VOA慢速英语2020-美国最受欢迎的民族食物是什么？

For years, the United States has been called a melting pot – a place where different individuals or groups of people are mixed together. And the country's food preferences show that.

Many Americans learn about and enjoy different cultures through food. One study shows that Mexican food is the most popular ethnic¹ food in the largest number of states. It is especially popular on the U.S. West Coast. But Chinese food is the top ethnic food nationwide.

"Both cuisines³ have a rich history connected to the large immigrant Chinese and Mexican populations in the U.S." notes Georgie Mihaila. She is with a food-based blog called Chef's Pencil.

The website was the idea of professional chefs, the men and women who prepare meals for top restaurants. It used information from Google's search engine to identify the most popular ethnic food in the country.

Mihaila said that as generations of immigrants settled in the U.S., they made their food more readily⁴ available -- and less costly⁵.

Thai, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese restaurants are also gaining fans across the country. Their popularity⁶ is no accident, either.

In 2002, for example, Thailand's government started training chefs and sending them out to share their cuisine² with the world. The aim of the "Global Thai" culinary diplomacy⁷ program was to increase the number of Thai restaurants worldwide.

Millennials are leading the push for more diverse food experiences. Millennials are now the nation's largest age group. They are generally between the ages of 26 and 40. And they are likely to share their eating experiences on social media.

"It's not just about the food, but also the atmosphere, the culture, about ...experiencing something fun and memorable," Mihaila said.

In general, she added, Americans are making more adventurous⁸ food choices.

"Many of them are seeking new experiences, both when dining out and when cooking for themselves," she said. "I think the pandemic was a great example of that with people trying out more foods that they would cook at home."

Often, Chinese, Mexican and other ethnic food restaurants are less pricey than other eateries.

But that is also changing.

Mihaila said, "You have restaurants opening up across the country that are serving ethnic foods like Mexican, Thai or Indian, that are positioned to serve the upper end of the market."

Such businesses, she added, have seen great success.

I'm Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

preference - n. a feeling of liking⁹ or wanting one person or thing more than another person or thing

cuisine - n. a style of cooking

professional - adj. relating to a job that requires special education, training, or skill

global - adj. involving the entire world

culinary - adj. used in or relating to cooking

adventurous - adj. not afraid to do new and dangerous or exciting things

pandemic - n. an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

3 cuisines   

n.烹饪( cuisine的名词复数 )；菜肴；（通常指昂贵的饭店中的）饭菜；烹饪艺术

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the different features of these cuisines? 能不能告诉我这些不同的烹调流派各自有哪些特点？ 来自地道口语脱口SHOW 高中超越版
• Ice sculptures are used as decorations in some cuisines, especially in Asia. 冰雕在某些菜肴中被当作装饰品，尤其在亚洲。 来自互联网

4 readily   

adv.欣然地，容易地，很快地，立即

参考例句：

• I promise all costs will be readily returned.我保证所有的费用会迅速偿还。
• Most plastics do not readily conduct heat or electricity.大多数塑料不易传热或导电。

5 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

6 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

7 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

8 adventurous   

adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的　

参考例句：

• I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
• He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。

9 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。