In this 17-page chapter that opens Part Two of The Professional Chef, I learned about the cuisines that make up The Americas. The chapter is speckled with lists of ingredients common to each region as well. As we all know, the United States is a melting pot of cuisines that have adapted over time, blending together into an amalgamation that we now claim as our own. Different parts of the country were colonized by different cultures, which has given us a broad range of cuisines!
The chapter begins with the New England states, and for good reason. As the first part of the country that was colonized, it's cuisine also plays an important role in the development of cuisines throughout the country. One of the biggest influences in New England cooking stems from the British dislike of fancy French cooking! The first Bostonians leaned towards the use of boiling, braising, roasting and stewing for it's simplicity. Surplus meat was stored in salt for the inevitable cold winters, which is why corned beef, salt pork and salt cod became regular menu items for the colonists. Of course, the use of wild game and seafood, as well as crops such as corn and cranberries were mainstays as well. Vermont has brought us maple syrup, and Maine has supplied lobsters for generations!
Moving onto the Mid-Atlantic states, known for their rich farmlands, and broad weather patterns. They really branch from sophisticated cuisine in the larger cities, to the simpler specialities of Amish and Shaker cooking. The Southeastern states are where barbecuing and soul food make their home. Barbecue is a diverse cooking method that will be described differently, depending on who you talk to! In general, it involves a wet or dry rub, applied to meat before it is slowly cooked over an open fire, until it is moist, succulent, and falling off the bones!
Down on the Gulf Coast, we will primarily find the cuisine of New Orleans, a cross between Creole and Cajun cooking, which is the first thing that comes to mind when we think of that region. Creole is a term stemming from the Spanish word, criollo, meaning "native to a place." The Cajun style of cooking uses iron skillets, stock, roux, and "the trinity" in many dishes. One other cuisine native to the area comes from Southern Florida, and is known as "Floribean" cuisine. It has a distinct Latin flavor, utilizing local seafood and tropical flavors usually associated with the Caribbean.
The Midwest and Southwestern states are known as the heartland of America, and the home of one-pot meals, and food preservation methods like smoking. In the Southwest, foods tend to lean towards the spicier side of things, and involve complex spice profiles. Chiles, either fresh or dried, can also be found in most dishes. Texas cuisine has many of it's own distinct cuisines, pulling from the Old South, the Gulf Region, German settlers, and the strong Mexican influence known as "Tex-Mex."
On the West, California has a corner on the market. It has developed the largest agricultural business in the country, not only involving fruits and vegetables, but also wine! The cooking in this state reflects the desire to use fresh and local ingredients! In Alaska, the long hours of sunlight and the cold evenings produce extremely large vegetables with an intense flavor. Many Russian influences can be seen in Alaskan cooking, along with Dutch, German, and Scandinavian influences as well. In Hawaii, which was colonized by New England, as well as many of the Asian nations, has a very broad array of ethnic cooking. There are many Asian influences in their dishes, as well as the luau of the native Polynesians.
As we move south in the Americas, we come across Mexico and South America. In Mexico, as we know, the flavor profiles include smoky, rich and spicy dishes, using corn, lime, and chiles, but that's just Northern and Central Mexico. Southern Mexico is where we find the mole sauces, as well as Mezcal, a tequila-like liquor made from the blue agave plant.
Prior to the colonization of South America by Europeans, the major civilization there were the Incas. The Incas staple food was the potato but they also farmed other vegetables, as well as grains such as quinoa. Many of the cash crops of South America include rice, sugarcane, bananas, cacao and coffee. Brazil, which represents forty-two percent of the total area of South America, has strong Portuguese influences in their culture as well as their cuisine. Argentinian cuisine has very strong Italian and Spanish influences as well.
We've all learned a lot about the Americas today. It's rare that we take the time to sit back and think of our country as different regions with very different cultures and cuisines, but as we've learned, we can find an array of foods in each part of our country. It makes the thought of traveling a bit more exciting, knowing that there are certain delicacies that must be tried when visiting different parts of the continent.
Why stick to what you know, when you can try something new!?
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