But I bet they were real glad when the Spaniards brought tomatoes back from the new world. Momma Mia! I do love me a good red sauce.
But yea, it makes sense. It’s not like Europe had any cattle ranches the size of, well, Texas, raising millions of head of cattle Every year. So they had to stretch the proteins out and made do with what grew handy.
Hell, even real Mexican food isn’t what most yanks think it is.
And I do love the bastardized Italian food. But good lord, what a restaurant serves, feeds me for a week. Always to-go boxes for after.
Whatever new exotic dishes your people bring to the US, add fat and salt to it and fry it :)