Diffusion of Food Culture—Europe vs US

It is well known that throughout much of European history foodstuffs, food preparation, and all etiquette associated with the table was something initiated in the courts, and was diffused throughout the rankings in society.  The Royalty set the example, the members of the court adopted the same food habits, and the Bourgeoise imitated them. Servants and other lower ranking members of society could be exposed to such new customs or foodstuffs in the  houses of their masters or employers, and thus had a food standard to which they could aspire.

Throughout the settling of the United States of America, there were notable limitations to this system of cultural diffusion—the most evident being the lack of proximity to the court.  The Bourgeoise, try as they might to continue in their imitations of up-to-the-date and stylish dishes, utensils, spices, and the like, were often unable to do so.   The lower classes took no interest in imitating this new class of American Bourgeoise and instead, being largely immigrants from a number of countries where the foodstuffs of the higher classes were unattainable, took to the acquisition of what for them had always been the food of the rich.  Thus, the diets of even the relatively poor Italian-Americans, for example, were comparative to those of the most elite Italians still living in Italy.  Although class distinctions were notable on many different levels, food was rarely one of them. The most influential factor for the waves of immigrants that flocked to the United States was that, even if living and working conditions were not always good, there was food in abundance, even for the poorest of folk.  Food culture was thus not diffused within the United States, but the individual groups of immigrants aspired to the foodways of the elite in their countries of origins and thus formed many small, very rich foodways within the United States which allowed for the development a much more open, versatile, and diverse conception of food in early America.

Diner, Hasia R.  "Hungering for America: Italian, Irish, and Jewish Foodways in the Age of Migration". 2002.

Oliver, Sandra. "Food in Colonial and Federal America".  Greenwood Press, WestPort, CT. 2005.