Affiliated States of Boreoamerica thread

[False Dmitri]

Hey, first time poster but longtime lurker on this thread (and big fan!).

I came across this performance, which recounts the Anti-Rent War of 1840s upstate New York from a contemporary left-anarchist perspective. I was wondering if an event like this occurred in the history of TTL's New Netherland, and if so then if its legacy became a touchstone for later struggles against the patroon class, which if i recall correctly remained influential in New Netherland into the 20th century. Perhaps (as with the song) it could also be extended to other types of landlordism and become a rallying cry for tenant's-rights, socialist, anarchist etc. demonstrations.

Just some thoughts!

Beautiful song! What I know about the patroons is that their power was eroded bit by bit, and the estates were converted to municipalities, and in most cases split up. They still exist as a recognized traditional class but have no political power at all. They sit in the confederal Council of Chiefs but have nothing like that at the state level. How did they come to surrender their power? That's a story that hasn't been told yet, and making it correspond to the Anti-Rent movement is perfect, I think.

 

[Griffin04]

Great! It occurs to me that the actual rising itself might have been less successful than its OTL counterpart- the patroons, I imagine would have a good deal more influence than their counterparts in OTL 1840s New York and might be able to get significantly more resources committed to crushing it. Of course, a more powerful patroon class might inspire a more widespread anti-rent movement, especially among those who work on the estates of patroons who are given to abuse that power. I can see the anti-rent movement playing a similar role to the Chartists of OTL Great Britain, in that their movement, although suppressed, might contribute to some significantly less radical reform efforts by parliamentary means.

 

[False Dmitri]

Great! It occurs to me that the actual rising itself might have been less successful than its OTL counterpart- the patroons, I imagine would have a good deal more influence than their counterparts in OTL 1840s New York and might be able to get significantly more resources committed to crushing it. Of course, a more powerful patroon class might inspire a more widespread anti-rent movement, especially among those who work on the estates of patroons who are given to abuse that power. I can see the anti-rent movement playing a similar role to the Chartists of OTL Great Britain, in that their movement, although suppressed, might contribute to some significantly less radical reform efforts by parliamentary means.

I think that's about right. It occurs to me that another part of the story could be a shift in the balance of power from the Hudson valley patroons to the City. It may be that the new urban elite had just about had it with the patroons' power in state politics, and saw the renters' revolt as an opportunity to strike at it.

 

[Tsochar]

A long time ago somebody asked about state foods; I always wanted to do a writeup on them but was inspired last night. Here are the first 25:

State Dishes:
Cuisine in the ASB is as varied as the states that make it up. Every state has its own unique culinary tradition, and a number of dishes that were invented in the state, sometimes available nowhere else. Some states have passed legislation naming a certain dish to be the "state food," which usually has no real legal consequence.

Allegheny - A mixture of Iroquois, Pennamite, French, and mountain traditions give Allegheny a unique, yet familiar flavor. The "three sisters," maize, beans, and squash, while present, is not as ubiquitous as it is in Iroquoia, and they prepare local game such as venison and rabbit more than almost any other state. Their state dish is the "Venison roll," a sweet and savory pastry filled with ground venison and sometimes a vegetable such as squash. Common variants use canned meats, less sweet bread, or are fried.
Arques - Connected as it is to Lower Louisiana, Arques shares many seafood preparations, most often adapted for freshwater dishes like catfish. As the center of rice production in the mainland ASB, Arques also has a unique variety of rice dishes. One such dish is sugar rice, which is a type of porridge eaten as a breakfast food. Arkques-style fried rice is often distinguished from its Chinese counterpart from its use of local spices and sauces.
Assiniboia - As a metis nation, Assiniboia's cuisine is very similar to Metis cuisine elsewhere - buffalo and other game meats, along with local berries for flavor, suitable for a rustic lifestyle in the remote north. The official state dish is Pemmican, which is ground buffalo meat dried and pounded into a coarse powder, then mixed with rendered fat to yield a high-calorie paste. However, Pemmican is rarely eaten today, and many Assiniboians jokingly say their state dish is "Mayo au miel," a sauce made from honey, mayonnaise, and spices that can be put on many different foods.
Bahamas - This island state, predictably, eats a lot of seafood; it is firmly Caribbean when it comes to most of its food, with ingredients such as coconut, cowpea, rice, plantains, fish, pork, goat, and okra. The classic dishes such as Ackee and Saltfish, macaroni pie, coconut black cake, and pelau are all eaten here. However, the Bahamas' claim to fame is its great variety of Conch dishes, often in the form of soups and stews. The other uniquely Bahamian dish is called Fire Engine, and consists of corned or steamed beef heavily seasoned with hot peppers over rice.
Bermuda - Its unique geographic position far from both the mainland and the caribbean gives Bermuda a unique culinary heritage. Many traditional English and Virginian dishes are eaten there, but its claim to fame is seafood; its state dish is Fish Chowder, which is a tomato-based chowder made with local fish, peppers, and rum. "Fried Jellyfish" is sometimes jocularly called the state dish as well - the dish is wholly fictional, invented by a travel magazine writer who had never been to the island, but tourists coming to the island began ordering it. Some restaurants prepare dishes called "fried jellyfish," but they usually do not contain jellyfish at all.
Canada - French Fries have an unknown hotly disputed origin, and its many names show this; different states and countries name them as being from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, New Netherlands Galicia, and, of course, Canada, hence the local name "Pommes de la terre a la Canadienne" or "Pommes Canadiennes" for short. The name of the dish is prescribed by legislation, and any restaurant in Canada serving the dish must call it some variant of that name. Since the dish has become so ubiquitous throughout the ASB, Canadiens have more recently taken to calling Poutine, a dish consisting of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy, their real state dish.
Carolina - Carolina's official state dish is simply cornbread, but the question of state dish has a history of controversy. In the slavery era, black slaves made their food from the parts and ingredients their white owners didn't want. As a result, their descendent groups eat different dishes. Complicating the matter are the fact that most of these dishes are extremely similar, but have different names, and the fact that the Piedmonters kept their own, separate cuisine. As a compromise, they named the official state dish cornbread, since it was one of the few dishes that had a consistent name and form among all three groups.
Cayman Islands - Tied to Jamaica for much of its history, the Caymans shares several dishes with the larger island, such as Jerk chicken, and curry goat. It also shares many wider caribbean dishes such as Ackee and Saltfish, Johnny Cake, and Coconut Shrimp. The official state dish, however, is Turtle Stew, which is made with turtle meat, cassava, potatoes, onions, and peppers. A popular condiment is chili sauce, of which there are a variety to be used for either seasoning or as marinade before cooking.
Cherokee - Cherokee cuisine draws from its own old history, that of its close neighbors, and from more modern European borrowings. The state dish is Kanuchi, a porridge-like delicacy made from hickory nuts and hominy, though modern recipes use rice instead of hominy. Other common dishes are bean bread, which is corn bread with beans folded into it, and grape dumplings. Many restaurants across the ASB serve grape dumplings as dessert, to the point that most don't realize it was a native invention.
Chickasaw - Like Cherokee, Chicasaw draws from its own tradition, that of its neighbors, and from European dishes. Chickasaw also claims to have invented the grape dumpling, but their state dish is Pashofa, a soup-like dish made from hominy and meat, usually pork, served cold. Other dishes include pastries made from native plants, such as chestnut bread, acorn bread, and molasses bread, which is not an indigenous dish but has become a traditional dessert in the state.
