History and traditions
American cooking is regional and borrowed: Indigenous corn, West African frying and stewing, European baking and immigrant dishes of every origin. The South gave it barbecue and cornbread, New England its seafood boils, and the diner its pancakes, pies and milkshakes.
Food economy and industry
The United States is the largest producer of corn, beef and chicken, and that abundance shaped a cooking of large portions and low prices. Restaurants employ more than ten million people. Regional food is also a tourism industry, from barbecue trails to lobster shacks.