What the American Diet Says About Its Culture

By Garry Rogers @Garry_Rogers

GarryRogers:

Lately I’ve learned that I can’t tell the difference between a soy burger and a cow burger. Flavor and texture are fine. Pile on the tomatoes, lettuce, and onions and you have a great sandwich. Follow Robert Vella’s other suggestions, and add some black soy beans and you will have a complete meal with lots of protein and fiber.

Originally posted on The Secular Jurist:

By Robert A. Vella

If we are what we eat, as the old adage proclaims, then what does the American diet say about its culture? Before delving into this, let’s state for the record that the U.S. is a large nation with many diverse regions and subcultures. What people eat in rural Georgia, for example, can be quite different from an affluent city such as San Francisco. However, there is a larger American culture which transcends these differences and its cuisine is unmistakably unique compared with the rest of the world.

Consider the burger, or its original moniker – the hamburger. The idea of a ground beef patty sandwiched in a bun is so ubiquitous that virtually all types of food establishments serve them. The manager of my local Chinese restaurant revealed once that he sold nearly as many burgers as he did specialty items. You can get…

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