For some reason I was just thinking about all the imported foods I like, like Yorkshire pudding, European cheeses, German and Italian deli meats and Italian ice cream and soda, and it got me to wondering if anybody from outside North America ever craves "American" food and in general what is well liked.

Here locally we have a lot of Mexican, Brasilian, Polynesian, English, Scandanavian, Chinese and African influence in the local food market. Are there generic "American" restaurants in Italy or China? I don't mean like McDonald's, but a real sit down place with southwestern or cajun offerings.

Yeah, I've wondered that too about Canadian food too. It almost seems that we're too multicultural to have a culture of our own!

I have not been to an "American" food restaurant.

Scott

It's hard to define "American food" because of all the influences that went into it. English, Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Native American, Mexican, Russian, German, Swedish, Dutch, Scotish - So name an "American Food" and I bet you it actually came from somewhere else. Especially beer - my favorite transplant from the old world to the new. So drink up and have a bratwerst on me....

C'mon, you guys have boudin (blood pudding), tortiere (meat pie), gran-peres (thick dumplings cooked in a chicken broth), begnet (donut like things), and don't forget, Molson and Labatt.

I could not come up with anything, however I suppose traditional American Fayre would be Native American food. Is there anything specific to American tribes food wise?

Where did BBQ start?
An american food?
Can't be, there is no American food
Evan

"Not since the White Man killed all our Buffalo..."

The potato, corn, chocolate, tomato, all originated here and have been used extensively to liven up food in other cultures. I have had some native American food, like elk (very tasty) and buffalo, salmon jerky and the like. I had guinea pig in South America. Root beer is supposedly distinctly an American thing, although it does not seem to be popular outside of the US and maybe Canada. I just wondered if there were any menu items of a more main stream variety that can be found in Europe or Asia that originated here (North and South America to expand the options). Is there Texas BBQ in Japan? Can you get enchiladas in chipotle or tomatillo sauce in France? Maple cured ham? Does anyone in Italy or England ever crave jalepinos? Maybe it is like asking if you can get vegemite outside of Australia or haggis anywhere but Scotland. Of course, most of the "foreign" food we have here has been heavily Americanized. Chinese food in the states is anything but. And for anyone who has ever tried it outside of the states, I apologize for American cheese.

The Ice Cream Sundae was developed here. It was believed the soda water in ice cream sodas was too stimulating to be had on Sunday, so some enterprising soda jerk simply put the flavored syrup over the ice cream. (In looking to confirm this account, I found out it is but one of several accounts of how the sundae was invented and why it was thusly named, but it was invented in the USA.)

Traditional Native fare would have included various game meats, fish and foul as well as corn (maize), squash and and beans (three sisters.)

Turkey, particularly roast turkey, is probably the quitescential "American" food since it is native to North America.

What I remember most about eating out in The U.S when I visited (1993) is first the service which was fantastic and is only starting to catch on over here now and second the portion sizes which by Irish standards were enormous. For the month that I was in New york and Washington we ate somewhere different for every meal, Mexican, Italian, Russian etc, and I was never dissappointed.
Gotta stop now and make some Huevos Rancheros.

What about McDonalds???
But then again does it count as food?

Chris
It is good the morning after the night before,if you know what I mean