America, home to 50 states and with about 306 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by land area and by population in the world. America is also one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations in the world and has a very diverse cultural cuisine to match. It is no secret that food is a big part of America and to its people, but what state contributes the most to food in America and makes it the most important state in the 3rd largest country in the world when talking about food? If you have ever wondered, its California.
California is the 3rd largest state in America and also has the largest population in the country. California is perfect for growing and raising a wide variety of foods because of its different climates and geography, it is also home to the largest irrigation systems in America. In the mid 1800s the gold rush brought a lot of immigrants to the state with different ethnic backgrounds from all over the world, which laid the foundation for the cultural and culinary diversity in the state and is the reason why California is home to so many cuisines and cultures blended together. A lot of foods originated in California, the first orange grove was planted in 1804 at San Gabriel Mission by a group of Franciscan monks and today there are over 160 types of citrus fruits, 18 types of naval oranges, 11 Valencia oranges, 16 kinds of grapefruits, and 16 varieties of lemons. Wine making in America started to take place around 1849 in California.
Agoston Haraszthy, a Hungarian brought back over 100,000 vine clippings from Europe, over 300 types of grapes from places like France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Switzerland and planted them in Sonoma County. Agoston established the Buena Vista, the first California Winery which still does business today. Gallo is the largest winemaker in the world, established in California by 2 Italian brothers Earnest and Julio in 1933, 1 out of every 3 bottles sold in the United States are from Gallo. Areas known in California for wine making are areas like Sonoma, Carneros, Monterey, Central Valley and Santa Barbara, but the most well known area for wine making has to be Napa Valley. The largest agricultural industry in California is Dairy with over $3 billion dollars in revenue, along with the cheese industry(Monterey Jack invented in California, 1 of only 3 cheeses invented in America) makes California the largest farming state in America. The agricultural innovation began in California with a man named Luther Burbank, originally from Lancaster, Massachusetts but later moved to Santa Rosa, California where he began experimenting with different vegetables and farming techniques. Luther was responsible for the research on new produce that were resistant to disease, bugs, and extreme weather conditions.
California is also the home to many food inventions that are now widely known and eaten, not just in America, but across the world.
Foods invented in California:
The Popsicle: Frank Epperson in 1905
Fortune cookies: LA 1916
Cheeseburgers: Rite Spot in Pasadena 1920
Chili Fries: Ptomaine Tommy's in LA 1920
Double Decker Hamburger: Bob's Big Boy in Glendale 1937
Hot Fudge Sundae: C.C. Brown's In Hollywood 1906
Cobb Salad: Brown Derby in Hollywood by the restaurants owner Robert H. Cobb in 1937 (probably the best known food invented in California of them all)
This answers the question and shows why California is the most important state in America when it comes to food and the food industry.
Pomegranate Beef Steak: Serves 4
Ingredients
4 sirloin steak fillets
2 tablespoons of butter
Sauce
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
dash of Tabasco sauce
1 sweet yellow pepper, thinly sliced
small bunch of chives
How To Put It Together
Trim the steaks, take of most of the fat if any.
Rub the steaks well with butter.
Let the steaks rest for 15 minutes then place them on a hot grill and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side.
Mix together the pomegranate juice, lemon juice, cornstarch and tabasco in a saucepan.
Heat until sauce just thickens.
Stir in the sliced peppers and chives
Heat for 1 minute and pour over the steaks and serve immediately.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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