Cheeseburger: One of the first things that come to mind when talking about American food has to be a cheeseburger. This simple variation of a normal hamburger is sold in every corner in the US, and thanks to Mc Donald's, Burger King, etc, also around the world.
Hot Dog: A simple combination of a "Frankfurter-style" sausage served in a bun as a sandwich, and usually topped with ketchup and mustard. Infinite variations have been invented since its beginning. It is difficult to state the real originator of the hot dog, but it all points out to Coney Island. In fact, still today the places to get hot dogs are called "Coney Island", to signalize its fidelity to the original thing.
BBQ Ribs: Pork or beef, slathered or smoked -- we’re not about to wade into which is more embraced, what’s more authentic, or even what needs more napkins. There are cook-offs all over the country for your own judging pleasure. Texas smokes its way to a claim as a barbecue (beef) epicenter.
Apple Pie: Although this pie was brought from the British to the American culture, quickly becoming more American than anything else. In fact, there is a saying, "as American as apple pie", meaning typical American style. A typical garnish is a big vanilla ice cream scoop on top of an apple pie slice.
Cobb Salad: In 1937 Bob Cobb, the owner of a restaurant, invented this salad just putting together what we had in the fridge: a head of lettuce, an avocado, some romaine, watercress, tomatoes, some cold chicken breast, a hard-boiled egg, chives, cheese, and some old-fashioned French dressing. After that, it has become as famous as the chef's or Caesar salad.
Twinkies: Golden Sponge cake with white creamy filling. Twinkies have been around since the 1930s, sold by the Hostess Brands. Its original banana flavored filling was substituted by vanilla during World War II. The original flavor was never really re-introduced. During bankruptcy proceedings, Twinkie production in the United States ended on November 21, 2012, and resumed after an absence on American store shelves, becoming available again nationwide on July 15, 2013.
Jerky: This dehydrated cured meat is a country-wide snack. It's salty, spicy, tough and has a long shelf-life.
Cornbread: one of the pillars of Southern cooking, cornbread is a real American product. It was originated by Native Americans, and nowadays it can be found at every supermarket. Its delicious sweetness makes it a good side dish for every meal.
Biscuits 'n' gravy: An irresistible Southern breakfast. It consist of biscuits are traditionally made with butter or lard and buttermilk, covered by “sawmill” or sausage gravy. Cheap and requiring only widely available ingredients, a meal of biscuits and gravy was a filling way for slaves and sharecroppers to face a hard day in the fields.
California Roll: An inside-out sushi roll containing cucumber, crab meat and avocado. It became popular in the 1980s, when Japanese chefs started to win the American market. The inside-out roll avoided the nori, which wasn't appealing for the Americans, and the avocado substituted the original "toro" tuna. This roll was the beginning of a great amount of variations that nowadays can be found in the majority of Japanese restaurants.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich: a.k.a PB&J. Peanut butter on its own is a real American classic, but the sandwich has also well known recognition.
S'mores: this is a typical nighttime campfire treat consisting on a roasted marshmallow, a layer of chocolate, sandwiched between two Graham crackers. There is even a S'mores day, August 10.
There is many more typical American dishes, but this was quite a good list to start with. We haven't tried them all yet, but there is still time :) We hope you enjoyed this overview
Thanks for reading,
Maria & Andres
