To this day we see population clusters in major Northeast cities, which almost invariably will have a Little Italy or Little China. These Old World cooking traditions survived and impacted American cuisine.
Similarly, the Midwest and West, both rich agricultural areas, developed their cuisine around what was available. There were abundant crops and cattle, so we see a strong influence of beef, poultry and vegetables in Midwest cuisine (Gugino, 2006). In short, a meat-and-potatoes culture developed with a heavy presence of steak and chicken dishes. and, really, this is not a tremendous departure from Native American cuisine, as these earlier inhabitants of the Plains consumed diets rich in meats and vegetables.
Culture and geography also play key roles in Southern cuisine. The Creole and Cajun people of the south are descendents of Spanish, French and Portugese colonists and the foods of these nationalities are rich in spice and flavor, as is much of the cuisine of the South (Gugino, 2006). The spices are added to the various foods abundantly available in the South. Much of the region is coastal, making foods such as fish, shrimp and prawns common, while the favorable climate also allows agriculture to thrive, bringing a meat and vegetable presence (Gugino, 2006).
America is a diverse and large nation, and it has a very inclusive cuisine. Clearly, the many cultures that comprise American society all bring their own unique recipes to American cuisine. By the same token, people have to cook what is readily available. The diverse geography of America presents different food opportunities by region, from the seafood-heavy Northeast to the meat and potatoes of the Midwest.
The end result is that the dual factors of culture and geography work together to form a body of cuisine that is as diverse and eclectic as America itself.
Works Cited
Gugino, Sam. The World of Food. Wine Spectator, Sept. 2006. Vol. 31. No. 8.
Olver, Lynne. Food Timeline: International Cuisine. 2000. Retrieved September 7, 2006 at http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq6.html.
Stradley, Linda. American Recipes & History by Region. 2004. Retrieved September 7, 2006 at http://whatscookingamerica.net/AmericanRegionalFoods/RegionalAmericanIndex.htm.
