Beyond pizza
Gourmet traveling: 10 amazing local dishes from 10 American states
Image: Ben Eaton
Most of us already know about Chicago’s pizza, Philadelphia’s cheesesteak, New England’s clam chowder, and quite a long list of delicious local dishes. But there is always another dish, maybe not as popular but equally tasty, in every corner of the country. Take a look at the following ten and see if you recognize any of these or even fancy making it at home!
1
Chicken Tetrazzini, California
Image: Lampos Aritonang
California is famous for several dishes, including sushi, avocadoes, and many more but the Chicken Tetrazzini is also a very popular and delicious local dish. Named for an Italian-born opera star who lived in San Francisco, the dish involves thin sliced chicken served with mushrooms in a cream-based sauce flavored with white wine .
The dish was supposedly invented in the early 1900s by Ernest Arbogast, the chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, where Luisa Tetrazzini made her American debut at the Tivoli as Gilda in Rigoletto in 1905.
2
Scrapple, Delaware
Image: Martinet Sinan
While the name may not sound all that appealing, the flavor makes up for it. This meat loaf is made of cornmeal, flour, seasonings, and pork scraps , which gives it its name. It’s then sliced thinly and pan-fried before serving.
As the story goes, this dish owes its existence to the Pennsylvania Dutch not wanting to waste their meat trimmings. Locals claim that it makes for an excellent snack or breakfast addition.
3
Italian Beef, Illinois
Image: Farhad Ibrahimzade
It sounds like beef, but it is a beef sandwich, actually. This deliciousness is made by slow-cooking beef, slicing it thinly, and placing it into a white bread roll with a local hot pickled pepper relish or roasted sweet peppers.
The origin of this dish is informed by Chicago’s meat packing history, as it was made quickly as a lunch item for workers with ingredients at hand.
4
Bierock, Kansas
Image: Jeremias Ybañez
Quite similar to Argentinean "empanadas", bierock are small meat pies created in Kansas by German immigrants in the late 1800s. They are typically stuffed with cabbage, ground beef, and onion but many other flavors can be found as the format lends itself to creativity and can be stuffed with just about anything.
These savory treats are common among the German community and it was brought to the United States in the 1870s by German Russian Mennonite immigrants.
5
Toasted Ravioli, Missouri
Image: Lorenzo Tomassetti
A local specialty from St. Louis, "toasted" ravioli are actually deep-fried and meant to be dipped in sauce and eaten with your hands . They function as an appetizer, entrée, and snack. As the legend goes, in the early 1940s, a raviolo was accidentally dropped into the fryer by a chef. Apparently, someone thought that this happy accident tasted good because, shortly thereafter, the item began appearing on menus across The Hill.
6
Cider Doughnuts, New Hampshire
Image: Pere Jurado
New Hampshire cider doughnuts get their flavor from cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple cider used in the batter. These are cakey donuts, perfect for snacking during fall, and are a harvest tradition sometimes sold at cider mills. They are often paired with apple cider and may be covered with cinnamon and/or granulated sugar.
7
Kase Knoephla, North Dakota
Image: Frank Zhang
These hard-to-pronounce cheese buttons are a form of dumplings of German origin, a nod to the settlers who immigrated to the area. They’re stuffed with a cottage cheese mixture and served with sauteed onions, cheese, and sour cream .
These treats have some similarities with Italian ricotta ravioli. The recipe for the noodle dough is exactly the same as a common recipe for pasta, and the recipe for the cheese is similar to at least one version of ricotta.
8
Pepperoni Rolls, West Virginia
Image: Jez Timms
Imagine a soft white bread roll stuffed with slices of pepperoni and you will be picturing a pepperoni roll. This dish can attribute its existence to the local coal mining industry, as it was created by an Italian baker so miners would have a no-fuss lunch they could pack for work.
During baking, the fats in the pepperoni melt, resulting in a spicy oil suffusing into the bread. Pepperoni rolls are typically eaten for lunch or breakfast, either unheated or slightly warmed.
9
Conch fritters, Florida
Image: Anshu A
You can skip this one if you are not into snails but if you are, by all means, read on. Conch are large sea snails native to the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and surrounding regions battered and fried as to become a deliciously salty and savory snack.
This dish can be eaten on its own, or fried with chips, or in a seafood salad. But the fritters are perfect for sharing.
10
Ham Balls, Iowa
Image: Сергей Орловский
It should come as no surprise that a state with so many pork farms has its own version of a metaball but with ham. Or at least partially, since ham balls have a mixture of ground meats: ground ham, ground beef, and ground pork . Ham is a cured cut of pork with a smoky quality, it contains a different flavor than ground pork alone.
While these three types of meat together might sound like an odd combination, the mixture results in a flavorful and perfectly textured meatball. Also, to differentiate even further from the classic meatballs, ham balls use graham cracker crumbs instead of breadcrumbs.
