Michigan food is a part of the regional cuisine of the Great Lakes region of North America, which is largely influenced by the Native American culinary traditions as also the cooking styles of Indian, French and several European cuisines, most notably Scandinavian, German, Polish and Dutch. With the settlement of some Arab population in the Detroit-Dearborn metropolitan area of the state, Middle Eastern cuisine has also immigrated into the state’s cuisine and enormously popularized the Hummus and Felafel dishes.
Michigan Recipes: Ingredients Commonly Used
Milk, cheese and butter, majorly sourced from the neighboring Wisconsin, forms a greater part of the staple Michigan diet. For meat preparations, pork and beef are the most preferred choices. Being surrounded by lakes, fish forms an important component of the diet and thus, catfish, bass, walleye and perch commonly make up the Michigan food. Vegetables, wheat and corn are also given a great deal of importance here.
Traditional Michigan Recipes
Ojibwa Wild Rice– This special Michigan food is a rice-based dish cooked with bacon, eggs, pepper, chives and butter.
Fish Boil– Another popular dish from the region, this is a fish preparation incorporating lemons, parsleys, onions, red potatoes, butter and pepper.
Dutch Pancakes– Brought to Michigan from Holland, these traditional pancakes are made by frying a batter made of eggs, milk, flour, salt, brown sugar and butter.
German Potato Salad – Now a popular part of the Michigan diet, this German salad incorporates boiled potatoes, chives and onions bathed in a dressing of cider vinegar, bouillon, vegetable oil and seasoning.
Macaroni and Cheese– One of Michigan’s very own traditional dishes, this is a casserole of macaroni, Swiss and cheddar cheeses generally served with a cornflake or crushed crouton topping.
Hummus– Borrowed from the Middle Eastern cuisine, this Michigan food is made by first pureeing chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini and then, mixing with seasoning, olive oil, paprika and parsley.
Buffalo chicken wings– A much relished food in Michigan as well as in the entire Great Lakes area, this appetizer popularized by the Anchor Bar in Buffalo in 1964 is made by cooking the chicken wings in butter, hot sauce, blue cheese and celery.
Cornish Pasty– Introduced by the British settlers in Michigan, this is a pie dish incorporating coarsely ground chuck cooked with onions, carrots, potatoes, seasoning and eggs.
Michigan Cuisine:Food Habits and Etiquette
Since, a large part of the Michigan population comprises Dutch, Scandinavian and German families with farmer forefathers who settled during the 1880s, generous breakfasts and hearty lunches are the custom here. The German dining etiquette infused the tradition of laying all the prepared foods on the table instead introducing individual servings in batches.
Michigan Cuisine: Trivia
The state ranks 5th in the nation’s maple syrup production. Each year on January, the state selects a Maple Queen and celebrates the Maple Syrup Week in March. Maple Syrup collected from the abundant Maple tree saps in Michigan forms an integral part of Michigan food and drink culture.