The Cuisine of North Dakota differs from average Midwestern cuisine in a number of ways. Though much of the Midwest has strong German influences, North Dakota also has strong influence from Norway as well as the many ethnic Germans from Russia who settled there. There is also a strong Native American influence on the cuisine of North Dakota. Plants used as food by Native Americans are described in the North Dakota Ethnobotany database. As in the Midwest as a whole, meals are typically served in a smorgasbord format rather than as courses.