How Did Fast Food Shaped American Culture

America would be nothing had it not been for borrowed cultures, practices, and cuisines. Throughout history, the United States had been built upon diversity and grew through innovation. One will see hundreds of fast food chains all across the country today, however, most items on those menus did not originate from America. Most of them, if not all of them, were borrowed from other countries. Staple foods such as french fries, pizza, and hamburgers that are seen as “American dishes” actually came from European countries instead. Foreign countries have stereotyped America as unhealthy and lazy in the culinary industry, which, was due to the creation of fast food chains. Starting in the 17th century and developing to present-day America, the United

The reason peasants chose it was because the ingredients did not cost much. The only ingredients they needed to make their pizzas were flour, cheese, butter, and oil. With the help of Queen Maria Carolina, pizza began to rise in popularity. One day, she requested a homemade pizza from her royal chef, Raffaele Esposito. Esposito carried out her order and created a pizza resembling the Italian flag. The pizza had the red portion made from tomatoes, the white portion made of mozzarella, and the green portion made with

The first pizzeria in America was created in 1905 by a man named Gennaro Lombardi. It was located on 53 ½ Spring Street, New York City in Little Italy. Pizza was a big hit in America for a variety of reasons, one being its versatility. Over the years, different styles of pizza emerged. Thin crust, or New York style, was a classic Italian style of pizza. It was a skinny crust, with a thin layer of sauce, and light toppings, ranging from plain cheese to toppings such as pepperoni or olives. Another style was deep dish, or Chicago style. This had more bread and sauce, thicker toppings, and more cheese than the New York style. Sicilian style, or thick crust, was one more style of pizza. It had a puffy crust, but still lighter toppings like the New York style. Along with these styles, a variety of toppings on pizza added to the ability to choose exactly what one would like. What also won people over about pizza was the fact that it was so convenient. Besides sit-down pizzerias, many started to give customers the option to take their pizza, or even to have it delivered, home. This gave people both the ability to get just what they wanted, and to not have to leave home. A large characteristic of being successful in America was convenience, as shown with the success of fast food. The casualness of pizza was appealing to people all over America, as well. Pizza has been enjoyed by people of all ages for decades, specifically