While trying new foods is nothing short of exciting, there is
something about the classics. Go ahead, let your mind
reminisce on all of the beloved, traditional foods you grew
up savoring—like burgers, macaroni and cheese, and ribs. If
you're salivating by just the sound of this description, this
master list of classic American foods is the challenge you've
been looking for. You might as well add them to your bucket
list of foods to try—why not?
1
Hot dogs
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"Take me out to the ballgame!" We're kickstarting this list
with the signature food of America's favorite pastime; it's no
wonder why there's a brand of hot dogs called Ballpark. The
hot dog is said to have gotten its name from a cartoonist for
the New York Journal named Tad Dorgan in 1901. He
hastily sketched the scene from the New York Polo Grounds
that showed vendors launching hot dogs from hot water
tanks yelling, "They're red hot!" These hot dogs, however,
were made out of sausage, whereas today's hot dogs can be
made from a myriad of different kinds of meat.
2
Mac & cheese
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1. You could go to an elegant restaurant and dine on a decadent bowl of creamy
artisan cheese and handcrafted noodles, or you could make some classic Kraft mac
and cheese right at home. While its exact origin is tricky to identify, the earliest
known recipe for macaroni and cheese was written in 1769. Thomas Jefferson is
believed to have introduced it to the United States. While abroad in France, he was
inspired by the plentiful pasta dishes offered there, so he brought back a few
recipes and a pasta machine to boot. In 1802, the late president served the dish at
a state dinner.
3
Cornbread
1.
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According to the USDA, more than 90 million acres of
land are devoted to the cultivation of corn. Wow!
Cornmeal is the primary component of the bread, and it
pairs best with just about any meat, salad, and stew. It's
the perfect complement to heartier foods.
2. 4
3. Corn dogs
4.
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The inception of the corn dog is accredited to
the Fletcher brothers, Carl and Neil, who introduced
Fletcher's Corny Dog to the State Fair of Texas in 1942.
With that, the perfect marriage of cornbread and the hot
dog became an iconic meal in American history.
[Link] pie
2.
"
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It's no wonder this pie is a hit among
Americans. Buttery, flaky homemade
pie crust surrounds warm slices of
baked apples, all of which are
suspended in a sticky, sugary syrup with
cinnamon. In 1902, an editor for The
New York Timessaid, "Pie is the
American synonym of prosperity. pie is
the food of the heroic. No pie-eating
people can be permanently
vanquished."
Despite such devout homage to the
dessert, apple pie did not originate in
the United States. The first apple pie
was created in England during the 14th
century. The term, "as American as
apple pie," became a commonplace term
in the 1940s when the U.S. entered
5. 6
6. Buffalo wings
7.
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Buffalo chicken wings make a delicious asset to pub
grub on game day, and the first wings were introduced
by a family-owned joint called Anchor Bar in Buffalo,
New York.
8. 7
9. Chili
10.
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If you need to clear your sinuses, this savory bean and
meat combo is your go-to; it packs quite a bit of
heat. Chili is said to have originated in 1893 at the San
Antonio Chili Stand in the World's Fair in Chicago. By
the beginning of the 20th century, chili joints popped
up all over Texas and swept across the west by the
1920s. Not only was it incredibly delicious, but it was
also cheap, which was advantageous during the Great
Depression. Now that's some food for thought!
11. 8
12. Grilled cheese
13.
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Grilled cheese may just be the greatest thing since
sliced bread. Otto Frederick Rohwedder introduced the
U.S. to sliced bread in 1928 with his bread slicing
machine. About 12 years before this, James L.
Kraft patented processed cheese. During the Great
Depression, toasted cheese sandwiches with tomato
soup was a cheap meal to put together for a house full
of kids.
14. 9
15. Tater tots
16.
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Did you know that Americans consume more than 70
million pounds of tater tots per year? The tater tot came
about in 1953, thanks to F. Nephi Grigg of Ore-Ida.
Whether you eat them as a side dish or use them as the
base of a casserole, tater tots are an American classic.
17. 10
18. Lobster rolls
19.
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For many, lobster is a luxury item, with some fresh
catches costing more than $20 per pound. However, it
was the complete opposite in the 1600s and 1700s.
According to Smithsonian, lobster was regarded as an
ocean bug, and it was seen as a food that only the lower
class and prisoners should enjoy. Lobsters were even
used as a fertilizer if you can believe that. It was not
until the 1800s that lobster prices—as well as a liking to
eating it—increased.
