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Thali

🇺🇸 The food of the United States

252 dishes from the United States, best known first, across 60 cities and regions.

American cuisine is shaped by a blend of Native American, European, African, and later immigrant traditions. Its diversity comes from regional ingredients, waves of immigration, and local innovation, resulting in a wide range of dishes from barbecue to Tex-Mex. Fast food and global influences are now central, but regional and festive foods remain important.

  • Native Americans practiced companion planting of corn, beans, and squash.
  • Barbecue and fried foods are widely associated with American cooking.
  • Thanksgiving features roast turkey as a traditional centerpiece.
  • Louisiana Creole cuisine blends French, West African, and Native American elements.
  • Drive-in and drive-through restaurants shaped 20th-century eating habits.

The cooking of the United States

Cooking in the United States is marked by constant mixing and adaptation. Early Native American farming and hunting practices formed the base, later joined by European settlers’ crops and livestock. African American traditions, especially in the South, brought new ingredients and techniques. Over time, each region developed its own style, shaped by local resources and the customs of immigrants from Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Modern American food is influenced by technology, media, and global trends, but regional specialties and holiday meals still play a big part.

Staple foods in the United States

Corn, beans, and squash were the first staples, grown by Native Americans. Wheat, pork, beef, and dairy arrived with Europeans. Over time, rice, potatoes, and a wide range of vegetables became common. Seafood is important on both coasts, while game meats and wild plants remain part of some regional diets. Today, processed foods, bread, and fried foods are widely eaten.

Sweets and drinks in the United States

Milkshakes are a classic American treat. Drinks and desserts vary by region and heritage, with influences from many immigrant groups. Sweet potato and pecan pies are found in the South, while other areas have their own favorites. Coffee, introduced by African and European settlers, is widely consumed.

From region to region in the United States

Each part of the country has its own cooking style. The South is known for soul food and barbecue, the Northeast for seafood and baked beans, and the Midwest for hearty, farm-based dishes. Louisiana Creole blends French, African, and Native American influences. Hawaiian food draws from Polynesian and Asian roots. Tex-Mex and New Mexican cooking come from the Southwest’s ties to Latin America. States like Minnesota and California have their own distinct food traditions, shaped by local crops and immigrant communities.

Festival and religious food in the United States

Certain foods are tied to holidays. Roast turkey is central to Thanksgiving and often Christmas. Jewish Americans keep traditional dishes for religious holidays, such as stews and fried fish. Other groups maintain their own festive foods, reflecting their heritage.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "American cuisine", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Cities and regions of the United States

New Orleans 8Louisiana 6New York City 6New England 5Texas 5Chicago 4Pennsylvania 4San Francisco 3Southern United States 3Wisconsin 3Acadiana 2Baltimore 2Boston 2Buffalo 2California 2Charleston 2Hawaii 2Los Angeles 2Maine 2South Carolina 2Albany 1American South 1Arizona 1Austin 1Bangor 1Barberton 1Breaux Bridge 1Carolinas 1Connecticut 1Dallas 1Denver 1El Paso 1Florida 1Harlem 1Houston 1Kansas City 1Kauai 1Key West 1La Jolla 1LaPlace 1Long Island 1Louisville 1Lowcountry 1Madison 1Manhattan 1Maryland 1Massachusetts 1Memphis 1Middletown 1Minnesota 1Montana 1New York 1North Dakota 1Oklahoma 1Omaha 1Pasadena 1Philadelphia 1Pittsburgh 1Portland 1Rhode Island 1
MealBreakfastLunchTea timeDinnerSupperSnacks
KindMain dishStreet foodSoupStew or curryRice dishNoodle or pasta dishDumplingBreadGrill or roastSandwich or wrapPie or savoury pastrySalad or sideCheese or dairy foodSausage or cured foodSauce, pickle or fermentSweet or dessertDrink
DietVegetarianVeganFish and seafoodMeat
PretzelVegetarian 🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreA baked knot-shaped bread, often topped with salt or seeds Bread, Snacks BaguetteVegan 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreLong, thin French bread with a crisp crust and soft interior Bread, Breakfast, Lunch KhachapuriVegetarianხაჭაპური 🇬🇪 Georgia and 4 moreLeavened bread filled with cheese, sometimes egg, from Georgia Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Bagel 🇵🇱 Poland and 2 moreRing-shaped bread roll, boiled then baked for a dense, chewy texture Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Cinnamon rollVegetarian 🇸🇪 Sweden and 4 moreA sweet rolled bun with cinnamon and sugar, baked and often topped with icing Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Tea time Bruschetta 🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreGrilled bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil, often topped with tomato or other ingredients Bread, Snacks, Tea time Scone 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreA quick bread, sweet or savoury, served with tea in Britain and beyond Bread, Tea time, Breakfast BreadstickVegangrissini 🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreThin, crisp baked bread sticks from Turin, Italy Bread, Snacks, Lunch King cake 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreA festive sweet bread or pastry with a hidden token, eaten for Epiphany and Carnival Pie or savoury pastry, Snacks, Tea time Cornbread 🇺🇸 United StatesA quick bread made from cornmeal, central to Southern U.S. and Native American cooking Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Soda breadVegetarian 🇮🇪 Ireland and 4 moreQuick bread made with flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk Bread Brown bread 🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreBread made with whole grain flours, often darkened with molasses or coffee Bread SufganiyahVegetarianסופגנייה 🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreDeep-fried sweet dough filled with jam, eaten for Hanukkah Sweet or dessert, Snacks FrybreadVegetarian 🇺🇸 United StatesFlat, deep-fried bread made by Native Americans with flour, water, and fat Bread, Snacks, Lunch Babkaעוגת שמרים 🇵🇱 Poland and 4 moreSweet braided loaf with rich fillings like chocolate or cinnamon Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Tea time Rice bread 🇱🇷 Liberia and 3 moreBread made with rice flour instead of wheat Bread Sopaipilla 🇨🇱 Chile and 5 moreFried wheat dough pastry enjoyed sweet or savory across the Americas Pie or savoury pastry, Snacks, Breakfast Pan de muertoVegetarian 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreSweet, decorated bread made for Mexico’s Day of the Dead Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Cardamom breadVegetarian 🇫🇮 Finland and 3 moreEnriched Nordic sweet bread scented with cardamom, served with coffee or tea Bread, Snacks, Tea time Paximathiaπαξιμάδια 🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreGreek hard bread made from wheat, barley or chickpea flour, often twice-baked Bread, Breakfast, Snacks

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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