American cuisine has been defined by contributions from indigenous groups and global influences over centuries of exploration and colonization. Foods from three major regions - North and South America and the Caribbean - combine in unique dishes and cooking styles across diverse regions. The diverse populations that have settled in America, including Native Americans, Europeans, Asians, and Africans, have each introduced ingredients and techniques that have blended into the national cuisine.

2. •Covers the area from Alaska to
Tierra del feugo
•How fortunate and rich in culture
we are

3. DEFINING AMERICAN CUISINE
•Clearly a global situation, style, tradition
and multicultural philosophy, with no clear
definition

4. DEFINING AMERICAN CUISINE
•Explorers and conquerors changed
the traditions of the indigenous
people forever

5. FOODS OF THE AMERICAS
•The Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, English,
and Africans all brought foods, traditions,
techniques
•They also brought live plants and animals that
did devastating damage to indigenous crops and
wildlife

6. FOODS OF THE AMERICAS
•Rats from ships ate much bird life
and brought disease that the
Europeans had immunities to

7. FOODS OF THE AMERICAS
•Moles, ceviches, escabeches,
grains such as quinoa, corn
•Squashes, tomatoes, potatoes
•Turkey, maple syrup

8. FOODS OF THE AMERICAS
•New dishes developed and regional
techniques like Cajun, creole, tex-mex,
barbecue
•Chiles, avocados, cranberries, blueberries,
yams, Jerusalem artichokes

9. FOODS OF THE AMERICAS
•New dishes developed and regional
techniques like Cajun, creole, tex-mex,
barbecue
•Chiles, avocados, cranberries, blueberries,
yams, Jerusalem artichokes

10. STAPLES
•Cajun trinity
•The three sisters corn, beans,
squash
•Rice

11. STAPLES
•Beans were planted on the same hill as corn to
climb the stalks and to fix nitrogen in the soil
that corn depletes
•Squash was also planted and its broad leaves
shaded the soil and kept in moisture

12. COOKING TECHNIQUES
•Pre-columbians cooked in or near open fires
by wrapping food in green or wet leaves
•Europeans introduced metal cookware and
frying in oil, a technique previously unknown

13. CULINARY GROUPS AND REGIONS
•The United states, New England
•Influenced by the French and
English

14. CULINARY GROUPS AND REGIONS
•Foods already here included cod, maple
syrup, blueberries, turkey, game, clams,
the three sisters, fiddlehead ferns

15. CULINARY GROUPS AND REGIONS
•Traditional dishes include new England
boiled dinner, chowders, brown Bettys and
cobblers, Indian pudding, seafood, salt cod

16. MID-ATLANTIC STATES
•First colonized by the Dutch
•Swedes and Finns were attracted to this area
•Amish and shaker cuisine introduced many
herbs and spices

17. MID-ATLANTIC STATES
•Foods include scrapple, pork products,
crab and oysters, pot pies, dumplings, pot
roasts, preserves and pickles

18. SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
•Cooking is influenced by the Spanish,
Scotch-Irish, English, native Americans,
and Africans

19. SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
•Cooking is influenced by the
Spanish, Scotch-Irish, English,
native Americans, and Africans

21. SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
•Foods of the area include pork, barbecues, fried
chicken, hominy, greens, hushpuppies, yams,
pecan pie, and it is said that the popular soul food
was developed in this area

22. MIDWESTERN STATES
•Cuisine shows European influence
•Large populations of Germans and
Scandinavians

23. MIDWESTERN STATES
•Traditional dishes include hash, steaks,
roasts, stews, grilled fish, batter cakes, bison,
game and game birds, trout, pike, perch, wild
rice, and sunflower seeds

24. MIDWESTERN STATES
•Traditional crops include
soybeans, wheat, and corn

25. GULF STATES
•Best represented by the city of new orleans
•A multicultural city boasting the popular cajun
and creole styles
•Also influenced by french, italian, spanish
•Popular use of the trinity, okra, sassafras,
crayfish, red beans, rice

