Ostensibly collected with reader input, MSN has put forth a list of 10 foods that make America great. This list is a step up from last year's, which included a wide variety of regional foods, but not necessarily ones that were "great" outside of their region. Shoofly pie, for example, might actually be considered to be declining in popularity, rather than standing up as an American icon.
This list left off foods like barbecue and pizza, which were deemed to be too broad, but included both regional and national favorites that are more recognizable than previous selections. Maple syrup and Philly cheesesteak are excellent choices, but what about Frito pie? Is that really a dish that makes America great? And isn't a Mission burrito a little specific? It's hard to narrow down the list of great foods to only a handful, but certainly there are things that should be added to the list, like apple pie. Any other suggestions?
- Lobster Rolls
- Maple Syrup
- Philly Cheesesteak
- Gumbo
- Shrimp and grits
- Frito pie
- Wisconsin bratwursts
- Hawaiian plate lunch
- Banana splits
- San Francisco's Mission Burrito
Cakes so amazing they'd be hard to cut into
Fruit juice: An invitation to diabetes?
Morbid thoughts? Have a cookie
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-05-2006 @ 10:42AM
Allison said...
Maple syrup is a lot more identified as a Canadian product than American.
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7-05-2006 @ 10:57AM
Bob Sassone said...
Lobster rolls number one?? Gah.
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7-05-2006 @ 11:04AM
Pam Sprinkle said...
Ok, what is frito pie?
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7-05-2006 @ 11:13AM
jarod said...
wtf?! No BBQ?
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7-05-2006 @ 12:05PM
Nicole Weston said...
Frito pie (from wikipedia): "A basic Frito pie is really no more then a small single-serving bag of Fritos corn chips, with a cup of chili poured over the top, usually finished up with grated cheese or onions. Because there are so many Fritos compared to the amount of chili, only part of the Fritos will get saturated by the chili, and most will stay at least partly crunchy."
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7-05-2006 @ 12:19PM
Emily said...
S'mores.
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7-05-2006 @ 12:23PM
Chrissy said...
How about Funnel Cake? And, isn't Maple Syrup Canadian?
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7-05-2006 @ 12:26PM
Johnny H said...
carne asada fries, yummy :)
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7-05-2006 @ 12:30PM
T3chcnic133 said...
*Ring*Ring*
-Hello United States of America?
-Yes
-Hi it's Canada Calling. We want our Maple syrup back.
but seriously where are hamburgers, hotdogs, chilli, and/or subway on this list?... and Please come and collect your Starbucks.
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7-05-2006 @ 12:54PM
B. Johnston said...
Here are my suggestions...they are American and most of us have eaten them, relied upon them, and like them: peanut butter, roast turkey and dressing, brownies, fried chicken, pumpkin pie, BLT sandwich, potato chips, chili, barbecue (all kinds!), and chocolate chip cookies. Your thoughts??
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7-05-2006 @ 12:59PM
Jill said...
Where's the potato salad? Boston Baked Beans? Krispy Kremes? microwave popcorn?
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7-05-2006 @ 1:03PM
Hanae said...
Chicago deep dish pizza.
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7-05-2006 @ 1:07PM
peggy said...
lobster pie but no BBQ? there is something very flawed here!!
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7-05-2006 @ 2:50PM
Renn 208 said...
Here's my list:
1. BBQ in all its forms, like Jazz, is America's greatest contribution to the world of food
2. Dark wood, and leather furnished steak house steak. Sure, there's the occasional Fiorentina, or amazing churasscuria steaks elsewhere...but American Steaks are a unique, and nearly ubiquitous.
3. A good burger
4. Pizza.
5. Baseball park Hot Dogs and $8 plastic cup beer
6. Mac & Cheese
7. Punch & Pie
8. Ice cream Cones
9. The Martini and cocktail culture
10. New England Clam Chowder
11. The 40oz of Old English Malt Liquor
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7-05-2006 @ 3:32PM
Lee said...
What about the elephant ears????
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7-05-2006 @ 5:33PM
makisupa said...
Buffalo Wings??
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7-06-2006 @ 6:14AM
ashley said...
I agree with Renn 208 ... Gotta have the malt liquor :)
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7-06-2006 @ 8:24AM
Vesna said...
Here's my list of universally American, iconic foods. Many are fusions from other ethnic traditions -- how could it be otherwise? Interestingly, many were introduced at World's Fairs.
1. Apple pie
2. Fried chicken
3. Chili
4. Ice cream cone
5. Barbecue
6. Cornbread
7. Chocolate chip cookie (representative of the American drop cookie)
8. Popcorn
9. Hamburger
10. Hot dog
11. Pizza
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7-07-2006 @ 1:58PM
Sherri said...
A hot buttered lobster roll is the best. No lobster salad and no mayo. Yum.
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