Food says so much about where you’ve come from, where you’ve decided to go, and the lessons you’ve learned. It’s geography, politics, tradition, belief and so much more and this week, we invite you to dig in and discover the rich, ever-evolving taste of America in 2011. The week will culminate with a Secret Supper in New York City, and Eatocracy invites you to participate online starting Monday July 11th at 6:30 p.m. E.T.

From commenter Kelsey on iReport: Rice – the grain that feeds the planet:

I'm an ESL teacher in South Korea, and in some kindergartens over here, it has taken a lot of time and effort for young students to see similarities between themselves and some of the Indian children also in the classroom. Something that my Korean students and Indian students bonded over? Rice.

My Indian student packs her lunch every day, but that food was one of the first things that students could see was the same between them, even though they speak entirely different languages in their homes and are of different cultural backgrounds. "Teacher, she eats the rice and I eat the rice TOO! Same same!" – something seemingly small, but when acceptance has not been easy for some of them, it's a memorable moment.

Read more about the inextricable bond between food and cultural identity

Food says so much about where you’ve come from, where you’ve decided to go, and the lessons you’ve learned. It’s geography, politics, tradition, belief and so much more and this week, we invite you to dig in and discover the rich, ever-evolving taste of America in 2011. The week will culminate with a Secret Supper in New York City, and Eatocracy invites you to participate online starting Monday July 11th at 6:30 p.m. E.T.

A few dogs, some burgers, a steak, maybe a batch of your famous ribs - is there anything more American than cooking out? Well - the U.S. may have perfected the art of the backyard barbecue, but the rest of the world isn't exactly immune to the thrill of the grill. Nearly every nation on Earth puts heat to meat on a grate and makes a meal of it, and so far as we're concerned, the more the merrier.

Here's a ten stop tasting tour of some of the world's greatest grilling hot spots.
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