A lot of people’s view of American food is that it’s all burger and chips or hot dog and chips but America has a very varied cuisine formulated by the many different cultures that have called the country home.

It may seem a big ask but with an empty stomach, a healthy appetite, plenty of dollars and a hire car you can tour the cuisine of America and wash it down (when not driving) with some world class Californian wine or a glass of the cold beer many of the eastern states are famed for.

Begin in New York, notoriously home of fast food street style and you can be forgiven for trying a chili dog with mustard and pickles but you should also look out for the potentially healthier New York Deli sandwich. Layers of Emmental cheese, pastrami, pickles, salad and mayo on healthy rye bread is a delicious way to keep hunger at bay. For a dessert there’s the baked vanilla cheesecake the city is famous for. You may not believe it but New York is a heavyweight in the pizza league too with long educated debates raging still over whether New York or Chicago produce the best pizza.

Head south now for the latest food craze in the States – Florribean, where the traditional food of the southern states is fused with the cuisine of the Caribbean islands. Typical food includes chicken with rice which sounds boring but includes southern fried chicken on a bed of saffron rice with peppers cooked in a meat stock.

Turn west now for the some of the spiciest food in America. Louisiana and Alabama are the homes of Cajun and Creole cooking. Cajun developed from the exiled Acadians, French speakers who were sent from Canada to the southern states who fused the cuisine from their home country with that of the southern state natives. Tastes include hot pepper, tabasco, paprika and the use of lots of chicken and fish.

Creole is a little further west and centred on New Orleans. It’s a little more aristocratic despite being developed on the plantations. Using similar ingredients to Cajun, it includes Jambalaya, a southern states’ take on paella or Pompano en Papillote, a fish fillet cooked in parchment and served with a wine and seafood sauce.

Into Texas now and a strong Mexican theme emerges with Tex-Mex, a beef and beans based menu with plenty of spice. Expect plenty of chili con carne as well as barbecue sauce on steaks and burgers with a chili twist.
West into California and you’re into health food, plenty of salads and fresh fruit whilst heading north up the Pacific coast, fish and game are popular items on the dinner table with roasts and stews becoming more popular the further north you go.

By now you’ll be full and maybe need a wider seat on your flight back! You’ll have seen that American food can be very varied, satisfying and tasty and you may just have to come back another year for seconds.

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