The Most Iconic Dishes Found In Every State

The United States is the melting pot of the world, and its food cultures from state to state are a testament to this unprecedented cultural amalgamation. From the renowned Cajun and Creole fare of Louisiana to New York’s Italian-American cuisine and savory, spicy Tex-Mex, American food is much more than just burgers and hot dogs. The country’s food is influenced largely by immigrant culture combined with domestic ingredients from its verdant farmlands and bountiful coastlines, blending 50 distinct epicurean styles into one cuisine steeped in global traditions.

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In this list, we’ll explore one standout dish from each U.S. state that encompasses that state’s rich culinary heritage. Some of these foods are well-known American staples, while others are rare treats only familiar to locals. So, whether you’re planning a cross-country trip and want to experience the most legendary dish in each state, or you’re just looking to learn a little more about what makes America’s food so diverse and eclectic, here are the most iconic meals in every U.S. state.

The history of white barbeque sauce, colloquially known as Alabama white sauce, dates back to the 1920s, when a railway worker combined mayonnaise and vinegar to moisten meat. The sauce is now one of the most iconic and unique foods to come out of Alabama. You’ll typically find the state’s famous smoked chicken doused in the creamy, zesty sauce, but it can also be used as a marinade, dipping sauce, or — for the most passionate white sauce fans — dressing for coleslaw or egg salad.

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Alaska, famous for its extremely remote, rugged wilderness, is no stranger to hearty, rustic cuisine. Simple, baked sockeye salmon is the most famous of these homestyle meals and is savored by Alaska natives across the vast state. Sockeye salmon are native to Alaska, and in fact, nearly all sockeye salmon from the U.S. come from Alaskan waters. Thanks to its naturally rich flavor, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little lemon is all you need for a deliciously authentic Alaskan sockeye salmon bake.

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The Sonoran hot dog is a Mexican creation, but it eventually made the short trek up north to become a staple at baseball games, street food carts, and casual restaurants all over Arizona. To make a Sonoran dog, start with an all-beef wiener wrapped in crispy bacon and stuffed in a pillowy-soft bun. Then, adorn the dog with any combination of the following toppings: diced onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, pinto beans or refried beans, hot sauce, avocado, and cilantro.

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Biscuits and gravy is one of the most famous American dishes of all time, but Arkansas stakes its claim in a sweet take on the classic breakfast meal. While its exact origins are unknown, chocolate gravy is often associated with Arkansas more so than other Southern states, though it can be found across the deep South. Chocolate gravy is similar to hot fudge, only thicker, and usually poured over classic Southern biscuits or toast as a breakfast treat.

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Like Arizona cuisine, California’s food is heavily influenced by Mexican culture, so much so that the burrito has become a California icon. Mission burritos, created in the 1960’s in San Francisco’s Latin American Mission district, are known for their monstrous size and extra-tight wrapping. They are grilled to toasty perfection on the outside and typically come loaded with rice, beans, meat, pico de gallo, and guacamole. These burritos are about the size of an adult’s forearm and cost less than the average take-out meal, making them the epitome of American street food.

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Colorado is one of the country’s major lamb and mutton producers, so travellers to the serene, mountainous state always want to stop off for a taste of the local delicacy in its most delicious form: lamb chops. The meat from local lambs is rich, earthy, and tender, and only needs a light sprinkle of seasoning to enhance its natural flavor. Find them with a side of Colorado’s own roasted Olathe sweet corn for a genuine Rocky Mountain meal.

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Pizza is as American as baseball and rodeos, and New Haven, Connecticut, is one of America’s most significant pizza destinations. An ultra-regional dish, the white clam pie was created by Frank Pepe Pizzeria back in the 60s as a traditional, coal-fired New Haven-style apizza. It featured a sauceless base with oil, garlic, pecorino romano, bacon, and local littleneck clams. The original recipe is still served at family-owned Frank Pepe’s today.

