student asking question

I heard that many ethnic foods adopted by immigrants were eventually Americanized. What would be good examples other than pizza?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

There are many types of ethnic foods that have become Americanized in order to better appeal to the American palate. In general, they can be divided into two types: ethnic foods that were adapted to meet American preferences, and foods that are completely American but seem foreign. For example, Chinese food is one example. Many popular takeout foods, such as orange chicken or fortune cookies, do not exist in China. Other examples would be spaghetti and meatballs, or Alfredo pasta - these are both foods that seem Italian and draw upon Italian influences, but are actually American in origin. Ex: I was very surprised when I went to Italy because I couldn't find my favorite dish, Alfredo pasta, anywhere. Ex: None of my Chinese friends have ever seen a fortune cookie before.

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