20.11
21. California rolls
22.
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The California roll has a disputed origin.
Three different chefs claim to have created the roll:
Ichiro Mashita of Los Angeles, Ken Seusa of Los
Angeles, and Hidekazu Tojo of Canada. Whoever
created it first, it was widely known across the U.S. by
the 1980s.
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25.
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Burgers are one of America's most popular staples.
With fast-foodrestaurants like McDonald's, In-N-Out,
Sonic, Wendy's, and many more all having a glorified
rendition of the cheeseburger, it explains why it's
become such an icon on the American menu. And
nothing brings people together quite like a burger-
flipping cookout in the backyard.
26.13
27. Baked Alaska
28.
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On March 30, 1867, the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia
for two cents per acre, costing a total of $7.2 million.
Chef Charles Ranhofer at Delmonico's in New York is
credited with inventing the igloo-shaped sponge cake,
which encloses several layers of ice cream and is coated
in fluffy, toasted meringue.
29.14
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31.
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Gumbo is a Louisiana favorite, with the first pot of
gumbo being served at a gubernatorial reception in
New Orleans. Most variations include either seafood,
chicken, sausage, as well as some greens and
herbs. Next time you're in New Orleans, make it a
priority to try a steamy bowl of this long-lived Southern
delicacy!
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34.
Grits were first popularized by Native Americans, who
ground the corn into cornmeal, which they would then
use to make porridge with.
35.16
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37.
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Did you know there are several different styles of ribs,
the names of which are dedicated to the city they were
first made in? For example, there's the Memphis-
style dry rib, which is best made cooked over medium
heat and charcoal. There's also a St. Louis-style rib,
which got its name from the way it was cut. The meat is
stripped from the cartilage, rib tips, and sternum bone,
which is why they look like little rectangles.
38.17
[Link] Alaskan salmon
40.
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Glaze some butter or teriyaki sauce onto a filet
of salmon and pair with a side of potatoes and sautéed
broccoli for a delicious dinner.
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43.
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This classic, juicy sandwich contains a generous
serving of corned beef and sauerkraut that's been
topped with a melted slice of Swiss cheese and
smushed together by two plump pieces of rye bread.
44.19
[Link] roast
46.
Pot roast is pretty simple; all it consists of is browned
meat with vegetables. This technique made its way into
cookbooks in the late 19th century, but the method of
braising (which is slow cooking in liquid) is something
that has been around for centuries.
47. 20
[Link] lime pie
49.
Darren K. Fisher/Shutterstock
Did you know that the Key lime pie may not have been
invented in Key West after all? The first recipe for the
pie was written in a Borden test kitchen in New York
City in 1931.
50.21
51. Cobb salad
52.
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Bob Cobb, the owner of the now-shuttered Brown
Derby restaurant in Hollywood in 1937, rummaged
through his kitchen for a late-night snack. The
ingredients that appear in the Cobb salad we see today
reflect that of what he threw together to satisfy his
midnight munchies.
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55.
Similar to the Cobb salad, Jambalaya was made on a
complete whim. As historians put it, a traveler arrived
at a New Orleans inn several hours after dinner had
been served, but the Inn's cook threw something
together for the exhausted man to feast on. And just
like that, the dish of chicken, sausage, and/or seafood
with an assortment of Creole seasonings, rice, bell
pepper, onion, and garlic was born.
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57. Biscuits 'n gravy
58.
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This dynamic duo is the definition of Southern food.
There's meat, a thick and creamy sauce, and a plush
biscuit all on one plate. What more could you want?
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[Link] rings
61.
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Ah, the onion ring, a classic substitution for the French
fry. The earliest recipe dates back to 1802 with John
Molland's cookbook The Art of Cookery Made Easy
and Refined. His recipe called for fried onions with
Parmesan cheese. The next recipe did not follow until
1910 in the Middletown New Daily Times. It's
interesting how such a popular side dish today took a
little over an entire century to gain popularity upon its
inception!
62.25
[Link]-style deep dish pizza
64.
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Believe it or not, the Chicago deep-dish pizza was
created as a means to cope with the economic shifts
that were taking place during WWII. The ingredients
for the pizza's dough—wheat flour, corn oil, salt, and
yeast—were not among the rationed foods. And thus,
the deep dish was born.
Baffled by all the different pizza styles out there? Don't
miss these 15 Iconic Regional Pizza Styles, Explained.