Choctaw - Banaha, sometimes called the Choctaw state dish, is a type of cornbread covered in gravy or other oil, sometimes baked with beans or peas inside. It is eaten widely among all native tribes in the region, often under different names. Other dishes include tamfula, which is a corn mush with berries added, and hunters' stew, which is made with beef, venison, and various vegetables, and is often reserved for holidays.
Christiana - As the sole Commonwealth realm in the ASB, Christiana has its share of unique foods, drawing from both Scandinavian and Russian cuisine. Christiana has no official state dish, but its most well-known invention is probably the Skraddarbulle, or Tailor's Ball, which is a variant of the traditonal swedish meatball containing salted pork, fish, and a variety of spices. The Russian-Christianan community also eats variations of traditional Russian dishes such as beef stroganoff, which in the Christianan style has cheese in its sauce, and pelmeni, a meat dumpling which is in Christiana is usually fried and served with ketchup.
Cuba - Cuba has a rich and unique cuisine all its own, with influences from Spanish, English, and African cuisine. Some of their famous dishes are black bean soup, fried plantains, and mixto, a pressed sandwich with pork, cheese, pickles, and mustard. The state dish, however, is Ropa Vieja, which is made from shredded beef cooked in a tomato-based sauce with bell peppers and other vegetables. Other hispanophone Caribbean states have their own variants of the dish, but the cuban recipe is often considered definitive one.
Dakota - The Sioux have their own unique culinary history, relying heavily on buffalo and other game. As such, the Dakota state dish is Wohanpi, a stew made of buffalo meat, potatoes, and carrots. Natives who migrated from the Mexican deserts also brought their own culinary traditions, often making use of pork and chili peppers, and it's not uncommon to find regional variants of Wohanpi that incorporate these ingredients.
East Acadia - Although seafood features heavily in the East Acadian diet, and the state has abundant shellfish such as lobster, scallops, and oysters, the official state dish is Poutine Rapee, a boiled potato dumpling filled with pork. The dish is usually reserved for special occasions since it takes several hours to prepare. It is often served with maple syrup or blueberry preserves.
East Dominica - East Dominica has much in common with other cuisines in Hispanophone states. However, the dish that it unofficially claims for its own is called "Tres Golpes," or "three hits." It refers to the three staples of cheese, salami, and eggs served over boiled plantain mush. The dish is traditionally eaten by field workers for their lunches. Afro-Dominicans usually call the dish "Mangu," a word borrowed from West African languages to describe a similar dish. However, the cheese, salami, and eggs are a local addition.
East Florida - The states' long connection with Spain and Cuba have given it a culinary culture that is in some ways typically Spanish, but the variety of tropical fruits grown in the state often add sweetness to replace the spiciness of its Caribbean counterparts. It also has influences from its continental neighbors, for example in its Shrimp and Grits dish. Its official dish, however, is called Sopa Menorquina, a tomato-based clam chowder with lime juice and a Caribbean-style assortment of spices. Its name comes from the Minorcan sailors who are said to have invented it in the late 18th century. Sopa Menorquina, despite its official status, is not widely prepared outside the capital of San Agustin.
Huronia - Huronia's cuisine is very similar to that of Canada and the other Francophone states, but with more native influences thanks to the Metis living there. Huronians usually call their food "simpler" than Canadian dishes, relying on fewer imported or expensive ingredients. This is evident in their unofficial state dish, Lard au Mais, which is a cut of thinly-sliced, brine-cured pork loin covered in corn meal and often eaten on a bun.
Illinois - Illinois cuisine has influences from both native and french traditions, and it in the ASB. The state is a major center of agriculture for the whole country, especially when it comes to growing corn and pumpkins. Local folklore holds that the natives in this state were the first to discover popcorn, so that is sometimes named as the state dish, but other dishes such as pumpkin bread and kitchiwey, a stew made from beef, vegetables, and pumpkin flesh.
Iroquoia - Iroquois cuisine has had a lasting impact on cuisines throughout the ASB, and many of its dishes have been adopted by other peoples, such as green bean soup, berry bread, and whitecorn pudding. Iroquois claim to have popularized the "three sisters," beans, squash, and maize, and these ingredients make up a good part of Iroquois cuisine. Iroquois grow a special cultivar of white corn that is legally protected such that it cannot be grown commercially elsewhere in the ASB. The state dish is succotash, a simple bean and corn dish which the Iroquois claim to have invented, although this is disputed by the Narragansett.
Labrador - Labrador, as the ASB's sole subarctic territory, features many foods that are not found elsewhere in the country, such as seal and whale meat. Because these ingredients are so rare outside Labrador, they are usually unknown to the ASB at large. The Metis, Inuit, and Innu communities, despite their low populations, maintain distinct culinary traditions. The Metis, descended from whalers and fishermen, tend toward local seafood prepared in a European style, such as seal flipper pie. The Inuit, similarly coastal, use similar ingredients but different techniques; some of there dishes are Aglunak, which is fermented fish, and Akutak, which is an ice cream-like dessert made from berries with a base of rendered fat instead of milk or cream. The Innu, living away from the coasts, heavily use caribou in their dishes; one unique dish they have is called Uimashkatai, which is a soup made from the abdominal lining of Caribou, considered a delicacy.
Lower Connecticut - New England has a rich and celebrated tradition of seafood dishes, such as lobster, oysters, various fish, and clams, and Lower Connecticut is no exception. The unofficial state dish is clam pie, a savory pie made from clams, often with a crispy crust. Lower Connecticut also has influences from neighboring New Netherland, such as the dish hodgepodge, which refers to a potato-and-vegetable mash in Lower Connecticut but a stew in the rest of New England.
Lower Louisiana - Lower Louisiana is famous for its food, and calls itself the gastronomic heart of the country. Etouffee, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and mediatrice, are all dishes that originally come form, or were popularized by, Lower Louisiana. There is no official state dish (rather, the culinary tradition as a whole is officially recognized as a Lower Louisianan cultural treasure), but if you ask anyone in the state they will say it is gombo, a thick soup made with shellfish, tomatoes, vegetables, and roux, with heavy seasonings added. Gombo is wildly popular in the state and central to many of its traditions.
Lower Virginia - In many ways, Lower Virginia has many features typical of English states. Being on the shellfish-rich Chesapeake Bay, Lower Virginians are proud of their seafood, but the official state dish is actually Brunswick Stew, a tomato-based chicken stew that includes corn, beans, and potatoes. The stew is also popular in Carolina, which also claims to have invented the dish. Some Lower Virginians consider Virginian Ham, a ham smoked and dry-cured in salt, sugar, and spices, to be an alternate state dish, although Carolina also claims this dish, albeit without smoking or sugar. The Accomacs, living on the eastern shore of the state, claim oysters as their "county dish," as oysters are more plentiful there than almost anywhere else in the ASB.
Maryland - Marylanders typically consider themselves to be very close to Virginians, both culturally and geographically, and their cuisines are no exception. One can find the same regional dishes in Virginia as in Maryland with very few exceptions. Maryland officially names Blue Crab as its state food, though the specific dish is not specified. Blue crab is often steamed or made into crab cakes, mixed into a creamy dip, or cooked into soup or bisque; Marylanders are proud of both the quality and the variety of their crab dishes. There are other seafood specialties in the state, such as conch fritters and fried shrimp, and non-seafood dishes such as pit beef, which is roast beef grilled at high temperature so as to be rare with a crispy outside.

