American food seems to have EVERYTHING on a foodie’s bucket list!
In fact, the most outstanding thing about American cuisine is that we incorporate the world’s best foods into our meals (like tacos, one of Mexico’s national dishes).
But there are some foods that are distinctly Born in the USA…or at least have become naturalized citizens…
Here are the seven American “national dishes” that made it onto Wikipedia’s crowdsourced list…and a few that SHOULD have!
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This one is maybe the most obvious one.
Who can argue with “for mom and apple pie”?
Weeeeellllll, maybe we could make the argument for cherry pie, but fair enough.
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OK, it’s unclear whether the hamburger was conceived in the U.S. or Germany.
But no country has had quite the love affair with hamburgers like America has.
“Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. Big Mac!”
Case closed.
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OK, here’s another one with German roots.
But once again, America put its spin on the hot dog and celebrates its Independence Day with the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Note: Don’t listen to the haters. You absolutely can put ketchup on your hot dog as an adult!
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Mmm…nothing like some good Southern fried chicken!
Kids know it.
Almost no child can resist chicken nuggets, which we’ll classify as fried chicken for our purposes.
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There’s a lot of kid-friendly food on this list.
This one may skew older in its fan base.
Still, if you love a hamburger, you just may this ground-beef-based steak … especially with a side of #7 on this list!
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The star of Thanksgiving dinner has a place at this table!
Fun fact: There’s a famous story about Benjamin Franklin wanting the national bird to be a turkey instead of a bald eagle. While he did say nice things about turkeys vs. bald eagles, the Franklin Institute says that he never pushed for it to be the national bird.
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If you were thinking of another potato, the U.S. probably can’t claim French fries with a straight face.
Even mashed potatoes likely originated in England, but at least they’re not called English potatoes.
Mashed potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to many a comfort food main course!
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Mac & cheese didn’t make the list, but come on!
Whether you love the Day-Glo orange Kraft kind or a more “adult” cheese concoction, it’s certainly an American favorite!
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Talk about iconic … Twinkies are not only delicious … they’re an American classic!
Shout out to the Cupcakes, Donettes, and Fruit Pies as well.
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Duh, pizza!
Italy, of course, may have some words, but boy do we like arguing over whether Chicago deep dish is better than a New York slice.
Or whether Detroit style is better than either.
And all of us have our favorite local pizza place!
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Whether you like the plain M&M’s or the peanut M&M’s, this one certainly belongs on the list!
And we don’t care what science says … the greens absolutely taste better!
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Ideally made with Wonder Bread, but any white bread will do.
We can debate crunchy vs. creamy for the peanut butter (creamy for me!).
I’d recommend strawberry for the jelly or jam, but grape sure is popular …
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With all due respect to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Twix, and the rest, Snickers is THE candy bar.
We could see an argument for a Hershey bar here, but that’s more nostalgia and s’mores talking!
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This is a BIG omission!
Like with pizza, you know it’s an American staple when multiple states argue that theirs is the best.
Our pick … Texas barbecue. Ducking and covering now!
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In the “best chip” category, it’s got to be Doritos!
We’ve got Nacho Cheese flavor as the OG, but Cool Ranch also has its fans.
There’s also an argument for Cheetos.
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Not only do you have enough interest to support oodles and oodles of flavors beyond the original and Double Stuf, but Oreos are a favorite ingredient/additive in so many ice creams, cakes, and other desserts.
Twisted, nibbled, dunked in milk, or eaten whole, just give us our Oreos!
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It’s likely a myth that popcorn was served at the first Thanksgiving, but what American doesn’t love a big bucket of popcorn at the movies?
Or at home Netflix and chilling?
Pro tip: Many people LOVE mixing popcorn with the M&Ms we mentioned earlier.
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So there you have it – America’s “official” 7 national dishes (at least according to Wikipedia) are:
– Apple pie
– Hamburger
– Hot dog
– Fried chicken
– Salisbury steak (really? still?)
– Turkey
– Mashed potatoes and gravy
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The seven on the “official” list included the usual suspects from a cookout and a Thanksgiving dinner.
And we have strong opinions on the ones missing. But what foods did WE miss?
Let us know in the comments!
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