Are you a few hours or days away from landing in the land of opportunity, America? If yes, you should definitely know about the best foods to relish without a doubt. Here is an article that talks about the best 35 foods to eat in America if visiting for the first time.

American cuisine is vastly different from other cuisines although it is heavily influenced by various cultures. Be it through books or movies, the food culture of America that everyone loves to try at least once in their lives.

If you are a foodie, then I am sure the following article will help you immensely in trying out the best foods in America in your first-ever visit. Let us skip the chit-chat and start talking business!

Best 35 Foods To Eat In America

1. Hot Dog

Hot dogs are first on our list in the best foods to try in America. It is a type of fast food that comprises grilled sausage which is served inside a half-slit bun. It is made of beef trimmings, salt, and seasonings.

Mustard, ketchup, relish, onions in tomato sauce, and Cheese sauce are the condiments used. There are many variations to hot dogs and these are mostly garnished with onions, olives or coleslaw.

2. Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is a famous food from America that is simply hard to resist. It stands for macaroni and cheese. It is a dish made of macaroni, milk, butter, cheese sauce, the choice of cheese being cheddar cheese.

It has a cheesy flavor and a gooey texture. Apart from macaroni, any type of pasta can also be used to prepare mac and cheese.

3. Cornbread

Cornbread is a variety of quick bread that has its origin in Native American cuisine. It is basically made of cornmeal, eggs and oil. Chestnuts, apples or berries can also be used in the batter. It has a sweet taste and a grainy texture. It is often served with garden vegetables.

4. Corn Dogs

Corn dogs are simply sausages on a stick. Well, that’s not all. These sausages are dipped in a cornmeal batter and then fried. These are often enjoyed as street foods or fast foods. Some of the variations include using melted cheese in between the hot dogs and using bratwurst instead of hot dogs.

5. Apple Pie

Apple pie is a classic American dessert that comprises filling made of apples. The major ingredients are apples, flour, sugar, milk, cinnamon, butter, and salt. It is one of the signature dishes of America and is served with whipped cream, cheddar cheese or ice cream. Braeburn, Gala, Cortland, Bramley, Empire, Northern Spy, Granny Smith, and McIntosh are the apples commonly used to prepare apple pie.

6. Buffalo Wings

Buffalo wings are also known as chicken wings, hot wings or simply wings. It is a famous appetizer in America that is made up of chicken wings that are deep-fried. These are then coated with cayenne pepper hot sauce and melted butter before serving. These are eaten hot and served with celery sticks or carrot sticks.

7. Chili con Carne

Chili, which stands for chili con carne, is a spicy stew made of chili peppers, meat, tomatoes and kidney beans. The dish is native to Mexico. Onion, garlic and cumin are also used as additional ingredients. It is enjoyed both as a main dish and side dish. It is also used as an ingredient in other dishes such as soups and salsas.

8. Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Grilled cheese sandwich is a variety of sandwich made using butter, mayonnaise and margarine. Slices of cheese are heated in between slices of bread in butter either using a toaster or on a frying pan. Butter or margarine can be smeared outside the bread slices for extra flavor. This food was quite popular during the Great Depression in America.

9. Tater Tots

Tater tots are simply balls of potatoes that are grated and then deep-fried in oil. These are served as an entree or side dish. Tater tot is also registered trademark of the American frozen food company Ore-Ida,

10. Lobster Rolls

A lobster roll is a dish native to New England. It is made of lobster meat served on a grilled hot dog-style bun. The filling may also contain butter, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper, with variants made in some parts of New England replacing the butter with mayonnaise. Other versions may contain diced celery or scallion.

11. California Rolls

A California roll is a snack that is part of a fusion cuisine. It is a type of sushi roll that comprises vinegared rice that is wrapped with a mixture of cucumber, crab (or imitation crab), and avocado. The rice is often toasted with sesame seeds or masago (roe).

A typical sushi consists of edible seaweed but chefs go with rice in America and thus the name California roll. It is a much-loved sushi in America, so don’t forget to try it out!

12. Cheeseburgers

A cheeseburger is a type of hamburger that is topped with cheese. The major ingredients are ground beef patty, cheese and bun. There are many variations in the composition and structure of cheeseburgers.

The toppings for cheeseburgers are usually lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. Go ahead and try out these tasty snacks from McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s.

13. Baked Alaska

Baked Alaska,

also known as Bombe Alaska, omelette norvégienne, omelette surprise, or omelette sibérienne depending on the country, is a dessert consisting of ice cream and cake topped with browned meringue

14. Gumbo

Gumbo is a soup popular in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and is the official state cuisine. Gumbo consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the Creole “holy trinity” ― celery, bell peppers, and onions.

