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The great state of California carries some of the most rich
aspects of American culture, from the pioneers to the gold rush
to quality cuisine. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Oregon,
Nevada, Arizona, and Baja, classic California food can take on
many forms. The unique cuisine of California is earmarked by a
tradition of freshness and home grown quality, calling forth to
mind fresh leafy green salads, fruit, and organic
just-about-anything. California is one of the major agricultural
centers of the United States. The state of California, as one of
the nation's leading producers of fresh produce, has an extreme
abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. When it comes to food
in California, a lot of the focus is shifted to quality and
nutritiousness rather than cost, taste, or anything else. While
this does not necessarily mean that California cuisine tastes
badly, it is not for everyone. Those who prefer a heavier, fried
or battered food would have better luck sampling some other type
of cuisine. Fruits and nuts account for at least a quarter of
California's farm income, and vegetables in themselves account
for another 25 percent. This includes the famous grapes,
oranges, nectarines, peaches, nectarines. and avocados that
California is famous for producing, as well as almonds,
pistachios, and walnuts. Organic food, which is grown without
the aid of pesticides, insecticides, and other potentially
harmful additives, is also an extremely popular aspect of
California cuisine. Don't get it confused, though; contrary to
popular belief, California food is not all about grapes, nuts,
yogurt, and organic orange juice. The taste of California is, of
course, highly accented by its major influence from the
south--of course, Mexico. Tex-Mex or Baja-style cooking plays an
integral role in good old-fashioned California Cuisine.
Mexican-style food is part of the way of life in California;
with the dense Mexican-American population in California (about
34.3 percent of the total number of California residents), a
great California chef can put a south of the border twist on
just about anything! El Pollo Loco is a fast-food restaurant
very commonly seen in California. El Pollo Loco, which
translates into The Crazy Chicken, specializes in marinated,
grilled chicken in tacos, burritos, or alone. El Pollo Loco is
an excellent representation of southern California's obsession
with Baja-style "Mexican" food. There are some restaurants in
California, even, that boast to serve the "classic Californian
cuisine." The California Pizza Kitchen is a chief example of
this type of restaurants. The California Pizza Kitchen has more
than 180 locations all over the United States and the world. On
July 5 the company even opened a CPK in Shanghai, China. They
specialize in making food authentically "California-style." The
Pizza Kitchen specializes in healthier foods; they mainly serve
many different kinds of salad and pizza. All of their pizzas are
specially prepared in an open flame pizza oven, conforming to
the California trend of healthier meal preparation and eating.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a food and nutrition expert specializing the
Mexican, Chinese, and Italian food. Visit
http://www.food-and-nutrition.com/ for more information on
cooking delicious and healthy meals.
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