65.26
[Link] split
67.
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There is much debate around the topic of who exactly
made the first banana split. The century-long question
of whether it was David Strickler of Pennsylvania or
E.R. Hazard of Ohio who was the first to introduce this
classic sundae to the world is still lingering. Whether
you're pro Penn or Ohio, the ice cream reciperemains
the same.
68.27
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70.
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If you think about it, this is a very basic recipe, yet its
origin is not as easy to uncover. Perhaps the most
promising background story is that the sandwich is
named after Chicago Tribune writer Bert L.
Taylor (otherwise known as "BLT") in 1941.
71. 28
72. PB&J
73.
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Peanut butter became a hit in 1904 at the World's Fair
in St. Louis, but the first mention of a PB&J sandwich
did not appear until the 1940s when the sandwich
gained popularity in the United States.
74. 29
75. Philly cheesesteak
76.
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A hot dog vendor in South Philadelphia named Pat
Olivieri spontaneously decided to throw a slab of beef
onto the grill one day. A taxicab driver supposedly
caught a mere whiff of the aroma and asked if he could
have a steak sandwich. Within days, cab drivers from
all around the city were coming to Oliveri for his steak
sammies.
77. 30
[Link] jerky
79.
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The group of people accredited to first cooking up beef
jerky is torn between Native Americans thousands of
years ago and an ancient Inca tribe called the Quechua
in the 1500s. Regardless, it spiked in popularity when
the Europeans began to migrate to North America
because traders and explorers deemed it as an excellent
way to receive an adequate amount of protein during
their travels.
80.31
81. Meatloaf
82.
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The birth of meatloaf dates back as early as the 5th
century in Europe, but it gained its American status
during the Industrial Revolution when the meat grinder
was invented. It proceeded to be an economically viable
meal for families during the Great Depression as well.
83.32
[Link] crab cakes
85.
In the late 19th century, only those along the coasts got
to enjoy crab cakes, but today, crab meat is transported
for those all over the U.S. to enjoy. Crabmeat, eggs,
bread crumbs, milk, and seasoning are the main
components in this tasty dish.
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[Link] and waffles
88.
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This trendy dish has origins dating back as far as the
'30s. The dynamic duo of crisp, fried chicken and fluffy
waffles with a drizzle of maple syrup was a signature
dish at Well's Supper Club in Harlem, New York. It's
not your traditional breakfast item, but the savory and
sweet flavor combination just can't be beaten.
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[Link] turkey
91.
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Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national
holiday in 1863, and nowadays, no T-Day is complete
without a turkey!
92.35
[Link] eggs
94.
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Deviled eggs don't have roots in the United States; the
first mention of the dish came about in 61 C.E. in a
Roman satirical fiction called the "Satyricon."
Regardless of their inception, deviled eggs are now a
go-to appetizer in the United States today.
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96.S'mores
97.
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The first s'mores came about in 1927 when a recipe for
"some mores" debuted in the magazine Tramping and
Trailing with the Girl Scouts. Samoas and s'mores—the
Girl Scouts of America have given us so much goodness.
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[Link] England clam chowder
100.
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Any gourmand is bound to love a heavier,
predominantly cream-based soup such as lobster
bisque or clam chowder. The clam chowder was first
served in the United States in Boston's Ye Olde Union
Oyster House—which is the oldest operating restaurant
in the nation—in 1836. With juicy bits of clam, butter,
and heavy cream, you'll feel full after just a small bowl
of this rich chowder!
101.38
[Link] salad
103.
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The origin of potato salad dates back to Spanish
explorers bringing the dish over to Europe in the 16th
century. The more Americanized version of the recipe,
though, is a reflection of the way the Germans adapted
the recipe. Today, potato salad is a go-to side dish for
picnics, family get-togethers, graduation parties,
tailgates, and many other casual and fun events. When
was the last time you went to a backyard cookout or a
picnic without it?
104.39
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106.
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Similar to potato salad, coleslaw was not invented by
Americans, but rather by the Dutch. The word coleslaw
is derived from the Dutch word "koolsla," which means
cabbage salad. Today, it's often served alongside
sandwiches and burgers, and it has become a summer
cookout staple.
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[Link]' Boy sandwiches
109.