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Almost every state has its own signature sandwich, and for Delaware, that sandwich is The Bobbie. It was first created in Capriotti’s — a sandwich shop in Wilmington, Delaware — and was named for the founder’s Aunt Bobbie, who used to make the comforting and iconic Thanksgiving-style sandwich using the leftovers of the traditional holiday meal. At Capriotti’s, The Bobbie is crafted from tender, slow-roasted butterball turkey, herbaceous stuffing, tart cranberry sauce, and mayo in a soft, toasted bun.

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The origin of key lime pie is a contentious topic, but it’s thought to have originated in the Florida Keys, where the eponymous limes are celebrated. Although they’re often associated with Florida, the tiny limes are actually native to Southeast Asia and haven’t been grown in Florida in decades due to frequent hurricanes and plant diseases. Nevertheless, the pie — which consists of a creamy custard made of condensed milk, lime juice, and egg yolks surrounded by a graham cracker crust and topped with fresh whipped cream — is still a Florida tradition.

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The bountiful farmlands of Georgia make it famous for a variety of produce, but none are as heavily associated with the state as peaches. While a variety of peach-forward dishes can be found all over Georgia, peach cobbler is perhaps the most traditional dessert, combining an old-fashioned Southern recipe with the Peach State’s most celebrated fruit. The peach is so significant to Georgia that the state celebrates an annual peach festival in none other than Peach County, and here, you can find the world’s largest peach cobbler.

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Poke — which often precedes the word “bowl” in the contiguous U.S. — combines Hawaii’s influence from its Asian neighbors and fresh fish harvested from its hundreds of miles of coastline. In general, poke (pronounced poh-KAY) is any meat cut into cubes and marinated, but typically the dish consists of raw seafood, usually tuna. The tuna poke is marinated in a soy-sesame sauce, tossed with onion and other veggies, and then served over rice or greens to create a healthy, vibrant meal that’s stood the test of time.

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Oddly enough, the dish that we decided to represent Idaho doesn’t have anything to do with potatoes. Few outside of Idaho are familiar with finger steaks, but the concept is straightforward: Take small nuggets of beef, coat them in batter, and toss them in the fryer, and you’re left with Idaho’s most famous bar food. In typical Midwestern fashion, they’re usually served with creamy ranch for dipping and a side of french fries — okay, we lied, of course potatoes are involved.

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One of the lesser-known yet equally iconic U.S. sandwiches is an Illinois staple that you’ll be surprised to find requires a fork to eat: the horseshoe sandwich. Born at the Old Leland Hotel in 1928, the hearty, open-faced sandwich combines meat, Texas toast, french fries, and homemade cheese sauce. The original recipe involved a U-shaped cut of ham, hence its name, but nowadays any meat can be used. Honestly, it’s unfair to call this dish a sandwich, because there’s no way you’re using your hands to eat it.

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Ask any Hoosier about their favorite dinner, and nine times out of 10 they’ll bring up pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin in all its forms is enjoyed across the state, but it is particularly delectable as a sandwich. For those not in the know, pork tenderloin in this context refers to pork pounded until it’s ultra-thin, then breaded and fried, similar to German schnitzel. The size of the meat used on the sandwich is often comically large, in true American fashion.

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Despite not being anywhere near Mexico or New York, the taco pizza is an Iowa mainstay. Created by Joe Whitty of Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream, the taco pizza is exactly what it sounds like: All the elements of an American-style taco — ground meat, lettuce, tomato, and taco-flavored tortilla bits — are scattered across a pizza crust. This quirky culinary gem usually requires a Midwestern palette to be enjoyed to the fullest extent, but it always evokes a sense of wistful childhood bliss in Iowa locals.

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For Kansas’ most iconic meal, we settled on a dish pairing, and an extremely unconventional one at that (if you’re not from the Midwest, that is): chili and cinnamon rolls. A piping hot bowl of chili with a sweet, gooey cinnamon roll on the side is an iconic lunch in Kansas, especially for school children. The colder months tend to ring in this nostalgic meal in homes and school cafeterias across Kansas and other Midwest states.

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There’s something to be said about Midwesterns and their love for hot, open-faced sandwiches. The Kentucky Hot Brown may not sound particularly appealing, but it’s much more artisanal — and aesthetically pleasing — than you might guess. The sandwich, first created at The Brown Hotel in Louisville in 1926, consists of roasted turkey, charred tomatoes, classic French Mornay sauce, melted cheese, and crispy bacon.

