AskUSA

299 readers

177 users here now

About

Community for asking and answering any question related to the life, the people or anything related to the USA. Non-US people are welcome to provide their perspective! Please keep in mind:

[email protected] - politics in our daily lives is inescapable, but please post overtly political things there rather than here
[email protected] - similarly things with the goal of overt agitation have their place, which is there rather than here

Rules

Be nice or gtfo
Discussions of overt political or agitation nature belong elsewhere
Follow the rules of discuss.online

Sister communities

Related communities

founded 1 month ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

Anticorp

Americans who visited other countries - what food did you find to be uniquely american? (self.AskUSA)

submitted 21 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) by breadsmasher to c/[email protected]

71 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I am currently visiting the USA, and before I leave I want to try some food that is "uniquely" american - IE, you can't really find it outside of the country.

UK stores do tend to have a "USA section" which has a small amount of sweets and other products. But I am wondering what americans specifically missed / couldn't find in other countries.

As an example - Wendy's as far as I've seen, isn't local to the UK or at least where I live. So trying that was a "unique american food", to me.

I'm also in Chicago at the moment, so I made sure to try a proper (real?) Chicago deep dish pizza (loved it, by the way).

Alternatively, any other suggestions of food to try?

Immediate edit - turns out Wendy's is in some locations in the UK. I just assumed incorrectly!

Thanks for all the suggestions!!

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] MisterNeon 24 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

American breakfast cereals are unique (because they're all desserts).

If you're in Chicago get a Chicago style hotdog from a street vendor.

I'm from the South so I default to recommend (despite being a vegetarian) fresh cornbread (without the sugar), gumbo, grits, biscuits & gravy, and chicken fried steak. Chicago ain't ideal for those foods.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 12 hours ago

Biscuits and gravy isn't really a southern dish and when I've had it there it wasn't made right. I think the gravy they make is mostly just sausage grease with the sausage in it.

[–] breadsmasher 4 points 20 hours ago (3 children)

Thank you!

[–] [email protected] 9 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Seconding gumbo, adding etouffee.

[–] MisterNeon 5 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

An excellent suggestion. OP would do good overall to get a bit of Cajun exposure. I haven't seen a crawfish boil since 2020 and moving away from Texas. So I can't conjecture the availability or quality of Cajun or Creole cuisine in Chicago.

I did introduce a bunch of yankees to zydeco though.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 19 hours ago

I can't speak to the quality of these restaurants, but there seem to be several:

https://chicago.eater.com/maps/cajun-creole-mardi-gras-map

[–] [email protected] 7 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

I will second the biscuits and gravy! They are my go to. If you see it on a menu I also recommend creamed chipped beef. It’s definitely an acquired taste, but very American. It’s my absolute favourite. It’s like biscuits and gravy except the gravy is made with a dried salted beef instead of sausage, either on toast or biscuits.

Have a wonderful trip!

[–] MisterNeon 4 points 20 hours ago

You're more than welcome. I hope you have a good time here.