When asked, what is America's signature dish? Many tend to draw a blank. They might say hamburgers, hot dogs, or apple pie. America thought is not like the rest of the world. Our nations borders were not drawn along at mountain ranges like they are in Europe. Our country isn't an island nation like Great Britain. The United States is vast nation and separated by topography. Our country is also one of the few countries in the world, with a significant population of every ethnic group in the world living within its borders. Food is not only a reflection of culture but also probably the greatest connection a person has to their culture.
This is why Pizza is the signature dish of the United States of America. Pizza is a versatile dish that can be cooked and served many different ways. There is Brooklyn style, Chicago style, and the less popular St. Louis style. On the West coast people have the nerve to put chicken and bar-b-que sauce on pizza, and even the Hawaiians have come up with a signature pizza recipe. All these different styles reflect the different culture.
Brooklyn style pizza is authentic. New York was the place many immigrants landed, and many of them never left, therefore there food reflects that. If you were to imagine the most basic and simple pizza it would probably be a Brooklyn style pizza.
Chicago style pizza is heavy and filling. If you were to spend one winter in Chicago you would understand why their pizza is so heavy. The heavy meaty toppings also reflect the tough image many associate with Chicago.
On the West coast you will find pizza recipes you never even thought existed. Many of the recipes would go as far as offending many east coast Italians. But these wacky recipes that all these Californian surfers have come up with, reflect the liberal artistic creative culture California is so proud of.
All these different styles of pizza are great in their own way, but there is one style to avoid. St. Louis style pizza, this is what happens when Germans try to make pizza. I am saying this, as someone who lived in St. Louis for two years and loves the Cardinals. St. Louis style pizza, consists of a communion wafer thin crust, light red sauce, and provel cheese. Provel cheese tastes like a mixture between Velveeta and the paste we all used to make paper mache in kindergarten.
Besides all the different styles pizza also crosses all ethnic boundaries in the United States. It is almost every child's favorite food, and you will be hard pressed to find an American who hasn't eaten it. Italy can have spaghetti, because nothing is more American then pizza.
No comments:
Post a Comment