Americanization of Food
From Chinese to Italian America has stripped foods from their cultural roots. There is a rich history behind many of these foods that has been forgotten. In the 19th century most food served in restaurants in America were Germanic. This included foods like spaetzle and sausages. As people immigrated to America many new foods were introduced. The foods we eat so regularly today were once considered low-class cheap foods and generally rejected by the American population. Because the primary goal of many restaurants in America today is to make the most revenue, many have americanized their food.
America’s love for Italian food has dramatically evolved over the years. When Italians immigrated to America in the late 19th century the now popular food was ignored and even considered slumming. Americans were not familiar with foreign Italian dishes and considered it to be esoteric, a food only to be enjoyed by a small number of people. Because the only people that ate Italian food were generally lower-classed it was difficult to get past the social barriers to make Italian food a superb food. An early issue that that Americans had with Italian food was that the flavors were thought to only be enjoyed with alcohol — a controversial topic in the 1920’s considering that Prohibition, the law that prohibited the manufacturing and selling of alcohol, was passed. In the early 1980’s and 90’s Italian food finally became socially accepted, but with a catch. Eventually Southern Italian food became people in America but was still considered a cheap dish. If Italian restaurants were to charge higher prices they had to label themselves as Northern Italian because the newly introduced risottos and wine sauces were now considered a high class dish. Today there are around 100,000 Italian restaurants in the United States — a majority of them serving Southern Italian food like pizza. Macaroni and cheese, the first Italian dish to be widely accepted has now been extremely americanized to boxed mac and cheese and this has been the case for many other authentic Italian dishes. Even though Italian is now considered exquisite in America, the pasta you order from Olive Garden is far from the authentic dish. For example an American favorite, marinara sauce was not consumed by Italians, but was immigrants working with ingredients that were accessible in America. The garlic bread that is served with a majority of Italian dishes is the americanized version of bruschetta, thick slices of bread with garlic and oil, then topped with tomatoes, onions, and more. This list of americanized Italian dishes goes on but it’s important to remember the rich history and dedication it took to normalize the once foreign food in America.
Like Italian food, Chinese food was looked down upon when first introduced to America. Chinese food was established in America when immigrants from Taishan. The original Chinese dishes in America were vegetable and rice stir-frys made with whatever meat was available. The modifications to Chinese food began because the ingredients used in authentic dishes were not available. Some substitutions included brocolli for kailan and carrots or pears for mustard greens or shiitakes. Rumors spread that the CHinese consumed rats and dogs because Americans were disgusted by the traditional dishes that included birds nest, poultry feet, and whole animals. This contributed to the difficulty of popularizing Chinese food in America. One of the most popular Chinese dishes in America, General Tso’s chicken, isn’t even served in China but in order to be successful Chinese restaurants have had to adapt their authentic dishes to the Americans’ taste buds. For example, Panda Express is the most profitable Chinese restaurant in America but none of their dishes would be found in a restaurant in China. Even the famous fortune cookie originated in America. The chinese food now served in America is unrecognizable to the people who first brought it here.
The food served in Mexico is far different than Mexican restaurants in America. The presence of Mexican food in America began in the 20th century. In the 1960’s — before the 1960’s it was difficult to find Mexican foods outside of Mexico — people began serving fajitas in Mexican restaurants in America. The Spanish word for skirt steak is Arrachera but is commonly known as vajitas in American restaurants because it was thought to be easier to pronounce. Not only do we call fajitas by the wrong name, they don’t even exist in Mexico. Because corn, beans, and rice were most abundant in mexico, they are incorporated in most traditional Mexican dishes. Texans had the largest influence on the Mexican food served in the United States due to their proximity to Mexico. This shaped Tex-Mex, what the majority of Mexican restaurants in the United States serve. One of the most popular meats used in Mexican restaurants in the US, beef, is not used in most Mexican dishes. Margaritas originated in Mexico but only contained lime, tequila, and a small amount of sweetener. The americanized version of Margaritas that are found in virtually all Mexican restaurants are blended with a variety of fruit served in bowl sized glasses.
Food served in America has been strongly influenced by many countries. With the combination of American preferences and resources in America, traditional dishes from around the world have changed dramatically. The food that we consume everyday has deep roots that are rarely thought about. From the struggle of introducing new foods to adding our own twist, the food in America has come a long way from the original Germanic food.
-Allie Byers
Byers, Allie. “I’m Not Chinese.” 3 April. 2019.
Cui, Jingfei. “The Americanization of Chinese Food: How Chinese Restaurateurs Adapted ‘Authentic’ Cuisine That Sells.” Ruggles Media, 19 Apr. 2018, www.northeastern.edu/rugglesmedia/2017/12/07/the-americanization-of-chinese-food-how-chinese-restaurateurs-adapted-authentic-cuisine-that-sells/.
McMillan, Tracie. “How Italian Cuisine Became as American as Apple Pie.” National Geographic, 4 May 2016, www.nationalgeographic.com/people-and-culture/food/the-plate/2016/05/04/how-italian-cuisine-became-as-american-as-apple-pie/.
“The Americanization of Mexican Food.” Mattito’s, 14 Feb. 2018, mattitos.com/blog/the-americanization-of-mexican-food/.
Wei, Clarissa. “An Illustrated History of Americanized Chinese Food.” First We Feast, First We Feast, 20 Oct. 2016, firstwefeast.com/eat/2015/03/illustrated-history-of-americanized-chinese-food.
Willett, Megan. “8 Real Italian Dishes You Should Order Instead Of The American Knockoffs.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 9 June 2014, www.businessinsider.com/italian-versus-american-italian-cuisine-2014-5.