I finally got around to finishing this.

Massachusetts Bay - The state, centered around the eponymous bay, is of course very proud of its seafood. It has many official state dishes, but the most iconic is very likely Massachusetts Clam Chowder, also called Boston Clam Chowder, or simply "chowder" locally. This variety of chowder has a thick cream base, as opposed to the thin tomato broth that is popular in East Florida and Bermuda. Locals consider this to be the only true chowder, others being considered soups for their inclusion of ingredients like pork, pepper, and hot sauce.
Muscoguia - Muscogee culinary culture shares much with that of its neighbors, primarily their cousin tribes but also the Carolinans and Floridians. The Muscogee state dish is considered to be Sofkey, a type of corn soup cooked with lye. The dish is sour, and usually considered an acquired taste. Depending on how it's prepared, Sofkey can be drunk as a beverage or eaten as a soup, and it features prominently in Muscogee traditions.
Newfoundland - The state has a tradition of unusual dishes, such as cod tongue, seal flipper, crisped pork fat, moose meat, and verious edible plants that grow nowhere else, such as partridgeberry, oyster leaf, and cloudberry. While there are many candidates for an official state dish, locals would probably point to the so-called "Jiggs breakfast" or "Jiggs dinner," depending on the time of day eaten, which is salt beef and various vegetables all boiled heavily.
New Hampshire - The best lobster in the ASB, as any New Hampshirite will tell you, is caught and prepared in their state, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone (except New Scottish) who would disagree. The state dish is the lobster roll, which is lobster meat on a top-split bun covered in mayo or drawn butter, often with other herbs, spices and vegetables as well. The roll is typically served cold and eaten in summer.
New Amsterdam - New Amsterdam, as the capital and largest city in the ASB, is the center of exotic ethnic foods prepared by its many immigrant communities. The city itself does not have an official dish. Some examples of non-immigrant (though certainly immigrant-inspired) dishes are Mosselsoep, a variant of clam chowder with a tomato base; Langejan, a sandwich made with ham, egg, and cheese; and Vetbollen, a fried pastry that sometimes has meat.
New Netherland - North of the New Amsterdam metropolitan area is the home of what locals call the only true New Netherland cuisine, which is derived from Dutch and Native foods with little outside influence. The most well-known dish from the area is probably Sapaen. Originally a native dish made from corn mush, the Dutch added milk to the recipe to improve its calorie content. A traditional New Netherland breakfast is usually composed of Sapaen and Noordewors, a local sausage.
New Scotland - Predictably, the coastal state specializes in seafood. Mussels, clams, and lobster are as common here as in neighboring states, although a unique addition is Dulse, an edible seaweed that is crispy when dried. The best lobster of any state is found here, a statement with which few (aside from New Hampshirites) would disagree. The state dish is Rappie Pie, a casserole made from potatoes reconstituted with chicken broth stuffed with vegetables and any kind of meat.
Ohio - A state as diverse as Ohio has an equally diverse culinary history. Scioto is famous for the Trois-blancs, a dish made of white sausage covered in cooked white beans with cream sauce and a sharp white cheese, popular at sporting events throughout both Ohio and Upper Virginia. Western ohio claims the filet-frit, a sandwich made from breaded, fried pork tenderloin, which is synonymous with Ohio to many residents.
Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania's most famous dish is, of course, the Philly cheesesteak, which is a sandwich made from beefsteak, mushrooms, and melted cheese, but the official state dish is actually Penny Scrapple, a fried meatloaf made from the less-appetizing parts of a pig.
Plymouth - Like most of New England, Plymouth relies heavily on its rich collection of seafood. In particular, its claim to fame is its baked cod. Cod caught in Plymouth is said to be of highest quality, and one traditional way of preparing it is by covering it with cornmeal and baking it in an oven. Most modern restaurants use breadcrumbs, as they are cheaper and easier to crisp, but purists reject this approach.
Poutaxia - The diverse state has a rich and varied culinary history, and each county is said to have its own dish. However, the most popular dish between the various stocks in the state is undoubtedly Maw Bit Pie. The dish, of unknown etymology, consists of a pig's stomach stuffed primarily full of cheese, optionally with layers of ground meat and sometimes vegetables. The stomach is then roasted at a low temperature until the cheese is melted and the stomach is browned. There are countless variations of the dish, usually enjoyed at holidays.
Rhode Island - Like its neighbors, Rhode Island has a long list of seafood dishes that its locals proudly prepare. Its state dish, true to form, is the stuffed clam, wherein a quahog shell is stuffed with minced clam, breadcrumbs and other ingredients, then baked. There are other clam preparations unique to the state as well, such as clam cakes, which are more similar to fried dough than cakes.
Saint John's Island - Saint John's sometimes bills itself as the "Boreoamerican food island" for its wealth of seafood and productive farmland. Lobster, oysters, and potatoes are probably the island's favorite staples; there is no state dish per se, either official nor unofficial, but locals are proud of the traditional lobster supper, a simple meal consisting of a giant lobster and side dishes made from locally-sourced ingredients.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon - The smallest state in the ASB, Saint Pierre and Miquelon's strong ties to France has influenced its cuisine and made it unique among the northern atlantic states; some of its dishes are not easily found beyond the island. Tart aux Moulades is one such dish, a savory pastry made with mussels surrounded by cheeses and baked into a light, flaky crust. Other dishes include variants of traditional French dishes with local ingredients.
Saybrook - Saybrook, like its neighbors, prides itself in its seafood. Although a variety of dishes with shellfish such as oysters, clams, and mussels are all prepared here, Saybrook's official state dish is Baked Shad, a method of cooking Shad that involves tying the fish to wooden planks and setting them next to a fire. Shadbake season is a time-honored tradition in both Saybrook and Connecticut, but Saybrook claims the biggest such event.
Seminol - With influences from both Spanish, English, and native cuisine, Seminol's food is unlike anything else in the ASB. The Seminol stone crab, also known as jaiba mora or "haypamora" is its most famous seafood, the claws of which can be harvested without killing the animal. Alapatah, or fried alligator, is also exclusive to the region, but is mostly prepared for tourists.
Turks and Caicos - The newest state has many culinary similarities with nearby Bahamas, for example in its heavy use of conch meat, such as in conch fitters or conch ceviche. Other Bahamian dishes, such as boil fish and johnnycake, are enjoyed frequently by islanders. The state's unique claim to fame just might be its cockburn hot sauce, which is made from local peppers and a small amount of rum.
Upper Connecticut - Upper Connecticut's cuisine is strongly influenced by its New England roots, but a few things make it stand out. The state sandwich is the corned beef sandwich; in the mid-20th century, various restaurants across the state competed to see who made the best such sandwich; the sandwiches became larger and the process for preparing the beef was perfected, and today there are many restaurants in the state, and nowhere else, that serve mountains of top-quality meat between slices of rye.
Upper Country - The most populous state in the ASB, and one of the most diverse, Upper Country has no state dish, but the various countries that comprise it have their own regional dishes. Some distinctive regional dishes are: Pickerel, a fish commonly found in Lake Superior; pasty, a savory beef pastry; Conie, a type of wiener covered in mustard, onions, and meat sauce; Boeuf Italianne, a dish made of thinly-sliced beef and sauteed sweet peppers, sometimes served as a sandwich; and Pissaladiere au Chicagou, a type of savory pie made with layers of dough, onions, cheese, and salt fish.
Upper Louisiana - There are a few unique dishes, drawing heavily from Lower Louisianan fare. One is Rissoles, a bite-sized stuffed pastry which, in the local style, is breaded and toasted until crispy and less flaky than its European counterpart. Another is Poitrine au Saint-Louis, a thick-cut pork belly that is marinaded in a garlic-heavy white wine sauce and smoked.
Upper Virginia - Virginian pioneers brought their Brunswick stew and added a communal spin; at community gatherings, each family would bring an ingredient and throw it into a giant stew, resulting in the state dish, Burgoo. A dish more suited to a single person is the Hot Bird, an open-faced sandwich made from turkey, pork, and cream sauce which is baked or broiled.
Vermont - Pancakes are not unique to Vermont, as nearly every state has a variant, but Vermont boasts the highest-quality maple syrup to eat with pancakes. The state is proud of the quality of its maple syrup, and produces more of it per capita than any other (Canada beats it in terms of sheer quantity). More unique foods include Bonne Bouche goat cheese, spicy pickled green beans, fiddlehead fern, and river trout.
Vineyards - Like neighboring Rhode Island and Plymouth, the Vineyards prides itself on its seafood. Its state food is bluefish, which is sold in a wide variety of forms including a pate for spreading. The state is also famous for its fried clams, though the dish is available throughout New england.
Watauga - Drawing form its Virginian ancestors and Carolinan neighbors, Watauga nevertheless has some important differences. Root vegetables, such as potatoes and parsnips, are more prominent, such as in the veggie pie, which in modern times is made with imported spices such as cumin and nutmeg. Another difference is the more pronounced use of river trout; one favorite preparation method is apple-baking, where the trout is filleted and baked with apples to achieve a distinctive taste.
West Acadia - Its mixture of French and Scottish traditions gives West Acadia its own distinctive flavor. Regional foods like dulse and fiddleheads are added as sides to many meals, and like its neighbors, West Acadia is proud of its lobster. The state dish, however, is Fricot, a hearty stew made of potatoes, dumplings, and either chicken or seafood. Unlike most soups, Fricot is typically served as a full meal.
West Dominica - There are many unique dishes that fuse Caribbean, French, and West African culinary traditions, but the state dish is reckoned to be Griot, riz et poids rouges, or Griot, red beans, and rice. Griot is a cut of pork shoulder marinated in a mix of citrus juices and often peppers, then braised or roasted, and finally deep-fried. The state also has dishes such as puff pastry and winter squash soup.
West Florida - West Florida, much like Lower Louisiana, specializes in seafood, but its culinary tradition comes from a more varied mix of predecessors. The state boasts a wide array of dishes, such as pork-and-oyster, made from both seafood and livestock. Also of note are the varieties of honey made from tupelo and mayhaw plants, which is sold directly from farms rather than commercially. However, the official state dish is the gator bite, which is simply deep-fried alligator meat, enjoyed by locals on occasion but mostly served to tourists.

 

[jennysnooper87]

I finally got around to finishing this.

-SNIP-

Great entry! All these state dishes are making me feel hungry again...and I just had pizza!

 

[Tsochar]

Great entry! All these state dishes are making me feel hungry again...and I just had pizza!

You'll notice I didn't put anything on there that wasn't recognizably French, English, Spanish, or Dutch, including pizza and hamburgers. This is because we still haven't established whether or not these groups are as prominent in the ASB as elsewhere.

 

[Tyche]

The Germans were pretty ubiquitous is some regions of the ASB, ain’t they?

 

[WheelyWheelyLegsNoFeely]

On the topic of India, this could be interesting to integrate:

A greater Habshi (Afro-Indian) population in India in general would be interesting to see. Another minority that would be really interesting to have greater representation for are the Parsi; the descendants of Zoroastrian Persians who fled to India following the Islamic conquest.

Also, this is somewhat random, and there's probably already an answer, but in regards to the PIC; I know that their name is the "Pseudodemetrian Imperial Commonwealth," but is that just what we're calling them or what they call themselves? The reason I ask is that I don't see them using the term "Pseudodemetrian" to describe themselves; ITTL False Dmitri won the Russian throne, so presumably he wouldn't be remembered historically as having the moniker "False," and even if later historians began to doubt his legitimacy it's unlikely that the royal family would recognize False Dmitri as not being descended from the Rurikoviches, much less take on the name Pseudodemetrian.

