do i have one that's made in america please it's time to surprise with foods seemingly
from other countries that are actually from the good old u.s of a here are 10
foreign foods that were actually invented in america i didn't lie you didn't tell the truth
fajitas watch out hot plate when you go to a mexican restaurant whether it's actually in
mexico or not you would expect a minimum amount of authenticity in terms of the food however most of
the dishes you find on the menus in america are in fact american and not at all mexican take for
example the famous and beloved fajitas you know the beef strips mixed with bell peppers and onions
topped with a generous amount of shredded cheese and wrapped inside a soft tortilla apparently
nothing screams america more than these first served in texas fajitas have become a staple dish
on any respectable tex-mex menu across the country if you respect me i'll respect you while not
from mexico the dish most likely originated from mexicans working near the border in west texas
in the 1930s as pay the workers were given the unwanted cuts of meat like fajita skirt steak that
weren't likely to sell wanting to make the best out of the meat they would marinate it in lime
juice and pound it until it became more tender and cook it over the fire nowadays fajitas can be
made with just about anything such as beef chicken and even shrimp and are served sizzling on a hot
metal platter this dish might have some mexican roots thanks to the ranch workers who made do
with what they had but at the end of the day it's still a texas classic i'm sandy cheeks from texas
spaghetti and meatballs oh god what if i don't get some spaghetti meatballs i may literally die
is there anything more comforting than a nice and warm plate of spaghetti and meatballs
but as much as we've gotten used to eating this dish in every good american italian restaurant
we're here to break the news this dish isn't authentically italian shocking yes but hear a
sound spaghetti all by itself is an italian staple the meatballs are also an italian
delicacy but the two of them together on the same plate that comes from an american mind in italy
meatballs are usually an appetizer or even a main course for an italian cook adding meatballs to a
pasta dish wouldn't make much sense it's not just stupid that's absurd that's because pasta and main
dishes are never served together this now iconic fusion is rumored to have originated from italian
american immigrants who came to new york in the early 20th century the earliest known recipe for
spaghetti and meatballs was actually published by the national pasta association a trade
association in 1920. americans were so accustomed to having a starch accompaniment to their protein
early italian restaurants in america put the two together to please the american palate if you ever
go to italy don't expect to find any spaghetti and meatballs on the menu don't even think about
it don't even dream about it fortune cookies i predict you will soon i'll say oh one of the
best parts of ordering chinese food takeout is the sweet little piece of wisdom you get at the end of
the meal however no matter how bright or funny the little quotes are it doesn't really matter because
they're not authentic to china indeed fortune cookies have nothing to do with chinese culture
instead they might have been invented by japanese restaurateurs in los angeles or san francisco with
both competing for ownership the idea came from another confection flavored with sesame seeds
that was first made in kyoto in the 19th century it contained o mikuji which are short blessings
sometimes curses as well as financial or personal predictions uh what's your fortune say you will
enjoy the company of others it was during world war ii when japanese americans were interned and
lost their businesses that chinese bakers took over the industry and tweaked the recipe for the
wise little cookie the japanese tea garden in san francisco's golden gate park and the hong
kong noodle company in los angeles both claimed to have invented the popular modern fortune cookie
but no matter who the genius was behind the fortune cookie we can't deny how this staple
of americanized chinese food has become an icon all over the world well except in china of course
there is no such thing as fortune cookies in china the cuban sandwich i call this story ted and the
cuban sandwich crisis sometimes names can be very misleading just because something has a foreign
sounding name doesn't mean that it's not from here this applies to the very delicious cuban sandwich
also known as the cuvano contrary to popular beliefs the cuban sandwich was not invented
in cuba it was rather formulated by immigrant cigar makers in key west florida in the late
19th century and was later refined to the sandwich we now know and love since cigar factory workers
needed a quick easy and nutritious lunch cultures and ingredients combined to create the cubano
the traditional recipes include crispy cuban bread a type of baguette-like loaf with a thin
crisp crust roasted pork ham swiss cheese yellow mustard and pickles because of a large italian
population in tampa salami is usually added to what has officially been dubbed
the signature sandwich of the city obviously you can pretty much add whatever toppings you'd
like and make a personalized cuban sandwich as long as you keep the main ingredients but the
important thing to remember is that while the cubano came from cubans this delicacy
was ultimately invented right here in america man it's your motherland what are you thinking
chimichangas time to make the chimichangas 30 seconds while they may look and taste like they
came right out of an authentic mexican eatery these little deep fried burritos are actually
from tucson arizona funnily enough chimichangas were apparently invented completely by accident
in the 1920s by the founder of el charo cafe the city's oldest mexican restaurant
the story goes that monica flynn the founder dropped a burrito into a vat of bubbling fat
one day she was then about to exclaim a spanish curse word but since there were
children around she shouted chimichanga instead which translates to thingamajig
another origin story says that it was phoenix-based chain macayo's mexican kitchen
who was responsible for the chimichanga founder woody johnson apparently invented the dish under
similar circumstances as he was experimenting in the kitchen but that wasn't until the 1940s
of course regardless of who the true inventor is we know that it was invented in arizona and that
chimichangas have become one of the most iconic dishes in america we might never know the true
origins of chimichangas but the mix of meat beans and rice all wrapped up in a crunchy deep-fried
tortilla topped with salsa sour cream or guacamole will always be a mexican american classic would
