30 Foods That Were Invented In America

American cuisine is a blend of culinary traditions from around the world. Between Tex-Mex restaurants and several states with their own Little Italy, the United States is known for fusion foods and spins on the traditional, but it also boasts a rich history of original recipes. In the Southern states, you've got just about anything smothered in country gravy, while on the East Coast and in New England, you'll have your chance to try an authentic lobster roll or clam chowder.

Some dishes, like meatloaf or pot roast, have become quintessentially American despite having long ago originated in different countries. Other favorites, like burgers, deep dish pizza, and pecan pie, are true staples that found their way to our stomachs on American tables first. With cookbooks full of comforting, hearty dishes and classic desserts, the United States has given rise to a diverse range of delicious favorites. Here, we'll explore some foods that are rooted in American culture.

An iconic American seafood dish primarily found in the Northeast, lobster rolls are typically composed of fresh lobster meat tucked inside a split-top, buttered hot dog bun and dressed with a blend of mayonnaise, melted butter, lemon juice, and seasonings.

Originating in New England, the storied history of the famous lobster roll remains a topic of debate — some say it was Harry Perry, the owner of Perry's restaurant in Milford, Connecticut while others claim it was in Maine that the trend began — but the sandwiches gained popularity in the 1970s. Maine-style lobster rolls usually feature chilled lobster meat, allowing its sweet flavor to shine through, with minimal mayo and seasonings. In contrast, Connecticut-style rolls prefer warm lobster chunks bathed in butter, and they serve them without the mayonnaise.

It's said that Spanish settlers brought along the basics for jambalaya with them to New Orleans, where the dish is now perhaps most known. While it's challenging to pinpoint the exact origins of this popular dish, it is widely acknowledged that jambalaya has been profoundly shaped by Spanish, African, and French culinary traditions. The main components of jambalaya — rice, meat (often a combination of pork, chicken, and sausage), onions, peppers, and bold, spicy seasonings — reflect the culinary diversity of Louisiana.

Over time, jambalaya has become a symbol of the rich culinary heritage of Louisiana, rather than being solely attributed to Spanish settlers. Still, the Spanish practice of making paella, a rice dish typically flavored with saffron and combined with various meats and seafood, had a major influence on the American dish. Moreover, the West African dish, jollof rice, could've led to today's Creole version, also known as red jambalaya.

Most agree that the California roll originated right in California – Los Angeles, to be exact. It was there that a sushi chef, Ichiro Mashita, combined the few elements that make up the popular roll — cucumber, imitation crab, and avocado — while looking for a substitute for tuna. This was back in the 1960s in LA's Little Tokyo region. From there, the California roll only gained more attention as a fusion of both Japanese and Western cuisine.

Some argue that the first California roll actually came from Canada. As Business Insider tells it, a Canadian chef, Hidekazu Tojo, lays claim to the sushi roll, saying it came from his restaurant in Vancouver back in 1971. In the interview, Tojo says he tried to trademark his version of the California roll, which consists of fresh crab, avocado, egg, and spinach, but was unsuccessful because Mashita's roll was already branded with the name. Instead, the Canadian version, which differs quite a bit, was originally called the Inside Out roll and now is simply called the Tojo roll.

Depending on where you go for the Banana Split Festival, you'll hear different beginnings for the infamous dessert. In the historical debate behind the origins of the banana split, some say it was 23-year-old David Strickler from Latrobe, Pennsylvania who first debuted the dessert in 1904. Others say it was Ernest R. Hazard who came up with the dessert in 1907 at his restaurant in Wilmington, Ohio. Both states host a Banana Split Festival commemorating the treat.

Strickler's version uses a cut banana topped with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream and finished with syrup, whipped cream, chopped nuts, and a cherry on top. Hazard's version has the same base of a split banana and scoops of the three classic ice cream flavors, but is garnished with chocolate syrup, strawberries, pineapple, chopped nuts, and whipped cream. While the differences between the two desserts are infinitesimal, neither state is willing to let go of its stake on the dish.