 

[False Dmitri]

Also, this is somewhat random, and there's probably already an answer, but in regards to the PIC; I know that their name is the "Pseudodemetrian Imperial Commonwealth," but is that just what we're calling them or what they call themselves? The reason I ask is that I don't see them using the term "Pseudodemetrian" to describe themselves; ITTL False Dmitri won the Russian throne, so presumably he wouldn't be remembered historically as having the moniker "False," and even if later historians began to doubt his legitimacy it's unlikely that the royal family would recognize False Dmitri as not being descended from the Rurikoviches, much less take on the name Pseudodemetrian.

This has come up before, certainly. I even wrote up a convoluted history to give a semi-plausible explanation to the name Pseudodemetrian. The problem, as we've gone along, is that the name really does not work well in actual use, in any context. The official name of the dynasty is Wittelsbach-Rurik, and most often I've simply called the organization "The Imperial Commonwealth," in the manner of the Commonwealth of Nations. I think someone once came up with an alternate "P" word, to maintain the acronym. Polynational Imperial Commonwealth, something like that.

 

[False Dmitri]

I finally got around to finishing this.

It's as entertaining and delicious as the last one.

Massachusetts Bay - The state, centered around the eponymous bay, is of course very proud of its seafood. It has many official state dishes, but the most iconic is very likely Massachusetts Clam Chowder, also called Boston Clam Chowder, or simply "chowder" locally. This variety of chowder has a thick cream base, as opposed to the thin tomato broth that is popular in East Florida and Bermuda. Locals consider this to be the only true chowder, others being considered soups for their inclusion of ingredients like pork, pepper, and hot sauce.

And probably lots of controversial arguments about how to say "chowder".

New Amsterdam - New Amsterdam, as the capital and largest city in the ASB, is the center of exotic ethnic foods prepared by its many immigrant communities. The city itself does not have an official dish. Some examples of non-immigrant (though certainly immigrant-inspired) dishes are Mosselsoep, a variant of clam chowder with a tomato base; Langejan, a sandwich made with ham, egg, and cheese; and Vetbollen, a fried pastry that sometimes has meat.
New Netherland - North of the New Amsterdam metropolitan area is the home of what locals call the only true New Netherland cuisine, which is derived from Dutch and Native foods with little outside influence. The most well-known dish from the area is probably Sapaen. Originally a native dish made from corn mush, the Dutch added milk to the recipe to improve its calorie content. A traditional New Netherland breakfast is usually composed of Sapaen and Noordewors, a local sausage.

It's probably time to start identifying major immigrant groups to New Amsterdam, at least tentatively. Some easy answers come from the diversity of the ASB itself, because New Amsterdam has a lot of internal immigration, historically and today. There are multiple Caribbean neighborhoods, certainly, as well as areas of Acadian, Louisiannais, Black English, Iroquois, and southern Indian heritage (southern Indian as in the large indigenous states of the southern mainland, not South India). It's probably safe to assume that Italian immigration happened in a way that was not totally unlike OTL. The prominent Jewish community is going to be affected by the very different history of the Russian Empire, so maybe hold off on the delis for now... but there might certainly be bodegas and pizzerias that reflect OTL creations.

Ohio - A state as diverse as Ohio has an equally diverse culinary history. Scioto is famous for the Trois-blancs, a dish made of white sausage covered in cooked white beans with cream sauce and a sharp white cheese, popular at sporting events throughout both Ohio and Upper Virginia. Western ohio claims the filet-frit, a sandwich made from breaded, fried pork tenderloin, which is synonymous with Ohio to many residents.

I count quatre-blancs, but that's perfectly OK. Ohio sounds particularly delicious.

Saint John's Island - Saint John's sometimes bills itself as the "Boreoamerican food island" for its wealth of seafood and productive farmland. Lobster, oysters, and potatoes are probably the island's favorite staples; there is no state dish per se, either official nor unofficial, but locals are proud of the traditional lobster supper, a simple meal consisting of a giant lobster and side dishes made from locally-sourced ingredients.

This is really cool, and it helps give a definition to the island, which I've sort of struggled to make distinct in the past.

Upper Country - The most populous state in the ASB, and one of the most diverse, Upper Country has no state dish, but the various countries that comprise it have their own regional dishes.

I think that the state would still want to define an official dish, part of being in the club of states and all that, and in line with the early-20th-century project of defining an Upper Country identity. And for that, the natural place to look is the Lakes. I think that giant sturgeon is the most prized of all foods, both its meat and caviar. But the fish is rare and catching it is tightly regulated, so unless you're eating your own catch or paying a huge premium. So for the official dish for the common person, I'd suggest Lake Superior whitefish, ideally served boiled at a big community or family event. The different countries then could vary on how they prepare the whitefish and what they serve it with - wild rice in Grand Portage and Chequamegon, potato salad in Kènojé and Miliouqué, fries in Chicagou, johnnycakes in Kekionga.

Some distinctive regional dishes are: Pickerel, a fish commonly found in Lake Superior; pasty, a savory beef pastry; Conie, a type of wiener covered in mustard, onions, and meat sauce; Boeuf Italianne, a dish made of thinly-sliced beef and sauteed sweet peppers, sometimes served as a sandwich; and Pissaladiere au Chicagou, a type of savory pie made with layers of dough, onions, cheese, and salt fish.

Ha, I love the take on deepdish. Now conie isn't a reference to Coney Island, is it? Because that of course would be a problem for TTL.

You'll notice I didn't put anything on there that wasn't recognizably French, English, Spanish, or Dutch, including pizza and hamburgers. This is because we still haven't established whether or not these groups are as prominent in the ASB as elsewhere.

The other thing about burgers is that cheap beef isn't nearly as plentiful in the ASB, since so much of cattle country falls in the territory of other countries. This affects other beefy sandwiches, as well.

 

[Tsochar]

Ha, I love the take on deepdish. Now conie isn't a reference to Coney Island, is it? Because that of course would be a problem for TTL.

It's based on the "Coney Island" restaurant, which comes from Michigan, and which invented the Coney Dog.

The name "Coney Island" does actually date to New Amsterdam, though, as Conyne Eylandt, "Rabbit Island." It's not a stretch to say that this neighborhood became a French enclave and adopted the spelling "Conie"

I count quatre-blancs, but that's perfectly OK. Ohio sounds particularly delicious.

I had the beans-and-cream counted together, thinking that white beans and cream sauce could be a popular OTL white sauce.

It's probably time to start identifying major immigrant groups to New Amsterdam, at least tentatively.

I've put together a tentative list of immigrant groups in rough order of their population in the new world.

As a rule, immigrants concentrate in cities except when they arrive during a homesteading boom.

