Why are the meals so big? The rules (and myths) of dining in the US

If you’ve ever tried to order breakfast in the US after a big night out, you will understand – dining here is different.

Take the choices for breakfast. You think you’ve done your job, scanned the huge laminated bifold menu, decided on just standard bacon and eggs. But then you still have all these decisions to make.

How would you like your eggs? Fried, scrambled, poached? Sunny side up or over easy? Over medium or over hard? Hash browns or home fries? White bread, rye bread, whole wheat, muffin or bagel? Cream and sugar?

Even once you’ve ordered the bacon and eggs, you still have all these decisions to make.Credit: iStock

You fumble your way through that, attempt to tackle the mountain of food that swiftly appears in front of you, slurp your bottomless cup of filter coffee, and you’re still not done because the bill (or check) will arrive soon, and you will have to figure out how much to tip, just to avoid making a scene.

This is the reality of dining out in the US. It’s different. The rules are different. The norms are different. The experience is different.

That may feel like a bad thing when you’re mired elbows deep in hashbrowns you didn’t actually want at a roadside diner you regret choosing, but mostly it’s good. This is travel. This is discovery.

Let’s talk about the myths of food in the US. Frankly, it’s supposed to be pretty bad. American food is supposed to be a vast monotony of chain-store burgers and fries, whopping portions of greasy sludge, bucket-sized soft drinks and sticky syrup tipped on anything that’s not already stupendously over-sweetened.

And in a way, yes, it is. Depending on where you are, you may be ready to sacrifice a limb in exchange for a fresh green vegetable or a protein that’s not served in patty form.

But look a little further and you will be pleasantly surprised by the diversity and complexity of American cuisine.

Decisions, decisions... Eggs come fried, scrambled, poached, sunny side up, over easy, medium or over hard.Credit: iStock

Remember that, much like Australia, this modern country has been built on migration, and all of those migrants have brought with them their culinary passions and skills.

The most visible and readily available is Latin American, in particular Mexican cuisine. There is just so, so much great Mexican food across the US, dishes that are so far advanced from the tacos-and-burritos fare we’re typically restricted to in Australia.

Most are affordable too, although Mexican food, a strength of US dining, has also been taken into the fine-dining sphere.

But then, the US also has excellent Korean food, and Korean fusion. It has its own distinctive Chinese cuisine, featuring dishes such as General Tso’s chicken and chop suey that you just won’t find anywhere else. Italian food here is distinctive – just check out the pizzas. There’s American Jewish cuisine. Creole and Cajun cuisine.

Don’t forget the styles of food, and of dining, that are homegrown and delicious. You haven’t tried barbecued meat until you’ve had it in the US, until you’ve had smoked brisket in Texas, pork ribs in Memphis, whole-beast pork roasts in North Carolina, pulled meats in Louisville.

The US is also the home of the farm-to-table movement, with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients. There’s a booming fine-dining culture across much of the country, with galaxies of Michelin stars.

There’s an obsession with craft beer, a nationwide scene that has to be the best in the world. There’s a trend right now for tinned fish, tapping into a classic preservation method more often associated with Portugal and Spain.

You get to explore so many regional differences in the US too, from south to north, east to west. There’s lobster in Maine, crawfish in Louisiana, bison in Montana. There’s thin-crust pizza in New York, deep-dish in Chicago, and square-cut pies in the Midwest.

You will, of course, have to get your head around the tipping culture in order to enjoy all of these delicacies. Good luck with that.

You’ll also have to get used to giant glasses of iced water that you didn’t ask for, and bottomless coffee that really should stop, and complex breakfast orders at a time when you would just like someone else to make all the decisions for you.

But, really, the food is great.

The mysteries of dining stateside: your questions answered

Why are servings seemingly always so big in the US? It’s not a case of “seemingly” – they really are that enormous. The theory behind the US’s belt-busting portion sizes is that post-World War II, advances in farming technology, coupled with US government subsidies for farmers in the 1970s, made the production of food far cheaper. Restaurants realised that by making relatively inexpensive increases to their portion sizes, they could charge more for their food and maximise profits.

Why is tipping so entrenched in the States? This is complex. The practice was first popularised in the mid-1800s by upper-class Americans who visited Europe and decided to mimic that continent’s tipping culture back home. Tipping became more widespread after the Civil War, when freed slaves were often employed in hospitality roles on minuscule wages, with the encouragement for patrons to make up the shortfall. Then a US law, introduced in the 1960s, allowed employers to pay under minimum wage if their staff could earn tips.

How on Earth do I best work out the right amount and way to tip? You may hear that as a general rule, 15 to 20 per cent is the correct amount to tip wait staff in restaurants. In practice, however, 15 per cent will be considered a bad tip. It really needs to be 20 per cent, even more. Remember: always carry cash.

Why do Americans hold their cutlery so differently to us? For those unaware, Americans will generally eat by first using their knife and fork to cut up three or four decent mouthfuls, then laying the knife down and transferring the fork to the right hand. Like tipping, this is a custom imported from Europe in the mid-1800s. The style was briefly popular there and was noticed by visiting American aristocrats.

What’s the thing about Americans always wanting a glass of iced water with every meal? One of the chief complaints from American travellers in Europe is that they’re always having to ask for iced tap water with their meal. And sometimes not getting it. There’s no real reason for this obsession – you’ll just have to get used to it.