Known elsewhere in the world as chips or potato wedges, french fries actually originated in Belgium. American soldiers who ate the treat during World War I called them "french fries" because that was the Belgian army's official language, although "french" refers to the style of cut, not the nation.
The word "macaroni" and pasta and cheese recipes are found as far back as medieval Italian cookbooks. The third U.S. president was said to have served macaroni pie at the White House, and the first packaged mix hit the American dinner table in 1937.
The hot dog's nicknames give us a clue to their origin. Frankfurters were served in Germany, while wieners, a sausage made of pork and beef, came from Austria. Coney Island dogs made their appearance around 1870.
What's more American than apple pie? The pastry has origins in England, dating back to the 14th century, and the Dutch version appeared a few centuries later. Americans have adopted the pie as one of its icons since the 18th century.
Hamburger's namesake came from Hamburg, Germany, where Hamburg steak was created, and it was enjoyed by sailors at European and American ports. Several people lay claim to the invention of the modern American hamburger, but there is little doubt that burger front-runners White Castle and McDonald's helped make the burger the popular food it is today.
People have been frying chicken since medieval times in Europe, but easy access to lard in the 18th and 19th centuries in the southern United States helped turn the fried foul into a popular American food. Colonel Sanders of KFC brought the bird in a bucket to American dinner tables.
The chocolate chip cookie was the creation of Ruth Graves Wakefield, owner of the Toll House Inn restaurant in Whitman, Mass. Rumor has it that she sold her recipe to Nestlé for a lifetime supply of chocolate chips. A variation of the original recipe is included on the back of every bag of Nestlé chocolate chips.
The original pizza was born in Naples, Italy, but the dough, cheese and sauce creation has become an American staple food. Many Americans are loyal to either the Chicago deep-dish or the New York thin-crust styles, and toppings are limited only by your imagination.
The popular history of the potato chip traces its beginnings to an unhappy restaurant customer in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in 1853. The customer sent back his fried potatoes for being soggy, so the chef cut the potatoes as thin as possible, fried them to a crisp -- and the potato chip was born.
Popcorn has been enjoyed for thousands of years, starting with the Native Americans who discovered the treat. It gained popularity during the Great Depression because of the snack's low cost. Popcorn is now enjoyed at home as well as at sporting events and in movie theaters
