[magic_beans]

That is just... sad. Don't know if she's American, but Americans have a HUGE problem with food. The US was never a country with any unified culinary history. The culinary traditions that came with immigrants and slaves largely stayed in those communities and didn't leech out into the culture at large in their original and tasty forms. We've ended up with a culture of bastardized and homogenized factory foods.

[js2]

You can find good food in most medium-sized and larger cities but you have to seek it out. And the local treasure may surprise you. Food trucks have been great for finding tasty fare the last decade or so.

That said, I do think there are two standout foods that are ubiquitous in America although they vary by region. 1) bbq; 2) the sandwich. Behold the great American sandwich in all its varied forms:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/04/14/dining/field-...

[metaxy2]

Really top-notch American barbecue really doesn't get enough credit. The best BBQ places deliver a head-trip, pleasure-overload, "this is so good I'm going to die" experience that matches any haute cuisine you can find.

[exclusiv]

So true. It doesn't get the credit because it's often eaten at a picnic table with lots of napkins. It also uses a lot of cheaper meats. BBQ doesn't apologize for that though. What it does to cuts like pork shoulder is magical though. I smoked a hand made pizza once with cherry wood at like 700+ degrees in my BGE and it was the best pizza I've ever had. I haven't been able to replicate it though because I haven't done it enough to be consistent.

I think BBQ will eventually get it's due. We're seeing a lot of chefs take common, cheaper dishes and make them more upscale and interesting to larger audiences and foodies. One of the best dishes I ever had was dinuguan [1] at Paul Qui's (Top Chef winner) restaurant in Austin.

I don't think Americans have a huge problem with food as the parent suggests. I'm biased of course but I prefer it how it is. We don't need a singular identity. We have places like Napa, Vegas, NY and San Fran that stack up against any city in the world, even though our history is short. We attract top talent from everywhere and the melting pot delivers vastly different experiences. You can come to the US and visit New York, New Orleans and the Pacific Northwest and get amazing food with completely different styles and cultural identities.

Why do we need a unified food? Why is that important?

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinuguan

[cr0sh]

I like to do pizza in my Traeger, usually with mesquite pellets. Best pizza always.

I also like to roast potatoes in it, as well as cook mac-n-cheese (in a shallow dish) to get that smoky flavor.

I'll never go back to a regular bbq or grill - even gas. The electronic controls of the Traeger (and I imagine other brands) make things dead simple; set the temp, throw on the meat, and let it go - return back after however long the meat needs. Don't peek under the lid. Remove, let rest, then enjoy. Best and easiest BBQ ever (I always hated having to babysit my bbq, checking temps, adding wood, making sure the water bath was right, etc).

[exclusiv]

Yeah true BBQ is the way to go. Some people think BBQ includes direct flames on a gas grill.

I do use a small propane grill during the week sometimes though (small Weber Q which I recommend for this purpose). I've taken it to the beach and to friends before.

Def shouldn't be peeking as you mentioned. As the saying goes - if you're lookin you ain't cookin!

[magic_beans]

Ok, fair! Americans do truly excel at the sandwich and bbq. But speaking a little to my original point, bbq belongs more to the South than to any other parts of the US, though any American will recognize barbecue as something truly a part of their culture!

[Helmet]

This isn't entirely true and it paints too negative of a picture. There are culinary traditions in the US just as there are anywhere else - traditional southern food is excellent:

Shrimp and Grits, biscuits, tasso and country hams, corn breads, fried chicken, country-fried steaks, pimento cheese, collard greens, fried or fresh oysters, pig ears, catfish, pies (some of the best in the world), buckwheat pancakes, etc etc etc.

Not to mention that American BBQ is revered pretty much around the world..oh and almost forgot, the regional cuisine in Louisiana is excellent, steamed shrimp, jambalaya, gumbo...I'll never forget my first bowl of real gumbo with it's strong punch of filé spice.

And that's only traditional southern cuisine that I'm familiar with, I'm sure the rest of the country has it's own traditions as well.