Regional Cuisine

[flyingsit]

In CA, everything has avocado on it.

I HATE avocado.

 

[Yehudi]

Other WNY stuff that ribbon didn’t mention

Loganberry-a cross btwn blackberry and raspberry. Kinda tastes like cough syrup.

sponge candy-it’s like an airy toffee covered in chocolate. Supposedly you can only make it in a certain climate

Butter Lamb-butter molded as a lamb. Served during Easter.

 

[NinjaTurtles]

chicken riggies - Italian immigrants in Utica NY have rigatoni with chicken smothered in a tomato cream sauce

What sets riggie sauce apart from say, your typical vodka sauce, is the use of hot cherry peppers - it should be a spicy pink sauce. Hot cherry peppers are an absolute pantry staple in Utica/CNY.

Upstate NY has such a rich history of regional cuisine. I'll add to @ribbon's list for Western and Central NY:

Western:

• Sponge candy
• Grape pie

Utica/Syracuse (this list is basically what I fill up on when home or make for family parties outside of NY, PML):

• Tomato Pie (a version can be found in Philly and parts of NJ as well)
• Half Moon Cookies (NOT the same as an NYC Black & White!!!)
• Salt potatoes
• Greens
• Turkey Joints (a candy eaten at Christmas)
• Sausage bread (eaten cold/room temp)

Binghamton:

• Spiedies (I may or may not have gone to Spiediefest )

More generically Upstate NY:

• Mozzarella sticks with raspberry sauce
• Mop/Barbeque/Cornell chicken
• Didn't realize until I moved away how uncommon Rhubarb and Strawberry Rhubarb pie is outside of Upstate/parts of New England...
• Peppermint Pig (another candy eaten at Christmas)
• Croghan balogna

And real buffalo wings are never breaded, never served with ranch (it's supposed to be blue cheese!), and do include celery sticks for dipping in the blue cheese.

 

[Cachoo]

Never heard of cinnamon buns with chili................

Canada is supposed to be known for Poutine, french fries with clods of cheese and gravy

Not the greatest for one's health!!

But I bet it is delicious.

 

[once_upon]

I dont like Rhubarb, but people in the Midwest or MidPlains or where this location is cant wait to have rhubarb pie.

 

[MsZem]

I HATE avocado.

It's slimy and disgusting.

Since avocado in itself is not a regional food, I feel comfortable insulting it.

 

[Stefanie]

If you are in Nebraska

Frito Pie

I'm not from the Midwest/NE, but Frito Pie is one of the first recipes I made when I bought my house/moved out from my parents'.

 

[Stefanie]

As PRLady already mentioned, steamed crabs are popular here in MD...as well as crab cakes. We also have something called "pit beef." Not sure if that's regional or what, but this guy I was dating from CA had no idea what it was...

ETA: From DE, but there's Scrapple, too! Disgusting!

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Pit beef - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[El Rey]

Not Israeli but watermelon feta salads are a thing and are delicious.

I wouldn’t call it a regional thing here, but it’s not unusual to see something like a watermelon, arugula and feta cheese salad on menus.

 

[Cachoo]

I wouldn’t call it a regional thing here, but it’s not unusual to see something like a watermelon, arugula and feta cheese salad on menus.

That sounds really good to me...the watermelon is sweet, the feta is creamy and tangy and the arugula is more bitter and peppery.

 

[Yehudi]

And real buffalo wings are never breaded, never served with ranch (it's supposed to be blue cheese!), and do include celery sticks for dipping in the blue cheese.

You order them extra crispy though. Also the debate is not btwn Anchor Bar and Duff’s but Gabriel’s Gate and Bar Bill (#17’s personal favorite).

 

[Karen-W]

Oregon checking in here - MARIONBERRY anything - love it when marionberries are in season.

Marionberry

More than half the blackberries grown in Oregon are Marionberries. The Marion Blackberry or Marionberry was cultivated in Marion County, Oregon. The Oregon Marionberry is medium-sized and conical in shape, longer than they are wide, and appear dark purple to black in color.

oregon-berries.com

 

[jeffisjeff]

Strawberry Rhubarb pie

(I am a New Englander...)

 

[clairecloutier]

If you are in Nebraska

Steak
Bacon
Corn dogs
Sweet Corn
Smores
Frito Pie
Waldorf Salad
Pot Luck Church Dinner
Something called Hamballs https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/iowa-ham-balls/
Runzas
Loose Meat Sandwiches

I'm curious if they sell ground ham in grocery stores out there to use for making the Hamballs.

• Salt potatoes

I had salt potatoes (they called them "rock salt potatoes") at a function I went to in the Syracuse area. Oh my gosh, soooo good!!!
I found a good recipe to make them at home in the Instapot. Only now I can't make them too often, because my husband is watching salt intake! Boo.

 

[CassAgain]

Arkansas--cheese dip, or what we called queso in Texas where I grew up. Cheese dip is an obsession here. People applying for executive chef jobs must have a unique cheese dip recipe even in the nicest restaurants.

Also pulled pork for BBQ and fried bologna. We are a fancy bunch.

 

[NinjaTurtles]

You order them extra crispy though. Also the debate is not btwn Anchor Bar and Duff’s but Gabriel’s Gate and Bar Bill (#17’s personal favorite).

Extra crispy Extra hot Nothing better than dipping a slice of pizza in the wing box sauce.

 

[once_upon]

I'm curious if they sell ground ham in grocery stores out there to use for making the Hamballs.

