The influence of the special cultural background of the United States on cooking dishes

To understand the food culture of the United States, you must first briefly talk about the history, geography, customs and customs of the United States. There are two main factors in the formation and development of a country's national food culture, one is the local geographical factor, and the other is the pluralistic human factor. For the United States, the human factors of diversity have a more critical impact than the geographical factors of locality. In Europe and Italy, there are differences between southern cuisine and northern cuisine due to terrain, soil, climate and other reasons, but the difference between them is not big. The main reason is that the people in this country all share the same culture and race, and there is not much difference in human factors. Countries such as France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Germany all have different regional dishes, but they are not very different from each other. But the situation in Switzerland is different. The northern part of Switzerland is German, the southern part is Italian, and the western part is French. Each has its own unique cooking cuisine, so it is more difficult to define what real Swiss cuisine is. In Asian China, there are Sichuan cuisine and Hunan cuisine, Ji cuisine and Liao cuisine, Beijing cuisine and Shandong cuisine, Suxi cuisine and Huaiyang cuisine, Hangzhou cuisine and Shanghai cuisine, etc. Although their styles and tastes are different, the differences are not the same. The reason is that both geographical factors and human factors are similar. However, Guangdong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Shandong cuisine, and Huaiyang cuisine are quite different from each other. The Han, Manchu, Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan and Miao ethnic groups have different nationalities and different living areas, so their dishes are different. The reason is the dual influence of human factors and geographical factors. But the Chinese are all descendants of Yan and Huang, and belong to the same ancestry and origin. The situation in the United States is relatively special. It has a vast land, a short history, and people of different races from more than 100 countries have immigrated to the United States. The total population is about 300 million, of which about 43 million are Spanish-speaking residents and about 33 million are black. Sixteen million immigrants from Asia have exceeded 10 million. Such a large number of foreign immigrants have started families and settled down in the United States, making the United States a melting pot of the world's races. Therefore, the formation of American food dishes also comes from this "melting pot."

The foods that Americans are most exposed to in daily life include hamburgers, fried chicken, pizza, sauce noodles, tacos, sandwiches, hot dogs, and French fries, all of which were introduced from Western European countries in the early days. Imported products such as steak, lamb chops, pork chops, and fish chops are not the first foods invented in the United States. Therefore, many people use strict eyes and strict standards to measure them and think that these cannot be regarded as American dishes. So what is real American food?

I didn’t realize this confusion until I traveled to Shenzhen in the fall of 2003. After I arrived in Shenzhen from Guangzhou, Shunde, and Zhongshan, I asked the hotel staff and friends who came to receive me if I wanted to eat delicious Shenzhen food. However, they looked at me in surprise and said: "There is no such thing as Shenzhen food. There has never been any." "Never heard of it." Later I learned that Shenzhen is the city with the largest immigrant population in China. The vast majority of people living in Shenzhen, including taxi drivers, are from all over China. It is said that there are fifty-six ethnic groups in China. , people from 32 provinces and cities have it. I have not verified whether this statement is an exaggeration, but during the days we stayed in Shenzhen, we did eat very satisfying fast food and pastries, very good quality and cheap Cantonese tea drinks and seafood. Very authentic Northeastern stews and dumplings, very spicy and authentic Sichuan cuisine, and Hunan cuisine. As a Jilin native who was born in Chongqing and lives in San Francisco, I have a full meal. I am so addicted that it not only refreshes my spirit, but also the taste buds in my tongue. It seems that I have become more flexible, and my belly seems to be more flexible. Not only am I full after eating three meals a day, I can't stop eating, but I also reluctantly accept invitations to have afternoon tea and supper in the evening. I was so tired after eating all day that I went back to the hotel and lay on the bed at night. I saw and heard on TV "Hong Kong-style Cantonese cuisine, Hong Kong-style Sichuan cuisine, Shanghai-style Sichuan cuisine, Shanghai-style Shanghai cuisine, new Beijing style, Mizong cuisine... …”, but I have never seen or heard advertisements for “authentic Shenzhen cuisine”. This gave me deep feelings and inspirations. Shenzhen is very much like the epitome of the United States in terms of food, but those who live in Shenzhen, regardless of Both the cooks and the eaters are descendants of the same culture and race. The dishes from all over China will not have much variation subjectively or objectively when they come to Shenzhen, but it is different in the United States. In the United States, The people living here do not share the same culture or race, and the flavorful dishes introduced to the United States from various countries around the world have changed over time to "adapt to local conditions and vary from person to person." Due to the influence of early immigrants (British Puritans and American pioneers), traditional American cuisine is like traditional Yankees. It is characterized by "rough and honest", eating fresh raw materials, not relying on additives, seasonings, and food preservation. It is authentic and the cooking process is not sloppy. Whether it is roasting, frying or deep-frying, there is no complicated workmanship. It does not pay attention to slow cooking (except for a few local dishes). There are not too many fancy decorations. All the food on the plate can be eaten in the stomach, and the food is full and full. The main structure of American food is the one-two-three-four system, which is like a triangle. The most important one is beef, the second is chicken and fish, the third is pig, sheep and shrimp, and the fourth is bread, potatoes, corn and vegetables.

