The most iconic food in every state

Alabama’s famous white barbecue sauce, which is made with mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper, is described as both creamy and tangy.

The sauce, which is said to have been invented in the 1920s by Bob Gibson of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama, often comes served on a sandwich or with grilled or fried chicken.

Alaska is famous for its salmon, though locals may disagree on the best way to prepare it — whether that’s smoked, grilled, or pan-seared.

For a classic Alaskan meal, serve the fish with seasonal vegetables, or enjoy smoked salmon on a bagel with cream cheese.

You might not know that chimichangas were invented in Arizona.

As Tucson Foodie reported, two restaurants in Tucson claim to have originated the dish, a large meat burrito filled with vegetables and spices, deep-fried, and topped with cheese and sauce.

Fans of fried pickles have Arkansas to thank for the iconic snack. The first fried dill pickles ever sold anywhere first appeared on the menu of the Duchess Drive-In in Atkins, Arkansas, in the summer of 1963, Encyclopedia of Arkansas reported.

California is famous for its avocados, so it should come as no surprise that avocado toast is one of the most popular and famous local dishes in the Golden State. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that California residents have been making avocado toast for more than 130 years.

An issue of The Daily Alta California from 1885 lists a recipe that suggests spreading avocado “on slices of bread, and season with salt and pepper.”

The now-closed Colorado Mine Company restaurant in Denver invented the original Fool’s Gold sandwich: a hollowed-out loaf of sourdough stuffed with peanut butter, blueberry jam, and a pound of bacon.

The over-the-top sandwich became legendary after Elvis Presley reportedly loved it so much that he flew his private jet to Denver and back in a single night just to eat one.

Culture Trip reported that the first documented lobster roll was served at a Milford, Connecticut, restaurant named Perry’s in 1929.

Although you may be more familiar with Maine-style lobster rolls served cold with mayonnaise, Connecticut has its own signature take.

A traditional Connecticut-style lobster roll features warm lobster meat lightly dressed with melted butter and served on a split-top bun.

Delaware’s official state dessert is peach pie, and peaches are an integral part of the state’s agricultural industry.

According to the Delaware government, peaches have been an important part of the state’s agricultural heritage since their introduction during Colonial times, when they became a major industry in the 19th century.

At the industry’s peak in 1875, Delaware shipped about 6 million baskets of peaches to market.

While these sandwiches can, of course, be traced back to Cuba, what we know now as a “Cuban sandwich” is largely thanks to Cuban immigrants in Tampa, Florida.

Thrillist reported that the sandwiches made in Cuba and the United States had a few key differences when it came to ingredients.

The Florida version, which sometimes used imported Italian salami, became known as a “Cuban sandwich.”

Both Brunswick County, Virginia, and Brunswick, Georgia, claim to be the birthplace of Brunswick stew.

In Brunswick, Georgia, a town monument features a 25-gallon iron pot with an inscription stating that the first batch of Brunswick stew was cooked in it in 1898.

Kālua pork is one of Hawaii’s most iconic dishes. The smoked, shredded pork — sometimes mixed with cabbage — is traditionally cooked in an underground oven, which is reflected in its name: “kālua” means “to cook in an underground oven” in Hawaiian.

Many have traced the origin of finger steaks — fried pieces of beef — back to Milo’s Torch Lounge in Boise.

Idaho Beef says chef Milo Bybee invented the dish in 1957 to use the restaurant’s leftover tenderloin.

While you might assume that all pizza originates in Italy, deep-dish pizza is actually American.

The BBC reported that restaurant owners Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo introduced their creation, an Italian-American pizza they called deep-dish, at Pizzeria Uno in Chicago’s Near North Side neighborhood in 1943.

Pork tenderloin sandwiches, also called “Hoosier sandwiches,” can be traced back to Nick Freienstein, a Huntington, Indiana, native-born to German parents. Eater reported the dish was originally inspired by Wiener schnitzel, a Viennese-style veal dish that is breaded and pan-fried.

In 1904, Freienstein began selling sandwiches and burgers out of a food cart. While veal was hard to come by in his hometown, pork was readily available. After he added pickles and onions to his fried pork tenderloin sandwich, Freienstein’s cart took off. He is credited with creating the first “Hoosier sandwich.”

While fried catfish is a popular dish throughout the South, Iowans are fond of it as well.

A cross between a sloppy Joe and a cheeseburger, loose meat sandwiches are a favorite among Kansas locals.

