Ethnic Foods: Evolution of Ethnic Foods

Ethnic food changes as the meaning of a group’s ethnicity changes, not only for immigrant generations but also among groups that have been in America for millennia or that formed in the United States. Some Pueblo Indian tribes have lived in the same place for one thousand years but have altered their cuisine as their culture has changed. Bizcochitos (cookies) and fry bread are as much Indian food among Pueblo Indians as the most ancient corn and bean cuisine. New ethno-religious groups such as the Mormons and the Black Muslims were founded with dietary regulations that led to distinctive dishes (honey-wheat bread and bean pie, respectively) within a generation.