Climate has an influence on the various types of cuisine from my home state of Michigan to across the United States (U.S.), in California. Even over mighty Lake Michigan from Michigan to Illinois, we can see differences in pizza styles.
Obviously, if you have a warmer climate year-round, as is the case in California, you would have a longer growing season as well as more varieties of crops to grow, hence a broader menu of cuisines to choose from.
According to The Culinary Pro, how climate influences the types of cuisine is that, “Cuisine can be diverse and abundant if the climate and geography are rich and lush, or minimal if there are extremes in the climate and terrain, as in deserts or mountainous regions. Herbs and spices are unique identifiers of the cuisine; they too follow certain combinations and proportions based on ethnicity. The heart of cooking ethnic or regional cuisine is the indigenous ingredients found in a particular part of the globe.
Many cultures use similar ingredients, but the food combinations and proportion of ingredients will define and differentiate the preparation from other styles of cooking. Geography of the land often defines the ingredients based on growing conditions of the terrain and the climate. Factors that influence food stocks include access to arable land, fresh water, coastlines, diversity in vegetation, and animals for hunting or breeding,”.
Furthermore, when thinking about how we have such a diverse group of cultures in our “Melting Pot” of a country, we are extremely fortunate to have such a variety of cuisine to choose from. Whether we are in Chinatown in New York City, Greektown in Detroit, or Little Italy in San Francisco, each neighborhood offers a unique culinary experience that reflects its cultural heritage.
Cultural food traditions
Not only does the climate affect an area’s type of cuisine, but so does the culture of the people who live there, as well as the traditions surrounding the food they eat. For example, my family is Sicilian, and we have many traditions surrounding food. Some people make the mistake of thinking that Italian food is the same as Sicilian food – it is not. In fact, in the northern parts of Italy, they have lighter-colored sauces, whereas we in Sicily have darker sauces.
Memories of being a little girl in my Nana’s basement kitchen during the Holiday season, which held a strong sense of tradition, invoke the smells of manicotti and sausage, smells that filled that beautifully decorated basement as we kids anxiously waited for that special “early visit” from Santa.
When I want to feel the presence of my now-deceased Mom, Nana (grandma), and my Grammi (great-grandmother), I like to prepare the traditional foods from our family’s culture. My mind immediately thinks about my Mom’s meatloaf, my Nana’s chicken rice soup, or my Grammi’s carne muddica (a Sicilian family recipe meaning breaded steak). Later in the article, I will include our secret recipe.
Here are some of the factors that affect cultural food traditions across the world:
- Geography and environment
- Religion and beliefs
- Social and economic factors
- History and tradition
- Cultural values and norms
Food is a significant cultural difference not only between countries, but also varies substantially across regions in the U.S. For example, in Detroit, we are famous for our Coney Dogs and our Sicilian Deep-Dish square pizza. Just across Lake Michigan in Chicago, less than a six-hour drive or a one-hour flight away, they have their famous Chicago Dogs and a round deep-dish pizza pie.
Below is our family recipe for “Carne Muddica” ~ Manga, manga!
- 2 lbs of round steak (cubed three times)
- Season the meat with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper
- Make one bowl with three eggs, a three-count pour of olive oil, and a splash of milk
- Make another bowl with 2 cups of Italian breadcrumbs, 1 cup of grated Romano cheese, and more garlic powder to taste
- Cut meat into portion-sized pieces
- Get a large frying pan, coat the bottom with olive oil, and put it on medium heat
- Dip meat pieces into the eggwash
- Then dip into the breadcrumb mix
- Lay carefully in the frying pan
- Flip (with a strong flat-bottomed spatula) when juices start to appear on top of the meat pieces
- Cook another couple of minutes until it reaches a safe temp for meat (or to your liking)
- Serve over pasta with a red meat or marinara sauce
- Manga!
*We are not responsible for undercooked food. This article is for informational purposes only. Always consult an expert when cooking meat or poultry.
What is traditional American food culture?
The typical cuisine in the U.S. often includes fatty foods such as cheeseburgers, milkshakes, barbecued pork, and a wide range of fried foods, including fried chicken and fried potatoes. Many of our dishes are copy-cats of food that came from other countries – pizza (Italy or Sicily), hot dogs (Germany), Tex-Mex (Mexico), or Creole cuisine (French, Spanish, African, Caribbean, Italian, and Native American).
The food diversity in the U.S. not only enriches our palates but also fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation of different traditions and ways of life. It’s a testament to the beauty of multiculturalism and how food can bring people together, creating a shared sense of community and belonging.
Wander Lush (Emily Lush, an Australian journalist) shares, “The history of the country also has an impact on the food culture and traditions of the people living there. Taking the United States as an example, you can easily see how layers of food culture have created the melting pot of cuisines that exists in the USA today…
Immigrants carry the food customs and recipes of their homeland with them wherever they go, helping them to deal with homesickness and pass their culture on to the generations that follow. The recipes may not always be exactly the same, depending on the availability of ingredients, but immigrant foods remain an important reminder of their shared history, beliefs, and values.
This means that food can also be an important way for us to understand the cultural practices and traditions of people from different backgrounds, whether we enjoy it at home or when we travel abroad,”.
Explain how climate influences the types of cuisines
In conclusion, our nation’s culinary and climate diversity not only delights our taste buds but also fosters cultural appreciation and unity, showcasing the beauty of multiculturalism and the power of food as a unifying force in the community.