The United States of America is a sprawling
country with a variety of cultures. This geographic and ethnic diversity translates into culinary
diversity resulting in an array of tasty foods. So whether it’s sweet or salty, let’s
get a taste of the top 10 Distinctly American treats. The Greatest Thing Since... Bread has probably been around for 30,000
years, but for most of that time people had to tear or cut off each individual piece of
bread. Actual loaves of sliced bread didn't come about until 1928. A jeweler living in
Missouri named Otto Rohwedder worked for years to build a practical machine that could mechanically
cut loaves of bread. Bakers were skeptical of his new fangled machine because they believed
it would damage the loaves and decrease their shelf life. Nevertheless, on July 6, 1928
Rohwedder's machine started slicing loaves of bread at Missouri's Chillicothe Baking
Company. An article in a local newspaper described the innovation as "startling," but the future
of bread had arrived and there was no going back to traditional loaves. Apparently Rohwedder
had spent a lot of time researching the most appropriate width for a slice of bread. The
public's reaction to sliced bread was generally positive, but some critics were convinced
this fresh take on a classic staple was destined to be a passing fad. It's a little strange
to consider that someone like Otto Rohwedder had to invent sliced bread, but aren't we
glad he did? New to our channel? Then show us some love
by hitting that subscribe button and ringing that bell to join our notification squad. White Lightening - Alabama White Sauce People can be very serious about their barbecue
and no one was more serious about it than Alabama's own Big Bob Gibson. Back in the
1920's Bob experimented at his home using a barbecue pit he dug himself. Besides experimenting
with different smoked meats and cooking methods he also came up with his own unique barbecue
sauce. Unlike traditional sauces, Bob's is mayonnaise based. It also includes apple cider
vinegar, corn syrup, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, horse radish and some salt and pepper.
This white barbecue sauce is especially popular in Northern Alabama and locals aren't shy
about dipping fries in it or slathering it on bread. Bob's grandson is involved in the
family barbecue business and explained in a video on the companies' website that "Every
chicken we cook we baptize it in white sauce." The Gibson's prefer this method of dipping
the entire chicken to give it an intense barbecue flavor. However, this isn't the only acceptable
way to use Alabama White Sauce. There are a lot of barbecue recipes that call for you
to simply brush the white sauce onto the chicken during the last few minutes of grilling. Regardless
of how you decide to enjoy this spicy condiment, Alabama White Sauce is a tasty American treat
worth trying. Frozen Alaska This frozen American treat is known as Akutaq,
an Eskimo word that means "something mixed." It is also known as Alaskan ice cream, Eskimo
ice cream, and native ice cream. Regardless of what you call it this traditional frozen
dessert is essentially the northern regions' version of ice cream. However, there is a
very important difference: Akutaq Ice Cream doesn't contain any cream. Cows and their
delicious cream don't do well in sub-zero climates so for thousands of years, residents
of the Northern regions have had to make do with other kinds of fat in their cooking.
Other takes on this recipe use Crisco vegetable shortening in place of the animal fats. This
ice cream includes a number of other ingredients including snow, sugar and berries such as
cranberries, salmonberries and blueberries. Some recipes call for the addition of bits
of fish to be stirred into the ice cream. This is supposed to add flavor, but fish-flavored
ice cream sounds like it might take a little adjusting to. This cool concoction is whipped
by hand to fluff it up with air and then is served as a dessert, dip or spread. Spirit Of Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey is a spirit made primarily from corn
and then aged in barrels for extended periods of time. Charred oak barrels are what give
Kentucky bourbon its brownish-red color and unique sweet and smokey flavor. While whiskey
is a common adult beverage, the consensus is that Bourbon whiskey in particular is a
product of Bourbon County, Kentucky. Bourbon County was established in 1785 just a few
years after the end of the Revolutionary War. However, some people believe the whiskey took
its name from the popular Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. What is certain is
that "Bourbon" refers to a French royal dynasty. The House of Bourbon began ruling parts of
France in the 16th century. By the 18th century this powerful family claimed kingdoms across
Europe including in Spain and Sicily. The consensus among historians is that the distilling
of spirits was probably introduced to Kentucky in the late 18th century by Scotch-Irish settlers.