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Obviously, a Creole-Cajun recipe would win the nomination for Louisiana’s most iconic dish, and what’s more iconic than gumbo? The stew-like dish features a dark roux, the holy trinity (a Cajun mirepoix of bell peppers, celery, and onions), meat (usually sausage and chicken), and fresh seafood from the Gulf. You can find gumbo at restaurants all over the state, but Louisianans always say that the best gumbo can be found at their mama’s house.

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The naturally abundant coastlines and wilderness of Maine lend way to a plethora of unique dishes and ingredients, but none are as famous as lobster. Of all of Maine’s lobster creations, the lobster roll is the most legendary. Traditionally, a Maine lobster roll is served cold, dressed in mayo, and on a hot dog bun. You can find lobster rolls all over the Northeast, especially on the coast, but they’re rarely as packed to the brim as those found in the Pine Tree State.

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Crab cakes are ubiquitous around the nation, but the whole country agrees that Maryland does crab cakes best. What sets Maryland crab cakes apart from the others is that they start with lump blue crab meat, dijon, mayo, a little bit of bread (typically in the form of crushed saltines), Worcestershire sauce, and egg. Blue crab makes up the bulk of Maryland crab cakes, rather than bread and egg filling, making them a national delicacy. They’re typically served on their own with a dipping sauce or as a sandwich. 

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While clam chowder is likely the best dish to represent all of New England, the clam chowder of Massachusetts is arguably the most famous. This rich, wholesome soup is perfect for those frigid, windy days by the coast. It starts with cream, fresh clams, and potatoes and is enhanced with salt pork (or bacon), onion, celery, and fresh thyme. You’ll find this comfort food classic at just about every restaurant across the state of Massachusetts.

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Pasties are an English creation, but you would never guess that they weren’t born in the Great Lake State based on the intense devotion that Michigan residents have for the dish. Pasties are small, handheld pies filled with meat and vegetables and wrapped in a buttery, flakey crust. The interesting history behind Michigan’s enduring love of pasties can be traced back to Cornish miners who immigrated to the state’s upper peninsula in the 19th century.

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In the Midwest, hotdish is a more apropos term for a casserole, a distinctly American one-pot meal. Minnesota’s version of hotdish is adorned with tater tots, making it perhaps the most quintessentially American meal of all time. This hotdish is typically a combination of veggies, canned cream of mushroom or chicken soup, ground beef, and tots, all baked in one massive pan. Cut into it like it’s a soft, savory pie and relish the comfort food wholesomeness.

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The Mississippi River Basin is rife with catfish, especially since the 1960s, when catfish farming became a common practice. Today, Mississippi is the number one catfish producing state in the country, making the freshwater fish synonymous with the state, particularly in its deep-fried form. Deep-fried catfish is usually served as a sandwich on a toasted roll with tartar sauce or as a soul food staple, with a side of collards and cheese grits.

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Almost every state in the South and Midwest lays claim to a specific style of barbeque, and for Missouri, pork steaks are the shining star in a St. Louis-style backyard grill. The meat used for these steaks is typically pork butt — an extra thick cut from the shoulder. Since the 19th century, pork steaks have become popular as a cheaper alternative to beef steaks, and when folks realized the tender, flavorful meat was, at times, even more desirable than beef, the rest was history.

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You might be wondering how a landlocked state could possibly be known for oysters. Well, Rocky Mountain oysters aren’t actually oysters; they’re deep-fried bull testicles. While it’s often considered a novelty for tourists, Montana residents still go “nuts” for Rocky Mountain oysters, so much so that the state used to host an annual festival to celebrate the fried nether regions. Testical Festival (well, what did you expect it to be called?) was one of Montana’s most unique attractions since 1985, until it came to an end in 2018.

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Nebraska’s most iconic meal was tough to nail down, so we’ll admit that chicken fried steak is heavily associated with other states, but Nebraskans have a particular fondness for the classic American comfort food. The dish is said to have been inspired by Austrian wiener schnitzel, which consists of breaded and fried veal. To make chicken fried steak, beef is coated in batter after being pounded flat, and then it’s fried in oil and doused with a creamy, peppery gravy.

