in New Orleans to go beyond touristy stuff. But then, I guess I could also claim that people on the forum have also "missed" the whole point of every other foreign cuisine.

[HVC]

Cooking cod in 50 different ways is not a cuisine either, irmao. 

Where the portuguese go right is desert. There's a reason it leads the world in diabetes

[Ed Anger]

Cooking cod in 50 different ways is not a cuisine either, irmao. 

Where the portuguese go right is desert. There's a reason it leads the world in diabetes

Where do the eggplants inject the insulin at?

[alfred russel]

  If you think the "All American menu" is a cuisine, I'd say you missed the point of it entirely.  It is the opposite of a cuisine:  by definition it is the lowest common denominator menu, the "menu without surprises."

I am not surprised that you missed the whole point of local cuisine in the US; tourists seldom experience it.  It is often hard to get locals to cough up the names of the places where they go.

Yes. And so are the staples of every national cuisine: the lowest common denominator and things that have crossed the regional frontiers. Just like the magret de canard or the cassoulet. My point is that these sorts of regional variations exist everywhere.

As for "missing" or not the whole point of local cuisine, I have lived in Chicago for a year and have had enough friends in New Orleans to go beyond touristy stuff. But then, I guess I could also claim that people on the forum have also "missed" the whole point of every other foreign cuisine.

Chicago actually is the lowest common denominator of American food. 

[The Larch]

Cooking cod in 50 different ways is not a cuisine either, irmao. 

Where the portuguese go right is desert. There's a reason it leads the world in diabetes

Fruits and teas as well, it's great to have colonial empires in exotic places for that. 

[Iormlund]

I'm not totally convinced that your average inhabitant of Seattle will know the difference between Creole and Cajun Jambalaya, or know much about Tex-Mex other than what is offered at Chili's. 

I would say that American cuisine is probably more diverse than that of any single European country, though this has far more to do with environmental factors; no country in Europe  has the kind of environmental diversity we have here, and I'm not even totally sure Europe as a continent does (Grenada and Iceland, compare to El Paso and Northern Alaska) thus the ingredients will be different due to environmental reasons, rather than simple local variations between how how much/what kind of seafood is in paella. 

Now, China is comparable in environmental terms, and probably has way more diversity, but that is another story.

There's a wide variety of climates just within Spain. Tropical, oceanic, mediterranean, continental, arid, high altitude ... Climate here is less extreme and varied than in the US, but it is far from being uniform.
Every single region has its own cuisine. From Galicia to Valencia, from the Canaries to the Basque Country. Your paella comment tells a lot. Variety goes much further than whether paella has X or Y kinds of seafood (paella is a Valencian dish, for starters). Spanish cuisine is a compendium of several different styles and ingredients. You guys might have a point when it comes to smaller European states. But definitely not the big ones. Traditions and regional (or national according to some) differences are strong enough to have well over half a dozen languages and dialects still alive. Food is no different.

[Oexmelin]

Chicago actually is the lowest common denominator of American food. 

I have actually eaten quite well in Chicago, if, indeed, mostly "trans-American food". Apart perhaps from pumpkin pie?

The best regional cuisine I have eaten in the US has to be either the Texan or New Orleans food. In San Antonio, a family of old rancheros had us for dinner (obviously they camouflaged their touristy spot under the guises of their own home). The slow cooked, mesquite smoked beef was amazing. The worst I have eaten is Lancaster County / Amish country in Pennsylvania. Such fresh produce, and so little taste!

[clandestino]

Cooking cod in 50 different ways is not a cuisine either, irmao. 

Aparently there are 365 ways.

[The Brain]

I'm not totally convinced that your average inhabitant of Seattle will know the difference between Creole and Cajun Jambalaya, or know much about Tex-Mex other than what is offered at Chili's. 

I would say that American cuisine is probably more diverse than that of any single European country, though this has far more to do with environmental factors; no country in Europe  has the kind of environmental diversity we have here, and I'm not even totally sure Europe as a continent does (Grenada and Iceland, compare to El Paso and Northern Alaska) thus the ingredients will be different due to environmental reasons, rather than simple local variations between how how much/what kind of seafood is in paella. 

Now, China is comparable in environmental terms, and probably has way more diversity, but that is another story.

There's a wide variety of climates just within Spain. Tropical, oceanic, mediterranean, continental, arid, high altitude ... Climate here is less extreme and varied than in the US, but it is far from being uniform.
Every single region has its own cuisine. From Galicia to Valencia, from the Canaries to the Basque Country. Your paella comment tells a lot. Variety goes much further than whether paella has X or Y kinds of seafood (paella is a Valencian dish, for starters). Spanish cuisine is a compendium of several different styles and ingredients. You guys might have a point when it comes to smaller European states. But definitely not the big ones. Traditions and regional (or national according to some) differences are strong enough to have well over half a dozen languages and dialects still alive. Food is no different.

Languish Fact is that regions in America are AT LEAST as different as different countries in Europe. Some Americans say so so it must be true.

[The Larch]

The worst I have eaten is Lancaster County / Amish country in Pennsylvania. Such fresh produce, and so little taste!

Tasty food is the tool of the devil.

[The Larch]

Cooking cod in 50 different ways is not a cuisine either, irmao. 

Aparently there are 365 ways.

More power to you, but what about people who don't like cod? 

[Oexmelin]

The worst I have eaten is Lancaster County / Amish country in Pennsylvania. Such fresh produce, and so little taste!

Tasty food is the tool of the devil.

I sure understood that. Which is why I think Schama (and H. Levenstein, for instance) have a point about meals being (originally at least) as something to get over with rather than to enjoy as a social event.

[Ed Anger]

The worst I have eaten is Lancaster County / Amish country in Pennsylvania. Such fresh produce, and so little taste!

Tasty food is the tool of the devil.

They sold their souls out for shoofly pie. Devilishly delicious.

[Oexmelin]

Meh

[HVC]

Cooking cod in 50 different ways is not a cuisine either, irmao. 

Aparently there are 365 ways.

More power to you, but what about people who don't like cod? 

then there's sardines