Authentically Tex-Mex, fajitas were first invented around the 1930s along the Rio Grande Valley of Southern Texas, where the borders of Texas and Mexico meet. Initially, fajitas came about as a smart way to utilize tougher cuts of beef; in particular, skirt steak. While other variations exist, with chicken, seafood, or pork instead, the original fajitas were always made with skirt steak on a sizzling skillet. The other ingredients in the tortilla — onions, peppers, and garnishings like cheese, sour cream, and guacamole — have remained largely the same.

Since fajitas became popular, other cooks in Texas cities put their own spin on the dish and began serving them in restaurants across the state. In the late 1960s, Sonny Falcon sold his skirt steak fajitas at an event in Kyle, Texas, where they became so popular that he became known as The Fajita King, according to What's Cooking America. Then, a Mexican-American chef, Ninfa Rodriguez Laurenzo, sold her take on the recipe at her restaurant, calling them "tacos al carbon" before later changing the dish's name to fajitas.

Several states claim to have been the inventor of one of America's most infamous dishes, but while the true origins of the hamburger are hazy, it is undoubtedly American. In a thorough investigation by The Washington Post, references to hamburgers were found in newspapers from a handful of states, but many lacked enough evidence to prove they were truly the first. Food & Wine takes the origins back even further, to first-century Rome's minced meat dishes and 13th-century Mongols, who toted around thick cuts of tenderized beef on their long journeys.

What is certain is that the hamburgers we know today — ground beef between two buns with veggies and condiments — were present at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, where several other popular American foods first received significant recognition. At the fair, Fletcher Davis from Athens, Texas, sold the hamburgers after creating the idea for the sandwich in the 1880s. He is often credited as being the primary inventor of the hamburger, despite there being so many other cases of sandwiches that resemble the burger.

A corn dog: a cornmeal-battered hot dog deep-fried on a stick. Simple enough, right? Until you get down to its unexpectedly mysterious origins. Let's take it back to 1924 when Francis G. Matson filed a patent for the corn dog's design. The only thing missing was the stick. So in 1929, Stanley S. Jenkins filed another patent for an invention that involved a stick for deep-frying.

This means we're getting closer, but then we jump to Oregon in 1939, where the Boyington family sold their version, called Pronto Pups. They adamantly refused the name "corn dog" (otherwise known as the "C-D word"). Still, they weren't quite the food we know today. The Boyingtons' batter consisted of flour, whereas a corn dog relies on cornmeal for its traditional batter.

Then you've got Ed Waldmire Jr., who was given a corn dog in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and created his own version, the Cozy Dog, in 1946. He served them at his Lake Springfield beach house and at the Illinois State Fair that same year. While the corn dog's true origins remain unclear, it's apparent that the iconic food evolved as it passed through the hands of several different Americans, becoming what we know and love today.

Around campfires in America, s'mores are made regularly. This classic, gooey dessert is made of three simple ingredients: marshmallows, graham crackers, and a chocolate bar. It's been a staple treat for a while, too — we found the first ever s'mores recipe in a 1927 Girl Scout handbook with a troop leader named Loretta Scoot Crew often getting the credit. Just as we know it today, the original s'more (meaning "some more") involved taking a fire-roasted marshmallow and sandwiching it between two graham crackers along with a piece of a chocolate bar.

For as long as it's been around, it's been in sandwich form. Now, the basic concept has remained the same, but there are countless variations and creative twists on this campfire treat, including s'mores-flavored desserts like ice cream, cookies, and even coffee beverages. Within the last few years, the Girl Scouts even debuted a s'mores-style cookie to back up its delicious history.

The exact origin of chimichangas is a matter of some debate, but they are believed to have originated in the southwestern United States, particularly in Tucson, Arizona. Instead of being called Tex-Mex, which alludes to food that's a fusion of Texan and Mexican, Arizona calls its fusion food Sonoran-style, referring to when Arizona was part of Sonora, Mexico.

As the legend goes, Monica Flin was cooking in her Tucson restaurant, El Charro Cafe, in 1922 and accidentally tossed a burrito into the deep-fryer (via What's Cooking America). Children were nearby, and when she swore in frustration, she exclaimed "chimichanga," which translates to something like "thingamajig" or "whatchamacallit." In essence, a chimichanga is a fried burrito, so the name stuck along with the mistake.

Traditionally, Caesar salad is a combination of romaine lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese, and a distinctive Caesar dressing. It's believed to have been created by an Italian immigrant named Caesar Cardini at his Tijuanan restaurant in the 1920s. According to BBC, Cardini immigrated to America in the 1910s, where he opened restaurants in both Sacramento and San Diego, in addition to his restaurant in Tijuana. But is the salad American? Kind of!

A big reason why this salad is considered of American origin is because oftentimes, American celebrities traveled across the border to Tijuana during the Prohibition Era, where they could consume alcohol that was otherwise banned. Many stars got their first taste of the salad at Caesar's, and since he also operated US-based restaurants, the lines got a little blurred as far as the true origin. By the time the Cardini family moved from Tijuana to LA, they filed a patent for the infamous Caesar dressing in 1948. Because of the resounding success of the salad and its dressing counterpart, Cardini is credited with the invention in both Mexico and America.

Native to Philiadelphia, cheesesteaks are a staple of the city. Philly cheesesteaks come from Pat Olivieri, who invented the sandwich back in 1930 at his South Philly restaurant, Pat's King of Steaks. As Philidelphia Magazine describes the tale, Pat began with a hot dog stand and got creative with the meat that would go in the bun. By using meat scraps instead of a wiener, the sandwich got its start.

Later, cheese was added — Pat's great-nephew, Frank Olivieri, says that one of their employees, Joe, got the idea to put cheese on the steak sandwich. Thus, the cheesesteak was official. Since then, other restaurants throughout Philadelphia got the same idea, and the sandwich swiftly took over the city.

Contrary to what its name suggests, German chocolate cake was concocted by a Texan homemaker. In 1957, a Dallas newspaper published the recipe from Mrs. George Calay. The dessert's name actually comes from the kind of chocolate used to make the cake, which also isn't German — it's the surname of the chocolatier, Sam German, who created the baking chocolate in the 1800s. His chocolate became Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate, which you can still buy in stores today.

In traditional recipes, German chocolate cake is comprised of rich, moist layers of chocolate cake and a coconut-pecan frosting. Other versions incorporate German chocolate but cover it with different kinds of frosting or layer it with decadent fillings.

When Cuban immigrants settled in Florida back in the 1830s, they brought their culinary traditions along with them. Both Miami and Tampa have long claimed the Cuban sandwich as their own, but according to The Local Palate, the sandwich was featured in The Tampa Tribune in 1906, long before Miami could've come up with it. Serious about their ownership, Tampa took the extra step in 2012 and branded the "Historic Tampa Cuban Sandwich" as the city's official signature sandwich.

No matter which Florida city is the true birthplace, the sandwich has become an American classic. This complex, meaty sandwich is built with marinated, roast pork, sweet ham, and Genoa salami and dressed with Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard.

Clam chowder, a creamy soup with clams or other seafood, potatoes, onions, and pork or bacon, has roots in early European settlement in New England. How it's made depends on where you are: In some New England states, you'll get a stew or soup made with a tomato broth, called Manhattan clam chowder, and in others, it'll be a cream or milk base, which is traditional New England clam chowder.

While the exact origins are hard to pinpoint, New England chowder was seen in a Boston publication in 1751 and was well-loved by the 1850s, and the first recipe for Manhattan clam chowder appeared in 1934. Its name is less associated with New York than it is with the New England states that incorporate tomatoes instead of cream, like Rhode Island and Connecticut.

You're not likely to have spaghetti and meatballs as you know it if you visit Italy, and that's because it was Italian immigrants who came to New York between the years 1880 and 1920 that invented the comfort food. They brought their recipe for authentic Italian meatballs, which differs from meatballs found in other cultures.

Traditionally, Italian meatballs call for beef, lamb, sausage, or turkey with equal parts of soaked bread, sometimes vegetables such as onions, and you absolutely cannot forget herbs and spices. As far as the sauce, it's always tomato-based but is often marinara. Because the ingredients for the meat and sauce were significantly cheaper than they were in Italy, the Italian-American dish was easier to assemble in America.

Chocolate chip cookies are a beloved, classic treat, and we have Toll House Inn to thank for them. As the story goes, a woman from Massachusetts, Ruth Wakefield, popularized the cookies. Some say the dessert was created by happenstance when she forgot the nuts and decided to use chocolate. Another myth is that she meant to melt the chocolate but instead threw it in at the last minute in chip form.

Then she gave her recipe to Toll House, where she worked in the late 1930s. Later, in 1939, she granted Nestle the rights to her recipe and the Toll House name. Her original recipe is still printed on Nestle chocolate chip bags today.

A true Southern American staple, biscuits and gravy first came about during the Revolutionary War. Most pinpoint their history as beginning in the 1800s in Southern Appalachia. Originally, biscuits were hard. Once baking soda and baking powder came around, one or the other was combined with flour to create a quick biscuit that evolved into the fluffy ones we love today.

Likewise, gravy was a way to be resourceful during the War because it only took a few ingredients — or those left over, like sausage drippings — to whip up the creamy sauce. Even today, biscuits and gravy are a simple and affordable dish whether you make it yourself or buy it in a diner.

Chicago-style deep dish pizza may be popular throughout America now, but it got its start in the Windy City. When Neapolitan immigrants traveled to Chicago at the turn of the 20th century, they brought along culinary customs, like pizza! What makes a Chicago-style pizza is its depth — it's called "deep dish" for a reason.

In 1943, two Italian-American chefs, Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo, came together to create an American version of their favorite Neapolitan pizza pie. They baked it in a pan, and the tall pie was nothing like the flat pizzas many had seen thus far. Another big difference is how it's built: For a perfect deep dish pizza, the toppings should be inverted with the cheese on the bottom to prevent burning, and the sauce, meats, and any veggies packed on top.

There isn't just one person who is credited with inventing pecan pie, but rather several influences on the dessert. One popular theory regarding the pie's origins suggests that French immigrants in New Orleans got pecans from Native Americans during the 18th century, leading to its creation.

But some of the earliest recipes for pecan pie came out of Texas cookbooks in the 1870s and 1880s. Then, when Karo corn syrup was invented, which came from their company based out of New York and Chicago, they marketed recipes for the pie on bottles during the 1930s. That's primarily how pecan pie became an iconic Southern staple, with homemakers across the U.S. perfecting their personal recipes.

If you ask New Yorkers, Buffalo wings were birthed in Buffalo. As the History Channel tells it, Frank and Teressa Bellissimo are often credited with inventing the saucy wings at their business, Anchor Bar. They opened their business around the 1960s but gained popularity for the wings by the 1980s. But just around the corner, John Young had his own business since the 1960s, Wings and Things, that had also been serving sauce-covered chicken wings.

His sauce, inspired in Chicago, was sometimes called "mambo" or "mombo" before it was ever coined as "buffalo." He sold wings covered in it at his Washington, D.C., restaurant before serving a different rendition at his Buffalo location. Some think his sauce became buffalo sauce, which leads to much of the confusion of the true origins. Nevertheless, the spicy, bold wings undeniably hail from America — and likely Buffalo itself.

While some of us are arguing over whether or not chili should contain beans, Cincinnatians are diving into their own variation of this soul food. Cincinnati chili is a true American invention, and one with deep immigrant roots. This dish was the brainchild of two Macedonian brothers who had recently arrived in the U.S. In 1922, Tom and John Kiradjieff opened the iconic Empress Chili Parlor where they began serving a variation on a classic meat chili with a Mediterranean spin. The dish featured vibrant, sweet spices, like cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon (but not chocolate, contrary to popular belief), giving it a distinctive flair that was different to anything the locals were familiar with.

Today, the chili enjoys a cult-like following, though ordering it can be a bit of a challenge. It can be eaten one-way, two-way, three-way, four-way, or five-way, which means as-is or over spaghetti with assorted toppings. You can also order it on a bun, sandwich-style, which has its own set of parameters.

While its precise origins are somewhat disputed, it's widely accepted that the popularity of the Boston cream pie is thanks to what's now known as the Omni Parker House hotel, found in Boston, Massachusetts. The story goes that in 1856, resident chef Augustine François Anezin (not Sanizan as it is often misreported) added this dessert to the menu. Its original name was "Chocolate Cream Pie," which is notable because it was one of the earliest uses of chocolate in this context, as opposed to being consumed as a beverage or in pudding form. The dessert developed such a favorable reputation that Betty Crocker made a boxed cake mix version of it in 1958.

Despite its name, Boston cream pie is not a pie in the conventional sense of the word. In fact, it's more akin to a cake with chocolate frosting. The basic recipe begins with a sponge cake base that's layered with flavored pastry cream, before being topped with a chocolate fondant icing and garnished with toasted, shaved almonds. The result is a dish that's known today as the official state dessert of Massachusetts.

While a classic eggs Benedict recipe contains a quintessential French ingredient, namely hollandaise sauce, this dish is, in fact, an American invention. The conventionally accepted origin story of this bougie breakfast staple is that it was invented at the iconic Delmonico's restaurant in New York City in the 1860s by then-resident chef Charles Ranhofer.

According to lore, a discerning diner at the restaurant, one Madame LeGrand Benedict, wasn't impressed with the items on the menu and requested something novel to be made for her. What resulted was Eggs a' la Benedick, which was made from halved, toasted muffins topped with ⅛-inch-thick slices of cooked ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. Though a story later appeared in New Yorker Magazine suggesting the dish may have been invented as a hangover cure by a Wall Street broker named Lemuel Benedict in 1894, at the Waldorf Astoria, and then placed on the menu there by then chef Oscar Tschirky, there is some reason to believe that he may have gotten the recipe from Delmonico's, as he served as the maître d'hôtel there before moving to the famed New York hotel.

When it comes to Chinese takeout, few dishes are as beloved as a steaming bowl of chop suey. This Chinese-American dish fuses meat and vegetables with a rich, starchy sauce that's served over rice. Though the dish loosely resembles similar offerings from the south of China, known as zaptsui in Cantonese or zacui in Mandarin, its name roughly translates to "random mixture," referring to the seemingly haphazard combination of ingredients that go into it.

Flavorful and satisfying, while this dish is solidly considered American in identity, its origin is somewhat more murky. Some point to the gold rush, during which Chinese immigrants established eateries in San Francisco serving recognizable dishes using local ingredients. Others suggest it was made as an impromptu meal served by a Chinese diplomat in New York. Regardless of the truth, the dish emerged in the mid-1800s and became ubiquitous in Chinese restaurants across the country by the 20th century.

Among the most iconic desserts considered to be synonymous with New Orleans is a classic Bananas Foster recipe. This flambéed dish combines bananas with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, rum, banana liqueur, and creamy vanilla ice cream for a presentation that's as dramatic as the flavor is luxurious.

The story goes that this dessert was born at the iconic New Orleans eatery Brennan's in 1951. The restaurant's owner, Owen Brennan, challenged then chef Paul Blangé to put together a one-of-a-kind dessert to serve a very special VIP, namely New Orleans Crime Commission chairman, Richard Foster, after whom the recipe was named. Since New Orleans was the hotbed of the banana trade at the time, there was an abundance of this fruit to use up, prompting the chef to put on his thinking cap and come up with something banana-based. Today, the dish remains the most popular menu item at Brennan's and variations of it have popped up on menus across the country and beyond.

If you happen to dine at an old-school Jewish delicatessen, chances are you might just order a classic Reuben sandwich off the menu. This amalgamation of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing pressed between two slices of rye bread is as iconic as an American sandwich can be. Yet, its origins may surprise some, as it was most likely born in the heart of the Midwest, rather than at an East Coast delicatessen.

