It is hard to imagine today that this city of over 8 million people was once a simple fur trading post for the Dutch. Initially known as New Amsterdam, it was ceded to the British after the Second Anglo-Dutch War and was given a new moniker, New York.
The city was occupied by the British until 1783 when the last troops were moved out of the city and on to Canada, much of the early post colonial history of America has New York at its centre and it was here that the first president of the United States, George Washington was inaugurated.
After the Civil War, New York was to become the entry point for millions of people coming to the New World in search of a new life. Many of the immigrants stayed in the five boroughs of New York and forged one of the most multi-racial cities on earth. It was in recognition of this that France bequeathed the Statue of Liberty to New York City in 1886.
Modern New York needs no introduction, it is a city that is recognized across the globe and is rightly famous for being America’s most diverse and fascinating city, Italians, Irish, Afro-Americans, Hispanics and Asians all blend to create a unique culture which leaves gourmets with no shortage of places to go and flavors to try.

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