Americans’ Cuisine
It is hard to explain the taste of the American food four decades ago, as much of what used to be the traditional cuisine has changed. The French cooking has remained fairly popular since independence owing to the presence of the French-speaking people in the US. During the reign of President Kennedy, the White House had hired a talented French chef to prepare dinner for the president. The Americans developed a passion for French cuisine, and they would strive to read every book that offered instructions on how to prepare them. Among the authors who had mastered the French cuisine was Julia Child, whose manuscript “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” offered diverse styles of cooking French food (Pepin par. 2). The cooking technique, particularly in meat and eggs, makes food attractive without losing its juice or volume.
The Americans have changed their preferences on French cuisines due to the political conflict between the US and France. France’s stance on Iraq infuriated the Americans, leading to the change of “French fries” to “freedom fries” in most cafeterias (Loughlin par. 1). However, politics is not the main reason for the preference of other countries’ cuisines: immigration, tourism, as well as international trade, have led to the emergence of foreign cuisine in the American restaurants. One essential feature of the American cuisine is the blend of various ethnic perceptions of new cooking styles. Nowadays, you can mix spaghetti, an Italian food, with hot dog, a German food, which is a favorite combination among the American children.
Most Americans have developed a preference for ethnic cuisines, which have become popular in many restaurants in the US. According to Ferdman, ethnic food is the type of dishes that are not associated with white people (par. 8). Americans perceive ethnic cuisines as inferior; hence, they should not fetch high prices. Despite the political differences, French and Japanese cuisines are hardly considered ethnic. This is because French and Japanese have persisted on climbing up the cultural ladder. Some of the common ethnic foods include the Mexican cuisine, the Italian cuisine, the Chinese cuisine, and the Japanese foods. The Mexican foods offer the largest ethnic cuisine in the US, and are classified according to the regions from which they originate (Lee, Hwang and Mustapha 3).
The American preference for Japanese cuisine has been changing due to the nature of Japanese migration to the US. Japanese entrepreneurs have popularized sushi and sashimi among Americans, particularly in large cities in California and Hawaii (Lee, Hwang and Mustapha 4). The perception of Chinese cuisine has remained poor owing to the reasons Chinese people migrate to the US. Unlike Japanese who are driven by better pay in the US, the Chinese people migrate to the US due to poverty in their homeland. The Chinese people also eat numerous types of food, which makes it hard to master their preferred diet.
The Americans’ love for French cuisine was deep, as many people strived to search for books and magazines that offered the recipe and methods of preparing French foods. However, political interference influenced people’s preferences, making them turn to other countries’ cuisines to satisfy their craving. As Americans continue to reduce their preference for French cuisine, the popularity of ethnic cuisines has continued to rise. The consumer stances towards certain ethnic cuisines have lead to their popularity. For instance, the Americans prefer Japanese and Italian cuisines instead of the Chinese cuisine because of their simplicity in preparation; fresh ingredients; appropriate portions; and good value for their money (Lee, Hwang and Mustapha 5). Young people seem to be attracted to Italian foods due to their taste and style of serving.
Works Cited
Loughlin, Sean. “House cafeterias change names for ‘french’ fries and ‘french’ toast.” CNN.com. Inside Politics, March 12, 2003. Web. 27 May 2016 http://edition.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/sprj.irq.fries/
Pepin, Jacques. “Memories of a Friend, Sidekick and Foil.” The New York Times. Dining and Wine, Aug. 14, 2012. Web. 27 May 2016 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/15/dining/jacques-pepin-recalls-friendship-with-julia-child.html?_r=0
Ferdman, Roberto A. “How Americans pretend to love ‘ethnic food’.” The Washington Post. Wonkblog, April 22, 2016. Web. 27 May 2016 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/22/the-great-ethnic-food-lie/
Lee, Jee Hye, Johye Hwang, and Azlin Mustapha. “Popular ethnic foods in the United States: A historical and safety perspective.” Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 13.1 (2014): 2-17. Web. 27 May 2016 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1541-4337.12044/epdf