Spoiler: 100 Old World Ethnicities

Italian - In OTL Italian-Americans went to New York, Buffalo, Hartford, and Pittsburg, Italian-Canadians went to Toronto, and Italians in general went to Argentina; a majority of Argentines can be counted as Italian.
German - In OTL Germans populated Pennsylvania and later the upper Midwest; in the colonial era Pennsylvania was at one point half German-speaking and half English-speaking. In Canada they went to the Prairies, in particular Saskatchewan. The most German metro area in the US is Milwaukee.
Irish - In OTL the Irish settled everywhere, in particular around Boston and to a lesser extent Philadelphia. In Canada they went to the Maritimes, with PEI, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick counting themselves especially Irish.
Portuguese - In OTL the Portuguese congregated around Bristol County, RI and MA, and are found especially in Providence. In Canada they settled west of Toronto. Outside North America, they went to Brazil, of course, and to Venezuela.
Basque - OTL Basques mostly went to Spanish territories, as one might expect; a large percentage of Colombians, Argentinians, and Chileans are reckoned to be of Basque descent; they also figure into the early history of Newfoundland, and their flag is featured on the Saint Pierre and Miquelon flag. Recent Basques seem to have congregated in Idaho.
Indian - Indians tended to go wherever Britain colonized, as they were a plentiful source of cheap labor, for example in South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad, Mauritius, and Fiji. In modern times, the large number of educated Indians immigrating to North America have made them more plentiful. They congregate around Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, San Jose, and Trenton. In TTL, their location will depend heavily on their actual history; if India has a history with more European powers, they won't have that kind of geographic preference.
Lebanese - As the only large Christian Arab population, Lebanese have represented the majority of Arab immigrants in western countries until recently. In the New World, they tended to settle in Brazil, Argentina, and Australia, with a significant number settling in the Dominican Republic. In the US, they congregated in Detroit, Boston, and Paterson, New Jersey. In Canada, Lebanon's connection to France led most Lebanese to settle in Montreal and Ottawa.
Polish - Polish in the US are associated most strongly with Chicago, but there are also large concentrations in Milwaukee, Buffalo, and Presque Isle, Michigan. In Canada, they settled in Toronto and some of the Prairie states, particularly Manitoba. A significant number went to Brazil, where they concentrated in Curitiba.
Chinese - Somewhat predictably, the Chinese have had their strongest influence on the West Coast, especially San Francisco, with the largest number on the East Coast going to New York. In Canada, they are especially populous in Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary. In Latin America, Chinese did not settle heavily, although a respectable number settled in Venezuela.
Scottish - In the US, the states with the highest proportion of Scottish ancestry are Maine, Utah, and New Hampshire. In Canada, literally every province reports higher numbers of Scottish ancestry except for Quebec, Nunavut, and Newfoundland-Labrador; the highest proportions are in PEI and, of course, Nova Scotia. A respectable number of Scottish settled in the far south of Chile and Argentina.
Filipino - The large number of Filipinos in the US can be attributed to the colonization from 1900-1946. In this time, the country switched from Spanish to English. As expected, Filipinos settled mainly in Hawaii and California; unexpectedly, they form the majority in some small Alaskan fishing villages, though they probably are not permanent residents there. In Canada, Filipinos went to Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. In TTL, we would probably expect them to instead go to the Spanish-speaking ASB states.
Pakistani - Most Pakistani follow Indian patterns of settlement, owing to their shared heritage as a British colony; their New world population outside the anglosphere is negligible. In the US, they mainly congregate in the NYC metro and other large cities. In Canada, the outright majority of them live near Toronto.
Albanian - Most Albanians in the New World arrived as a result of the Kosovo crisis in the 1990s. Many live in the New York metro, but an older community resides in Detroit. In Canada, most Albanians reside in Toronto.
Jewish - The United States has historically been one of the few countries to accept Jewish immigration. American Jews are concentrated in New York, and a large number of them are moving to Miami and Los Angeles. In Canada, Jews congregate in both Toronto and Montreal, the latter owing in part to the robust Jewish population in France.
Armenian - Armenian immigration has been driven by continued instability in the Caucasus region and oppression by the Ottomans, Soviets, and Iranians; in the United States, most Armenians settled in the Los Angeles area, particularly Burbank. In Canada, Armenians congregate in both Montreal and Toronto, though more heavily in the former. In Latin America, Armenians concentrated in Montevideo and Buenos Aires.
Arab - Historically, most Arabs traveling to the New World were Lebanese; in more recent times, Arabs from other countries have immigrated as well. In the US, Detroit has been the center of Arab immigration, while in Canada, the connection between France and Lebanon has led to Montreal being the major center.
Norwegian - In the US, Norwegians took to farming, and settled heavily in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota. Similarly, in Canada, Norwegians settled in the Prairies, particularly Saskatchewan.
Swedish - Similarly to the Norwegians, Swedes settled in the northern plains states, although the Swedes settled most heavily in Minnesota. In Canada, they went to places like Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. In Latin America, they went to Misiones province in Argentina, which is adjacent to Paraguay and Brazil.
Bengali - Due to its colonization by the British, Bengalis in the Western hemisphere are almost exclusively settled in Anglophone countries. They tend to follow other South Asian settlement patterns, being heavily settled in New York city, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Greek - Greeks in the US are concentrated in New York, Boston, and Chicago, although Pinellas Springs in the Tampa area is most strongly Greek in heritage. In Canada, the largest Greek community is in Toronto, but the area with highest concentration is in Laval, Montreal CMA. In Latin America, Greeks were attracted to Saltpeter mining in Antofagasta, Chile, although most of them moved south to Santiago and Valparaiso.
Nigerian - Nigerians in the United States are clustered in New York, Dallas, Houston, and the DC area, while Nigerians in Canada are concentrated in Toronto and Brampton.
Russian - Political developments in the USSR strongly influenced patterns of Russian immigration in the US, from the white emigres to the post-Soviet economic collapse. Russian-Americans are concentrated in the New York area, although some villages in Alaska still use the language. Russians settled in few other New World countries; in Canada they concentrated in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, while in Mexico there was a short-lived Russian utopian community in Ensenada.
Vietnamese - Refugees from the Vietnam War are the biggest component of the Vietnamese-American population. In the US, they settled in Los Angeles, San Jose, and Houston. Despite the connection between France and Vietnam, Vietnamese mostly settled in Toronto rather than Montreal.
Moroccan - Due to France's connection with Morocco, the vast majority of Moroccans settled in Vancouver. In the United States, they are centered in New York City, with some concentration in Jacksonville and Boston.
Ukrainian - Ukrainians were more attracted to Canada than to the US, particularly Saskatchewan; Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Saskatoon all have large numbers of Ukrainian Canadians. In the US, the largest group is in New York, but the highest concentrations are in Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.
Japanese - Japanese were not really attracted to the United States, except of course Hawaii, where they are one of the most populous ethnic groups, and in Los Angeles. Instead, they went to Sao Paulo and Lima.
Igbo - After the Biafra War ended in 1970, many Igbo emigrated to Canada and the US. A large number of imported slaves were Igbo, but this older group has been subsumed into the wider African descended communities. Igbo tend to follow the pattern of other Nigerians, settling in Houston, the DC area, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Korean - After the Korean War, many Koreans emigrated to the US for opportunities. They settled especially heavily in Los Angeles and New York; the municipality of Palisades Park, NJ, is IIRC the only Korean-majority municipality outside Asia. In Canada, Koreans are concentrated in Toronto and Vancouver. In Latin America, many Koreans transited into Paraguay and then transited illegally into Brazil and Argentina, which had established Korean communities associated with their Japanese communities.
Berber - There are very few people in the US who identify as Berber; most North Africans instead list themselves either as Arabs or according to their nationality. In Canada, they are most heavily concentrated in Montreal.
Sri Lankan - Like the other South Asian ethnic groups, Sri Lankans mostly went to Anglophone countries, particularly Canada; most Sri Lankan Canadians live in Toronto.
Syrian - Christian Syrians tended to follow their Lebanese counterparts to Brazil, Argentina, and Quebec; in more recent times, Canada's greater acceptance of Syrian refugees in the wake of the ongoing civil war has led to the Syrian population growing substantially. Also of note are Syrian Druze, who make up the majority of Venezuela's Middle-Eastern population.
Indonesian - The United States has not traditionally been a significant destination for Indonesians, as it was historically easier to settle in the Netherlands. In the US, many Indonesians live in Southern California, although many Indonesian-born Americans were actually of Chinese descent, having been expelled after independence.
Welsh - In the United States, self-identified Welsh people are concentrated in Salt Lake City, Philadelphia, and Columbus. Historically, they made up a large part of Pennsylvania and Ohio. In Canada, the Welsh settled most heavily in Alberta. In Latin America, of course, many Welsh traveled to Patagonia, where a Welsh community still thrives.
Kurdish - The largest Kurdish population in the US is in Nashville; many Kurds came to the US as refugees who fled Iraq after supporting the 1991 Gulf War. Today, more Kurds settle in Canada, both in Toronto and in Montreal. Kurds have not historically had a united diaspora movement, owing to the differences in both language and nationality among Kurds.
Sikh/Punjabi - There is a significant difference between Sikhs and Punjabis, but most of the Punjabi immigrants to the US and Canada have been Sikh, so I have included them here. Punjabis are most concentrated in Vancouver, due to Canada's connection with the British Empire. In the US, most Sikhs settled in California.
Romani - Many Romani traveled to the New World to escape persecution in Europe. Very few of these settled in Canada; in the US, they settled in many places; the exact distribution is not tracked by the census. Antiziganism never really took hold in the US for some reason; until recently, many Americans believed "Gypsies" to be a myth. Most Roma in the US are descended from those who lived in the former Austro-Hungary. In Latin America, the Spanish and Portuguese Roma traveled to Argentina and Brazil.
