Foods of the Western Hemisphere

Home , Canadian cuisine, Latin American cuisine

Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/ ELA: The Western Hemisphere Unit 6: Hands across the Hemisphere Lesson 2: Introduction to the Cultural Garden

American Cuisine

To most of the world, the term American cuisine means American food, which means fast food—hamburgers and French fries. One of the best ways to understand American cuisine is to take a look at each of the major regions. Early settlers and later immigrants have combined the food from their homelands with foods and food traditions they found in each region's environment to create distinct and uniquely American food traditions. In some cases these regional cuisines have subsequently spread beyond local borders to become national, and in some cases international, trends.

Traditional dishes of the regions included the New England–style boiled dinner of beef, cabbage, and root vegetables simmered in a broth; a milk-based chowder including potatoes and often served with chowder cracker. Those who hail from the South have great pride in their region and its history. Popular meat dishes include Southern fried chicken The Midwest and western plains states were settled by people looking for more land. Regional dishes include meats such as buffalo, venison, and game birds, and fish such as trout, pike, and perch. The cooking of the region also incorporates other special items, such as cherries, cranberries, wild rice, sunflowers (for seeds and oil), soybeans, wheat, corn, cheeses and other dairy products, and pork. Traditional dishes and ingredients include hash, steaks, roasts, stews, battercakes or pancakes, breads, and grilled, fried, or smoked fish.

Canadian Cuisine Canada, like the United States, has foods that reflect the regions of the country and the cultural heritage of those who settled there. The foods of the Inuit are very different than the foods of other groups. Here we only look at the foods of one other group of settlers, the French Canadians.

Putnam /Northern Westchester BOCES Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/ELA Curriculum Page 1 Revised November 2014

Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/ ELA: The Western Hemisphere Unit 6: Hands across the Hemisphere Lesson 2: Introduction to the Cultural Garden

Inuit

The food that is obtained from hunting is what is called country food. It contributes to the Inuit health and it gives a sense of wellness by providing the people with a way to participate in their culture. It is while hunting and living on the land that the elders taught responsibility and the skills that give confidence to the people.

The time spent on the land helps bring the Inuit inner harmony and balance. It also helps maintain mental and physical well-being. Much of the time spent with family and friends happens while hunting, preparing the country foods, and taking part in meals. The kind of country food that is eaten varies, depending on where you live and on the different seasons of the year. Over the year, around 25 to 30 different species for food, including duck eggs, mussels, seaweed and various types of berries are eaten. Certain foods, such as caribou, ringed and bearded seals, beluga whale, muktuk, Arctic char and even duck eggs are often eaten raw or frozen. Polar bear is always cooked, and frequently walrus as well, because of problems with parasites.

French Canadian Ever since the first French explorer landed on the Quebec shores, maple sugar dishes have been the pleasure of Quebec cooking. At feasts and celebrations, it seems that every one of the conventional dishes contains maple syrup - a real treat of traditional dishes are the maple syrup sweets topped with whipped cream.

The Quebec cuisine, more than any other in Canada, is truly a Canadian culinary heritage. The origin of these foods goes back to 1534, when the French first came to Quebec - some 86 years before the English pilgrims first stepped ashore in Plymouth. Even though many of the dishes have their bases in the kitchen of France, they evolved in Quebec to become that province's unique culinary art.

Putnam /Northern Westchester BOCES Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/ELA Curriculum Page 2 Revised November 2014

Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/ ELA: The Western Hemisphere Unit 6: Hands across the Hemisphere Lesson 2: Introduction to the Cultural Garden

Latin American Cuisine

Latin America is made up of many countries and each has a cuisine that reflects the unique groups of people who lived there. Here we will only look at the foods of Argentina.

Argentina Argentina is known for its asado of grilled beef. Grilled meat is placed on a wire rack and cooked from below with natural wood and coal. Traditional foods of the provinces such as locro date back to the pre-Columbian period, with maize, beans and squashes. Another traditional food is the empanada, a circular piece of pastry folded in two and closed with some filling inside (chopped meat, olives, hard-boiled egg, potato cubes, raisins, ham and cheese, and many other variants), which can be grilled or fried. Sweets, especially dulce de leche, are popular. Dulce de leche (a dark brown fluid paste, made from milk and sugar stirred at very high temperatures) is an ingredient of cakes, takes the place of jelly and jam in breakfasts, and is used to top desserts and to fill alfajores and facturas. Factura is the generic name for sweet baked pastry of different kinds.

Putnam /Northern Westchester BOCES Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/ELA Curriculum Page 3 Revised November 2014

Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/ ELA: The Western Hemisphere Unit 6: Hands across the Hemisphere Lesson 2: Introduction to the Cultural Garden

Name: ______Date: ______

Foods of the Western Hemisphere

Food Country Evidence to Support Thinking

Putnam /Northern Westchester BOCES Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/ELA Curriculum Page 4 Revised November 2014