“You are what you eat.” Nutrition experts often use this saying to promote① better eating habits. What we put in our mouths does become a part of us. But we can look at this statement another way. What we eat reflects who we are—as people and as a culture. Do you want to understand another culture？ Then you ought to find out about its food. Learning about American food can give us a real taste of American culture.
What is “American food”？ At first you might think the answer is easy as pie. To many people， American food means hamburgers， hot dogs， fried chicken and pizza. If you have a “sweet tooth，” you might even think of apple pie or chocolate chip cookies. It’s true that Americans do eat those things. But are those the only kind of vittles② you can find in America？
Except for Thanksgiving turkey， it’s hard to find a typically “American” food. The United States is a land of immigrants③. So Americans eat food from many different countries. When people move to America， they bring their cooking styles with them. That’s why you can find almost every kind of ethnic food in America. In some cases， Americans have adopted foods from other countries as favorites. Americans love Italian pizza， Mexican tacos and Chinese egg rolls. But the American version doesn’t taste quite like the original！
As with any large country， the USA has several distinct regions. Each region boasts its own special style of food. Visit the South and enjoy country style cooking. Journey through Louisiana for some spicy Cajun cuisine. Take a trip to New England and sample savory seafood dishes. Travel through the Midwest， “the breadbasket of the nation”， for delicious baked goods. Cruise over to the Southwest and try some tasty Tex Mex treats. Finish your food tour in the Pacific Northwest with some gourmet coffee.
Americans living at a fast pace often just “grab a quick bite.” Fast food restaurants offer people on the run everything from fried chicken to fried rice. Microwave dinners and instant foods make cooking at home a snap. Of course， one of the most common quick American meals is a sandwich. If it can fit between two slices of bread， Americans probably make a sandwich out of it. Peanut butter and jelly is an all time American favorite.
Americans on the go also tend to eat a lot of “junk④ food”. Potato chips， candy bars， soft drinks and other goodies are popular treats. Many people eat too many of these unhealthy snacks. But others opt⑤ for more healthy eating habits. Some even go “all natural”. They refuse to eat any food prepared with chemicals or additives.
American culture is a good illustration⑥ of the saying “you are what you eat.” Americans represent a wide range of backgrounds and ways of thinking. The variety of foods enjoyed in the U.S. reflects the diversity of personal tastes. The food may be international or regional. Sometimes it’s fast， and sometimes it’s not so fast. It might be junk food， or maybe it is natural food. In any case， the style is all American.
① promotev. 宣传，推销
② vittlen. 食物，补给
③ immigrantn. （外来）移民，侨民
④ junkn. 废弃的旧物
⑤ optv. 选择
⑥ illustrationn. 例子，实例
美式食物
“你吃什么就成为什么样子。”营养专家经常使用这句话来倡导更好的饮食习惯，入嘴的东西确实成为我们的一部分。但我们也可以从另一个角度来看这句话，我们所吃的反映出我们自己——不论就人或文化而言。你想了解另一种文化吗？那么你应该去认识他们的食物。认识美国食物可以让我们得知美国文化的精髓。
何谓“美式食物”？乍听之下你可能认为答案容易得很。对许多人而言，美式食物就是汉堡、热狗、炸鸡和比萨。如果你是好吃甜食的人，你可能会想到苹果派或巧克力片饼干。美国人确实吃这些东西，但这些就是你在美国唯一找得到的食物吗？
除了感恩节火鸡以外，挺难找到典型的美国食物。美国是个移民之地，所以美国人吃的食物来自许多不同的国家，当人们移居美国，他们也将自己的烹调带了进来。那也就是为什么在美国你几乎可以看到所有不同民族的食物。在某些情况中，美国人把外国的食物视为最爱。美国人喜爱意大利的比萨，墨西哥的玉米饼和中国的春卷，但是这些东西的美国版味道却不很道地！
和许多大国一样，美国有数个截然不同的地区，每个地区都以自己特有的食物夸口。走访美国南部享受乡村式的烹调；到路易斯安纳州品尝辛辣的凯郡式料理；走一趟新英格兰试尝它美味的海鲜；再到中西部“美国的面包之乡”品尝可口的烘培食品；乘船游览至西南部尝试一些好吃的墨式德州小吃，最后到太平洋西北岸，啜饮美食家的咖啡，作为美食之旅的句点。
生活在快速步调之下的美国人通常只能“很快地吃几口”。快餐店提供赶时间的人各种食物，从炸鸡到炒饭，应有尽有。微波炉晚餐和实时餐点使得在家烧饭省事又快速。当然，最平常的美式速餐之一就是三明治。任何能夹在两片土司中间的东西，美国人就可以把它作成一份三明治，花生酱和果酱更是一直都深受美国人的喜爱。
忙碌的美国人也趋向于吃一大堆“垃圾食物”。洋芋片、糖果、汽水和其他好吃的东西都颇受欢迎。许多人吃了太多这类不健康的零嘴，但是其他人则选择较健康的饮食习惯，有些人甚至选择“全天然”的食物，他们拒绝吃任何有化学制品或添加物的食物。
美国文化是“你吃什么就成为什么样子”这句话的好写照。美国人代表了范围广泛的背景和想法。在美国可享受到的各式食物正反映出个人品味的多样化。这食物可能是国际性也可能是地区性的；有时是快餐，有时也不见得；它可能是垃圾食物，也可能是天然食品。然而无论如何，它们都是美式的。