Bihari - The first wave of Indian emigrants, mostly indentured laborers sent out to sugarcane plantations in other British territories, were overwhelmingly Bihari. In Mauritius, Trinidad, and Guyana, these were mostly Bihari, while in Fiji there were Awadhis (which neighbors Bihar) as well.
Thai - The vast majority of Thai in the US settled on the west coast, and comparatively few of them chose to settle in Canada. The anglophone country with the highest proportion of Thais is New Zealand, at 1.2%. On the US east coast, Thais are concentrated in Tampa and New York.
Iranian - Many Iranians fled to the US and Canada after the Iranian Revolution in 1980. These concentrated overwhelmingly in the Los Angeles area, which has 1/4 of the US total. In Canada, they tended to settle in Toronto and Vancouver. The east coast centers of Iranian settlement are in New York, DC, and Baltimore.
Romanian - Due to a 19th century push by Canadian Minister of Home Affairs Clifford Sifton, Romanians from Bukovina, Austro-Hungary, tended to settle in Canada more often than the US. They tended to congregate in Ontario and Montreal, but several settlements in Alberta were founded by Romanians. In the US, they concentrate nowhere in particular. Brazil also attracted Romanians.
Hungarian - Cleveland was the single largest concentration of Hungarians in the western hemisphere in the mid-20th century; the first came from Austro-Hungary in search of opportunity, while the last major wave came from Communist Hungary following the failed 1956 protests. Other major destinations were Pittsburgh, New York, and Chicago. In Canada, there are Hungarian settlements in the prairies and enclaves in the cities. Many of Hungarians worked on the Welland Canal near Niagara, while others settled in Prince Edward Island.
Danish - Many Danes in Europe joined the LDS church and moved to Utah in the mid-19th century. The largest concentrations of Danes in the US outside Utah are in Omaha and Minneapolis. In Canada, Danes tended to settle in New Brunswick.
Tamil - Sri Lankan Tamils tended to move to Canada, while Indian Tamils tended to move to the US. Canadian Tamils concentrate in eastern Toronto, while American Tamils tend to live with the other Indian ethnic groups in New Jersey. Many Tamils were taken from French India to the French Caribbean and Guiana as indentured servants.
Swiss - The Swiss were more attracted to Argentina and Chile, where they went to Santa Fe province in the former and Punta Arenas, Valparaiso, and Temuco in the latter. In Brazil, Swiss settled in the southeast around Rio de Janeiro State, while in the US, most swiss immigrants were Swiss Amish, who are concentrated in rural Indiana and to a lesser extent Wisconsin.
Croatian - Croatians were very attracted to Chile due to the Tierra del Fuego gold rush; they form an important part of that region's population. In the US, they were attracted to Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Youngstown. In Argentina, they settled in rural Buenos Aires Province, while in Canada, they settled the prairies, particularly Saskatchewan.
Serbian - Many Serbs emigrated long before the breakup of Yugoslavia, and likewise many of them identify as Yugoslavians or do not distinguish between themselves and other Serbo-Croatians. As a result, it is difficult to say for sure where Serbs settled. Certainly, there was a population in Alaska that came during the Yukon gold rush, and certainly, some emigrated to Argentina, but exact figures are hard to come by.
Iraqi - Due to the US-led invasion in 2003, many Iraqis fled to the United States; however, the US's inconsistency towards muslim immigration and asylum seekers have led many Iraqis to settle in Canada instead. Iraqis tend to identify themselves as Arabs, Kurds, or Turkmen rather than Iraqis, so in the US they tend to settle where other Arabs settle, especially the Detroit area.
Czechs - East-Central Texas attracted a large number of Czechs, especially Moravians, many of whom fled Austro-Hungary after the Revolution of 1848. Other Czechs settled in Iowa and Nebraska, where they have high concentrations in Omaha, Cedar Rapids, and Lincoln; these were largely Bohemians, but in most cases the distinction between the two has not been very sharp.
Ghanaians - As one of the most stable and successful nations in post-British Africa, Ghana has provided a great number of immigrants to the Anglosphere. In Canada, many Ghanaians settled in Toronto, while in the US, many Ghanaians settled in the Bronx, the DC area, and the Columbus area.
Lithuanians - The US attracted the most Lithuanians, followed closely by Brazil and somewhat distantly by Canada. In the US, the Chicago area is more strongly associated with Lithuanians, while in Brazil, the state of Rio Grande do Sul and Sao Paulo attracted the most. In Canada, the outright majority live in Toronto.
Assyrians - Also known as Chaldeans or Syriacs, this group is one of the smaller ones in the new world. They first came as refugees from the Assyrian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, while others came from Iraq as refugees from Saddam Hussein's regime. Assyrians in the US settled in Detroit alongside existing middle-eastern communities, with smaller groups in San Diego and San Jose; in Canada they are concentrated in Toronto.
remainder under construction
Azerbaijani - People from what is now Azerbaijan came to the US following World War II. However, most of them came to the US from Iranian Azerbaijan; these settled on the west coast with other Persian groups. In Canada, most live in Toronto.
Cambodian - Despite Cambodia's background as a French colony, the proportion of Cambodians in France and Canada is not significantly higher than in the US. In the US, there are significant populations in the Los Angeles area, particularly Long Beach, and also Boston (Lowell) and Tacoma.
Somali - Most Somalis came to the US as a result of the civil war beginning in the 1990s, and they settled in Minneapolis and to a lesser extent in Columbus. In Canada, they settled in Toronto and Ottawa.
Afghans - Immigration stepped up after the invasions in 1979 and 2001; due to Canada's more lax refugee policy, Toronto is probably the biggest concentration of Afghans in the western hemisphere, followed by the Bay Area. Afghanistan is home to a variety of ethnic groups; prior to 2001, 2/3 of the US afghans were Tajik; now, there is more of a mix.
Mennonites - While primarily a religious group, the endogamy and isolationism that some Mennonite communities practice makes them arguably a full-fledged ethnic group. Most of these groups in the New World live in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.
Malay - Most Malays outside Asia traveled to South Africa instead of North America; many also settled in Australia. In the US, Malays settled in New York and Chicago, and in Canada, they mostly settled near Toronto.
Bulgarian - Bulgarians in the United States have been immigrating for a long time, in relatively small numbers, and are very diffuse. The major concentrations, if they can be called as such, are in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. In Canada, most Bulgarians were historically from what is now North Macedonia, and they settled in and around Toronto.
Catalan - Catalonia has been part of Spain for so long that its emigrants have generally assimilated quickly. The country with the highest proportion of Catalan ancestry is probably Argentina, but hard facts are difficult to come by since Catalans were simply recorded as Spanish. Cuba probably also has a decent number.
Macedonian - Many Macedonians traveled to Argentina and Brazil as seasonal workers, although quite a few of these were actually Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians, who had a common Latin background. In Canada, Macedonians settled in the Toronto area, while in the US, Macedonians settled in New York and Detroit.
Yugoslav - In the United States, many people from former Yugoslavia still identify as Yugoslav. Most of these emigrated during the cold war, when Yugoslavia was united, and are probably Serbian in background.
Turkish - Turks are a very widespread ethnic group in the old world, owing to the successes of the Ottoman Empire. Many Turkish emigrants were Cypriot in origin, as Cyprus was ceded to the UK in 1878. Many Turks historically emigrated to Australia, particularly Melbourne and Sydney. In the US, most Turks settled in greater New York, particularly the New Jersey side, and also places like Houston and Jacksonville. In Canada, they settled in Toronto.
Jaffnese - A term referring to Tamils in Sri Lanka, the Jaffnese emigrated en masse after Black July in 1983 and the ensuing Civil War. They traveled overwhelmingly to Canada rather than the US. The greatest concentration is in Toronto, but Montreal, Ottawa, and Calgary all have populations as well.
Bosnian/Bosniak - Technically, a Bosniak is a muslim Bosnian, but it is difficult to find figures differentiating the two. Most came to the New World due to the 1990s Bosnian War. In the United States, St. Louis is the center of the Bosniak diaspora, followed by Chicago, while in Canada, that is Toronto.
Hmong - The US recruited Laotian Hmong heavily to fight against the Viet Cong, so a large number of them were evacuated in the Fall of Saigon. Many of them settled in Minneapolis, Fresno, Sacramento, and Milwaukee.
Maltese - Melbourne's western suburbs are the largest concentration of Maltese outside Afro-Eurasia. In Canada, they went mostly to Toronto, while in the US, they concentrated in Detroit. Some Maltese in the US were classified as Italian. Some of them went to Puerto Rico.
Lao - Following the Communist takeover of Laos, many Laotians traveled to France, the US, and Canada. In the US, they settled in west coast cities like Sacramento, Fresno, Nashville, and San Francisco. In Canada, most live in Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto.
Ethiopian - Ethiopia is comprised of many ethnicities; the largest overseas are the Amhara while the largest in-country are the Oromo, and others include Tigrinya. Ethiopians in the US are especially prevalent in the Washington, DC area, while in Canada they congregate around Ottawa.
Congolese - Following the Second Congo War of the early 2000s, many Congolese left Africa as refugees. In the US, there are significant populations in the DC-Baltimore area, as well as Boston, New York, Dallas, and North Carolina. In Canada, they congregate in Quebec.
Zimbabwean - Referring specifically to black Zimbabweans, whites being considered Rhodesians. Zimbabweans fled their country during Mugabe's long and authoritarian rule; few settled in Canada, but many settled in places like California, New York, and Texas.
Latvians - Historically, Latvians were among the people who settled the Canadian prairies in block settlements. In the US, Latvians are one of the smaller Eastern European ethnic groups, many living with other Eastern Europeans in New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
Samoan - Since the annexation of East Samoa to the US, many Samoans have moved to the mainland. Los Angeles and San Diego have the most, while a surprising number have settled in Alaska.
Cabo Verdean - The archipelago was first inhabited by Portuguese, who quickly brought African slaves to work there. Most Cabo Verdeans live with Portuguese communities in southern Massachusetts.
Galician - It is difficult to differentiate Galicians from other Spanish ethnic groups in historical records, but it is believed that most new world Galicians live in Argentina and Uruguay, with a significant portion living in Cuba.
Icelandic - Most Icelandic people in the New World, as previously mentioned, moved to Canada, especially the Lake Winnipeg region. The first Icelandic immigrants were largely Mormons.
Hawaiian - Since the annexation of Hawaii in 1899, many Native Hawaiians have moved to the mainland, mostly to California.
Pashto - The dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan, many fled for the US after 2001. The largest centers of Pashtun population in the US are New York, San Francisco, and northern Virginia.
Eritrean
Volga German
Sudanese
Yemeni
Kashubian
Montenegrin
Estonian
Sindhi
Tibetan
Zoroastrian
Moldovan
Circassian
Moluccan
Uyghur
Oromo
Cham
Chechen
Frisian

