Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

You can probably get twice-cooked pork anywhere in Europe and in every city in the US with more than 40,000 people in it (ie: everywhere). But it is absolutely a Sichuan Chinese dish, regardless of its universality.

If you define "true" American cuisine as something that is (a) only eaten in America and (b) eaten consistently throughout America, you've come up with a definition that probably nothing fits. Though: watch the British Bakeoff episode where they attempt brownies, one possible contender.

Lots of stuff is probably only gettable in America! I doubt you can get a good cheese steak, italian beef, po' boy, biscuits & gravy, or scrapple in Europe. But you can't get a good version of all of those in most places in America, too.



> You can probably get twice-cooked pork anywhere in Europe and in every city in the US with more than 40,000 people in it (ie: everywhere).

> [a sentence about caesar salad that disappeared]

Sure. But not at a generic restaurant; you'll have to go to a specifically Chinese restaurant. I guess you could argue that you'd have to go to a western restaurant for Caesar salad, but at least where I am now you'd be more likely to find a Caesar salad in a "european" restaurant than in an "american" one.


I just didn't want the argument about the Americanity of a Caesar salad; it's a quintessential American dish, but Wikipedia would give you fodder to debate. I sort of puckishly thought I was up for that debate, and then thought better of it.

America is huge. There is American food, universal throughout the 50 states, but almost definitionally anything that's 3,000 miles successful is going to be popular outside of the US as well.


>a generic restaurant;

There is no such thing.


I’m fascinated that every American dish you mentioned in this thread aside from (Mexican) Caesar salad is brown. Our food leaves a lot to be desired.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: