Local Foods

[Sedorna]

Hi, guys. I thought it might be fun to post some local foods and food customs. Both to show off what we've got, and so that any visitors might know what to enjoy--or what to avoid. Plus, it might be fun to see any similarities between different places. I'm from Baltimore, Maryland (well, technically Baltimore County, not City.)

One popular custom is eating sauerkraut at Thanksgiving. It's quite big here. I work in a grocery store and I think about 95% of all sauerkraut is sold during the month of November.

Two refreshing snacks are lemon sticks and snowballs. Now, New Orleans also has snowballs, and I'd love to go there some day to see how they differ from Baltimore snowballs. I like my snowballs powdery and sweet, with marshmallow creme on top. Lemon sticks are so simple, yet so good. Basically, they're a lemon (or lemon half, if large enough) with a soft peppermint stick in them. You suck up the juice through the peppermint, and it sweetens it a bit and adds some minty goodness. Yum.

Three (honestly, I'm not counting) local factory made foods are Berger Cookies, Goetze Caramels, and Mary Sue Easter Eggs. Berger Cookies are shortbread cookies with a thick slab of fudge on top. Goetze caramels (which I'm pretty sure are sold nationwide; heck, I was shock when I learned that they're made in Baltimore) are soft caramels with a sweet white center. Yum. And, while Mary Sue does make other candies, I think of the pecan nougat Easter eggs when I think of the candies. Oh, and the theme song, which is sung to the tune of "I'm called Little Buttercup" from H.M.S. Pinafore.

So, what local treats do all of you have?

[Aggiesque]

bluebell ice cream. I count it as a local treat because it's made here! YUM

[oz diva]

If an Aussie offers you Vegemite, only spread it lightly, it is not like peanut butter, a little goes a very long way.

[Sharnita]

in Michigan's Upper Peninsula there is an item called a pasty as described here
http://www.upper-peninsula-now.com/pasties.html

[Cyradis]

I'm from Trinidad and Tobago and we have an unofficial national breakfast food: doubles. Doubles (which is singular) is made of bara (flour, baking powder, salt and tumeric) filled with curried channa (chick peas/garbanzo beans) It's usually topped with chutney and lots of pepper sauce. It's probably our most popular street food.

Here is a link to a recipe and photo: http://www.trinigourmet.com/index.php/trinidad-doubles-recipe/

[Thipu1]

Ah, local food.  Let me at 'em.

New York City has a number of delicious treats that people think they know but don't quite.

THE BAGEL
People think they know these but I recall reading about the hazards of eating any bagel 'forged' outside New York City.  The verb was correct in both senses of the term because a proper bagel must be boiled before it is baked.  Just baking the thing produces a doughnut without the sweetness.

PASTRAMI
Good pastrami is getting difficult to find.  You just can't slice the cured meat and put it into a sandwich.  To make pastrami good it needs to be steamed before it's sliced.  If that isn't done, you may as well be eating a beef jerky sandwich.

THE KNISH
The square pillows are an abomination unto the deity of your choice!  The real thing is round and baked.  Classic knish fillings are potato with onion or kasha.  Yonah Schimmel's is said to be the temple of knish-hood in NYC.  I found their product bland.  I much preferred the late, lamented Mrs. Stahl's bakery in Brighton Beach.  They had a Spanish rice knish to die for.  They also offered desert knishes stuffed with apples, cherries or peaches.

CHEESECAKE
There are many places in the world that can lay claim to an excellent cheesecake.  NYC is right up there with the best.  The best of the best comes from Junior's in Brooklyn. 

EGG CREAM
Unfortunately, this is an endangered species.  In these calorie-conscious days, the very name is likely to send people running out the door.  It's really delicious on a hot day although it takes a bit of preparation.

Put a tall glass, a container of milk and a bottle of seltzer (not club soda) into the freezer and chill until the liquids are almost ready to solidify.  When ready to drink, place a good squirt of milk and a good squirt of Foxe's U-Bet syrup into the class.  Top off with ice cold seltzer and enjoy.

The traditional flavor for an egg creme is chocolate but sophisticates may choose coffee.  U-Bet makes both flavors. 

