Taste Of America Native American Cuisine Traditional foods

Taste Of America

Native American Cuisine • Traditional foods included: Corn, Beans, potatoes, squash, and pumpkins. • Corn or maize is the focal point of Native Fry bread is American Culture. considered a traditional – There are over 30 food by over half of the different corn dishes. North Native American Tribes.

Native American, cont. • Wild greens and fruits served as the major sources of vitamins A and C plus potassium. • They were skilled farmers and hunters. • Buffalo and other wild animals also common. • It has been estimated that over 65% of our contemporary diet can be traced directly to the contributions of the American Indians.

Native American Diets • Traditional foods very healthy being vegetable, fruit, lean meat, and grain based • Very high rate of diabetes • With the addition of settlers, high fat/sugar foods introduced • Native American Foods

Fry Bread • • • 2 cups flour 1 tbsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup shortening 1/2 cup warm water • Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add in the shortening and water. Add only enough water to make dough stick together. Knead dough until smooth, make into fist-sized balls. Cover them with a towel for 10 minutes then pat them out into circles about the size of a pancake. Fry in hot cooking oil in cast iron skillet until brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels, serve with jam.

Reasons people left their homelands: • • • Escape from debtors prison. Religious freedom. Flee from famine & disease. Brought to work in America (Slavery) Search of fame & fortune.

Settling in the New World • Settled in common groups • Examples: French, Scandinavian • Sought out similar geography and climates from where they came from

Settlers Brought • Foods native to their homeland • Food customs • Adapted recipe to foods that were available

The American Regions • • • North West (Pacific Coast) – Oregon, Washington, Alaska Hawaiian Islands West – California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming Southwest – New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Colorado Midwest – Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska, the Dakotas and Wisconsin • New England – Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut and Mid-Atlantic • South – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisiana

New England Region • New England Boiled Dinner: Corned Beef, potatoes, onions, beets, carrots, cabbage. • Clam Chowder: CREAMY potato soup with clam meat. • Maple Syrup: is the sap from sugar maple trees – Many times this was a source of sugar

CONT. Red-Flannel Hash: Leftovers fried with beets Color looks like red flannel underwear. • Succotash: Corn & Lima beans mixture often served with COD

Mid-Atlantic Region • Chicken Corn Soup: Common- soup with chicken corn and noodles • Shoofly Pie: SWEET – molasses and sugar • Scrapple: Pork and cornmeal

• 7 Sweets & 7 Sour: table setting format of side dishes or relishes that had 7 sweets and 7 sours (pickled beet eggs one sour example)

CONT. “Dutch” Influence • PA. Dutch: a group of German immigrants that settled in the SW corner of PA. • Settled in “Germantown” NW Philadelphia – Plain Dutch – simple people (Anabaptists) – Fancy Dutch – Americanized (Lutheran) • Baked Items from PA. Dutch: Cookies, doughnuts, waffles, griddlecakes, coffee cakes, sticky buns, angel food cakes • Funnel Cakes: spiral shaped, eaten for breakfast with sausages • Pie is a priority! • Others: root beer, borscht, gingerbread • Garlic NOT normally used • Dutch Food

Mid West Region • Potlucks: Shared meal- everyone brings a dish to complete the meal. • Buffets: food lines up on large table. **hearty helpings for farmers. • Midwestern cooking is hearty and uncomplicated. • Often involves dairy, beef, soybeans, corn, and wheat products.

Mid West Region • Beef – pot roast, steak, prime rib, meatballs and meatloaf • Cheese EVERYTHING – Wisconsin cheese soup, cheese curds, etc. • Hotdishes and Salads – goulash, apple salad • Jello desserts • Freshwater fish • Potatoes in ANY form • Sour cream and cream cheese

Southern Region • Corn: STAPLE of SW cooking – just like native Americans • Cornbread: Bread made from cornmeal. Standard to make with a meal • Grits: CORN PRODUCT cooked to thickened consistency (like oatmeal) and served for breakfast.

3 Types Of Food • Soul Food – Chitterlings: Hog intestines that are fried boiled or deep fried. – Okra: Green pod shaped vegetable; from Africa – Yams: “SWEET POTATO”- moist orange flesh – Sweet Potato Pie: pie made with yams

• Creole Cuisine: – File’: Flavoring/Thickening agent made from sassafrass leaves. – Gumbo: Soup, meat, potatoes, poultry, shellfish, seafood – Jambalaya: RICE DISH, poultry, shellfish, seafood. – Beignets: Bread dough squares – Deep Fried – Coffees: Flavored coffee STRONG=chickory – Praline: Candy made with sugar, pecans, milk or buttermilk

• Cajun Cuisine: – Peppers: Red; HOT; cayenne – Seafood/Wild Game: any locally grown – alligator and possum – In Cajun cuisine, most dishes center around locally available GAME and SEAFOOD.

West Southwest Region • Beef plays a major part in western cooking. • Barbecues continue to be an important part of Southwestern Cooking. – Basting is done while grilling Son-of-a-gun Stew: Made from tongue, liver, heart, and sweetbreads of a freshly slaughtered steer. Barbecue: Cooking food over OPEN FIRE.

Pacific Coast Region • Sourdough: dough containing ACTIVE yeast plants that give a sour taste. • Chop suey: Chinese cook everything (leftovers) and chopped up. • Caribou Sausage and Reindeer Steak- Alaskan Specialties Cooking techniques of all pacific states are simple. They take advantages of the natural flavors and colors of the food.

Hawaiian Islands • 3 largest industries: Pineapple, sugarcane, and tourism. • Fish is the main source of protein. Luaus: an OUTDOOR feast Imu: Underground oven Lomi-lomi: salted salmon served with tomatoes & green onions.

• Poi: Paste made from taro root (very starchy) • Haupie: Pudding made of milk, sugar, cornstarch and grated coconut. • Macadamia Nuts: – Hardest shelled in the world