A FOOD TRADITION
California cuisine
California cuisine is a modern regional tradition associated with the state’s agricultural abundance, Pacific and Mexican influences, Asian and Mediterranean migration, and the development of ingredient-driven restaurant and home cooking. Fresh produce, citrus, avocados, seafood, grains, nuts, and wine-country ingredients are prominent. Characteristic approaches include grilling, roasting, raw or lightly cooked preparations, seasonal menu composition, and fusion grounded in regional produce. Representative examples include California-style fish tacos, cioppino, and salads built around avocado and citrus. The tradition is broader than a restaurant movement, though its boundaries and relationship to contemporary American cooking remain historically fluid.
Dishes linked to this cuisine
1–5 of 5
California cioppino
A San Francisco Italian-American catch-of-the-day stew brimming with crab, scallops and other shellfish.
California roll
A Los Angeles sushi roll created with cooked crab and rice on the outside of the seaweed wrapper.
Los Angeles French dip sandwich
A Los Angeles roast-beef sandwich served dipped in, or alongside, savoury meat broth.
San Diego taquitos
A San Diego creation of savoury filling rolled tightly in tortillas and fried whole until crisp.
San Francisco Mission burrito
An oversized Mission District burrito packed with meat, beans, rice, salsa, guacamole and cheese.
Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.