 

[False Dmitri]

It's based on the "Coney Island" restaurant, which comes from Michigan, and which invented the Coney Dog.

The name "Coney Island" does actually date to New Amsterdam, though, as Conyne Eylandt, "Rabbit Island." It's not a stretch to say that this neighborhood became a French enclave and adopted the spelling "Conie"

Ehh... it still seems overly convergent. For the island to become a summer fun spot is plausible enough, but I don't know if other states would necessarily imitate it so directly. Now it's definitely fair to assume that sausages made by the German community would be big in New Amsterdam. Maybe they wouldn't be exactly like our hot dogs, but they're a presence.

I had the beans-and-cream counted together, thinking that white beans and cream sauce could be a popular OTL white sauce.

And I hope I didn't sound like I was criticizing. Overall I think this has been my favorite thing you've written so far.

I've put together a tentative list of immigrant groups in rough order of their population in the new world.

This is a good and important start. I'm planning to address Germans and Scots in my next post about languages.

 

[Tsochar]

And I hope I didn't sound like I was criticizing. Overall I think this has been my favorite thing you've written so far.

I'm not sure if I should be flattered or worried about your health

 

[False Dmitri]

I'm not sure if I should be flattered or worried about your health

I just like food.

 

[Griffin04]

Merry Christmas, folks!

As a gift, may i present my first official contribution to the thread, False Dmitri aproved, and incorporating some material he wrote on Christmas celebrations in the Upper Country:

Winter Gift-Bringers in Boreoamerica

Gift-giving is a common custom in the winter holidays celebrated in Boreoamerica, one with both indigenous and European roots. Mythical figures who are associated with the bringing of gifts, especially to children, during these winter celebrations, are found in many of the cultures of Boreoamerica. In the settler colonies of the eastern seaboard, gift-giving is associated with Christmas Eve (December 24), Christmas Day (Dec. 25), or the feast day of Saint Nicholas (Dec. 6), and gift-bringers have roots in European Christian folk practices.

Sinterklaas

Sinterklaas, the traditional winter gift-giver in New Netherland and Dutch communities throughout the ASB, has his origins in the celebration of St. Nicholas’ Day in the Low Countries and the Rhineland. In the Middle Ages, St Nicholas’ Day was observed with donations to the poor and needy, and with Carnivalesque celebrations which inverted the traditional social hierarchy. Protestant reformers like Martin Luther saw in St Nicholas’ Day a vestige of Catholic superstition, and instead promoted gift giving on Christmas Day, with the Christ Child, or Christkindl, as the gift-bringer. The celebration of St. Nicholas’ Day was thus discouraged in the Protestant Dutch Republic, surviving in private celebrations as well as the civic customs of Amsterdam, where street markets and fairs marking St. Nicholas’ Day remained popular. St. Nicholas’ Day reemerged in the nineteenth century, as a secularized celebration oriented around the family. Sinterklaas, a corruption of Sint-Nicolaas, assumed his modern form as a figure of folklore at this time. In New Netherland, the works of folklorists and popular historians helped repopularize St. Nicholas’ Day celebrations, which often imitated the customs then emerging in the Netherlands. Successive governments promoted St. Nicholas’ Day as a marker of New Netherland’s Dutch culture, distinct from surrounding English and French states, and by mid-century or so Sinterklaas was well-established in New Netherland’s winter celebrations.

Sinterklaas is depicted as an elderly white-bearded man in red bishop’s attire, often carrying a golden sheperd’s staff. He is serious, sometimes stern, or else absentminded or forgetful. He is said to arrive in New Amsterdam by steamboat on the first Saturday after November 11th, a date which marks the annual New Amsterdam Sinterklaas Parade, which is televised across the ASB and often considered the beginning of the holiday season. He then travels across the state on a white horse, riding by night over rooftops and travelling down chimneys to leave sweets in the shoes of children, which are left by the fireplace or radiator for him. Often, a carrot and a bowl of water are also left out for his horse. On St. Nicholas’ Eve, Sinterklaas is said to leave presents for children, which are discovered the following morning.

In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas is said to arrive from Spain, bearing fruits such as mandarin oranges, which are commonly given as treats. In New Netherland, the association with Spain persisted until the 1920s, when a successful advertising campaign by a coalition of Seminol orange growers led New Netherlander children to forever associate Sinterklaas with that state. Sinterklaas is accompanied by helpers known as Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete, who are usually described as Moors from Spain or escaped slaves from Seminol. They are traditionally portrayed in colourful dress and historically by white performers in blackface, a tradition which persists in the Netherlands, but has been challenged by black New Netherlanders since the 1970s. Contemporary Piets in the New Netherlands are typically portrayed by black performers, although blackface Piets do persist in remote and rural regions of the state.

In the Upper Country and Huronia, Dutch influence in the early 19th century has made St. Nicholas’ Day a common holiday, well beyond the areas of original Dutch settlement. Every year Sinterklaas and his boat sail into New Leiden in a pageant that parallels the ones held in both old and New Amsterdam. A similar procession takes place in Toronto, which has a well-established Dutch community of its own. In the Upper Country, Saint Nicholas is accompanied not by Zwarte Piet, but by a pair of tiny mischievous tricksters derived from native folklore.

Father Christmas

Father Christmas is the traditional winter gift-bringer in English folklore and is attested as far back as the reign of Henry VIII. Before the nineteenth century, he was a personification of Christmas merriment and celebration with no particular association with children, but he took on the role of bringing gifts to children as Christmas secularized as a family-centric holiday. During the English Civil War, as Puritans sought to abolish Christmas celebrations, Father Christmas was embraced by royalist pamphleteers as a nostalgic symbol. In the English colonies, Father Christmas’ role was most prominent in the South, where Royalist sympathies were more common. In New England and Pennsylvania, the growth of New Amsterdam as a cultural and media centre would see Father Christmas and Sinterklaas merge into new composite figures, however, in Maryland, the Virginias, Watauga, and Carolina, Father Christmas remains distinct.

Father Christmas is usually depicted as a middle-aged man with a large belly and bushy beard, typically wearing robes lined with white fur and a crown of holly and mistletoe. Until the late nineteenth century, red robes were common, but green would later become the norm in depicting Father Christmas, in order to emphasize his distinction from Sinterklaas and his descendants, who typically wore red. He usually rides a yule goat. Gifts are typically given on Christmas Eve, when a large dinner with family and friends is also traditional. Mummers’ parades are a common tradition on either Christmas Day or Boxing Day in many southern towns, with the procession often led by a “Lord of Misrule” who is elected by the townsfolk. Satirical depictions of local celebrities or political figures are common costumes in these Mummers’ parades. So are minstrel characters, often portrayed in blackface, which have been the subject of decades of activism by Afro-Boreans across the south.

Santa Claus and Kris Kringle

In New England and Pennsylvania, the figure of Father Christmas was merged in the nineteenth century with the figure of Sinterklaas, a result of New Amsterdam’s rise as a centre of culture and media in the ASB. The resulting composite figure was named Santa Claus in New England, a corruption of Sinterklaas, and Kris Kringle in Pennsylvania, a corruption of the German Christkindl. These two figures overlap substantially, and are often considered to be equivalent, to each other and to Sinterklaas, however there are important local differences as well.

Santa Claus/Kris Kringle is usually depicted as an elderly man with a bushy white beard and a large belly, wearing fur-lined red robes. He is generally said to live in Rupertsland, or simply at the North Pole, and he delivers gifts on Christmas Eve with a sleigh drawn by flying reindeer or caribou. Like Sinterklaas, he travels down the chimney to leave presents for children, and often leaves smaller treats in stockings hung by the chimney as well. It is traditional to leave out milk and cookies for him to eat, and sometimes carrots and water for his reindeer as well.

In New England, Santa Claus is assisted by elves, who make the toys that he delivers. It is common for children to write letters to Santa requesting certain toys, and most New England states’ postal services operate volunteer programs to respond to these letters. In Pennsylvania, Kris Kringle is accompanied by a figure called Belsnickel, who originates in the folklore of the Pennsylvania Dutch community. Belsnickel, who may be male or female, wears dirty clothes and furs, and carries a birch rod, traditionally a switch with which to punish naughty children. Belsnickel traditionally shows up a week or two before Christmas and determines which children have been naughty and which nice. The nice children are given small treats or candies, the naughty children given a small birch twig. In Philadelphia, the annual Mummers’ Parade on New Years’ Day finishes off the Christmas season.

