From fast-food restaurants to pizza delivery, the history of take-out food can tell us plenty about American history because what we eat and how we eat it, often reflects the changes taking place in society at any particular time. “You can learn a lot from food,” says Emelyn Rude, a food historian and author of Tastes […]
Goodbye Ketchup, Hello Sriracha! How Immigrants Transform US Cuisine
Posted May 4th, 2016 at 8:34 am (UTC-4)
Ketchup, a tangy tomato sauce that Americans put on hamburgers and dip French fries into, has long been America’s favorite condiment, but an upstart with Asian roots is beginning to make inroads. Sriracha, a hot sauce usually made from chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt, probably originated in Thailand, but is increasingly showing up […]
Does Bias Impact Price of US Ethnic Food?”
Posted April 13th, 2016 at 1:54 pm (UTC-4)
Does how we feel about a certain ethnic group determine how much people are willing to pay for that group’s cuisine? If you ask Krishnendu Ray, a professor of food studies at New York University, the answer is yes. 10 MOST EXPENSIVE ETHNIC CUISINES (2014) French Japanese American Continental Italian Spanish Greek Korean Indian Mexican “Basically, […]
Americans Think About Strange Stuff at Thanksgiving
Posted November 25th, 2015 at 7:58 am (UTC-4)
Millions of Americans are getting ready for Thanksgiving, but a new Google Maps project shows they’re not necessarily thinking about turkey and stuffing. Google Maps looked at the most popular Thanksgiving Day searches over the past few years and found that many Americans are likely to skip cooking up a large feast on the big day. […]
US Melting Pot Influences Best Foods to Eat in Each State
Posted October 26th, 2015 at 9:46 am (UTC-4)
From fried green tomatoes in Alabama to cheese curds in Wisconsin, the US melting pot influences a list of the best foods to eat in each U.S. state. Drawing on recommendations from locals, Business Insider came up with the list, which also includes foods that can’t be found elsewhere in the country. Here’s a sampling. CaliforniaThe top […]
American Food Has Surprising Military History
Posted September 28th, 2015 at 9:11 am (UTC-4)
Much of the food Americans buy at the grocery store has a secret military history. People in the United States eat more processed foods than anyone else in the world; foods like energy bars, frozen dinners and Cheeto snacks, the origins of which can be traced back to a military lab somewhere, according to food writer […]
What Happens When Americans Eat What They Tweet
Posted July 29th, 2015 at 9:23 am (UTC-4)
If Americans eat what they tweet, a new series of maps explains why certain U.S. states have a higher percentage of obese people than others. WHAT THE MOST OBESE US STATES TWEET ABOUT MOST Mississippi: cake, eating West Virginia: cookies, watching TV Louisiana: chocolate, eating Arkansas: chocolate, eating Oklahoma: chocolate, running For eight months, University […]
Top 10 Most Popular Ethnic Cuisines in US
Posted May 18th, 2015 at 3:21 pm (UTC-4)
The United States is a great melting pot and evidence of our multicultural roots can often be found in the food we eat. MORE ABOUT AMERICA Wild West Ghost Town Emerges from Watery Grave What Happens When Americans Tweet What They Eat Why Small US Towns Embrace Their Weirdness A majority of Americans (77 percent) […]
Maple Syrup Hobbyists Tap Tradition for Sweet Rewards
Posted March 30th, 2015 at 3:22 pm (UTC-4)
One spring when I was 10 or 11 years old, my family spent a day trudging through the mud and melting snow in the woods behind our Wisconsin home, drilling holes into the trunks of maple trees with a brace and bit. Into each hole, we inserted a small aluminum tube called a spile, tapped […]
Carnivorous Nation Samples Meatless Mondays
Posted March 16th, 2015 at 11:43 am (UTC-4)
The United States is a nation of meat eaters. We eat more meat than almost any other people on the planet. In 2012, the average American consumed 71.2 pounds of red meat–beef, veal, pork and lamb–and 54.1 pounds of chicken and turkey, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The idea of forgoing meat one […]