The Affect of Ethnic Recipes and Food Preparation From Our Immigrants and How They Have Affected the Dishes That We Consume Here in the U.S.

By: Jennifer Samios

     Immigration to the New World began with the voyages of Columbus. These Europeans brought with them an extensive knowledge of food preparation and storage. They encountered the many new world food opportunities and adapted these new found sources to the cooking styles and methods of their home lands.

    The traditional American Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, sweet potatoes, corn, cranberries, and stuffing is a perfect example of European food preparation methods adopted to the new-found American fare. Turkey was introduced to the English Pilgrims by Native American Indians during their first harsh winter stay. This large, plump, native bird was plucked and prepared using traditional English foul preparation techniques. English settlers baked their turkeys with a traditional bread and chestnut stuffing. Their turkey preparation methods largely continue today with our traditional Thanksgiving dinner celebrations.

    According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry#Etymology_and_history Cranberries were introduced to the Pilgrims and other new England English settlers by Native Americans. "In 1816 Henry Hall first farmed cranberries in New England. In the 1820's cranberries were first shipped to Europe. " The early English settlers used traditional English berry and jelly methods for preparing their cranberries. They found that natural cranberry foods had an excellent shelf life. This extended life is due largely to the high acid content of cranberry products.

     Within the information found at http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PotatoHistory.htm I found that "In the 5th century B.C. Inca remains have shown that the potato was prepared in stews, dried for delayed consumption, and was eaten raw. In 1540 Padro de Cieza de Leon wrote about potatoes and their use as a basic food source for Peruvian natives. In 1499 through 1579 the potato was taken from the New World to Europe. Around 1550 John Gerard--English Author and gardener--received potato roots from the Virginia colonies. These sweet and white potatoes were imported to Virginia from South America." The English, French, and Spanish all used traditional European tuber preparation methods when cooking potatoes. Boiling, baking, and candied methods accompanied by the traditional spices of origin expanded this Native American vegetable into a staple food for the world.

    On the website http://www.agron.iastate.edu/courses/agron212/readings/corn_history.htm, Corn was discovered by Christopher Columbus and his group in 1492 on the Island of Cuba. Columbus took "corn or maize" back to Spain on his first or second voyage. "Bible corn probably refers to wheat or barley" since "corn" was not known in the Old World during biblical times. " By 1575 corn had spread to China, the East Indies, and the Philippines." This important crop was boiled and ground into dough and bread. American immigrants applied traditional wheat, oat, and barley processing techniques to the newly found corn.

    All of the above foods were native to the Americas, but adapted to traditional European methods of preparation. They have all become a staple of the American diet.

    According to http://shannak.myweb.uga.edu/history.html "Cheese was first recognized in 3,500 B.C. Sumeria. It quickly moved to Europe from Asia. The Roman Empire vastly extended and perfected the cheese experiment. " Over the years a variety of milks and aging methods helped create the vast variety of flavors attained by cheese. "Cheese arrived in American with the Mayflower and has become an American staple." In 1851 Oneida County N.Y.--the first New World cheese factory was started by Jesse Williams. "Today, one third of our milk production is consumed in the production of cheese." The many cheese recipes, flavors, and food garnishments brought by New World immigrants are still alive today.

    As stated in http://web.li.gatech.edu/~rdrury/400/writing/d_sp2_2/ahistoryofsteak.htm, "The domestication of cattle started around 8,000 B.C. Cattle were introduced to the Americas by the Spanish arriving in Mexico in 1540. In the 18th century Spanish and French colonists began to raise and farm domestic cattle.

By: a. 1952 Americans ate 62 pounds of beef
      b. 1960 Americans ate 99 pounds of beef              
      c. 1970 Americans ate 114 pounds of beef."
The many centuries of Old World beef preparation were all brought to the New World with this new food source.

    Carrots are an Old World tuber. The Old World preparation of carrots was adapted to the New World potato. Domestic carrots were brought to America by nearly all groups of immigrants.

    Chicken amounts to the largest tonnage of meat product consumed in America today. http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/qt/chicken.htm states that "Chickens were domesticated from the Southeast Asian Red Jungle Foul about 8,000 B.C." Large body shapes and improved egg productions are products of early domestication. "Around 2,000 B.C. domestic chickens were raised in the Mid East and Europe. "Pre-Colombian chickens have been discovered in early Chilean excavations from pre 1350 A.D." The source of these New World foul has yet to be identified. Traditional roasting methods were probably used by early Native Americans. Sophisticated spicing of chickens, frying of chickens, and seasoned baking recipes are all results of immigrant influences.

    The variety of the American diet is a direct result of centuries of immigrant food preparation methods. Our ancestors applied their native knowledge to the crops they brought with them and to the New World products they found.

Works Cited 

Hirst, K. Kris. "History of the Chicken - Domestication and the History of the Chicken." About 

           Archaeology - The Study of Human History. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. 

          <http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/qt/chicken.htm>.

"BEEF HISTORY." Language Institute Webserver. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. 

         <http://web.li.gatech.edu/~rdrury/400/writing/d_sp2_2/ahistoryofsteak.htm>.

Benson, Garren, and Lance Gibson. "Origin, History and Uses of Corn." Department of 

        Agronomy - Iowa State University. 2002. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. 

        <http://www.agron.iastate.edu/courses/agron212/readings/corn_history.htm>.

"Cranberry." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.   

        <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry#Etymology_and_history>.

Hirst, K. Kris. "History of the Chicken - Domestication and the History of the Chicken."  

         About Archaeology - The Study of Human History. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.    

        <http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/qt/chicken.htm>.

 "History of Cheese." CHEESE:. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://shannak.myweb.uga.edu

         /history.html>.

Stradley, Linda. "History of Potatoes, Potato History, Legends of Potatoes." What's Cooking 

       America, Easter, Easter Dinner, Easter Brunch, Easter Candy Recipes, Perfect 

      Boiled Eggs, Dying Easter Eggs, Perfect Prime Rib. 2004. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.  

     <http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PotatoHistory.htm>.