1. Cultural influences play a major role in both New Zealand's cuisines as well as those of the United States. Both countries' diets are largely influenced by the local ingredients, as well as imported produce. One example of a local ingredient would be using cattle for food in the United States. Another similarity between the cultural influences in the two countries is that both are constituted of people from many different ethnic background. Immigrants bring with them their native dishes and spread these across the countries, making them both very diverse in the foods that they eat. As time wears on, ingredients for these dishes are becoming more widespread and easier to obtain. Ethnic restaurants also give others a chance to experience this food for themselves. In both countries, Chinese and Italian restaurants are very prominent. However, in New Zealand, cuisine is also influenced mainly by the Maori, Pakeha, and British peoples. This is one reason that Kiwis refer to French Fries as "chips"; just like the typical British meal, fish and chips! In America, we are influenced by too many cultures to count. German, Polish, Japanese, Mongolian, and Mexican are just a few of the cultures that have brought their food to the United States and that have become very popular throughout the years.
2. I am probably most excited to try foods I have never tried before, and those that you can't find anywhere else--mainly kangaroo soup! At the same time, I am incredibly hesistant to try these foods, the soup especially, because part of me feels like it is wrong to eat those animals, even though Australians eat them just like we eat cows. To me it just doesn't seem right. However, I still really want to try the soup in order to experience new things and broaden my horizons. I will most likely need some encouragement, but this trip is all about stepping outside of my comfort zone, and that is what I will have to do!
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