What Are Some Interesting Facts About The Northeast Region Cuisine Of The Northeastern United States

Long a landing point for immigrants, New England is a rich cultural stew into which newcomers add their culinary traditions.

The Pilgrim’s Progress

When pilgrims first arrived in the New World, they encountered a culinary landscape filled with unfamiliar foods. Of course, the same foods that first baffled Pilgrims — like turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin — now make up our most legendary national holiday, Thanksgiving dinner.

The rise of the Regionals

In the 17th century, Native Americans and English immigrants made contact along the rocky coast of New England. The culinary result of their convergence includes the soups, baked bean casseroles, stews, and succotash dishes that helped define Northeast regional cuisine. In the 19th century, Irish and Italian immigrants would leave a lasting imprint on the cuisine. The New England Boiled Dinner, for example, reflects an Irish influence.

• Boston Baked Beans
• Newport clam chowder
• Irish Boil (corned beef)
• Lobster stew
• Boston cream pie
• Whole grain bread
• Anadama bread

Go ahead, bite the Big Apple

Nothing exemplifies America’s “melting pot” like New York City. Arriving from all corners of the earth, immigrants have enriched the city with their culinary traditions. Jewish specialties such as pastrami and all manner of Italian and Chinese dishes tantalized New Yorkers before gradually being absorbed into the culinary culture of the entire country. Russians, Puerto Ricans, Middle Easterns, Greeks – the list of those who have added the flavor of New York City spans the globe, making New York City’s boroughs a treasure trove of world cuisines.

• Reuben Sandwich
• New York cheesecake

Notable appetizers of the Northeast

In Pennsylvania, Italian immigrants created what would become the famous Philly cheesesteak (note: to be truly legit, use Cheez Whiz), while German-Americans developed warm comfort foods like chicken pot pie and regional wonders like scrapple, shoofly pie and soft pretzel. Up north, in Vermont, a formidable Cheddar cheese industry took shape to compete with the best farm Cheddars in England. And throughout New England, clam shacks also served a Maine classic: the lobster roll.

• Lobster rolls
• Popovers
• Vermont maple float
• Vermont apple pie
• Shoofly cake
• Apple butter

For cod’s sake

In the 17th century, the waters of the North Atlantic were said to be so full of cod that a person could leap from boat to boat across their glistening backs. As with the prairie bison, the seemingly endless cod has turned out to be all too finite. Though depleted by overfishing, cod (mainly Pacific cod now) remains a very popular fish nationwide. The oyster, clam, and lobster industries also thrived in the Northeast.

• Shirley’s Maine clam chowder
• Cod cakes
• Mother’s Oyster Stew
• Boiled lobster

Now THIS is Italian-American!

No one has contributed more food to the American table than Italian immigrants. In the Northeast, strong Italian-American enclaves in New York City, Boston’s North End, and South Philly helped shape a new hybrid American cuisine. Based on Old World traditions, Italian-American cuisine is marked by an enthusiastic appreciation for (and appropriation of) New World abundance, resulting in dishes rich in meat, cheese, and gravy.

• Melissa’s chicken cacciatore
• New York style pizza
• Eggplant Parmesan
• The best lasagna in the world

Americanize the restaurant

The Northeast has played an important role in establishing American restaurant culture. The classic American diner evolved from the horse-drawn dining cars of the 1870s. The concept of “take out” began with Chinese restaurants in New York City in the 1930s. And at the high end, New York City’s Delmonico’s, whose doors first opened in 1820, set the standard for fine dining in America. Delmonico’s chefs are credited with inventing such famous dishes as Chicken a la King, Eggs Benedict, and Lobster Newberg.

• Blessed eggs
• Chicken King
• Vichyssoise

The beautiful swimmer

To many food-conscious people, Maryland means one thing: blue crab. This fast-moving crustacean (“the beautiful swimmer”) inhabits the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and is featured prominently in crab cakes and chowders. It is often simply packed with dry spices and steamed whole in beer. Many crab houses make their own spice blends. These hot seasoning blends were influenced by formerly enslaved people of the Caribbean, who brought a taste for island spice when they moved to the Chesapeake Bay.

• Fried Soft Shell Crab
• Maryland Crab Cakes
• Maryland Crab Chowder

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