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If your stomach is your favourite organ, you could do no better
to fuel your foodie fantasies than in New York, a melting
pot of cuisine's from the different cultural groups in the
city - Jewish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and the good old USA style
can all be found within close reach. Food is always cooked
well, service is immaculate and portions are huge so be prepared
to fill your tum. Many waitresses live off tips so do tip
well, usually around 15 - 20%. If it's your first time in
New York, it's advised to start off with a starter dish, as
it may well fill you up on its own. Just a few of the many
unique style to try:
Kosher Food
East European Jews were the largest group of immigrants to
come to New York and most settled on the Lower East Side.
It is still the best place to find kosher food like pickles
with medicinal properties that clean out your oesophagus.
If pickles aren't your style, try a cherry slush from
one of the street stalls.
Kosher food has strict requirements. Foods which are "un
kosher" are the meat of any animal which does not both
chew its cud and have a split hoof, such as rabbit or hare,
pig, horse, dog or cat. Shellfish and fish living on the sea
beds are also considered "un kosher". In Kosher
there is no mixing of dairy and meat e.g., an animal fat together
with dairy ingredients renders the product unkosher and taints
even the implements used in making it.
Bagels are the archetypal Jewish staple - and the New
York Bagel company in North Dartmouth and Fall Rivers
serve some of the best. A cream cheese bagel is a great breakfast
and a pizza bagel is a great light lunch treat.
American Breakfast
One of the cheapest places to eat in New York is a coffee
shop or diner, and the best value is an American breakfast.
For a few dollars you can get the best meal of the day with
pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausages egg, toast, but best of all,
plenty of steaming hot fresh coffee. Most Americans eat out
every day for breakfast (and lunch and dinner), partly for
convenience but also because food is so cheap compared to
other major cities. For a weekend try a brunch, served late
from 11 to 4 with pancakes, eggs, waffles and washed down
with a Bloody Mary.
Soul Food
You can get the best Southern black cooking in Harlem. It
is called soul food and the tastiest dishes you can find are
at Sylvia's. Soul Food originates from the African
slaves cuisine when they were shipped to the deep south. The
meagre and lowly ingredients available to the slaves and black
families included the less desirable cuts of meat (guts, fat,
offal), and often weedy vegetables. The food is simple but
hearty and delicious, and has since become quite exclusive
and a delicacy to taste in specialist restaurants, though
now finer ingredients are used.
Fried Catfish, chitterlings (pigs intestines), macaroni
and cheese and sweet potato pie are all common
recipes to be found on a menu and lots of variants on chicken
and sea food. |
