Nominate National Meals

[Irish Caesar]

The word "barbeque" isn't specific enough. Sorry.

Precisely.

The United States is far too broad a cross-section to have a single national dish.

But if you're arguing between steak and hamburgers as if they're really different enough to merit an argument, I thought it might be a better representation to say meat + fire = American.

Look at what Americans do on their national holiday: they light a fire and cook meat with it. Sometimes it's hot dogs and hamburgers. Sometimes it's steak. Sometimes sausages. Sometimes it's a whole pig on a spit. Sometimes venison, sometimes swordfish, sometimes chicken. Hell, sometimes it's tofu or mushrooms or something on the grill. But there's meat (or something people might choose to eat instead, in some cases) and fire.

 

[Urederra]

Precisely.

The United States is far too broad a cross-section to have a single national dish.

But if you're arguing between steak and hamburgers as if they're really different enough to merit an argument, I thought it might be a better representation to say meat + fire = American.

Look at what Americans do on their national holiday: they light a fire and cook meat with it. Sometimes it's hot dogs and hamburgers. Sometimes it's steak. Sometimes sausages. Sometimes it's a whole pig on a spit. Sometimes venison, sometimes swordfish, sometimes chicken. Hell, sometimes it's tofu or mushrooms or something on the grill. But there's meat (or something people might choose to eat instead, in some cases) and fire.

Sorry but at this pace you are going to say that you americans were the first who tamed the fire.

meat + fire = known since the dawn of man.

BTW, the best combination I have tried so far of meat + fire is sucking lamb + vine shoots fire, but that might just be because I am also a bit patriotic/nationalist and that is the typical food eaten during the festivals at my parent's village back in Spain.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

English Breakfast, Fish and Chips, Roast Beef and Yorkshire's or Curry.

Superficially -

France - Frogs and Germany - Sausages. Along with the Roastbeefs we actually refer to each other by our national dishes...

Spain - Ham

Sweeden - Meatballs

Switzerland - Fondue

US - Burger and fries, supersized.

I see here somebody knowing what he is speaking about.

 

[Irish Caesar]

Sorry but at this pace you are going to say that you americans were the first who tamed the fire.

meat + fire = known since the dawn of man.

We've made it our own.



You can go pretty much anywhere in America and meat + fire is a formula that does quite well.

 

[Urederra]

OK. You win... you tamed the fire.

More seriously... I just eaten two pieces of cheese cake. Absolutely delicious, and very american, If I am not mistaken.

 

[Irish Caesar]

OK. You win... you tamed the fire.

You'll have to cut us a bit of a break; there's no American traditions without English, French, Spanish, African, Italian, Massasoit, Chinese, Irish, German, Jewish, Christian, Indian, etc., etc., etc...

So really, the whole early man taming fire means that everyone can do it. And since we're dealing with a more mythological aspect of our nations (a national food? I mean, really...), we might as well use the mythological America in the situation. That is, the common man from anywhere in the world eating an animal cooked over fire.

More seriously... I just eaten two pieces of cheese cake. Absolutely delicious, and very american, If I am not mistaken.

New York likes to claim cheesecake as its own. Wiki says the first mention of it is Ancient Greece. But hey, we'll claim it.

 

[bhsup]

Tailgate at Arrowhead stadium once, just once, and then try to deny that America has the right to claim barbeque as it's own.

 

[Dann]

Addendum to my previous post.

China - rice, Chinese noodles, mantou
By region:
Beijing - Peking duck
Fujian - Fotiaoqiang aka "Buddha jumps over the wall", Oyster omelette
Guangdong - Dim sum, wonton, Char siu
Hong Kong - egg tart, dim sum, BBQ pork with rice, wonton noodle soup, pineapple bun
Hunan - Sweet and Sour Chicken
Macau - Galinha à Portuguesa, baked pork chop bun
Shanghai - Xiaolongbao (mini meat buns w/ soup inside)
Sichuan - Szechuan hotpot, Kung Pao chicken aka Gen. Tso's chicken

Philippines - adobo, lumpia, sinigang, bistek + the aforementioned tapsilog

 

[batteryacid]

Eastern Austria: Wiener Schitzel , Sachertorte
Western Austria: Speckknödel, Salzburger Nockerl
Burgenland (Where I come from) : Bohnensterz, Kürbiscremesuppe

 

[happy_Alex]

I would like to nominate this meal:

Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.

 

[tau_neutrino]

Taiwan - beef noodle soup, oyster omelet

Vietnam - pho, banh mi