CHERRY-LIME RICKEY
This is an even more endangered species of drink because it isn't quite as easy to make at home.  Traditionally, you could only get it at luncheonettes and there aren't many of those around any more.  It consists of cherry syrup, lime juice and seltzer.           

[glinda]

The Persian - which is made out of dough similar to that a cinnamon bun is made of and topped with pink icing.  Wikipedia has an article on them:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_%28pastry%29

They are exceptionally good sliced in half lengthwise, buttered, lightly fried and flipped so the icing is all melty in the centre.

[Red1979]

in Michigan's Upper Peninsula there is an item called a pasty as described here
http://www.upper-peninsula-now.com/pasties.html

There is a place in PA that sells pastys.  I've also seen them from time to time on different menus at "pub" style type eateries.

[Bethczar]

I know the rest of America has stolen them, put there is no place like Wisconsin for deep-fried cheese curds. We were doing them before it was trendy.

My other favorite treat is kringle, a type of coffeecake/pastry. It's a ring of thin, light, buttery dough (almost croissant-like) around nut, fruit, or cheese filling. (Maybe someone else can describe it better?) Check out www.kringle.com.

[Wonderflonium]

OP: First off, howdy neighbor! Second, you forgot the crabs with loads of Old Bay! Please tell me you aren't one of those freak Marylanders who don't eat crabs. (I say that with love; my best friend is one of those "freaks."  )

[gollymolly2]

I'm from Trinidad and Tobago and we have an unofficial national breakfast food: doubles. Doubles (which is singular) is made of bara (flour, baking powder, salt and tumeric) filled with curried channa (chick peas/garbanzo beans) It's usually topped with chutney and lots of pepper sauce. It's probably our most popular street food.

Here is a link to a recipe and photo: http://www.trinigourmet.com/index.php/trinidad-doubles-recipe/

That sounds DELICIOUS! I'm going to attempt the recipe soon.  Thanks for posting!

[Zilla]

Here it is Eastern or Western Carolina BBQ.  I won't post which I prefer but the battle over it is fierce.


Don't mess with the scrapple or grits either.

[Shea]

I'm from Southern Oregon, and we don't have any really distinctive local dishes. However, if you visit the area, you will not leave without eating something with pears in it. Pretty much guaranteed.

I currently live in Quebec, and although I cannot lay any claim to being "from" here, I feel I must mention the most famous local dish: poutine, which is french fries covered in gravy and topped with cheese curds. People tend to have strong feelings about where to get the best poutine in town. Personally I feel that the best time to eat poutine is in the dead of winter, after having been outside skating, skiing or snowshoeing, when you are beginning to worry about frostbite and are so hungry you may collapse. However, I've also been reliably informed that poutine tastes best when eaten while drunk at 3 AM. You may wish to conduct your own studies on this matter.

There are lots of different variations on the traditional poutine, some of which are good, some of which sound...scary. Today I saw a sign in a restaurant window advertising poutine curry. Now, I'm all for the melting pot, but it seems to me that some cuisines were never meant to be fused .

[Sedorna]

OP: First off, howdy neighbor! Second, you forgot the crabs with loads of Old Bay! Please tell me you aren't one of those freak Marylanders who don't eat crabs. (I say that with love; my best friend is one of those "freaks."  )

Oh, no. I *love* crabs. But steamed crabs can be so expensive -- plus I really don't like claw meat -- that I haven't had them in a couple years. But I do have crabcakes, made with jumbo lump backfin crabmeat, on a regular basis. Well, whenever I can splurge and afford the good stuff.

[Wonderflonium]

OP: First off, howdy neighbor! Second, you forgot the crabs with loads of Old Bay! Please tell me you aren't one of those freak Marylanders who don't eat crabs. (I say that with love; my best friend is one of those "freaks."  )

Oh, no. I *love* crabs. But steamed crabs can be so expensive -- plus I really don't like claw meat -- that I haven't had them in a couple years. But I do have crabcakes, made with jumbo lump backfin crabmeat, on a regular basis. Well, whenever I can splurge and afford the good stuff.

Don't like claw meat?!?!!? The horror!!