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The Most American Foods Ever

You might be surprised to find out the origin of some of these American classics.
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All things food and drink

All things food and drink
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Usually when the world thinks of American food, it thinks of fast food and junk snacks. In spite of this, our culinary history is rich with some pretty impressive inventions and iconic foods. America is a country of innovators, and that includes the foods that we've redeveloped into delicious recipes.

Click Here to see the Complete List of the 10 Most American Foods Ever

The United States is a melting pot of people and cultures, so saying that a food is "American" can be tricky. For this article, we are defining "American" in two ways. The food must have originated in America, or it has to have become so symbolic of the United States that it's origin it is no longer a part of it.

Now we all know that the hot dog and the hamburger are very symbolic of America. After all, who goes to watch America's favorite pastime, baseball, without getting a hot dog? And a classic American cookout isn't the same without a nice juicy burger, but we've decided to look beyond them. It's not because they aren't delicious, or that they aren't "American" enough. But rather that the United States has so many iconic foods, we decided to dig a little deeper.

You might be surprised to find out the origin of some of these American classics. Chemists and vaudeville actors created some of our favorite foods. Most of them come from humble beginnings, and now they are a staple part of the American cuisine identity. From simple sweet snacks to traditional Sunday dinner dishes, these foods are as American as well... apple pie!

Key Lime Pie
Key lime pie is the state food of Florida and it comes straight from the Florida Keys, hence its name. Aunt Sally, personal chef for self-made millionaire William Curry, is credited for making the first ever key lime pie during the late 1800s. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Click Here to see More of the Most American Foods Ever
Corn Dogs
Brothers Carl and Neil Fletcher are credited for creating this American classic. They were former vaudeville actors who, in 1942, sold the first corndogs at a Texas state fair. Now the food is a favorite of state fairs everywhere. And we’d be hard pressed to find a grocery freezer aisle that doesn’t have some form of corn dogs.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Cracker Jacks
Cracker Jacks first showed up at the 1893 Chicago World Far. Their creators, Lewis and F.W. Rueckheim didn’t actually have a name for the caramel treat until a passing salesperson shouted, “that’s a cracker jack,” after trying a sample. F.W. decided it was the perfect name.Photo Credit: © Flickr / Michael VerhoefClick Here to see More of the Most American Foods Ever
Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Peanut paste has existed in many forms since the time of the Aztecs, but it was very different than what we know as peanut butter now. Many people credit George Washington Carver with the invention of peanut butter, but really it was chemist Joseph Rosefield, creator of Skippy, who really made peanut butter what it is today. He added hydrogenated vegetable oil to the standard paste in 1922, and now almost 100 years later, peanut butter sandwiches in their many forms are a popular meal for all Americans. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Apple Pie
Apples aren’t technically native to America. In fact it was the first settlers from England who brought the seeds. In fact, apple pie was popular in England before it was even made in America. However, apple pie is one of the most American foods anyone could think of. In fact, many polls and pie charts have proven that apple pie is Americans’ favorite variety of pie.Click Here to see More of the Most American Foods EverPhoto Credit: iStock/Thinkstock

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