Cuisine of the Midwest
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Midwestern cuisine is a regional cuisine of the American Midwest. Midwestern cuisine generally features simple but hearty dishes. Meals tend to be served family-style or smorgasbord rather than in courses. Seasoning is light, not spicy. Template:Cuisine
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Historical development
The Midwest is frequently referred to as the breadbasket of America. As such, grain production, particularly wheat and corn, has dominated the agriculture and the food. Native American influences are not unknown, as the Midwest is the only producer of wild rice.
Beef and pork processing always have been important Midwestern industries, with Chicago and Kansas City as traditional stockyard and processing centers of the beef trade, while Iowa is the center of pork production in the US.
Dairy, especially cheese, forms an important group of ingredients, with Wisconsin traditionally known as America's Dairy Capital.
As with most American regional cuisines, Midwestern cooking is heavily influenced by the immigrant groups which settled there. Strong Scandinavian influences exist in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Throughout the northern Midwest, Northern European immigrant groups predominated, so Swedish and Norwegian lutefisk, Cornish pasties, or Polish pączki are common. Missouri, Kansas and Illinois were destinations for many ethnic German immigrants, so sausages and potatoes are more prevalent.
Urban centers
Major urban areas in the midwest have distictive cuisine, that can be very different from the areas surrounding it.
Kansas City is an important barbecue center with a distinctive style.
The greater Chicago area features many items exclusive to the area like Italian Beef, Chicago-style hot dog, and Chicago Style Pizza.
Saint Louis, Missouri, reflecting its varied immigrant influences, is known for dishes such as "toasted ravioli" (which is actually breaded and fried), frozen custard, and for making the ice cream cone a popular food.
Italian cuisine is popular in both Chicago and St. Louis. Neighborhoods like The Hill have many Italian restaurants, and Chicagoland Italian restaurants offer pizza all ways — thin-crust, deep-dish, or stuffed.
Seymour, Wisconsin claims to be the birthplace of the modern hamburger, although several other locations make similar claims.
Cincinnati chili is another popular regional urban specialty found originally in its namesake town.
Dishes
These dishes, while not exclusively Midwestern, are commonly thought of as typical Midwestern fare.
- cheese soup
- Macaroni and cheese
- wild rice
- morel mushrooms
- meatloaf
- Mashed potato
- Chicken fried steak
- sweet corn
- whitefish
- hot dish or casserole especially Tuna Hot Dish.
- hamburgers
- Chicago-style pizza
- St. Louis-style pizza
- barbecue