North American food tour.
North America, third largest of the world's continent, which occupies the northern part of the landmass and often referred to as the New World, the Western hemisphere or simply the America's. There are 23 countries and many territories in North America. The primary language in North America is English, followed by Spanish and French. It consists mainly of three areas; Northern America, the Caribbean & Central America. If divided into regions, there are five basic regions in North America which include; the great plains, Canadian shield, Eastern region, Mountainous west & the Caribbean. North America is home to the oldest mountain range in the world, the Appalachian mountains. The United States is the largest country in North America by population and second-largest by areawise. The largest country on the continent by area is Canada, and the smallest country is St.Kitts & Nevis. Largest city is Mexico city. Death valley is the lowest point of the continent. The continent is also home of the largest island, Greenland and Lake superior, which is the largest freshwater lake in the world.
North America cuisine includes foods native to countries such as, Canadian cuisine, American cuisine, African-American cuisine, Mexican cuisine, Central American cuisine and Caribbean cuisine. The most important native american crops generally include; corn, beans, pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, peanuts, avocados, papaya, wild rice, and cacao. Special mention of, The three sisters which are three main crops of various indigenous people of North America squash, corn(maize) & beans. Foods like cornbread, maple syrup, turkey, cranberry, blueberry, hominy and mush have been adopted into the cuisine from native american cultures. French, English, Asian, Scandinavian, Slavic immigrants and Native Americans infused together make new & unique North American cuisine.
North American food is some of the most delicious, unique, interesting and tasty in the world. Although there are also some very weird and unusual food to try from North American recipe's too. The foods of this region can be divided into five basic cuisines as follow:
Firstly North American cuisine like Canadian cuisine varies depending on the regions of the nation. The country has strong influence of English & French cuisines. The cuisine contains a lot of starch, breads, meats( deer, bison, moose etc), fish and a lot of stews & soups too. Canada is the world's largest producer of maple syrup. Some favorite dishes of Canada are poutine, this dish is one of the most popular in Canada; smoked meat, tourtiere, Calgary beef, fiddle heads, peameal, bacon, salmon, bagels, trempettes, beavertails, bannock, buttertarts, berry pie, split pea soup, nanaimo bars, ketchup chips, game meat and Caesar cocktail.
Secondly, American cuisine is hard to define, it is influenced by many cultures. America or the U.S.A is a melting pot of different cultures as a result of many immigrants and indigenous people that came here from various parts of the world. The food is influenced mainly by American Indians, African Americans, Asian's, Pacific islander's and many other ethnicities & cultures. Though some of American food is also fusion of cuisines like Mexican, Greek, Chinese and many other regional cuisines such as cajun, native american, soul food, tex-mex, creole, dutch, louisiana & few others. The emphasis on processed & refined food products is more over natural whole foods, means that the average American diet consists of staples like bread, chicken, sugar & sugary drinks, pizza, potato and lots of desserts like cookies, cupcakes, pastries etc. The general lack of fruits and vegetables can be seen in American diet. Corn, grains, meat, tomatoes, sugar and potatoes are staple foods of America. Also U.S is the world's largest corn grower producing more than 40 percent of the world's corn.
The most popular food which Americans love to eat are hamburgers; which is also the national dish of U.S.A, hot dogs, macaroni & cheese, apple pie, fried chicken, waffles, jambalaya, chocolate chip cookies, crab cakes, pancakes, tatertots, grits, lobster rolls, tacos, meatloaf, pizza, cornbread, BBQ ribs, buffalo wings, keylime pie, French fries, Reuben sandwich, hash brown, sloppy joe's, cheese steak, mashed potato and many more.
Mexican food is a tasty & spicy treat to have. It is so loved because it is packed full of flavor, fresh ingredients and a fusion of its history. Mexico is a country of rich culture and traditions. It's cuisine reflects, link to cultures which dates back thousands of years. Authentic Mexican food is originated from the Mayan Indians. It's roots lie in mesoamerican cuisine, influences of Spanish, French, Portuguese, Caribbean, South American can be seen in Mexican cooking. Its history over the centuries has resulted in regional cuisines, which includes Baja med, Chiapas, Oaxacan, TeX- Mex, Veracruz & New Mexican cuisine. Mexican cuisine is an important aspect of the culture, social and popular traditions of mexico. Some of the Staples that are native to the land are corn, bean, squash, chia, avocados, tomatoes, tomatillos, cacao, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cactus, chilli peppers, herbs & spices, and fresh vegetables.
Some of the delicious Mexican dishes which people adore are tacos, burritos, tamales, quesadilla, enchiladas, mole, pipian, ceviche, carnitas, aztec soup, fajitas, salsa verde, frijoles, tortilla wraps, chilaquiles, guacamole, nachos, flan and so on.
Central America, southernmost region of North America, which lies between Mexico and South America. It consists of seven countries, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua & Panama. The combined population of this region is estimated at 44.53 million. Spanish is the primary language spoken in this region along with English, Mayan, kriol etc. The climate of central america is essentially tropical, with varied natural vegetation and evergreen & rain forests along the pacific coast. Most of the population are mestizo or of indigenous and spanish decent. Central America is covered with volcanoes, which create rich and fertile soil for farming; though fishing is also carried on large scale here.
Central American cuisine is a fusion of Indigenous, Spanish and African influence. Some of the Staples are maize, bell peppers, squash, rice, beans, plantains, tomatoes, chocolate, red meat & seafood.
Some of the iconic dishes are pupusas, baleadas, tacos, chuchito, tamales, ceviche, gallo pinto, sopa de olla, yucca buns, latin cabbage & corn salad, empanadas, arroz con leche, tres leche, chicheme, carne asada, patacones & many more.
The Caribbean is a region of the North America that comprises the Caribbean sea, its surrounding coasts and its islands. The region has more than 700 islands and consists of 13 countries & several territories like Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Grenada, Barbados, Dominican Republic, St. Kitts & Nevis and few more. The population of the Caribbean is almost 44 million which include people of indigenous, African, Indian, Hispanic, Chinese & European descent. The language spoken in these region are mainly English, French, Dutch, Spanish, dialects of Creole and Chinese among others. The Caribbean is a popular tourist destination, which is also rich in culture and history. The region is known for its crystal blue waters, sandy beaches, warm & tropical climate, all of which attracts great number of tourists each year.
Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of African, Creole, Amerindian, European, Latin American, Indian, Middle eastern ,Chinese and indigenous, in addition, the population has created styles that are unique to the region. The Caribbean food has a distinct flavor & rich history. The Caribbean food is big on savory and use of hot spices, fish, fresh fruits, leafy greens & vegetables, rice, plantains, coconut, cassava, stews, soups and bread are some staples along with poultry & meat. Also one of the hottest chilli pepper in the world comes from Trinidad & Tobago.
The most popular dishes of Caribbean are coucou & flying fish, crab and callaloo, conch fritters, mofongo, creole bread, spicy plantains, bread fruit, jerk chicken, pepperpot, roti, cuban sandwich, goat stew, rum punch and many more.
North American cuisine includes the food of the indigenous people of the America's. It is a melting pot of rich culture, tradition, influences & history which has clearly left a mark on its cuisine too. So here was my roundup of some popular and delicious foods that you will find across the North American region.
Good one....informative
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