European-Influenced Cuisines
America is a nation of immigrants, with most citizens tracing their lineage back to Europe originally. Throughout various periods of history, the United States received waves of immigration from different regions of Europe that left their mark on the American culinary landscape. Below are the most well-known cuisines of European origin in the US, ranked in order of prominence:
Italian
Much like Chinese-American cuisine, Italian-American cuisine is a full-fledged cuisine of its own - it pays homage to its origins, but is in a separate category entirely from traditional Italian cuisine
Mozzarella cheese, meats and tomato sauce are widespread in this cuisine
Some dishes are reminiscent of dishes found in Italy, but most are not the same
Italian-American cuisine is generally heavier and individual dishes contain a larger number of ingredients than most traditional Italian food
Italian-American cuisine is most prevalent on the East Coast
Popular Italian-American dishes include Spaghetti & Meatballs, Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Alfredo, Sausage & Peppers, Shrimp Scampi, Garlic Bread
Read more about Italian-American cuisine here
German
German-American cuisine is less of a distinct cuisine like Italian-American; rather, many German foods became American staples with little to no modification
Common American dishes/foods of German origin include Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, Pretzels, Rye Bread and Lager Beer
German cuisine has a large impact on the cuisine of the Midwest and Pennsylvania Dutch cooking
Read more about German-American cuisine here
Ashkenazi Jewish
This cuisine is an amalgamation of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine from regions across Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Russia
All dishes are kosher, meaning that they follow traditional Jewish dietary guidelines; the most notable features of kosher food preparation is that pork and shellfish may not be consumed, diary and meat products must be eaten separately, and meat cannot contain any blood (read more about kosher rules here)
Cured Meats, Pickles, Bagels, Brisket and Latkes are prominent dishes
Eastern European (Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Czech, Baltic)
Polish-American cuisine exists in a very similar way to German-American cuisine; the dishes themselves are fairly similar, if not identical to those found in Poland, but several dishes have become popular staples in American cuisine
Pierogis and Kielbasa sausage are the two most notable Polish contributions to mainstream American cuisine (read more here)
Russian cuisine is popular in pockets of the country and also has a deep tradition in parts of southern Alaska, where many descendants of the original Russian settlers still live (read more here)
Popular Hungarian foods in the US include Goulash (the Americanized version), Chicken Paprikash, Cabbage Rolls and Nut Roll (read more here)
Scandinavian
Not many uniquely Scandinavian dishes exist, but cooking styles from this region left a deep impact on the cuisine of the Midwest
Midwestern casseroles, Swedish Meatballs and pastries such as Cinnamon Rolls are examples
Greek
The Gyro is the most iconic contribution that Greek cuisine made to America
Greek immigrants established a Greek diner culture in the United States where many traditional and Greek-American fusion dishes were offered along with other classic American diner fare
Read more about Greek-American cuisine here
