A year of Olympic Games and the presidential election got us thinking about Americana. Each of our 50 states has its own food scene and quirky cuisine. So we asked you, our fans, which dish best represents your state. The result? Fifty tasty state recipes and a culinary roadmap of the USA.
If you were to go on a cross-country trip, tasting each state’s most iconic dish, what would you find? Join us on a culinary tour of the United States, sampling a bit of local flavor in each of the 50 states.
A restaurant in Irondale, Ala., originated this iconic fried dish to make use of abundant unripe green tomatoes.
When cured, basted and baked, strips of Alaskan King Salmon become a dry, salty-sweet jerky with just a hint of smoke.
A burrito was once accidentally dropped in the fryer (or so the tale goes), and the crispy, meat-filled chimichanga was born.
Cook catfish quickly at a very high temperature to produce a crispy, crunchy crust that’s signature of the Arkansas dish.
Deep-fried, flaked and served with fresh fixin’s, fish tacos are a favorite amongst surfers and southern Californians.
Serve this thinner, subtly spicy pork chili — richly green thanks to tart, firm tomatillos — with tortilla chips and lime wedges.
In CT, thin-crust pizza is topped with garlic, oregano, olive oil, just a sprinkling of cheese and fresh local clams.
These tangy boardwalk-inspired spuds are soaked in vinegar, refrigerated and then fried to a golden brown finish.
Key limes (abundant in the Florida Keys) react with condensed milk to form this no-bake pie’s thick filling.
Sweet, juicy Georgia peaches peek through the woven lattice crust of this sunny pie, flavored with a little sugar and spice.
Serve marinated, diced sashimi-grade ahi tuna with lettuce cups and fried wontons to tap into the spirit of Aloha.
Idaho gives us steak’s answer to chicken fingers: double-battered sirloin segments fried and served with BBQ sauce.
With a cast-iron skillet and super-hot oven, you can mimic the crispy crust exterior of this layered deep-dish pie.
Marinate pork tenderloin in spiced buttermilk, then bread and fry until it’s crispy and brown to fill this classic Hoosier sandwich.
Iowa sweet corn doesn’t need much for its natural flavors to shine — simply grill and brush with a bit of garlic butter
Follow KC tradition by starting these tender ribs with a spicy rub and finishing with a complex 15-ingredient barbecue sauce.
Bake an open-faced turkey sandwich (topped with bacon and Mornay sauce) to re-create this Louisville classic.
This 18th century spicy Cajun stew gains flavor from its dark roux and characteristic thickness from sassafras-sourced file.
This classic seaside sandwich from Maine skips the seasonings and celery, letting the fresh lobster flavor shine through.
Plentiful Chesapeake Bay blue crabs (meaty male Jimmies, only!) are smothered in Old Bay Seasoning and steamed.
Serve this creamy milk-based “chowdah” — filled with chunks of potato, bacon and plenty of fresh clams — with oyster crackers.
With Cornish and Finnish roots, these popular D-shaped beef and veggie meat pies began as miners’ fuel.
Pronounced “hoddish,” this casserole (creamy veggies topped with crispy tater tots) is perfect for serving at large gatherings.
Rich, dense chocolate filling — dark as the banks of the Mississippi river — sits atop a crumbly cookie crust.
Crispy on the outside, filled with soft cheese and liberally dipped in marinara sauce: an appetizer we can get behind.
Huckleberries — small round fruits similar to blueberries — are abundant in the Pacific Northwest, and perfect for filling pies.
You’ll find palm-sized meat pies like these all throughout Nebraska — great as a make-ahead lunch or for a potluck.
Fill your plate(s), Vegas-style, with varied recipes you might find at one of the bottomless buffets on the strip.
Feed a crowd the NH way with moist, tender corned beef, veggies cooked in beef broth and a tasty horseradish sauce.
For an authentic Jersey breakfast, layer pork roll (a SPAM-like meat) with a cheese-smothered egg between toasty buns.
In New Mexico, chiles — the state veggie — are mixed to form a relish and thrown atop burgers with ample cheese.
Try a healthier baked version of the spicy, tangy (usually fried) wings with blue cheese sauce that hail from Buffalo.
Our vinegar-based pulled pork sauce is as tangy as any North Carolinian would expect, plus a little sweet and spicy to boot.
Thin, delicate potato crepes are browned in a skillet, spread with butter and sugar, and rolled into a tube for frequent consumption.
These no-bake peanut butter and chocolate balls are crafted to look like the nuts that fall from the Ohio Buckeye tree.
Crisped to a golden brown, fried okra is an irresistible snack enjoyed in Oklahoma and all throughout the South.
Tart, conical marionberries (like blackberries, but sweeter) turn reddish when cooked inside a perfect crumb-topped pie.
In Philly, the big cheese steak debate — sliced cheese or canned Cheese Whiz? — goes on between rival restaurants.
Squeeze this sweet-tart treat (think icy dessert crossed with a drink) out of a cup — no spoon! — like the Rhode Island folk do.
Grits (thick ground corn) form a bed for fresh-from-the-sea shrimp and other mix-ins, like bacon, garlic and lemon.
This unique state dish calls for cubed red meat to be deep-fried, dipped in garlic salt and served with saltines.
Marinate ribs overnight with a complex rub and then cook until they develop a rich, dark crust. Optional BBQ sauce included.
The king of Texas BBQ (and there’s plenty) is the Texas brisket, coated with mustard and a spicy rub and smoked for nine hours.
This grim-sounding casserole is anything but: onions, garlic and cream topped with melted cheese and crunchy cornflakes.
Sweet-tart apples meet sharp Vermont cheddar in this classic New England take on the favorite fall pie.
Salty country ham slices are covered with honey mustard and sandwiched between Southern-style chive-speckled biscuits.
Give salmon woodsy, smoky flavor by brushing the fish with a marinade and then broiling atop soaked, browned cedar planks.
Re-create the West Virginia convenience store snack by filling dough pockets with shredded mozzarella and a pepperoni stick.
Bratwurst (ground meat sausages that are grilled or pan-fried) are served with tangy sauerkraut on a baguette.
In Wyoming, steak is tenderized, dredged in an egg mixture and flour, then pan-fried until it has a crispy, breaded exterior.
In D.C., giant, smoky hot dogs are split in half, grilled and piled high with a chunky chopped onion chili. A capital meal, indeed.
Celebrate your democratic spirit by baking this historic yeasted Bundt cake (a spiced holiday bread meets coffee cake) covered in confectioners’ glaze.
Go on a Video Road Trip
Join Jeffrey Saad as he uncovers the foods that define America, like the street dog, barbecue and chocolate-pecan pie.
Ribs, brisket and pulled pork pulled the lead in Kansas and the Southern states.
States that neighbor the border borrow flavors liberally from Mexican cuisine.
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