The U.S. has been referred to as a melting pot of different races, religions and cultures. And the culinary cultures of 50 states reflect such cultural diversity.

As it’s difficult to sample dishes from different states in the U.S., the U.S. Embassy in Seoul is offering an online culinary promotion that introduces culinary cultures of every state.

During the promotion period through Jan. 16, 2013, the campaign asks Facebook users to leave posts about American cuisine, selects those who received many “Like” hits on their posts and offers special prizes.

The prizes include roundtrip tickets to any destination in the U.S. for two persons worth $3,000 and four-day vacation packages to Saipan worth $2,000.

The Embassy held a seminar to promote the culinary cultures of states and cities such as Alaska, New York City, Las Vegas, Hawaii, California and Seattle on Tuesday in Seoul.

Representatives from state tourism boards held presentations on tourism and popular local food, attracting Korean travel agencies to the event. 


Alaska: Natural ingredients

Known for its wild beauty, Alaska boasts some of the most healthy ingredients. Smoked salmon, blueberries and Alaskan beer are the most famous indigenous products. Tourists flock to Alaska to see the return of salmon from July to August. During the two months, temporary shops rent out fishing tools and make smoked salmon out of the fish caught in the river flourish.

Alaskan blueberries are also famous and are made into chocolates, jam and syrup, which are the must-buy souvenirs for tourists. Alaskan beer is the favorite beer among Alaskan residents with its five flavors depending on the alcohol content.

Iced coffee and vodka made with a small piece of glacier are also local specialties and offer “one of the most unique experiences” to tourists. The air inside the piece of glacier starts to escape inside the mouth, giving a soda-like sensation. 


New York City: Melting pot of flavors

New York City offers great diversity when it comes to dining ― from fine dining, local eats to international cuisine. The city is home to celebrated chefs and Michelin-starred restaurants. It is also home to some of America’s iconic eats such as hot dogs, bagels and pizza.

It also offers a wide range of international cuisines from Chinese and Korean to Italian and Greek. 

The city hosts the famous NY Restaurant Week twice a year, offering three-course lunches for $24.07 and dinners for $35 at celebrated restaurants. Over 300 restaurants participate in the food fest which is held in July and January.

The city released an iPhone mobile application “NYC Map,” which offers information on about 90,000 hotels, restaurants, bars and tourist attractions and shopping places in the city, which will help tourists navigate the city better.

Hawaii: Asian influence makes unique food

With the influence of Asian immigrants, Hawaii has invented its own unique food, which is a reflection of its cultural diversity.

Asian immigrants combined their own traditional ingredients, such as Korean kimchi and gochujang and Japanese bento and sashimi, and turned Hawaiian cuisine into a fusion of flavors.

Some famous fusion food includes spam musubi, a popular snack made of a block of rice with grilled spam on top, and masalada, a doughnut deep-fried in oil and coated with sugar.

Some famous Hawaiian local products include Macadamia nuts, a key ingredient to the famous chocolate Hawaiian Host, and Dole pineapple.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)