The exact origins of Bourbon whiskey are not clear, and several people have been identified
as possible inventors, but actual proof to support these candidates is hard to come by.
In 1964 the U.S. congress passed a resolution declaring Bourbon whiskey to be a "distinctive
product of the United States" and directed federal agencies to stop importation of similar
foreign products. Brownies - A Movable Treat The organizers of the The World Columbian
Exposition of 1893 decided they needed a portable treat to offer people attending the exposition.
The task fell to Bertha Palmer, the wife of a Chicago, Illinois hotel owner. Mrs. Palmer's
decadent dessert recipe calls for a pound each of chocolate and butter. Known as the
Palmer House Brownie, her recipe for a chocolate baked dessert includes chopped walnuts as
well as a sweet apricot glaze. The glaze is no longer a common feature of brownies, but
otherwise the basic chocolate brownie has largely remained the same for more than a
hundred years. This tasty American treat is dense and rich and some bakers say it is best
served cold or even frozen. The term "brownie" first appeared in print in an 1896 Fannie
Farmer cookbook. In this case the name doesn’t refer to chocolate brownies, but to small
molasses cakes. These cakes were probably ok, but they certainly did not become a household
name. The first appearance of a chocolate brownie recipe in a cookbook was in 1904's
The Home Cookery. Brownies with chocolate frosting are often called Texas brownies and
they are a popular variation of this enduring American treat. A newer variation of this
dessert is the brookie, a brownie with a layer of chocolate chip cookie. Brownies are like
pizza, even if its less than terrific it's usually still worth eating. It seems that
such a delicious dessert deserves a more appealing name, but in their defense - brownies certainly
are brown. Yes Virginia - There Is A Ham As its name suggests the Virginia Ham originated
in the commonwealth of Virginia. Ham, which is defined as the meat from the upper hinds
legs of pigs, has been a popular food in America since settlers in the 17th century brought
domesticated pigs with them from Europe. A Virginia Ham, also known as a country ham,
is created through a curing process that covers the meat with salt to draw as much moisture
out of it as possible to slow down the process of decay. The curing process was a traditional
means of preserving meats before the invention of refrigeration. Cured hams are often smoked
over hickory and applewood and then aged for several months or even as long as a year to
enhance the flavor. Virginia Hams are a favorite American treat around holidays like Thanksgiving
and Christmas, but these delectable meats have also been the star attractions at many
Sunday dinners. As an added bonus these dishes provide families with plenty of left over
meat for sandwiches and soup. Throughout the year this special kind of ham is sometimes
sold as sliced sandwich meat, but more often it is reserved for a thicker cut called ham
steak. Ham steak is a popular breakfast meat that is a fine complement to food like eggs,
hash browns and pancakes. Get Down In The Mud - Mississippi Mud Pie There are many variations of this sweet southern
treat, but the core ingredients of Mississippi Mud Pie are the trinity of baked goods: chocolate,
butter and sugar. The peculiar name of this delicious dessert is taken from the dense,
dark mud that is found along the banks of the Mississippi River. The crust is usually
made with some kind of crunchy cookie such as Graham crackers or chocolate wafers. The
cookies are crushed and mixed with butter to create a sweet, crumbly crust that perfectly
complements the chocolate filling. The cake portion of Mississippi Mud Pie has a fairly
dense consistency and is similar to a traditional brownie such as the Palmer House Brownie.
