What's your favorite "american" dish?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanksgiving with all the new world foods.
Turkey
Mashed potatoes
Cornbread
Squash
Green beans
Stuffing
Cranberry sauce
Pumpkin and blueberry pies

This. Remind him that many foods he probably assumes are European actually originated in the Americas. Tomatoes, potatoes, chocolate, pumpkin. None of these are traditionally European foods.

+1. Tomatoes always surprises people.

Also you could serve chicken parm (maybe you ate this growing up and have a recipe?)

What about pork chops and applesauce? I don't think I saw that on the thread yet.

Biscuits and gravy with bacon, eggs, coffee, and juice?

It never surprises me. You know what else is American? Anything corn or corn-based, peanuts, eggplant (all the nightshade family, really.)

Peanuts originated in South America, explorers brought them to other parts of the world, and Africans introduced them here in what is now the US.

[Anonymous]

Teach him to smoke. It doesn’t get more American than tobacco.

Maybe make him some fry bread. Ask an Indian how to make it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't play this game. He wants you to serve something that he can send pictures to his friends and laugh about "gross American food." You're not providing him material so he's bored.
Have some pride. He chose to come here so he shouldn't be mocking everything. It would be extremely rude in any country.

Yes, I suspect this, and I don't want to participate. It's like tiktok has taught the outside world everyday americans eat like they're at a county fair, that's why they're all so fat. But I figure it is my duty i signed up for to show him the "real" america, too. So while I am not really going to deviate from how I cook typically, I'm happy to include a few more squarely american dishes into rotation for a chance to be like hey what you see online is fake click bait so you can laugh at americans; this is real.

But honestly, besides BBQ/cornbread and the desserts (which he doesn't eat) most of this stuff listed here is not at all in my go-to list of foods because I, personally, don't find it to be as appealing as other stuff I make, which is why I am here asking others' insight.

There's a YouTube channel of two British guys going around trying American food (sometimes they have British teenagers try American food too) and they actually tend to be quite positive.

https://youtu.be/0cxA_gkhRyo?si=ANZL99Sli72JSx7d

They also have a channel called "English Gentlemen" where they go around introducting Korean food to mainly Brits. It's one of my favorite channels. Josh is married to a Korean woman and speaks fluent Korean. He went to uni in Korea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teach him to smoke. It doesn’t get more American than tobacco.

Maybe make him some fry bread. Ask an Indian how to make it.

I mean ... yeah, tobacco is American. But in 2026 smoking it is not ... smoking is French, lol.

[Anonymous]

I feel like he would be into the Chilis triple dipper thing. I think it’s pretty american and tik tok/instagramable as an “american food”

[Anonymous]

Founding Farmers sucks but they do have a peanut butter pie that I feel like is very american. It’s really really good and the only thing I actually go there for.

[Anonymous]

My brother has hosted many teens from abroad, mostly wealthy students from Asia.
Ironically, the thing they loved and even requested when their parents visited was pretty much hash- a fried up mix of leftovers that his wife’s family perfected using lots of butter! Go figure

[Anonymous]

The first thing that comes to mind is barbecue. But then diner food I guess? Pot roast, meatloaf, turkey & stuffing, chicken fried steak, club sandwich, reuben, chili, clam chowder, grilled cheese and tomato soup, pancakes, potato salad, coleslaw, etc. Maybe 20th century potluck desserts like ice-box cake and jello molds?

[Anonymous]

You’re in America. Get in your car and randomly drive until you hit a strip mall with some restaurants. Flip a coin and pick one and go eat there. Boom….American food.
That’s how we all do it, welcome to America buddy!

[Anonymous]

The crabs suggestion put in mind our holidays.
Meal menus for July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas,
Sunday dinners, crab feasts with corn on the cob and coleslaw.

[Anonymous]

All my European friends get excited about American style pancakes if they're visiting. Pancakes in Europe are closer to crepes.

We hosted an exchange student last year and the food she was excited about was fast food that she had seen via social media. So she wanted to try smash burgers, Taco Bell, and Raising Cane's.

[Anonymous]

Crab cakes
Fried fish and chips
Spiced shrimp with Old Bay
Biscuits
Maryland crab soup

[Anonymous]

tater tot casserole
tuna noodle casserole
beanies and weenies
goulash

[Anonymous]

German chocolate cake
Pecan pie

[Anonymous]

OP did any of the thread ideas resonate with you? I saw plenty of good ideas that aren't "junk."

I'm surprised any exchange students would make fun of our food when there's plenty of other fodder in the news. I would assume he has good intentions and is a typical indecisisive teenager.