The Nu-Way Cafe, a Wichita-based chain of restaurants, is famous for its loose meat sandwiches. In other parts of the country, they are known as tavern sandwiches or Maid-Rites, named after the Iowa chain.

According to local lore, beer cheese was invented by Chef Joe Allman for his cousin Johnnie, the owner of the Driftwood Inn near Winchester, Kentucky.

The Downtown Winchester Beer Cheese Festival reported that the dish was originally created by Allman to entice customers to order more beer with their meals.

Gumbo, a traditional stew consisting primarily of a strong-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and vegetables, is the official state cuisine of Louisiana.

Its origins date back to the late 1800s, and many food historians believe the dish evolved from kingombo, an okra-based stew introduced to colonial Louisiana by enslaved Africans.

Maine is famous for its lobster rolls, largely because lobster is one of Maine’s most profitable exports.

However, while the first lobster roll can be traced back to Connecticut, Maine-style lobster rolls often feature cold lobster meat rather than warm, dressed with mayonnaise and served in a toasted bun.

Crab cakes likely trace back to Native American cooking in the Chesapeake Bay region of the United States.

However, the first official recipe for crab cakes appeared in a cookbook written by Crosby Gaige in the 1930s, under the name “Maryland Crab Cakes,” Baltimore Magazine reported.

Clam chowder has roots all over the Northeast, but New England-style clam chowder is said to have been first served in Boston at Ye Olde Union Oyster House in 1836, Eater reported.

Wet burritos, which come covered in red chile sauce and tons of cheese, are said to have been created at the Beltline Bar in Grand Rapids, Michigan, according to the restaurant’s website, which has reportedly sold 6 million burritos and counting.

While some say corn dogs, then called “corny dogs,” were introduced at the State Fair of Texas between 1938 and 1942, Pronto Pup vendors at the Minnesota State Fair claim to have invented the first breaded-and-fried hot dog in 1942, Eater reported.

Eater reported that Mississippi mud pie, a dessert made with pudding, cake, biscuits, ice cream, whipped cream, marshmallows, and some kind of liqueur like Kahlua or amaretto, originated somewhere in the Vicksburg or Natchez area.

Henry Perry is known as the “father of Kansas City barbecue” — he began selling slow-smoked meats wrapped in newspaper for 25 cents in the Garment District of Kansas City, across the Missouri border, in the early 1900s.

He later opened Kansas City’s first official barbecue restaurant in an old trolley barn. Perry loved barbecue so much that, on his death certificate, his occupation was listed as “barbecue man.”

Although meat pies have roots in Europe, they’re especially popular in Montana, where they’re better known as pasties.

The handheld pies became a staple in Butte thanks to the area’s large population of Irish and Cornish miners, who could easily carry them to work underground.

The classic Reuben sandwich, made with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing, and served on rye bread, was supposedly invented by an Omaha, Nebraska, grocer in 1925, the Nebraska State Historical Society reported. 

Although the shrimp cocktail may not have been invented in Nevada or even the United States, Las Vegas residents have certainly claimed it as their own.

The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino says that in 1959, it introduced Las Vegas to its famous, world-recognized 50-cent shrimp cocktail. Ever since, visitors have enjoyed partaking in the city’s signature dish.

While Vermont produces more maple syrup than any other state, New Hampshire is also known for its syrup production. True Granite State natives are known to douse their pancakes in 100% New Hampshire syrup.

Disco fries, which are french fries smothered in gravy, mozzarella, and other toppings, originate from the Garden State.

Local legend has it that the late-night dish got its name from the hordes of people pouring into New Jersey diners after a long night of dancing, in search of the perfect snack.

Green chiles are the state’s signature vegetable, so it comes as no surprise that New Mexico natives would want to add the ingredient to their burgers.

New York is undeniably famous for its pizza, from cheap and cheerful $1 slices to more gourmet versions. New York City is also home to the nation’s first pizzeria, Lombardi’s, which opened in Little Italy in 1905. 

Krispy Kreme began operating in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on July 13, 1937. At the time, the owner Vernon Rudolph was only selling his donuts to local grocery stores.

However, after people passing by the bakery asked about the heavenly scent, he cut a hole in an outside wall and began selling glazed donuts to people on the sidewalk.

North Dakota is famous for its walleye, and the state is known not only for selling the fried fish on its own but also in sandwiches.

What’s Cooking America reported that Cincinnati prides itself on being the chili capital of the United States with more than 180 chili parlors. Thinner in consistency and commonly served over pasta, the dish is slightly different from traditional chili.

