Kansas is a midwestern US state situated in the geographical center for the lower 48 states. It's a land of wheat and corn fields, best known the world over as the home of Superman and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. It was originally inhabited by a number of Native American tribes which lived in small villages along rivers or engaged in semi-nomadic lifestyles, chasing buffalo across the plains. After the colonization of America, these were joined by other tribes pushed out of their traditional territories by European settlers. Starting the 1820's, the US government started to forcibly remove tribes from the eastern US to Kansas. After the Civil War, most of these and original Kansas tribes were forcibly moved to Oklahoma and other states. Southern Kansas was part of Mexico and was forcibly annexed by the US after the war with Mexico.
The European-Americans who settled in Kansas came from several countries, most importantly Germany. Kansas cuisine, part of the greater midwestern culinary tradition, owes a lot to these roots. Its dishes are simple and hearty, rich in meat - both the beef and pork industry are significant in the state - and grains. While the food is not fancy, it can be very good and I enjoyed my journey into Kansan cuisine. This is what I made:
Cuisines from other states: American, Alabamian, Arizonan,Californian, Connecticuter, Delawarean, Floridian, Hawaiian, Idahoan, Illinoisan, Kansan
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