you like to buy some chibi chocolates general sews chicken general sal's chicken isn't made
by a general most of the dishes on the menu at your local chinese takeout joint aren't actually
chinese instead they are adapted to fit our western tastes while keeping a chinese name
like general so's chicken for instance even though it was named after a 19th century chinese military
leader suo seong tang it has no real connection to traditional chinese cuisine this hunnan style
preparation of chicken pieces fried in a corn starch-based batter was invented by pongchang
way in the 1950s and was heavy sour hot and salty but it was the new york chef chung ting wong who
tweaked the recipe by crisping and sweetening the formerly spicy tart dish with ginger garlic
soy sauce and rice vinegar to name a few of the changes come on buddy change it up a little bit
the general sews chicken you'll find today at all you can eat buffets and takeout joints are usually
much sweeter and crispier than the original recipe which is more than perfect for the
american palette in 2015 according to grubhub the online and mobile food ordering service
general so's chicken was the most popular chinese takeout order and the fourth most
popular dish in general so as much as it's delicious and beloved just remember that it's
not as genuine as you thought this is not a big deal it's a little white lie everyone does it
english muffins you made muffins well it wasn't the muffin fairy you know those little fluffy buns
we usually use to make breakfast sandwiches were invented by an english immigrant named samuel bath
thomas in 1880. he opened up a bakery in new york city where he started selling a
twist on traditional english crumpets called toaster crumpets crumpets which are leavened
griddle cakes with a spongy texture have been popular in the uk for ages so he simply had to
bring the flavor to america this new porous and still spongy muffin was cut in half and toasted
unlike their predecessors which were eaten whole they could either be put in a toaster
or under a broiler both resulting in a crispy base that became a common alternative to toast
you got replaced just like me this was eventually dubbed the english muffin yes
because its creator was a british man but also so it wouldn't be confused with well the cake
like regular muffins today english muffins are often seen as the breakfast bread of choice
to create delicious egg and cheese sandwiches and even breakfast pizzas if you're feeling a
little more adventurous even to this day thomas's company which is now owned by mexico's grupo bimbo
is still by far the largest supplier of english muffins in the country the small round and flat
little treat might be english by its name but at the end of the day it's an american treasure
california roll enjoy your california handmade roll technically sushi does come from japan
after all it is a traditional japanese dish the only problem is most sushi you'll find
at restaurants in america has nothing to do with the real sushi you can find in japan
some are more obvious like anything with dessert items or really strange combinations but some are
more subtle and fly right under the radar like the california roll for example sure the name
should have given it all away but a lot of people still believe that this role was invented in japan
made with avocado cucumber and imitation crab the california role is an all-american invention i was
a public defender for many years i've been lied to by the best the first telltale sign would have to
be how the seaweed is featured on the inside of the sushi which is not particularly traditional
now on to the name even though it's been dubbed a california roll its true origin is uncertain
some chefs in los angeles and vancouver british columbia all claim to have invented the famous
dish but la based chef ken suasa has the first documented version of this dish from
an associated press article published in 1979 and claims ownership of the california roll
other american sushi rolls include the spicy tuna roll as spicy food isn't the norm in japan the
philadelphia roll and the rainbow roll yeah it's all fake french dressing french wine french food
french water whoever said salads were boring with so many options to dress your plate with how could
it ever be boring one of the most beloved ways to pep up a salad is definitely french dressing the
swedish creamy orange sauce that makes an everyday salad a little more delicious but as popular as it
is in the u.s you will most likely never find this dressing in france now the french dress up their
salads a little more subtly using vinaigrette an emulsion of olive oil and wine vinegar with
dijon mustard salt and sometimes shallots garlic and herbs mixed in their vinaigrette has nothing
to do with our tangy ketchup-based dressing that's made with vinegar sugar worcestershire
sauce paprika garlic powder and celery seed you're not real no the first reported french dressing to
hit american grocery store shelves was milani's 1890 french dressing which appeared around 1938
so why is french dressing called french dressing then it's still a mystery since
it has no relation to france whatsoever but it's not the only foreign-named condiment that is in
fact american russian dressing is also an imposter since it does not come from russia in other words
don't believe everything you see on the label oh stupid commercials chop suey tomorrow's lunch is
american chop suey aside from general so's chicken there's one other chinese dish that hits the spot
every time and that's chop suey although it would be fair to mention that the chop suey you all know
and love today is probably not the most authentic dish out there you see the american version of
chop suey is usually made with meat or chicken bean sprouts celery and other vegetables which
was probably invented as a way to cheaply feed miners or railroad workers in the 19th century by
chinese-american cooks in san francisco another story says that it was invented in new york city
by a diplomat from china who is visiting the city and hosting american guests for dinner
give me one good reason why i should believe you not wanting to risk preparing authentic chinese
food for his guests he asked the chef to improvise and voila chop suey was born that stir-fry hash of
meat is what you will most likely find on chinese restaurants menus in america and is well from
america the real chop suey however is a little different it is related to a regional cantonese
dish called sui which is made with minced organ meats and not ground beef but no matter who came
up with the americanized version just know that the chop suey takeout you just ordered
is not the real deal that's the hard truth i made my piece with it get a taste of more great videos
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