American food

The culinary diversity in America reflects the diversity of its states. American cuisine is a hotch potch of immigrant influences. These people introduced their eating habits to America and developed a dining culture which is today known as American food. An excursion to the various regions of the US shows that US cuisine has more to offer than hamburgers, fries and hot dogs.

Californian cuisine
Our culinary journey begins on California's sunshine coast. Californian nouvelle cuisine developed along the same lines as the California lifestyle, which is characterised by fun and sports. It includes light and predominantly fresh ingredients such as vegetables and fish, which are in abundant supply in California thanks to its sunny climate and ocean-side location. Californian nouvelle cuisine, also known as lifestyle cuisine, is now famous far beyond America's national borders. Everyone has heard of Caesar  salad, a salad made with romaine lettuce, a special vinaigrette, croutons and parmesan, or California rolls, a kind of sushi which has the seaweed leaf inside instead of outside, and is filled with avocado instead of tuna.

Kikkoman's recommendation: Use Kikkoman naturally brewed sushi & sashimi sauce for dipping because it's a little milder than classic Kikkoman naturally brewed soy sauce. Asian influences have also played a major role in the development of Californian cuisine. You'll find soy and oyster sauce in every kitchen, and many cooks use pans and woks for fast cooking with healthy results.

Tex-Mex is a food culture that is indigenous to the border region between Texas and Mexico, and it mainly consists of hot spices, meat and beans. The one thing that Texan and Mexican cuisine have in common is their use all kinds of variations on chillies, both mild and hot, fresh and dried. Tex-Mex foods are usually easy to cook and eaten informally. Examples of these Spanish-Mexican intermezzos are tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas and nachos. Here's a description of them:

•    Tacos = crispy, U-shaped maize tortillas with filling
•    Burritos = filled wheat tortillas
•    Enchiladas = maize tortilla rolls topped with melted cheese
•    Fajitas = soft wheat tortillas with meat and vegetable filling
•    Nachos = baked tortilla crisps with a melted cheese topping

The cuisine of the southern United States
Soul food is a term used to describe the cuisine of the southern United States. The dishes are typically simple, hearty and fried. This cuisine has been shaped by many cultural influences from the British, the French and the Africans. For example, the African slaves at the plantations used their African cooking methods plus local ingredients to copy traditional European dishes. French influences are also evident in the Creole dishes which can be found in Louisiana or New Orleans.
The climate in the southern US states has been producing a wide variety of meat, fish and vegetables right back to the days of the first settlers and before. There is seafood to be found in the Virginian rivers and in the Florida Everglades, rice in the Mississippi delta, corn and vegetables - such as beans, peas, cabbage, pumpkin, onions and turnips - and fruit from the more arable regions. Typical seasonings are cayenne pepper, nutmeg, pimento, cinnamon, cloves, sesame seeds, thyme and vinegar. Beef is more popular than pork, though a lot of bacon and lard are used. Many dishes such as spare ribs, pork roasts and chicken wings were invented as a result of people not having enough to eat or not being able to afford better cuts of meat. Today, they are popular all over the USA.

Kikkoman's dip recommendation: Mix together 4 tbsp. Kikkoman naturally brewed soy sauce, 2 tbsp. Kikkoman sweet soy sauce, 1 red chilli pepper (de-seeded and finely chopped), 20 g chopped spring onions, 1 dash of lime juice and 1 tbsp. chopped parsley and serve with the chicken wings.