Uniquely American Foods to Serve this Fourth of July

Many of us will celebrate the original Thirteen Colonies claiming their independence from the British this Fourth of July by either hosting or attending a barbecue. We anticipate burgers, chicken, hot dogs, and sausages will be lining grills across the country, while barbecue goers enjoy other staples like pasta salad, fruit salad, and coleslaw. We love a barbecue as much as anyone, but this year we thought it would be fun to celebrate the country's independence along with some of the meats, fruits, and vegetables that are uniquely American.

Try adding an American flair to your burgers this Fourth of July by making them with bison or turkey meat. The bison is the largest land animal indigenous to North America, and their meat makes for a great burger. The turkey is also native to the Americas and is becoming a common alternative ingredient to traditional burgers and dogs. But when it comes to topping selection, we suggest a traditional slice of American cheese.

This Independence Day, our side dish choice is going to be potato salad. While potatoes became a food staple in Europe, their origins lie in the Americas with the Inca of Peru somewhere between 8,000 and 6,000 B.C.E. In the early eighteenth century, the first North American potato patch was cultivated in New Hampshire, somewhere between 50 and 70 years before the colonies declared their independence. Potatoes didn’t reach the current largest potato-producing state, Idaho, until the 1830s: but the development of the Russet Burbank potato led to the prosperity of the Idaho potato industry.

Corn is another great food to grill that also originated in the Americas. First cultivated in Mexico, corn quickly spread throughout North and South America. Looking for an even more patriotic angle? The Wampanoag tribe famously shared corn with the Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving. Corn is served many ways these days, but for the Fourth of July we suggest simply throwing it on the grill and eating it off the cob.

Looking to serve a patriotic dessert at your barbecue this Fourth of July? Look no further than two berries native to the Americas: the blueberry and the strawberry. It may seem hard to believe, but commercial blueberries weren't harvested until 1916 in New Jersey. While famous Roman poets such as Virgil and Ovid mention strawberries as far back as the first century, it was the union of two types of strawberries indigenous to the Americas that gave us the berries we eat today. Strawberry shortcake garnished with blueberries makes the perfect red, white, and blue Fourth of July dessert to serve at your barbecue.

We hope everyone has a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday. While you’re celebrating the birth of this country, we hope you will also celebrate with some of the meats, vegetables, and fruits that have their roots in the Americas. Of course, these are just some of the foods that are native to the Americas. If you’re feeling creative this Independence Day, here are a few more can’t-miss foods for your BBQ that originated in the Americas: avocados (excellent on burgers), tomatoes (ketchup), squash (grilled), and cranberries (cocktails).