26. GULF STATES
•Coffee or chicory and beignets play a big part of
the breakfast scene
•Some of the united states finest seafood is from
gulf waters
•Catfish, alligator, shrimp
•Snapper, oysters
•Sausages, smoked meats (tasso), andouille sausage
•Small game, water fowl

27. SOUTHWESTERN REGION
•Mixture of cuisines developed by native americans
and mexicans
•Tex-mex, barbecue, tortillas, quesadillas, chile
peppers, tamales, rice, beans, poultry, fresh
cheeses, steaks, and stews
•Indigenous foods include antelope, snake, rabbit,
fowl, bass, cactus

28. THE PACIFIC STATES
•Large coastline, varied climate from north to
south
•Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, and European
influences
•Products range from fruits to abundant seafood,
wines, grains, vegetables, and nuts

29. CARIBBEAN
•Where Europeans first set foot (recorded)
•Surrounded by the oceans, abundant seafood,
year-long growing season, hot, spicy flavors
•Jerked meats originated here
•Florida has many of the same traditions and
techniques
•Influenced by planos, arawaks, africans, and
europeans

30. CARIBBEAN
•Canned or condensed milk, coconut, fruits,
ginger, annatto, a spice used for color
•Habañero, the worlds hottest cultivated pepper,
is from Jamaica
•Ginger, coffee, and vanilla were introduced
post-columbus
•Creole is a popular cooking style

31. CARIBBEAN
•Canned or condensed milk, coconut, fruits,
ginger, annatto, a spice used for color
•Habañero, the worlds hottest cultivated pepper,
is from Jamaica
•Ginger, coffee, and vanilla were introduced
post-columbus
•Creole is a popular cooking style

32. MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA
•Northern mexico sugar, cheese, garlic, vinegar,
and limes flavor foods
•Dishes include fajitas, pozole, beans, cabrito,
seafood, corn
•Flavors are described as spicy and smoky
•Many salsas, such as pico de gallo, originated
here

33. CENTRAL MEXICO
•States are hidalgo, morelos, tlaxcala
•Natives discovered adding lime to corn, making it
softer to eat and also releasing tryptophin, an
essential element
•Avocados, pineapple, prickly pears, tomatillos,
stone fruits, wheat, cane, melons

34. SOUTHERN MEXICO
•The yucatan, oaxaca, veracruz, tabasco
•Venison, wild grouse, turkeys, are favorites
•Seafood is prevalent
•Seasonings include citrus fruit, achiote,
epazote, allspice, cumin, oregano
•Turkey mole was said to have originated here

35. CENTRAL AMERICA
•Narrow land bridge, surrounded by ocean,
connecting north and south america
•Inhabited by many spanish-speaking people,
descended from natives, africans, spanish,
europeans
•Food influences are basically the same
•Prepared more simply
•Grilling is very common

36. CENTRAL AMERICA
•Narrow land bridge, surrounded by ocean,
connecting north and south america
•Inhabited by many spanish-speaking people,
descended from natives, africans, spanish,
europeans
•Food influences are basically the same
•Prepared more simply
•Grilling is very common

37. SOUTH AMERICA
•Brazil, the largest country
•Portuguese speaking, culinary traditions are
influenced by natives, Portuguese, Spanish
•Bananas, coconuts, yams, okra, beans, spices,
rice (brought by Spanish)
•Black bean and white rice soup, sprinkled with a
little manioc meal, is eaten at least once a day

38. PERU, ECUADOR, CHILE, ARGENTINA
•Two components cooking of the sea, cooking of
the mountains
•Ceviche, lime-marinated fish from the coast
•Escabeche is fried, marinated fish
•Air-dried meat from the mountains, along with
potatoes (came from the andes)
•Quinoa is a type of mountain barley that is an
almost perfect food
•Dried foods are the basis for many soups and stews