15. Grits

Grits are a porridge made from boiled cornmeal. Hominy grits are a type of grits made from hominy – corn that has been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization, with the pericarp removed.

16. Ribs

Ribs of pork, beef, lamb, and venison are a cut of meat. The term ribs usually refers to the less meaty part of the chops, often cooked as a slab (not cut into separate ribs). Ribs of bison, goat, ostrich, crocodile, alligator, llama, alpaca, beefalo, African buffalo, water buffalo, kangaroo, Deer, and other animals are also consumed in various parts of the world.

17. Wild Alaskan Salmon

Salmon is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus Salmo) and North Pacific (genus Oncorhynchus) basin. Other closely related fish in the same family include trout, char, grayling, whitefish, lenok and taimen.

18. Reuben Sandwich

The Reuben sandwich is a North American grilled sandwich composed of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing or Russian dressing, grilled between slices of rye bread. It is associated with kosher-style delicatessens, but is not kosher because it combines meat and cheese.

19. Pot Roast

Pot roast is a beef dish made by slow-cooking a usually tough cut of beef in moist heat. Tougher cuts such as chuck steak, bottom round, short ribs and 7-bone roast are preferred for this technique

20. Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie is an American dessert pie. It is made of lime, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk. It may be served with no topping, topped with a meringue topping made from egg whites, or with whipped cream;

21. Cobb Salad

The Cobb salad is a main-dish American garden salad typically made with chopped salad greens, tomato, crisp bacon, fried chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, chives, blue cheese, and red-wine vinaigrette.

22. Jambalaya

Jambalaya is an American Creole and Cajun rice dish of French, African, and Spanish influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice.

23. Biscuits n Gravy

Biscuits and gravy is a popular breakfast dish in the United States, especially in the South. The dish consists of soft dough biscuits covered in either white gravy or brown gravy, made from the drippings of cooked pork sausage, flour, milk, and often bits of sausage, bacon, ground beef, or other meat.

24. Onion Rings

An onion ring, also called a French fried onion ring, is a form of appetizer or side dish in British and American cuisine. They generally consist of a cross-sectional “ring” of onion dipped in batter or bread crumbs and then deep fried; a variant is made with onion paste

25. Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza

Chicago-style pizza is pizza prepared according to several different styles developed in Chicago, widely referred to simply as deep dish pizza due to its cooking style.

26. Banana Split

A banana split is an American ice cream-based dessert consisting of a peeled banana cut in half lengthwise, and served with ice-cream and sauce between the two pieces. There are many variations, but the classic banana split is made with three scoops of ice cream (one each of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry).

27. BLT

A BLT is a type of sandwich, named for the initials of its primary ingredients, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. It can be made with varying recipes according to personal preference. Simple variants include using different types of lettuce, toasting or not, or adding mayonnaise.

28. PB & J

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich consists of peanut butter and fruit preserves—jelly—spread on bread. The sandwich may be open-faced, made of a single slice of bread folded over, or made using two slices of bread.

29. Philly Cheesesteak

A cheesesteak is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of beefsteak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. A popular regional fast food, it has its roots in the U.S. city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

30. Beef Jerky

Beef jerky is a popular and convenient snack food. Its name comes from the Quechua word “ch’arki,” which means dried, salted meat. Normally, this drying includes the addition of salt to prevent bacteria growth before the meat has finished the dehydrating process.

31. Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat that has been combined with other ingredients and formed into the shape of a loaf, then baked or smoked. The final shape is either hand-formed on a baking tray, or pan-formed by cooking it in a loaf pan.

32. Maryland Crab Cakes

Maryland crab cakes are a staple snack in Maryland. These are made from fresh lump crab meat and just enough filler to bind the crabmeat together.

33. Chicken and Waffles

Chicken and waffles is an American dish combining chicken with waffles. It is part of a variety of culinary traditions, including Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine and soul food, and is served in certain specialty restaurants in the United States.

34. Thanksgiving Turkey

At Thanksgiving dinner, turkey is served with a variety of side dishes which can vary from traditional, such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

35. Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are hard-boiled eggs that have been shelled, cut in half, and filled with a paste made from the egg yolks mixed with other ingredients such as mayonnaise and mustard.

Final Word

That was all about the best 35 foods that you must try if you are visiting America for the first time. These foods, out of many famous foods in America, are sure to reward you with an experience you will have a hard time forgetting.

Apart from an idea about the language, attire, currency converter and other relevant stuff, prepare your taste buds to enjoy an experience of lifetime!