Pere Noel

Christmas in Francophone Boreoamerica was traditionally marked by reveillon, a long and luxurious feast on Christmas Eve, typically after the midnight mass. The Catholic Church remains very prominent in the social fabric of these states, so even the non-observant will often go to mass on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and/or Epiphany. In Canada, Huronia, and the Upper Country, the traditional Christmas Eve dish is tourtiere, a pie filled with minced pork, veal, or beef, as well as potatoes and other vegetables. This is often accompanied by a buche de Noel, a rolled sponge cake frosted with chocolate icing, which is often intricately decorated to resemble a yule log.

Child-centric gift-giving traditions arrived relatively late here, and Pere Noel, the standard winter gift-bringer, adopted elements of Sinterklaas, Father Christmas, and their various descendants. His legends and appearance are less standardized than other winter gift-bringers, although he is usually an elderly, bearded man. He wears fur-lined robes which are sometimes red, but more often green or blue. Pere Noel often rides a donkey named Gui, or “mistletoe,” although he sometimes rides a white stag or caribou. In Lower Louisiana, he sometimes rides a pirogue drawn by alligators instead. Nineteenth-century immigrants from French-speaking Europe furnished Pere Noel with his traditional companions. Tante Arie, the traditional winter gift-bringer in Franche-Comte and Jura, is one such companion, a kindly fairy woman who rides a donkey named Marion. Pere Fouettard, a companion of St. Nicholas in Northeastern France, Wallonia, and French Switzerland, has a similar appearance and role to Belsnickel in Pennsylvania folklore. He is a sinister figure with an unkempt appearance who carries a large stick or switck and punishes naughty children.

In the Upper Country, Christmas was historically celebrated with a large community dance on Christmas Eve just after mass, a tradition that seamlessly merged Indian and rural French folk dance customs. The Christmas Eve celebration was the highlight of the winter season and, indeed, one of the most exciting events of the year in many old villages of the Upper Country. The tradition survives in several villages today, especially those that are both old and small. St. Ignace hosts the most famous of these folk events sung in French; Chequamegon hosts the most famous one in an indigenous language. In the big cities the tradition morphed into a festival lasting a week or more with lots of food and music, mainly modern pop but with some nods to tradition. The biggest single Christmas festival is in Detroit, the capital, a pretty big-budget affair that is opened by the Governor and draws acts from around the world. In Chicagou, individual neighborhoods hold separate festivals on different days in December and January. These are a way for the diverse neighborhoods of the city to show off their uniqueness and compete with one another.

Hispanophone Gift-Bringers

Traditionally, in Castille and some Spanish-speaking parts of Boreoamerica, winter gift-giving is done on January 6, after the twelve days of Christmas. This is the day of Epiphany, and the date of the visit by the three Magi in the nativity story. Los Reyes Magos traditionally leave presents for children on the night before Epiphany. They are said to arrive from the Orient riding their camels, and it is traditional in some areas to leave water for the camels to drink. A cabalgata or parade of the Magi is held on the evening of Epiphany in many towns. The three Magi and the Epiphany traditions are strongest in East Florida, which has the closest cultural and political links to Spain of the hispanophone states, although they are also practiced in some regions where Mexican culture is influential, near the Confederation’s borders. In other states, it is common for gift-giving to be done on Christmas Eve, and for the gift-bringer to be the baby Jesus himself. Papa Noel, an equivalent figure to Pere Noel, is common in some Spanish-speaking communities in non-Spanish speaking Boreoamerica.

Indigenous Gift-Bringers

Indigenous cultures in the ASB have their own rich traditions of gift-giving, and gift-bringers in these states are often mythical reflections of historical chiefs who were known for giving gifts widely among constituent groups. One such figure is Chief Hobbythacco, or Handsome Fellow, who is a traditional gift-bringer in Muscogia and Seminol, derived from a historic Muscogi leader, and promoted as an alternative to European-derived Christmas traditions in those states. Other indigenous states add their own elements to traditions of European origin: a popular Huron-language Christmas carol written by the Jesuit missionary Jean de Brebeuf adapts the nativity story to a Huron cultural context: Jesus is born in a lodge of broken bark, rather than a manger, and swaddled in rabbit skin. He is visited by hunters, in place of sheperds, and by chiefs, who come bearing pelts, instead of Magi.

 

[False Dmitri]

Merry Christmas, everyone. One of my goals for finishing the year was having a flag and basic history for all 51 states. We'll see if that happens, but to that end here's a rough idea for Choctaw, the last state that needs one. Its imagery is a simplified form of the motifs on traditional Choctaw sashes. There are three spirals to represent the three traditional divisions of the nation, East, West, and South. I'd like to spend a bit more time on the design, make it slightly more elaborate to mimic the traditional beadwork (and obviously cleaning up the grey ticks on the spirals). But this is the general look that the flag will have.

 

[Tyche]

Looks nice! Love some Burgandy on a flag

 

[jennysnooper87]

I particularly like how Christmas is celebrated differently in each region of the ASB and the cultural depictions of Santa Claus.

 

[Griffin04]

Thanks! I've always been struck by how monolithic OTL's Santa folklore is, and it seemed in the spirit of this TL that things would be more diverse and locally-rooted here.

 

[False Dmitri]

I've had time to cobble this together. Here it is, the last state in need of content. I'm not yet 100% set on the flag, but this definitely seems good enough; and while it's a bit busier, it better matches traditional designs. (The first version actually looked rather Greek.) !wave

Choctaw Nation
Nation de Chactas
Chahta Okla​

The Choctaw state is the modern descendant of a proud and old chiefdom whose roots lie in the ancient mound-building civilizations of the Southeast. The Choctaw tell two stories about their origins, and both give central importance to the mound Nanih Waiya, which is a few miles north of the capital city Kunsha. In one version of the story, the founder brothers Chiksa' and Chahta led their people out of the far west. They parted ways at the site of Nanih Waiya, with the Choctaw staying and the Ckicasaw continuing to wander. The Choctaw people then built the mound themselves. In another version, the people emerged from the earth beneath the mound itself, with Chahta becoming the leader of the people who stayed closest.

Although the Choctaw and Chicasaw acknowledge one another to be close relatives, much of their history has been defined by conflict between them. When the French arrived in the lower Mississippi in 1699, this gave the Choctaw a new source of weapons and trade goods. This led to an alliance between Choctaw and France, which drove the Chicasaw to ally with England.

By the late eighteenth century, Choctaw was an emerging state in the French imperial system. Its main towns were grouped in three geographic divisions, East, West, and South, each of which was led by its own chiefs. The chiefly class was cautiously appropriating elements of French culture, with the Southern division, also called the Six Towns, being the most francicized.

The war of 1803 did not come to Choctaw: shifting geopolitics had moved their rival Chicasaw to transfer its alliance from England to republican Virginia, which put the two feuding relatives on the same side in the war. The two nations resumed low-level fighting until 1818, when a landmark treaty finally formed a permanent peace between them. All the Choctaw chiefs gave their support to the Kingdom of New France in 1810-1833, and this period also saw the first institutions of state government.

The growth and decline of slavery in Choctaw was gradual and followed its own unique course in the state. Black slavery superimposed itself on traditional systems where enslaved captives were brought in to replace Choctaw men or women who had died. This slavery was not a permanent condition, and captives could expect to rise in status and be adopted as a member of the community. Chattel slavery from Louisiana gave new meaning to African slaves, who arrived together with European trade goods. Principal chiefs began to view these slaves as a status symbol, the same as other goods. But these slaves too could attain freedom as their skills were needed by the community. As Choctaw transitioned to a more agricultural economy and men's labor was needed in the fields, slave ownership was one way that Choctaw men could assert their masculinity in that context. Slaves and freedmen provided a lot of agricultural labor to 19th-century Choctaw, but the plantation system as it existed in some neighboring states never took root on any large scale.

Mixed-race Choctaw of partial African ancestry were key to the transition to a new economy: as hunting for a living became less feasible, they showed that farming could still be manly. The same groups also facilitated the spread of Christianity in the state. Many slaves coming from Louisiana were already Catholic, while freedmen and their children proved some of the most eager converts for Catholic missionaries. Black and mixed-race Choctaw people were also the leading advocates against slavery in the state. Choctaw freed its slaves at about the same pace at the other Indian states of the interior, but each division enacted abolition at a different time. The West division, where the slave trade along the Mississippi had become a vital part of the economy, was the last part to become free soil.

Choctaw today is a unitary state, but the traditional divisions remain as the second-level units. Kunsha's district comprises a fourth division. The divisions also vary in their form of government. South Choctaw abolished its hereditary chiefly lineages in the wake of the fall of the French Empire, while the other two have kept theirs, and hereditary chiefs continue to play a role. Choctaw religion can be seen as a spectrum between "proper" Catholicism and traditional belief. A minority of Choctaw people never embraced Christianity at all, while many Catholics maintain an array of traditional pre-Christian practices. Louisiana Voudou has also interacted with both traditions to produce a lively mixture of belief and practices that varies greatly among different localities and families.