It was very interesting learning about the actual and incorrect meanings of “American Cuisine.” The fact that almost every “cuisine” is changed and adapted to fit American culture and palates make it less like a traditional cuisine that uses regional ingredients and is important to local people, which is the original meaning of cuisine. Mintz also explains that there can be regional cuisines, but national because food traditions and resources are different throughout individual nations including France and Spain. Food items also tend to have a correlation to class and hierarchy, specifically in the United States. For instance, those who eat filet mignon or caviar tend to be seen as wealthy or of the higher classes, whereas in other countries, that is included in everyone’s daily meals. In “Eating American,” Mintz discusses how the US is unique in the fact that we were mostly populated and influenced by European Countries. Immigration has greatly impacted and influenced food options throughout the US. The fact that the people in the US eat out more also impacts the food that originated from other countries and how they have to be changed and adapted to fit American lifestyles and likes. It was also interesting to learn how restaurants started in the US and how they have been reported in local and national newspapers over several centuries.
“American Cuisine” and Restaurants