At the end of the 20th century, with the development of American civilization and the gradual affluence of the economy, coupled with the development of information and transportation, Americans' requirements for food have gradually increased. Especially since 1965, the United States has relaxed immigration. Policies, people from all walks of life and professions poured in in large numbers from all over the world. These huge new immigrants had a huge impact on the social and cultural structure of the United States. The cooking methods and cuisine characteristics brought by the new immigrants are like sparks that start a prairie fire, making a rich and diverse food appear on the tables of American families and restaurants.

There is no doubt that Americans all admit that European food is the ancestor of American food. American food uses European food as the "root", and then through its own cultivation, sprouts and branches grow, and gradually grows strong and lush. It has established its own main body, and even planted seeds and grafted seeds to spread to all parts of the world. The western part of the United States is rich in Pacific seafood and various river freshwater products, as well as the freshest quality and most diverse vegetables and fruits in the United States. There are famous California cuisine and fusion dishes with Asian cuisine characteristics. In the south, there are Texas cuisine with Mexican characteristics, Louisiana cuisine with French, Spanish, and African characteristics, Florida cuisine with tropical island characteristics of Cuba and Brazil, and in the midwest, Chicago and Pennsylvania cuisine with German, Dutch, and Nordic characteristics. , there are New England cuisine and New York cuisine with British, French and Irish characteristics in the east, as well as Hawaiian cuisine with characteristics of the eastern islands of Oceania, Portugal and Japan... In short, you are welcome to come to the United States to taste it in person, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. In the past 25 years, the high-tech industry has developed rapidly. Americans, especially the younger generation, have not only increased their economic income, but also their work pressure, so they pay more attention to leisure and food. Especially for dinner, you are willing to spend money to enjoy a relaxing and delicious meal and choose mellow wine to match it. Due to the strong market demand, various types of restaurants, whether they are fast food restaurants for general consumption, family restaurants for medium consumption, or high-end restaurants, are springing up rapidly across the United States. There is a vigorous trend in the American catering industry. .

I personally think that the American catering industry can quickly develop its ambitions and occupy a pivotal position in the world in the United States. There are two main pillars of success. One is to focus on research and development, and the other is to focus on efficiency. American companies are willing to invest a lot of money to hire scholars and experts to not only improve the varieties of various raw materials such as cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, aquatic products, agricultural products, etc., but also to improve breeding and planting technology and increase output and quality. At the same time, best-selling food and dishes from all over the world are adapted to meet regional needs based on objective standards and given appropriate and clever changes. For example, brand culture is coupled with happy and fashionable packaging, and planned launches are high-quality and low-priced, with distinctive varieties and tastes. products are welcomed by consumers. On the other hand, Americans attach great importance to efficiency, especially businessmen. They are very strict in bundling quality improvement and marketing. They also use scientific methods to standardize product quality and management methods, and use precise marketing The methods have been extended to various places, forming regional chains, national chains, and even global chain and franchise super enterprises. Each franchise store has a detailed management manual. Every employee in the store has a clear division of labor and responsibilities. Chefs must also follow the rules in the manual to cook food. In addition to paying attention to quality and deliciousness, they must also know how to control costs. profits and enhance the vitality of the enterprise. This business method combined with humanized management is worth learning. American cooking is one of the most dynamic cuisines in the world today. There are more than 1,000 culinary colleges, two-year to community colleges and four-year universities across the United States with culinary arts departments. It is the leading culinary arts department in the world. The country with the highest, most comprehensive, and most popular education has cultivated many outstanding catering and cooking talents. Chinese people living in the United States, Zhen Wenda, Cai Minghao, and Si Wanchun, are all leaders in the mainstream American culinary industry. American senior chefs have injected new concepts into dozens of ethnic cuisines around the world, combining the inherent advantages of each ethnic group's food culture with the daily reality of American life, and creating many borderless fusion cuisines that complement each other and adapt to local conditions. Let the dishes from all over the world be blended together hand in hand and heart to heart. You are in my dish and I am in your dish, pushing the culinary art to a new realm. The American cooking stock market will never end, and the American cooking repertoire will continue to be performed episode after episode. Food from another country can not only be a fun change of taste in the United States, but can also firmly become a mainstay of mainstream American cuisine. Cooking skills in the United States will always undergo a process of change, but the final product will be American food.