California is known for its cuisine that is representative of a breezy, sunny life. That’s why it’s spread so far and so fast through the rest of the country. Perhaps the birthplace of American fusion cuisine, California food is often portable, simple and fresh, taking aspects of American and immigrant culinary history. Let’s take a look at some of California’s staple food items:
In-N-Out burger. Although not the first drive-thru fast food establish, California’s In-N-Out burger popularized the “Double-Double,” a cardboard box filled with a cheeseburger and French fries. It’s purpose was explicitly for eating in the car, which has definitely contributed the grab-and-go mentality of American eaters. Other burger chains started in Southern California were McDonald’s, Jack in the Box and Carl’s Jr.
Latino cuisine. Because of California’s Hispanic history and huge number of residents, taco shops, traditional Mexican food places serving tamales, mole and the like and Central American establishments serving pupusas abound throughout the state. Perhaps most well-known is the advent of Fresh Mex or Baja-style Mexican food, which combines traditional Mexican foods like burritos with California’s preference for fresh food and seafood. Across the United States, burrito shops like Qdoba and Chipotle serve this style of food.
Seafood. The rest of the country imagines California as a beachside paradise with blonde surfers, so they better prove themselves. San Francisco serves Dungeness crab on Fisherman’s Wharf while in Northern California and the Central Coastal region, salmon and Dungeness crab are popular.
Sushi and Japanese food. Because of its location, California was the birthplace of the American sushi craze, which has certainly been around long enough to call a mainstay. Obviously, a number of the rolls that are available in the United States were created here, specifically the California roll, an inside-out roll filled with mock crab meat, cucumber, and avocado. More recently, mochi icecream, a flavored glutinous rice patty filled with the same flavor of ice cream, have become popular in the state.
Fusion cooking. Again, Californians interest in fresh food, often purchased at farmers’ markets, often means that dishes served at restaurants need to change daily based on the ingredients available. That means a plethora of Chinese-American dishes, French-Chinese and a multitude of different combinations of cuisines. French chef is one of the earliest and most famous proponents of fusion cusinine, establishing the French-Chinese restuarnat “Chinois” in Santa Monica.
What are your favorite dishes from California?