Local Foods

[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!! 

[Dazi]

For some reason beignets and king cake just don't taste as good anywhere besides Louisiana.  It must be the water or something.

Hmmm....beignets....

[jmarvellous]

Well, of course there's Tex-Mex. My city's most local takes on it seem to be breakfast tacos (not burritos, and yes, there's a difference) and queso, and the Mexican martini.
The rest of the things I'm thinking of are Texan, but not hyperlocal.

I've never heard of another town with doughnuts like these, though.

[kglory]

Berger cookies - YUM!  I'm another Marylander and I love them.  I lived in NYC for several years and now describe Berger cookies as "Black & white cookies, but all black, and about a 5x frosting-per-cookie ratio" 

Another one you didn't mention, maybe because it seems so obvious, is crab chips.  They really don't have those in other parts of the country, which is a shame! http://www.grubgrade.com/2010/01/12/snack-review-utz-crab-chips/

Dolle's taffy in the summer, as beach food. Yum.

[Nibsey]

Cheese, seafood (especially carlingford oysters) and tayto cheese and onion crisps.  Well at least those were what I missed most from Ireland when I was away.

But don't eat Irish food, especially seafood from one of those tweed Irish pubs that cater to American tourists. Rural pubs are fine but in the towns and cities you need to go to a good restaurant to get a proper meal.

Or better yet, be invited to someone's house for a meal. My Mom makes a mean colcannon but if you ask for it in a diddly de pub you're lucky if you get champ.

[EngineerChick]

For St. Louis, my favorites have to be fried ravioli, gooey butter cake, and concretes.

My favorite from when I lived in New Mexico has to be green chili stew.

From my grandmothers (in North Carolina), fried cornbread, chicken & pastry, and country ham biscuits.

Fried green tomatoes are more of a regional thing, but I found a BBQ restaurant in Florida that makes them (and they are so tasty).

[Information_queen]

For some reason beignets and king cake just don't taste as good anywhere besides Louisiana.  It must be the water or something.

Hmmm....beignets....

Mmmmmmmmm I haven't had a beignet in years. I foresee a visit to Mom's as soon as I can.

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.

I love Eastern NC bbq. We have had several heated arguments over it because my husband is from Memphis. He got stationed on Camp Lejeune. His main argument is a claim that Eastern NC bbq 'isn't bbq.'  Probably a good thing we live in Memphis now and not Jacksonville....

[oz diva]

Well there's Vegemite. I think the mistake people make when they first try it, is to assume that you eat it like peanut butter. It is very strong, a little goes a long way. But buttered toast with Vegemite and hot tea is the breakfast of champions.

[JonGirl]

Well there's Vegemite. I think the mistake people make when they first try it, is to assume that you eat it like peanut butter. It is very strong, a little goes a long way. But buttered toast with Vegemite and hot tea a long black coffee is the breakfast of champions.

fixed that for you! 

[Mazdoy]

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 looks amazing.  I'm definitely going to give it a try.  I can almost imagine the taste of it already.

[mandycorn]

I'm from Utah, USA and we have a state specialty: Fry sauce. It's always mayonnaise and ketchup mixed together, although depending on where you go, sometimes there's a little pickle relish too. You dip your french fried potatoes, onion rings, tater tots, etc into it before enjoying them.

[Nibsey]

I'm from Utah, USA and we have a state specialty: Fry sauce. It's always mayonnaise and ketchup mixed together, although depending on where you go, sometimes there's a little pickle relish too. You dip your french fried potatoes, onion rings, tater tots, etc into it before enjoying them.

I live on this sauce but I never realised it had an actual name until I came to this site. 

[mandycorn]

I'm not sure that it was actually invented in Utah, but I know we have a restaurant (Arctic Circle) that claims to be the originator. I'm sure it's been created and reinvented multiple places throughout time.

[Nibsey]

I'm not sure that it was actually invented in Utah, but I know we have a restaurant (Arctic Circle) that claims to be the originator. I'm sure it's been created and reinvented multiple places throughout time.

Well if you name it, I think it's fair to claim to be the originator.    I came up with it myself as a child when my mom was letting us experiment making dips. But it's nice to be able to now answer people (more specifically my SO) when they go, 'What the heck is that on your plate?'  lol

[Shea]

I'm from Utah, USA and we have a state specialty: Fry sauce. It's always mayonnaise and ketchup mixed together, although depending on where you go, sometimes there's a little pickle relish too. You dip your french fried potatoes, onion rings, tater tots, etc into it before enjoying them.

I thought that was Thousand Island dressing in its most basic form. Huh.