When you hear "po' boy," does your mind instantly
think of fried shrimp? Oddly enough, the first po' boy
was comprised of spare bits of roast beef that were
doused in gravy. The word po' boy came from "poor
boy," which caught on from restaurant owners and
brothers Clovis and Benjamin Martin when they went
on strike from streetcar driving in 1929. They created
an inexpensive sandwich so that they could feed those
who were also on strike, and the name came from
workers crying up to the kitchen, "Here comes another
poor boy!"
110.41
[Link] on the cob
112.
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One of the best foods to chomp on at a state fair or
festival is a juicy, crisp, and sweet corn on the cob. The
origin of corn dates back to about 9,000 years ago,
where it was first cultivated in Southern Mexico and
Central America. Today, it is a must-have treat for
Americans, especially during the summer cookout days.
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[Link] melt
115.
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald
The first can of tuna hit the market in 1903, but it was
not until post-WWII that recipes for tuna fish
sandwiches popped up. Perhaps the first recipe ever
recorded for the combination was produced by Irma
Rombauer in her cookbook, Joy of Cooking, in 1946.
On page 30, you will see the recipe for "Tuna Fish
Sandwiches with Cheese," which entailed broiling an
open-faced tuna sandwich with tomatoes and grated
cheese.
116.43
[Link] curds
118.
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The year was 1840 when Wisconsin began producing a
copious amount of cheese, and there were 2,800 cheese
factories within the state by the 1920s! Wisconsin
pumps out more than two billion pounds of cheese per
year, so it should be no surprise that it's the state in
which cheese curds originated. You can think of the
cheese curd as premature cheese because unlike most
varieties, it is not recommended to eat after it has aged.
It's best to eat this bite-sized nub fresh; it lets out a
little squeak after your teeth have sunken into it, too! Of
course, the cheese curd gains a bit more character once
it has been deep-fried.
119.44
[Link] cobbler
121.
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The cobbler is essentially an adaptation of the steamed
puddings that the British adored but can be made with
just about any type of fruit that's enclosed around a
thick crust. They were created by settlerswho came to
America and wanted to create recipes they ate at home,
but couldn't find all of the same ingredients. They
became a hit dessert in the late 19th century, and
cobblers are still an American fave.
122.45
[Link] Joes
124.
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The Sloppy Joe has quite a few origin stories, with
three different places claiming ownership for the recipe
and name, according to Blue Apron.
First, there is a bar in Havana, Cuba, called Sloppy
Joe's which argues that its loose meat sandwiches
were the first in the 1920s. Ernest Hemingway
frequented this establishment during the Prohibition Era
and encouraged a Key West bar owner to change the
name of his spot to Sloppy Joe's Bar, after the original.
Now, Hemingway's favorite location claims it was the
one who Americanized the sandwich.
And yet, another (and widely accepted) claim comes
out of Sioux City, Iowa's Ye Olde Tavern. That story
says it was a man named Dave Higgin who created the
sandwich there in 1924. We may never know the truth.
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[Link] velvet cake
127.
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The red velvet cake gets its origins from Victorian Era's
velvet cake, and legend has it that after the owners of
the Adams Extract company out of Texas ate a velvet
cake at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, they were
inspired to replicate the recipe using their products.
And it was in the 1940s that Adams Extract printed
a red velvet cake recipe, which was a velvet cocoa cake
with food coloring.
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[Link] dogs
130.
This kind of hot dog has quite a special history. The
Coney dog gained popularity throughout the eastern
U.S. thanks to both Greek and Macedonian immigrants
in the 1900s and 1910s. These dogs are smothered in
tangy chili, onions, and mustard.
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[Link] beans
133.
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Baked beans might be a common favorite to pair with
the hot dogs you're busy grilling up, but they have
Native American roots, originally being cooked with fat
and maple syrup.
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[Link] fries
136.
Cubed, fried, and seasoned to utter perfection, these
breakfast potatoes remain a classic across the country.
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[Link], eggs, and pancake
breakfasts
139.
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Interestingly enough, bacon and eggs were deemed the
"American Breakfast" in the 1920s after Sigmund
Freud's nephew helped the Beech-Nut Packing
Company increase consumer demand for bacon. He
turned to the company's internal doctor, asking if a
heavier breakfast was beneficial, and that doctor then
asked 5,000 of his colleagues to confirm the hypothesis.
This newfound "study" inspired Americans to eat a
heavier morning meal to kick-start their day, and it's no
doubt that pancakes became the pair's trusty sidekick
shortly after.
