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.
多年来，美国一直被称为“大熔炉”——不同个体或群体混居的地方。而这个国家的饮食偏好也表明了这一点。
Many Americans learn about and enjoy different cultures through food. One study shows that Mexican food is the most popular ethnic 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 cuisines 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 readily available -- and less costly.
米哈拉表示，随着一代又一代的移民在美国定居，他们让自己的民族菜变得更容易买到，价格也更实惠。
Thai, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese restaurants are also gaining fans across the country. Their popularity is no accident, either.
泰国餐厅、韩国餐厅、越南餐厅和日本餐馆也在全美范围内受到追捧。这些餐厅受欢迎也不是偶然的。
In 2002, for example, Thailand's government started training chefs and sending them out to share their cuisine with the world. The aim of the "Global Thai" culinary diplomacy 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.
米哈拉说，“这不仅仅是关于食物，还关乎氛围、文化，以及体验一些有趣与难忘的事情。”
In general, she added, Americans are making more adventurous food choices.
她补充说，总的来说，美国人在食物选择方面更喜欢大胆“尝鲜”。
"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.
通常，中国、墨西哥和其他民族菜餐厅比其他餐厅的价格优惠。
But that is also changing.
但那种情况也在改变。
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."
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