American Response to Italian Food Essay Example

and they also assisted in the construction of infrastructure. Their breakthrough came during the World War II when many of them were enrolled in the U.S military. This marked the beginning of acceptance of the Italians into the mainstream and broader American culture. Food, in particular, played a significant role in the unification process. Cannato observes that the Italian immigrant's dishes during the better part of the 20th century were scorned, and most of them were described using slurs such as ‘garlic eater’ because the garlic pungency was apparently un-American and uncivilized. Many of the natives used its strong smell as evidence of Italians inferiority. This essay will examine the American response to Italian food and how enmeshed Italian American culture has become in broader American life.

Nowadays, it is almost impossible to by-pass a wall street journal, a daily newspaper or even a woman’s magazine without encountering articles on the so-called “ethnic” invasion of American food habits. As a matter of fact, the dishes that are rejected even by poor third world countries find their way into the finest tables in places such as Indianapolis. Many franchises are capitalizing on such preferences with many entities selling millions of dollars’ worth of Mexican cuisines to the very Americans whom a decade ago equated foods such as tacos with stomach upset and diarrhea. Counihan observes that the sudden interest in “foreign” foods can be attributed to the increased numbers of foreign travel by the Americans as well as the accompanying changes in home and family structure to the enforcement of immigration since the 1960s (76). Whatever the real reason is, however, many people will agree that this

is a significant departure from American tradition. The Americans continue to add ingredients of overseas origin into their cuisine and have with time adopted some foreign methods of preparing and serving food, even going as far as domesticating them.

The Italians since immigrating into the United States between 1880-1920, has managed to resist being assimilated into other old world food preferences and eating habits. In fact, the Italian food was the first major foreign cuisine to find a wide acceptance among the Native Americans. All of the American holidays including the St Patrick’s Day and Thanksgiving are usually associated with particular foods which are incorporated into celebratory rituals (Smith 155). Some of the foods that do not miss in the menus include spaghetti and meatballs, all of the Italian origin and can be dined on “Veal Parmigiano” at local restaurants lit with candles mounted in Chianti bottles on the table. The growing insatiable appetite for pizza has solidified the place of Italian cooking by far as the most popular ethnic cuisines. Indeed, in a community that was deeply divided by class and regional hostilities, it was the Italian food that became one of the few sources of pride that were shared by the entire community; pride that had subsequently formed a very crucial bond in ensuring that their ethnic consciousness was kept alive.

Levenstein observes that the popularity of Italian food in America cannot be understated (90). In fact, the food authorities have now become wearier of what they call ‘fake Italian products.' Studies have shown that the authentic Italian food that which is imported from Italy accounts for about one-third of the Italian products being imported

from Italy. Such food products are readily available in food stores all over the United States with a large population preferring them of their freshness and authentic taste. The most popular Italian foods in American restaurants include Chicken Tetrazzini, named after Luisa Tetrazzini a muffuletta sandwich, Philly cheese steak, and cioppino. This century has brought more attention to timbale, Insalata, panini, homemade specialty pasta, artisan bread, and cheese. Although most of these foods are not new, it is the adoption of their “old country” recipes by Italians that has attracted a lot of Americans. The influence of Italians is evident by the extent to which their food has found their way to American eating culture, so much so that the aisles of supermarkets are filled with pasta and frozen pizzas among other numerous Italian inspired meals.

Conclusion

Even with the tremendous pressure to change eating habits that the first generation of Italian immigrants faced, the most positive stories lies on the manner in which they resisted assimilation. This move helped them in adapting their food habits to the American environment, and in the process creating a cuisine that was distinctive enough to retain their authentic flavors, while still attracting enough crowds to tables. As it is, the Italians have managed to influence the tastes of the host culture, eventually giving us an insight into the kind of forces that push people to either change or retain their eating habits. The Italians have made a mark in the kitchens of America’s finest restaurants and hotels. Their appetite for cookery confirms the reasons as to why they have long been charged with presiding over some of America’s best restaurants

such as Delmonico’s, a pinnacle of the 19th Century haute cuisine that is located in New York City.

Works Cited

• Cannato, Vincent. "How America Became Italian". The Washington Post, 2014, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-america-became-italian/2015/10/09/4c93b1be-6ddd-11e5-9bfe-e59f5e244f92_story.html?utm_term=.da290b9ba95a.
• Counihan, Carole. Food in the USA: A Reader. Psychology Press, 2002.
• Levenstein, Harvey A. Revolution at the table: the transformation of the American diet. Vol. 7. Univ of California Press, 2003.
• Smith, Andrew F., ed. The Oxford companion to American food and drink. Oxford University Press, 2007.