People don’t generally travel to the United States for culinary delights. Although some foodie cities try to overcome America’s stereotype of being the home of comfort junk food, it will never score the reputation for fine dining that countries like France and Italy enjoy.
As a melting pot of diverse cultures, most of the top cultural foods in the USA came from somewhere else. Even the foodie cities feature “Italian beef sandwiches” and “French toast.”
The Best Cultural Foods in the USA
People who dismiss United States food culture are missing out. The USA is home to a gluttony of iconic cultural foods. While scrolling through the internet, I came across a thread asking users to describe foods they considered “cultural foods of the US.”
The top answers highlight America’s reputation for fast, comfort food, but let’s be real: it’s delicious.
Buffalo Wings
The hot wing craze started in Buffalo, NY, at the tourist hot spot Anchorbar. Of course, locals say that’s no longer the place to get the best wings.
“The irony is that the place that invented the wing is the worst place to get wings in the Buffalo area (Anchorbar). You can get a better wing just about anywhere,” said one user.
The food transcended Buffalo to become a culinary staple in the US and around the world.
Peach Cobbler
“As someone not from the States, I would kill to try a peach cobbler or a pumpkin pie,” said one user.
Americans love their cobblers. “Nothing better than hot peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream in the summer time. One of my favorite desserts,” responded another.
PB&J
America put peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the map. One Redditor received over 13000 upvotes and numerous awards for telling an epic tale about helping a German citizen craft the perfect PB&J.
“I was grocery shopping recently when a very nice German guy approached me for advice,” they began. “He had friends coming to visit from his home country, and he wanted to introduce them to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and could I advise him on the best ingredients? He already had some kind of b*lls*** artisan bread from the bakery department in his cart. I told him to put that back, go to the bread aisle, and get the crappy white Wonder Bread. Then there was discussion about the merits of Welch’s grape jelly vs. strawberry jam, and how most big brand peanut butter is optimal as opposed to the oily natural kind. Lastly, he learned to use the term “PB & J.” He went away delighted, and it felt great to be a cultural ambassador!”
Another mentioned that the tasty lunchtime sandwich is often featured in American cartoons and children’s shows.
Cajun Food
New Orleans is a culinary mecca. The city created a fantastic array of cultural foods native to the region and, as a result, the United States.
“I made shrimp and cheese grits this weekend. It’s a $6/plate meal that tastes like a $20/plate meal,” said one user, noting that a benefit of Cajun food is the low cost. Others complained that fine dining establishments were destroying the concept of Cajun food by charging extravagant prices for what was supposed to be “poor people’s food.”
Although Cajun food originated in Louisiana, you can find Cajun restaurants in most major cities, making it a top US cultural food.
Low Country Broil
Southern states perfected seafood broils. This cultural food from the US combines prawns, shrimp, mussels, corn, potatoes, and sausage into a delicious seafood melody, broiled to perfection.
You can find low-country broil in most seafood restaurants, and in Texas, at HEB on the weekends.
Smores
“I’ve traveled the world and no one knows what smores are besides Americans,” said one user of the iconic campfire dessert.
“I have heard of other countries where they thought s’mores were a made-up food from American and Canadian cartoons that nobody ever actually made,’ replied another.
The Cuban Sandwich
You’d think a sandwich called “the Cuban” would have originated in Cuba, but according to one Redditor, it was first created in Tampa Bay.
“A pressed Cuban sandwich is the greatest,” offered one user, while others argued about whether the iconic sandwich was created in Tampa or Miami. Either way, it was in the US.
Cornbread
The US is a top corn producer, so it would make sense that we developed iconic dishes from the hearty vegetable.
“The flour to make this is pretty uncommon in other countries. I had to use polenta to make corn dogs,” said one user.
“This is the real one,” admitted one user. “Goes all the way back to the natives, and it’s ubiquitous. I hate it. I live in the south and swear my mom could live on the stuff. I hate it. But this is the real American food, a staple for centuries.”
Biscuits & Gravy
Other countries don’t smother their flaky biscuits in lard-filled turkey gravy?
Some users thought it might be a southern thing, but others claimed to see the savory breakfast dish everywhere. “I’ve seen biscuits and gravy on diner menus in every part of every state I’ve ever been in,” said one. Others said that although it may be on the menu, you can only get “good” biscuits & gravy in the South.
International users who use the term “biscuit” to describe cookies were rightly appalled at the idea of slathering them in gravy. “I saw a post about a guy in the UK using the biscuits he used for tea (cookies basically for us Americans) and poured gravy on top. It… didn’t go well,” said one.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Who would have thought that one of the most basic cookies hails from the United States? Many users were shocked to discover that chocolate chip cookies aren’t popular elsewhere.
“I live in the Netherlands now, and they have chocolate chip-ish cookies here. And the double chocolate ones. They call them all American cookies, which I think is hilarious,” said one user.
“Had a German exchange student stay with us when I was growing up. She couldn’t get enough chocolate chip cookies. Had never had them in Germany and was totally fascinated by them,” replied another.
BBQ
Americans love BBQ. The debate on which region creates the best smoked meat rages ever on.
Redditors clarified that BBQ refers to smoking meat, although some call hosting a party with grilled foods “having a barbeque.”
“This should be #1. Also, real BBQ is smoked using a smoker, it isn’t grilled,” said one user.
Ranch Dressing
It’s kind of sad that we need to include a salad dressing as one of the top cultural foods from the US, but how could we ignore something other countries call “American dressing?”
The delicious dip was born in the heartland and spread across the world.
Apple Pie
It’s as American as Apple Pie. Though Reddit users choose peach cobbler as the most famous American dessert, I disagree, and I think apple pie deserves a place on the list.
The pastry is so synonymous with America that we use it to judge things “American-ness.” If that doesn’t make it a top cultural food in the USA, then I don’t know what does.
Bonus: Hot Dogs & Hamburgers
Though both hot dogs and hamburgers have German origins, the US perfected the art of grilling these iconic foods, especially on holidays like the 4th of July.
Fire up your grill this week to celebrate!
The US Abounds with Amazing Cultural Foods
Although only a few foods can be considered US cultural foods as a whole, different regions of the US have developed amazing, unique culinary masterpieces.
Philly cheesesteaks, Boston clam chowder, Chicago hot dogs, and southern fried chicken all have special places in our hearts, but we didn’t include them here because you have to visit the specific region to get the best versions.
You can find the foods on this list in almost any city in the US.
US Food Culture
Although the US created a wide range of wonderful foods, the melting pot is the best part of American food culture.
Where else can you get authentic Chinese food one day and Greek the next? Which other country took foods from all over the world and made them their own? America puts its unique flavor on everything from Mexican food (Tex-Mex) to spaghetti and meatballs. We perfected pizza and sandwiches, combined tacos with Korean BBQ, and refined so many dishes with an American flair that we sometimes don’t even remember it’s foreign origin.
It’s not just the foods born in the US that make US food culture great; it’s the way we celebrate foods from everywhere.