What if you were asked to name the world's best foods? What do you think? French food is well-known, of course. Italy is known all over the world. People like Greek food for its own reasons. How about the U.S.?
Well, when you hear the words "American food," what comes to mind? I think of the drive-up restaurants of the 1950s, where you could get milkshakes, old-fashioned hamburgers, and Coney Islands that were dripping with mustard. That probably isn't how most people use the word "cuisin...
What if you were asked to name the world's best foods? What do you think? French food is well-known, of course. Italy is known all over the world. People like Greek food for its own reasons. How about the U.S.?
Well, when you hear the words "American food," what comes to mind? I think of the drive-up restaurants of the 1950s, where you could get milkshakes, old-fashioned hamburgers, and Coney Islands that were dripping with mustard. That's probably not how the word "cuisine" is usually defined, but it's a good way to describe American food.
But hold on a minute. What does it mean to say that something is "cuisine"? "A typical way or style of cooking food," says the textbook definition. That means that a hamburger, a big order of fries, and a chocolate milkshake are the most American foods. That meal, which came in a greasy white paper bag, might be the most American thing ever.
There are now American fast food chains all over the world. They are a sign of western life in faraway places, and both tourists and locals love or hate them. Even the French, who are very careful about what words they let into their language, use "hamburger" and "hotdog" to talk about these uniquely American foods. What is it about eating hot, greasy, tasty food on the go that is so appealing to Americans?
One thing is that fast food is always the same. When you order a cheeseburger from a certain chain of restaurants, you know exactly how it will taste. When someone talks about fast food french fries, you can immediately think of how they taste and how they come in a striped paper pouch with a layer of salt at the bottom and one short, fat fry that is overcooked and has sharp edges. Americans and people all over the world, it seems, feel a lot better when they know exactly what they are getting in a society that is always changing. It's the same thing they've had since they were kids.
Second, fast food is very popular because it is fast. Where else but in the United States could something like this happen? We're a busy bunch, with lots of jobs, deadlines, kids, and responsibilities. It's nice to know that we can pick up steaming hot food in a bag that's already been cooked and bring it home to eat when we're hungry, with as little fuss as possible. You don't even have to get your silverware dirty.
It might not be good for you, it might be expensive, and it might be one reason why fewer Americans eat dinner together every night. But let's face it: Americans love and hate most of the things they've made, just like they love and hate the SUVs that use a lot of gas. And fast food, in all its greasy glory, will be around for a long time.
Aside from that, sometimes it's great to be able to get over your guilt, forget for a minute about your arteries, and buy yourself a burger. And maybe even make it bigger. It's the American way, after all.
