10 Foods That Are Actually Invented in America

Fajitas were first made in Texas during the 1930s, near the border with Mexico. Ranch workers received tough cuts of beef that nobody else wanted. They found a way to make the meat taste good by marinating it and cooking it with peppers and onions. The meat was served in warm tortillas. Today, you can find fajitas with chicken, shrimp, or pork, but the original version always used beef skirt steak on a hot pan.

The lobster roll is a popular sandwich from New England in the northeastern United States. Fresh lobster meat is placed inside a special hot dog bun that is toasted with butter. There are two main styles of this sandwich. In Maine, the lobster is served cold with a little mayonnaise. In Connecticut, the lobster is warm and covered in melted butter. Both versions became popular in the 1970s and remain a favorite food in the region today.

The California roll is a type of sushi that was created in Los Angeles during the 1960s. A sushi chef named Ichiro Mashita needed to find a replacement for tuna. He used cucumber, imitation crab, and avocado instead. This combination became very popular because it mixed Japanese and American tastes. Some people say a similar roll was also made in Canada around the same time, but the California version became the most famous one around the world.

A corn dog is a hot dog covered in cornmeal batter and fried on a stick. The history of this food is quite mysterious. Several people tried to create similar foods in the 1920s and 1930s. However, the modern corn dog as you know it today appeared in the 1940s. Ed Waldmire Jr. made his own version called the Cozy Dog in 1946. He served it at fairs in Illinois, and it quickly became a popular snack at events across America.

The banana split is a classic American dessert that has two possible origin stories. Some say David Strickler from Pennsylvania created it in 1904. Others believe Ernest R. Hazard made it in Ohio in 1907. Both versions use a cut banana with three flavors of ice cream: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. The dessert is topped with syrup, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry. Both Pennsylvania and Ohio still celebrate this dessert with special festivals every year.

Orange chicken is one of the most popular dishes at Chinese American restaurants. However, it has very little connection to China. This sweet and crispy chicken dish was invented in Hawaii in 1987. A chef named Andy Kao worked at Panda Express and created the recipe. Interestingly, Kao was trained in French cooking, not Chinese cooking. His creation became so popular that it is now served in thousands of restaurants across the United States and beyond.

German chocolate cake is not from Germany at all. A woman from Texas named Mrs. George Calay created the recipe in 1957. The cake gets its name from the type of chocolate used to make it. This chocolate was created by a man named Sam German in the 1800s, and it was called Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate. The traditional cake has layers of chocolate cake with a special coconut and pecan frosting on top, making it different from other chocolate cakes.

If you go to Italy, you will not find spaghetti and meatballs served together like in America. Italian immigrants who came to New York between 1880 and 1920 created this combination. In Italy, people usually ate pasta and meatballs separately. However, ingredients like ground meat, canned tomatoes, and pasta were cheap and easy to find in America. Italian immigrants combined these ingredients to make a filling meal, and it became a classic American comfort food that is still popular today.

Biscuits and gravy is a traditional Southern American breakfast that started during the Revolutionary War in the 1800s. At first, biscuits were hard and dry. When baking powder was invented, people could make soft and fluffy biscuits more easily. The gravy was made from simple ingredients like sausage drippings, flour, and milk. This made it an affordable meal during difficult times. Today, biscuits and gravy remain a popular breakfast choice in diners and homes across the Southern United States.

Eggs Benedict is a fancy breakfast dish that was created in New York City. The most accepted story says it was invented at Delmonico's restaurant in the 1860s. A customer named Madame LeGrand Benedict wanted something new from the menu. The chef, Charles Ranhofer, created a dish with toasted muffins, ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. There is another story that says it was made as a hangover cure in 1894, but most people believe the Delmonico's story is the true one.