Yep. https://www.hy-vee.com/aisles-online/p/53761/Fricks-Ground-Ham

 

[Cachoo]

Other WNY stuff that ribbon didn’t mention

Loganberry-a cross btwn blackberry and raspberry. Kinda tastes like cough syrup.

sponge candy-it’s like an airy toffee covered in chocolate. Supposedly you can only make it in a certain climate

Butter Lamb-butter molded as a lamb. Served during Easter.

Interesting as I think of toffee as anything but airy.

Grew up in Colorado, lived in Indiana and now Missouri. I had never heard of cinnamon rolls with chili until we moved to Missouri. I guess it’s a thing that was on the school menu around here. Sounds gross to me but I’m sure if you grew up with it, it brings back good memories. Never heard of a sancho, what is it?

Most of my family is from Nebraska where runzas are a regional thing. I hate any from a restaurant but love any my family makes or mine. My husband and his family in Indiana had never heard of it. In Indiana you can get persimmon pudding in the fall, had never heard of it until I lived there. Colorado, the only thing I can think of is Rocky Mountain oysters-gross. Our high school used to sell a ball of cookie dough for 25 cents before they baked them at lunch. I may or may not have had a breakfast of cookie dough several mornings.

I don't think I've tasted a persimmon..is this pudding sweet or somewhat savory?

 

[MacMadame]

I HATE avocado.

So does Mr. Mac. He is distressed that people keep giving me avocados. I've been making avocado toast with them but since I've never had it, I am faking it and have made some mistakes. The first time, I didn't mash up the avocado and today I forgot to toast the bread!

But I bet it is delicious.

No.

ETA: From DE, but there's Scrapple, too! Disgusting!

We had scrapple growing up. I agree it's not great. I think it's Pennsylvania Dutch. But according to Wikipedia scrapple is best known as a food of the southern Mid-Atlantic region (Delaware, Maryland, South Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.).

 

[Spikefan]

I don't think I've tasted a persimmon..is this pudding sweet or somewhat savory?

Kind of like a sweet squash so it could probably be used it either way. I’ve only had it in pudding and cookies but I could see it working in salads or with a mix of roasted vegetables. The pudding is similar to a bread pudding but softer. It is sweet with a lot of cinnamon/cloves/nutmeg and topped with cream.

Our art museum has a bunch of persimmon trees and I’ve thought about calling to see if people could harvest them as that is the only place I’ve seen persimmon trees around here.

 

[Stefanie]

So does Mr. Mac. He is distressed that people keep giving me avocados. I've been making avocado toast with them but since I've never had it, I am faking it and have made some mistakes. The first time, I didn't mash up the avocado and today I forgot to toast the bread!


No.




We had scrapple growing up. I agree it's not great. I think it's Pennsylvania Dutch. But according to Wikipedia scrapple is best known as a food of the southern Mid-Atlantic region (Delaware, Maryland, South Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.).

I just always associated it with DE because as a kid we would drive by the Rappa Scrappa plant in DE on the way to the beach.

 

[MacMadame]

I just always associated it with DE because as a kid we would drive by the Rappa Scrappa plant in DE on the way to the beach.

These days most "regional" food has traveled anyway. I mean you can get poutine in downtown San Jose! (Which is how I know it's gross. )

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

In NY/NJ they have disco fries (gravy mozzarella fries). In NJ they have an argument on what to call it, but Taylor ham/pork roll. Tomato pie, which is pizza but the tomato sauce goes on top. I'm sure there are other things as well, that are regional foods. I just wanted to give NY/NJ some representation here.

For New England/Massachusetts, I'm thinking American Chop Suey, B&M Brown Bread (yes, that's brown bread in a can), Boiled Dinner, Clam Chowder (white), Necco Wafers, Lobster Rolls, Fluffernutters, Frappes, Indian Pudding, Grapenut Pudding, Fried Clams, Hoodsie Cups, Jimmies, Whoopie Pies. I'm sure there are more.

 

[Aceon6]

Good luck drawing the line in New England where the clam chowder goes from white to red.

 

[sk9tingfan]

Good luck drawing the line in New England where the clam chowder goes from white to red.

In New England? Red is Manhattan clam chowder.

 

[PRlady]

In New England? Red is Manhattan clam chowder.

Yes but it’s like the line between Red Sox and Yankees somewhere in Connecticut. Hard to find but it’s there.

My PA Dutch ex-husband taught me to love strawberry rhubarb pie. My second husband with the very weird upbringing (Boston Brahmin mom, upstate NY dad, but grew up in Indonesia because of dad’s work) taught me to appreciate NE clam chowder and Nasi Goreng. Israeli husband: persimmons (they grow there), kuba which are fried semolina balls, and much more.

I don’t recommend getting married three times but it has some upsides.

I do not understand how anyone can hate avocado.

 

[Aceon6]

In New England? Red is Manhattan clam chowder.

Yup. Most think the line is west of I-91 and south of I-84 where people are more likely to follow New York teams. Basically, the farther you are from fresh dug clams. I grew up in Hartford, CT and it was so 50/50 that you had to ask.

 

[MacMadame]

I do not understand how anyone can hate avocado.

I recognize this but don't understand how they can be considered slimy. Their consistency is a lot more firm than butter. And they don't melt like butter either.

I love Manhattan Claim Chowder but I never find it here on the West Coast

 

[jeffisjeff]

Just FYI, but the Albany NY area prefers white chowder and the Red Sox.