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Shrimp cocktails may seem completely bizarre to those outside the U.S., but most Americans wouldn’t scoff at a red sauce-filled martini glass with little pink sea bugs dangly off the sides. Cocktail sauce is said to have originated when an early-1900s gold miner haphazardly made an impromptu concoction for dipping oysters while sitting at a bar. The oyster cocktail was a hit, until the 1950s, when a Las Vegas bar swapped the shellfish and created the shrimp cocktail that we know and love today.

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Poutine is originally a Canadian snack, but it’s thought to have made its way to New Hampshire in the mid-1800s via French-Canadian immigrant workers. The renowned pub fare with a cult following consists of french fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy. You can find different variations with an array of meat and veggie toppings — like scallions, bacon, mushrooms, and pulled pork — but original poutine is perfect in its charming simplicity.

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There’s an ongoing, fiery debate in New Jersey over whether the state’s beloved processed breakfast meat is called pork roll or Taylor ham, but ultimately, they’re the same thing. Pork roll is a more general term for the salty, round, sliced deli meat, while Taylor ham is more specific to the original brand of ham. The latter name is used in North Jersey, while the former name is the meat’s Southern Jersey title. No matter how you say it, it’s a statewide staple that’s delicious on a Kaiser roll with egg and cheese.

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There’s one specific ingredient that’s so ubiquitous in New Mexico that it tops everything from pork dishes to ice cream sundaes: green chiles. One of the most famous green chile meals in the state is a spicy, saucy cheeseburger smothered in a sauce of homegrown green peppers. These bold and slightly smoky peppers, known as hatch chiles, are native to the Hatch Valley of Southern New Mexico’s high desert.

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Unsurprisingly, New York’s most famous dish is its own pizza style, hailing from New York City. Unlike other popular pizza states, you can almost always find pizza served by the slice in New York. A New York-style pie is defined by an ultra-thin, crispy crust and huge slices that are typically folded to eat — this is how New Yorkers differentiate locals from tourists. But the most egregious, sacrilegious mistake you can make with a New York slice is eating it with a fork and knife.

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Whole hog barbeque is a tradition all over the South, but North Carolina is particularly fond of the time-honored barbeque style. The state’s official pork council even hosts a whole hog barbeque championship event made up of a series of local competitions. This practice ain’t your daddy’s BBQ; as the moniker implies, it involves cooking an entire pig over a live fire in a pit for a 12- to 24-hour period. But the exceptionally tender, flavorful result and tangible, profound connection to Southern culture makes it worth it.

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North Dakota’s knoephla (pronounced nef-la) soup is one that many North Dakotans grew up with. It’s almost always homemade, and it consists of freshly prepared dumplings with potatoes and vegetables in a rich, creamy chicken-based broth, though recipes vary slightly from family to family. The soup was brought to the upper Midwest by German immigrants of Russian descent and is enjoyed all over North Dakota, along with parts of South Dakota and Minnesota.

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Ohio’s Cincinnati chili is the most controversial of all America’s regional chili styles, and one of the most famous foods to come out of the Midwest. Cincinnati chili — which garnered national recognition as the Skyline Chili brand — consists of beans, ground meat, and tomato, but instead of the usual smoky and spicy seasonings, it relies on nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon for its unique essence. Don’t worry, it gets worse: The extra-thin chili is traditionally scooped onto spaghetti noodles or used as a hot dog topping.

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It sounds like a joke, but smoked bologna really is known as “Oklahoma prime rib.” Salty, processed meats are as American as apple pie, and barbeque is the country’s most famous culinary tradition, so why not combine the two? Barbecued bologna is found at backyard cook-outs and restaurants throughout the state, enjoyed as a sandwich or even chopped up in gumbo, sauces, or gravies. The continued prevalence of the humble meat is a celebrated tradition that pays homage to the state’s working-class roots.