This tasty treat is usually topped with a rich chocolate sauce and as if that isn't
enough delicious goodness, ice cream is often served with it as well. Some variations of
Mississippi Mud Pie use chocolate mousse instead of the chocolate cake. Although this creamy
variation of the pie sounds wonderful in its own right, it remains a less popular version
of the traditional decadent dessert. Still another mud pie variation calls for ice cream
to be substituted in place of the cake. This substitution results in a sort of Mississippi
Mud 'Ice Cream' Pie. Traditional or not this version sounds delicious too. No doubt chocolate
lovers will enjoy one or all of these versions of a must try American treat. Louis Lunch Although there is always been some debate
surrounding the invention of the hamburger. Here is the tale of Louis Lunch. In 1900 a
new American treat was born in the city of New Haven, Connecticut and helped launch what
would someday become a billion dollar fast food industry. This culinary story began when
an impatient customer at Louis' Lunch was in a hurry and requested a meal that he could
take with him. Louis' owner made the man a sandwich that consisted of scraps of beef.
The impromptu concoction became known as a hamburger sandwich. He unwittingly created
one of America's most enduring and tasty treats. Louis' Lunch is a family owned restaurant
and has been operating for more than a hundred years, but you can still get a hamburger the
way it was originally made. The classic burgers are formed from a special blend of five meats
ground fresh every day. They still cook the burgers in the same type of 19th century cast-iron
grills that were commonly used when Louis' Lunch opened. These tasty American treats
are topped with cheese, tomato and onion. Louis' doesn't offer any other condiments
to its customers because the proprietors insist their hamburger needs no further embellishment
and from the look of it they are probably correct, but this restrictive policy could
rub some customers the wrong way. This classic American eatery has long stuck to a basic
menu that offers only the classic burger, sides of potato salad, potato chips, fresh
baked pies and a small selection soft drinks. So if you're in the New Haven area and you're
in the mood to try the original hamburger you need to eat Louis' lunch. We're Talking About Sandwiches, Right? Restaurants in Key West and Tampa, Florida
created a much more flavorful version of the familiar ham and cheese lunch staple that
would appeal to Cuban nationals who were traveling between their island homeland and the United
States. Some food historians believe the "Cubano" sandwich may have actually originated back
in Cuba, but the disagreement seems destined to continue. The Cuban sandwich is a slightly
exotic take on the tasty, but basic ham and cheese sandwich. The Cuban features Cuban
bread, roast pork, glazed ham and Swiss cheese topped with sliced dill pickles and yellow
mustard. The sandwich is then usually toasted using a special kind of sandwich press called
a plancha. This is similar to a panini press, but it doesn't have the grooved surface that
leaves the distinctive char marks on panini sandwiches. The Tampa Bay area is home to
a sizable Italian-American community and this group tends to favor a variation of the sandwich
that includes Genoa salami. This has introduced some food for thought into the great sandwich
debate because some purists argue that a "true" Cuban sandwich does not or should not include
salami or any other additional ingredients. Whether you want yours with or without the
Salami, the Cuban sandwich is a tasty American treat. M&M's Melt In Your Mouth M&M's are the most popular candy manufactured
by Mars, Incorporated, Newark, New Jersey, but were patterned after a British candy popular
in the 1930's called Smarties. The "Ms" stand for Forrest Mars and William Murrie, the founder
and a major investor of Mars, Inc. These colorful bits of chocolate goodness have been melting
in our mouths and not in our hands since 1941. The candy coating was inspired by a process
used during World War II to allow soldiers to have chocolate that was less likely to
melt into a brown glob in their ruck sacks. The original M&M colors were red, yellow,
green, brown and violet. Today's M&M's (plain) come in red, yellow, orange, green, brown
and blue. Peanut M&M's were launched in 1954 and since then a number of varieties
have been introduced including almond, mint chocolate, pumpkin spice, pretzel and caramel.
Even with all the new flavors the plain and peanut varieties continue to be the most popular.
M&M's are known around the world, and they have earned a well deserved and tasty place
in American popular culture. We’ve got a bunch of other tasty videos
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