So many of the classic dishes we think of as quintessential American cuisine stem from another country and culture and through the years morphed into “American classics.”
The popular saying “as American as apple pie” is a ripe example. Apple pie was originally a savory dish eaten in Europe dating back to the 14th century. It was brought to North America during the late 17th century, and quickly became an iconic dessert, synonymous with American cuisine. Another all-American favorite, the hot dog, is thought to have been brought to the U.S. by German immigrants and sold in push carts and butcher shops in New York and Chicago back in the 1860s and 1870s.
As our American culture has become more enriched and influenced by so many other cultures through the decades, American cuisine has continued to follow suit. More and more restaurants and chefs are preparing fusion-style dishes that are not only combining different ingredients from around the globe, but also flavors and textures that are changing the way Americans eat. I thought there would be no better time to explore some of these recipes than for the Fourth of July. And who knows? Maybe one of these fusion dishes could be the next new American classic.
