A Dish for Every State?

By: Frank Samperi

Some dishes are so iconic of America, they bring us together at the table no matter where we live. I'm talking burgers, mac & cheese, pizza, French fries, apple pie, pancakes, etc. (Just ask Jeffrey Saad of  United Tastes of America — he's tried them all.)

But lately we've been wondering what dishes are unique to each state. If each state had to pick a dish that really defined it, what would it be?

Our Kitchens did a little research and came up with  an interesting list of foods noteworthy to each state. Many are what you'd expect — Deep Dish Pizza in Illinois, BBQ Brisket in Texas, Peach Pie in Georgia, New Jersey's Italian Subs.

The research found  some curious dishes, too — Funeral Potatoes in Utah, Kansas's Burnt Ends, Sauerkraut Balls in Ohio — not to mention some really odd-sounding ones. Burgoo in Kentucky? Chislic in South Dakota? Spam Musubi in Hawaii? (Apparently it's a sushi-sized bite of grilled spam atop a block of rice, wrapped in seaweed. We can't wait to try.)

We hope you  enjoy exploring the list below as much as we have, but we also want you to join the conversation and cast a vote...

Vote for your state's iconic dish using a poll we set up on Facebook. (You must be logged into Facebook and you'll only be able to see the poll for the state you live in now.) If you don't have a Facebook account, don't fret... just leave your comments below.

Enjoy, and check back soon for the tallies. It will most certainly be an interesting conversation!

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
  • Sugar Cream Pie (Hoosier Cream Pie)
  • Persimmon Pudding
  • Pork Tenderloin Sandwich (or BPTs — Breaded Pork Tenderloins)
  • Beef and Noodles
  • Popcorn
  • Indiana residents, vote here!
Iowa
  • Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
  • Sour Cream Raisin Pie
  • Loosemeat Sandwich (or Taverns)
  • Iowa Pork Chop with Pan Gravy
  • Cinnamon Roll
  • Iowa residents, vote here!
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
  • Memphis Dry Ribs
  • Tennessee Mountain Stack Cake
  • The Elvis Sandwich (Fried Peanut Butter and Banana)
  • Barbecue Spaghetti
  • Nashville Hot Chicken
  • Tennessee residents, vote here!
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
  • Steamed Dungeness Crab with Melted Butter
  • Cedar-Planked Salmon
  • Oysters on the Half-shell with Mignonette
  • Geoduck Clam Chowder
  • Apple Candy (Aplets)
  • Washington residents, vote here!
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

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