10 Surprising Foods You’d Never Guess Were American
Updated: Jul. 07, 2021Your exotic taste for fortune cookies and chimichangas is more local than you think.
Fortune cookies aren’t from China…
They’re from California! Tweaking a Japanese recipe, Makoto Hagiwari claims his San Francisco teahouse invented the modern paper-stuffed fortune cookie in 1914; David Jung says it was his Los Angeles noodle shop in 1918. Your fortune says: Only fools go to war over cookies. Here are the foods you didn’t know were illegal in the US.
Garlic bread isn’t from Italy…
It’s from Michigan! One tale is that soldiers serving in Italy during World War II were spoiled on bruschetta, a classic dish of toasted bread drizzled with olive oil. Savvy chefs met the returning troops’ demand by slathering toasted white bread with garlic and margarine. In 1970, Cole’s Breads planted a foodie flag in Michigan by selling the world’s first frozen garlic bread.
Chimichangas aren’t from Mexico…
They’re from Arizona! Several chefs claim the chimi as theirs, including the founder of El Charro Cafe. In 1950, she fumbled a burrito into some frying oil, she says. There were kids around, so she blurted out “chimichanga” instead of the cuss word she wanted to. The name, like the oil, stuck.
German chocolate cake isn’t from Germany…
It’s from Massachusetts! The man who invented the sweet, dark chocolate at the core of this cake wasn’t German, but his name was. Boston baker Sam German created a new type of baking chocolate for Baker Chocolate Company in 1852; 100 years later, a Dallas paper popularized the recipe for “German chocolate cake.” These are the disgusting foods you won’t believe people actually eat around the world.
English muffins aren’t from England…
They’re from New York! It’s not English, and it’s not a muffin… what’s the deal? Turns out Samuel Bath Thomas actually called his creations “toaster crumpets” when he debuted them at his New York bakery, which opened in 1880. The term English muffins came later, but Thomas’ can still be seen on them in grocery stores today.
The cuban sandwich isn’t from Cuba…
It’s from Florida! There’s a beef over this ham: Did it originate in Tampa or Miami? While the cities feud, this much is agreed upon: Cuban sandwiches started as a cheap lunch offered to Cuban immigrants working in Florida cigar factories in the late 1800s, and their popularity grew with the population.
French dip sandwiches aren’t from France …
It’s from California! Although the inventor of the sandwich is French, the creation of the sandwich happened on American soil. Philippe Mathieu opened a deli and sandwich shop in Los Angeles back in 1918. According to the restaurant, Philippe accidentally dropped a sandwich roll into the drippings of a roasting pan. The customer enjoyed the extra juice so much that he came back to have the same exact sandwich. Here are other foods you didn’t know were invented by accident.
Russian dressing isn’t from Russia …
It’s from New Hampshire! This dressing contains caviar, a popular Russian ingredient, hence the name. But it was actually a grocer named James E. Colburn in New Hampshire who invented the mayo and ketchup-based dressing in 1924.
Pasta primavera isn’t from Italy …
It’s from New York! This combination of pasta, cream, cheese, and fresh vegetables was a hot commodity in the 1970s. That’s thanks to the popularity of an off-menu special at Le Cirque from restaurateur Sirio Maccioni. The dish was even featured in The New York Times. Next, check out these unbelievable food facts that will change how you eat.