Indeed, the most likely birthplace of the Reuben was Omaha, Nebraska. In the 1920s, one Reuben Kulakofsky was enjoying a poker game at the Blackstone Hotel when the players became hungry. When he requested a snack be served, the hotel chef delivered a novel sandwich that became an instant hit. In fact, the sandwich was so popular, a waitress of the hotel entered the recipe in the National Restaurant Association's National Sandwich Idea Contest in 1956. Not surprisingly, it won, cementing its legacy as a truly legendary sandwich.

As salads go, few are as recognizable as the Waldorf. This legendary dish was developed at none other than the now famous, historical Waldorf Astoria Hotel, located in the heart of New York City. This hotel was an amalgamation of two distinct hotels that merged in 1897, the Waldorf Hotel, established by William Waldorf Astor, and the Astoria Hotel, owned by John Jacob Astor IV (whose name you may recognize from his untimely demise aboard the ill-fated Titanic). The hotel's dining room was managed by maître d'hotel Oscar Tschirky, who, as the story goes, developed the salad for a charity ball in 1893.

Originally made with just apples, celery, and mayonnaise, the recipe for a Waldorf salad, which appeared in a cookbook published by Tschirky in 1896, has evolved over time to include ingredients like walnuts and grapes. Simple, yet elegant, this salad has become a staple on menus across the country, being popular for casual and dignified gatherings alike.

Baked Alaska is a dessert that defies logic. It encases cake and ice cream in luscious meringue that is browned to perfection until crisp. The juxtaposition between hot and cold is as luxurious as it is surprising. While the precise origin of this dessert may be somewhat contested, it's generally accepted that the legendary New York restaurant, Delmonico's, is responsible for bringing it to the masses.

Based on the French dessert "Omelette Norwegge," this version, which initially contained a walnut spice cake, banana ice cream, and meringue, was born in 1867. It was created by then-chef Charles Ranhofer, who gave his creation the moniker "Alaska, Florida," presumably an homage to its diametrically opposed inside and outside temperatures. The dish was originally quite labor-intensive, requiring the commitment of an army of chefs working for hours to create. It continues to be a mainstay at Delmonico's, which serves roughly 36,000 baked Alaskas annually, or about 100 per day.

Despite its moniker, there's nothing particularly French about this classic sandwich. The combination of a French roll piled a mile high with roast beef and dipped in au jus is as squarely an American invention as any food. Although there are competing claims as to its actual origins, one thing is for sure — this sandwich was born in Los Angeles, California.

While Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet claims to have invented the sandwich in 1908, little evidence exists to support this claim, with most experts on the matter agreeing that the likely originator was Philippe's Restaurant. Owner, French expat Philippe Mathieu, is said to have developed the sandwich in 1918. According to lore, the invention was something of a happy accident. Mathieu apparently unintentionally dropped the sandwich into a vat of au jus while assembling it. Rather than discard it, the patron ordering the sandwich went ahead and ate it. He was so enamored he came back for more and a legend was born. Though the exact details of this story vary depending on who tells it, the sandwich is still a mainstay of Phillipe's to this day.

Étouffée is a stew-like recipe, which typically features shellfish combined with the holy trinity of Cajun and Creole cooking, namely onions, celery, and green peppers. These are cooked in a rich roux with various spices and herbs and served over rice. The term "étouffée" translates to "smothered" in French, which is precisely what this dish is. While its name is decidedly French in origin, it's a dish that was developed in the U.S.

Its invention is generally attributed to the Hebert Hotel in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana in the 1920s — though it was popularized by Aline Champagne at the Rendezvous Restaurant on the outskirts of town. Breaux Bridge has since become known as the Crawfish Capital of the World. Though the dish is claimed by both Cajun and Creole chefs alike, the precise execution differs depending on which you order, with the former being more delicate and often featuring tomatoes, while the latter tends to be spicier with a more robust herbaceous quality.