Midwestern cuisine
Midwestern cuisine in the United States is based on simple dishes such as pot roast, sausage, scrapple (also found in the South), and pancakes. Dairy is an important ingredient, especially cheese. Meals tend to be served family-style rather than in courses. Seasoning is light, and tends to the sweet; Midwestern cooks aim to feed a lot of people without excitement. Midwesterners like to eat the evening meal early, around 6 PM; it is hard to find a restaurant in any small town that serves after 8 PM.
Like most American cuisines, Midwestern cooking is influenced by the cuisine of the immigrants who settled in the region. Scandinavians and Germans settled the northern Midwest, so Swedish and Norwegian lutefisk, Cornish pasties, or Polish pa?czki are often found. Missouri and Illinois were destinations for many ethnic German immigrants, so sausages and potatoes are more prevalent.
The Midwest produces most of America’s grain, beef, and dairy products, and these products are staples of traditional Midwestern cuisine.
The fried-brain sandwich, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, is still popular in the Ohio River valley.