America gets a bad rap for its food, and for good reason. Between the ultra-processed, artificially flavoured candies and cheeses; over-salted restaurant chains; super greasy deep-fried fairground grub; and cheap, flavourless coffee, the popular perception of American food boils down to three things: too much fat, too much salt, and too much sugar. However, anyone who’s been to an independent restaurant, scoured the ethnic food trucks in any major city, or has an American relative who really knows how to cook, knows that there is so much more to American cuisine. I love food and traveling. When I go to a new country I look forward to the food more than anything else. I’ve been to over 30 countries and believe I’ve got the experience to back up these claims. So without further ado here are the three foods America does better than anyone else.
1. Sandwiches.
Yes. Sandwiches. From the childhood classic peanut butter and jelly to European imports like paninis and ham and cheese, the US just does them better. America loves experimenting with different breads that Europeans turn their nose up to and just aren’t available in most parts of the world. The variety of vegetables, deli meats, and cheeses means the combinations are endless. American ingenuity comes into play as well as the willingness to experiment allows for new sandwiches and regional specialities to pop up and spread like wildfire making the sandwich landscape better than anywhere else in the world.
2. Pizza.
Sure! Pizza was invented in Italy, and they’ve got some damn good pizza, too, but the US perfected it. Get me the top pizza chef in Italy and pit him/her against any of the top 50 pizza chefs in New York City in a blind taste test and the New York guy wins every time. As with the sandwiches, American ingenuity reigns supreme with the pizza seasonings mixed into the dough, the boundless -- yet tasteful-- toppings, the freedom of customization to fit the customer’s tastes America does it better than anyone else. Sure! America does some weird things with their pizzas. Like the Mid-Western tavern cut. Why would you do that? What’s the point of cutting a round pizza into squares. Makes no sense! Still…. You need to really dig hard to find a bad tasting pizza.
3. Mediterranean Food.
HEAR ME OUT HERE! If you want good quality baba ghanoush, you need to go to Lebanon or Egypt. However, the new American Health Movement has brought in a bursting interest in the foods of that region. What started with the idolization of Greek food, eventually traveled west along the South Coast of Europe. Then Americans started getting interest in cuisine from the Levant. Again, their tastes started traveling west, this time along the African coast, incorporating many spices like sumac and fenugreek. Ignorant of geographical and cultural boundaries, America started mixing and fusing the different foods from the different regions and melded them with foods not found anywhere near the Mediterranean –like salmon and avocado— to make some of the most delectable health foods on the planet. Nothing you find in a Mediterranean cookbook from the US is “authentic,” but that shouldn’t stop you from digging into these flavourful hodgepodge meals. If you haven’t had American style Mediterranean, you’re really missing out. Though….. I will admit the names could use some work. A sandwich isn’t Greek just because it’s got feta cheese.
4. Salads
Again; American ingenuity at work here. America has a nearly endless supply of greens, hard grains, and meats and cheeses. Combine that with people from all over the world and the combinations are endless. Sure, your average restaurant "garden" tossed salad leaves a lot to be desired, but get away from the big chains and tourist traps and you've got a million exciting varieties at your fingertips. Even your run of the mill grocery store varieties nowadays are an adventure for the taste buds and nourishing for the body.
The Common Theme?
The one thing all of these dishes had in common is that immigrants and cultural diversity is critical to developing the unique flavours and eclectic menus many independent restaurants provide today. Without the acceptance of immigration and promotion of diversity, we'd be stuck in a bland, over-salted, over-processed pile of fried food. The trend of yo-yo dieting would never end because our healthy foods would still be boring flavourless traps that send us right back to the ice-cream when we're done, because we'd still be afraid to put exotic flavourings in our foods. It's the same with food as it is with everything in the US. Our growth and strengths stem from our diversity and imagination from cultures all over the world.