Flavors of the USA

Authentic cuisine abounds in international neighborhoods, from Chinatowns in San Francisco, California, and New York City, New York, to Koreatowns in Los Angeles, California, and Queens, New York, to Little Havana, in Miami, Florida. In all these places and similar neighborhoods around the USA, you’ll find generations of families who share their food culture with visitors and locals alike, broadening horizons, bridging cultures and fusing worlds.

Soul Food is a type of Southern cuisine that originated with enslaved people and their knowledge of West African culinary traditions. Recipes, passed down across generations of African American people, use staple ingredients historically available in the rural Southeast, such as beans, greens, cornmeal and pork. Often represented as a “plate lunch” or “meat and three” on menus today, Soul Food invokes sustenance, resilience and community.

At barbecues across the country, people gather to eat slow-roasted meats. At Lowcountry boils and crawfish boils in the South, they share one-pot dinners of fresh seafood. And you can guess what is served at a New England clambake. The foods differ, but commonalities exist in the high-quality ingredients, side dishes served – like sausage, beans, onions, potatoes and corn – and in the fact that meals unite people. You can arrange to attend one of these gatherings with local guides or find foods inspired by them at many restaurants.

Small-batch, independently produced craft beverages are a quintessential pairing to food in the USA. Bourbon has its home in the state of Kentucky, and distilleries, breweries and cideries flourish in every state. Take distillery tours, attend tastings and connect with local makers. Craft beverages aren’t limited to alcohol: Craft coffee, teas, sodas and more are available at coffee shops, roasteries, cafes, juice bars, markets and restaurants.

Vineyards dot more than 30 states in the USA, with the highest total number of wineries in California, including world-class wine regions like Napa Valley and Sonoma. Don’t discredit Oregon and Washington State vineyards, or those in New York, Virginia, Michigan and Texas. Visit a vineyard to enjoy tours, wine tasting, and food and wine pairing experiences, and to purchase unique varietals.

Food truck menus vary from street fare like tacos, kebabs or sandwiches to innovators redefining the genre with lobster rolls and pasta salad. Food halls are fast-casual marketplaces featuring traditional restaurants, grab-and-go specialties, coffee shops, bakeries, bars and more, often in renovated former warehouses and historic buildings. Top food truck destinations include cities like Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas. Visit food halls in cities like Washington, D.C.; Denver, Colorado; New York City, New York; and Atlanta, Georgia.

At farm-to-table restaurants, experience seasonal menus crafted with locally sourced ingredients. The farm-to-table dining movement has been embraced by award-winning chefs whose connections with local suppliers ensure ingredients originate on nearby farms and are harvested at peak season. Visit a u-pick farm to pick your own produce or a local farmers market to shop local offerings and enjoy prepared food and drinks, live music, and arts and crafts.

For an authentic taste of Americana, look no further than classic diners, which offer casual cuisine that is highly individualized by location. On menus, find staples like hamburgers, French fries, club sandwiches, milkshakes and pies. Many today are drenched in nostalgia, with retro-style booths and decor. Some still operate in prefabricated buildings that call to mind freestanding dining cars, while others are found inside drug stores with soda fountains with lunch counters.

The USA has two UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy: Tucson, Arizona, and San Antonio, Texas. In Tucson, culinary traditions link Mexican and Native American cultures and fresh ingredients. Try menus featuring creative cuisine made from local staples like chitlepin pepper, cacti, squash, beans and corn. San Antonio’s food heritage includes a fusion of European and Mexican cooking, with Tex-Mex cuisine as colorful as the natural landscape.

Explore local culinary traditions and offerings at annual food festivals and state fairs. At state fairs, try hand-held eats and sweets like candy apples, corndogs and all-things-deep-fried, from pies to pickles. Events like the Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine, and the Slugburger Festival in Corinth, Mississippi, celebrate the regional or unusual. Other cities like Chicago, Illinois, and Charleston, South Carolina, host multi-day festivals featuring major culinary events and celebrity chefs each year.