10 Foods That Were Actually Invented In America
To some it may seem like we Americans owe a lot of other cultures the credit for some of our favorite foods. (Like that pizza you ordered last Saturday night? Yeah, you can thank the Italians.) But don't be fooled, because the US does have a ton of amazing foods that are all our own. Some of them you may not have even known were American...
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1. Pecan pie. Put simply, people of the south would be outraged if someone else tried to take credit for this masterpiece. It is said to have been around since the 1800′s after all. Pay tribute to this all-American treat by learning how to make the perfect pecan pie here.
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2. Tater tots. Chances are you've been told, "give me some of your tots" by a friend at least once while eating these crunchy little potato chunks. But just like Napoleon, you most definitely guarded your tots (or at least you should have!) People love them so much even the Aussies took a stab at cooking them but with a new name: potato pom-poms.
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3. Meatloaf. Yes, it is sort of the "fruit cake" of entrées, but when done right it can actually taste pretty wonderful.
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4. Corn dogs. This one should come as no surprise. When you think classic American ballpark food, corn dogs are among the first snacks to come to mind. Though we all know the corn dog is an American classic, no one is officially credited as its creator. Who knew a deep fried hot dog on a stick was so mysterious?
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5. Candy corn. This super sugary confection has become a classic candy, so much that Halloween (probably) wouldn't exist without it. It became so popular that other holidays decided to create some spin-offs. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter all have their own color combinations of the simple treat.
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6. S'mores. All you need is a sleeve of graham crackers, some marshmallows, a bar of chocolate, a good-ol' American campfire and you're set. They're so American we even celebrate National S'mores Day on August 10th each year.
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7. Macaroni and cheese. The ultimate comfort food. Mac 'n cheese is one dish you can never go wrong with. No matter what type of noodle or cheese you use, everyone always devours it all. Guaranteed. Make your own baked mac n' cheese with this recipe. Or this one, in a mug.
Photo by Sally Zhang
8. Doughnut Holes. Whether they're simply glazed or sweetly decorated like the ones above, doughnut holes are a delicious alternative to chowing down on a whole doughnut (even though you probably end up eating more doughnuts in hole form vs. just having a regular doughnut). These little balls of joy are just too cute not to eat mass amounts of.
Photo by Brooke Wells
9. Ranch Dressing. Now it may not be a real food per se, but we tend to treat it like one. Let's be honest, ranch tastes good on top of almost anything. Like this pizza.
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10. Milkshakes. Sweet, thick and creamy. Though not proven to actually bring the boys to the yard, they are certifiably delicious.
There you have it. Ten of the tastiest and truly American foods of all time. Now if only one of the above included something remotely healthy...
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