Cincinnati-style chili is also often topped with chopped onions, shredded cheese, beans, and crushed oyster crackers. 

Chicken-fried steak often comes served with mashed potatoes and gravy and is popular all over the South.

However, one state loves the dish so much that it decided to make it official. In 1988, Oklahomans named chicken-fried steak one of their state meals, the Oklahoma Historical Society reported.

Clamming is a popular activity in Oregon, where shellfish is abundant. So, it makes perfect sense that one of the most famous dishes from Oregon would involve clams.

The state’s most famous food by far is the classic Philly cheesesteak, which is believed to have been invented by a hot dog vendor in 1930, Visit Philadelphia reported. 

The sandwich contains thinly cut steak handsomely topped with cheese on a roll, plus sautéed onions, peppers, mushrooms, mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt, pepper, or ketchup.

Known locally as “stuffies” or stuffed quahogs, stuffed clams are considered Rhode Island’s unofficial state dish.

The classic recipe combines chopped clam meat with breadcrumbs, herbs, onion, bell pepper, and celery, then packs the mixture back into a clamshell and bakes it until golden.

Although the exact origins of shrimp and grits are debated, many historians believe the dish originated in Charleston or elsewhere along the Carolina coast.

Today, it’s considered one of South Carolina’s signature dishes and is a staple on menus across the state.

Instead of traditional taco shells, those in South Dakota use frybread, which is flattened dough cooked in hot oil until puffy and crispy, to make Navajo tacos.

However, while the dish is delicious, it also has a controversial history. Native Americans living in South Dakota invented the dish, but it was less about making a tasty meal and more about survival. 

Lisa Ironcloud, who works with food sovereignty programs, told Argus Leader that frybread was invented because Native Americans could make it using rationed ingredients like yeast and because it “filled their stomachs.”

Nashville hot chicken, which is famous for being extremely spicy, also has quite a spicy history. Nashville hot chicken was invented when Thornton Prince, the owner of Prince’s Hot Chicken, where legend says it was first created, came home to find his lover upset.

To get revenge, she served him chicken covered in extra-hot spices. However, Prince liked the dish so much that he decided to open a restaurant and serve a version of it to local people in Nashville.

Texas is practically synonymous with barbecue. While every barbecue region has its own traditions, Texas-style barbecue stands apart for its emphasis on slow-smoked beef, particularly brisket, rather than pork.

Seasoned simply with salt and pepper or a house rub and cooked low and slow over wood, Texas barbecue has become one of the state’s defining culinary traditions and a draw for barbecue lovers from around the world.

The New York Times reported that pastrami burgers were popularized by Crown Burgers in Salt Lake City, and are still one of the city’s most famous foods. The burgers come topped with a Thousand Island-style sauce as well as tomatoes, shaved lettuce, and onions, but can also come served with cheese or other toppings.

Vermont corn chowder is a state-favorite dish made with a milk-based broth, corn, and other vegetables like onions, potatoes, and cabbage, thickened with flour or Vermont cheddar cheese. Bacon is also commonly added to the dish.

Virginia’s government website claims that “Virginia is for Oyster Lovers,” and there’s a reason. Not only is Virginia home to multiple oyster festivals but Virginia oysters can be harvested in eight different regions of the state.

While fish and chips are often thought of as a quintessentially British dish, the state of Washington is equally famous for its flaky, fried fish and chips.

The roots of biscuits and gravy can be traced back to the Southern Appalachian region of the United States in the late 1800s. The Washington Post reported that the earliest version of this Southern food used sausage gravy, which was also called “sawmill gravy” at the time.

Historians believe that the food was hearty enough to power sawmill workers through their long days lifting heavy logs, and also thick and flavorful enough to make biscuits of that era “more palatable.”

Fried cheese curds are a favorite dish in Wisconsin, the state famous for its cheese and dairy products. What’s Cooking America reported that cheese factories in the state have to make cheese curds daily to meet the high demand for the product.

Bison has long been associated with Wyoming, from the wild herds that have historically roamed the region to the private ranches that raise the animals across the state today.

As such, the meat reflects Wyoming’s Western and ranching identity. The state’s tourism office says, when it comes to popular dishes, Wyoming is best known for bison, as well as elk, venison, and locally caught trout.

Bison appears on menus across the state, including at Senator’s Steakhouse & Brass Buffalo Saloon in Cheyenne (pictured).