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Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of marionberries; most people outside of Oregon are unfamiliar with the fruit, because it’s mostly exclusive to the Pacific Northwest state. Marionberries are a variety of blackberry with a particularly deep, earthy flavor, balanced sweetness, and mellow tartness. Restaurants and bakeries all over Oregon make exceptional marionberry pies, or — if you’re in the state from early July to early August — you can try your hand at baking one yourself with wild, hand-picked berries from Oregon’s picturesque forests.

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Philadelphia is home to one of America’s most legendary sandwiches: the Philly cheesesteak. A genuine Philly cheesesteak is made up of thinly-sliced beef (usually chip steak or ribeye), either American cheese, provolone, or cheese-wiz, and optional onions served on a soft Italian hoagie roll. The original cheesesteak was born at Pat’s King of Steaks, but Philly locals claim that, nowadays, you can find even better iterations of the classic cheesesteak sandwich all over the city.

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It would be blasphemous to showcase anything other than clams for Rhode Island’s standout dish, and clam stuffies are particularly unique to the tiniest state in the nation. Clam stuffies are essentially just stuffed clams, except they utilize Rhode Island’s own quahogs — fist-sized, gargantuan clams — along with Portuguese linguiça or chorizo, veggies, and herbs. The clam meat and other ingredients are chopped up and baked in the shell to create the most quintessentially New England appetizer of all time.

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Lowcountry boil, also called Frogmore Stew, consists of freshly caught shellfish, potatoes, corn, and spices all cooked together in one massive pot. It’s similar to a Louisiana-style crawfish boil but features shrimp over crawdads. The dish has roots that trace back to the Gullah people — people of African descent living in coastal South Carolina — but was popularized in the 1960s when a National Guardsman needed to feed about a hundred of his fellow servicemen.

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Chislic is almost unheard of outside of South Dakota, but it’s a delicacy in the Southeastern portion of the state, so much so that an area near Freeman, South Dakota, is known as the Chislic Circle. Chislic consists of grilled, cubed meat — usually lamb or mutton — served on a skewer. The meat is either roasted over a live fire or fried in lard and, in its most authentically SoDak form, served with saltines on the side with various dipping sauces and a frosty beer.

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If you feel like you just recently started seeing Nashville hot chicken pop up in restaurants all over the country, you’re not experiencing a fried chicken-fueled fever dream. Nashville hot chicken is said to have originated in Tennessee’s Black community, only recently exploding into a national sensation. Unlike buffalo chicken, Nashville hot chicken is coated in a thick, seasoning-heavy base and made extra tender with a pickle brine. You’ll almost always find the fiery fried chicken served on a soft, toasted bun with pickles and mayo.

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Brisket is a cut of meat from a cow’s pectoral muscles that’s naturally tough and sinewy, but in Texas, it’s the states most treasured barbeque staple. Considering most of the working class rural Texans of yesteryear couldn’t afford more desirable beef products, brisket rose to prominence by being inexpensive. Texans learned to slow cook the brisket for hours until it was so tender that it could be pulled apart with just a fork, and now, the once unappealing meat is the most famous aspect of Texas barbeque.

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While funeral potatoes might sound like the most depressing meal imaginable, this Utah tradition is actually a comfort food classic in the Beehive State. The dish gets its name from the Mormon tradition of serving it during post-funeral lunches, but today, it’s enjoyed outside of the church, often still within the confines of Utah. It consists mostly of diced potatoes, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and corn flakes, all tossed in a casserole dish and baked.

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This duo sounds blasphemous, but the two uniquely American foods are actually a match made in New England heaven. Apple pie with a slice of cheese on top is usually associated with Vermont, where the practice was brought in by English settlers. Whether apple pie is naked without cheese or it shouldn’t even grace the same plate as cheese is a long-running debate among apple pie and cheese fans all over the country, but one thing’s for sure: only sharp cheddar is appropriate.

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Multiple Southern states claim Brunswick stew as their own, but one of the leading theories is that it was created by an enslaved cook in Brunswick County, Virginia. Originally, the stew was made with squirrel meat, but today it consists of chicken, pork, beans, corn, potatoes, and tomatoes and is defined by its signature lick of heat and classic Southern heartiness. Every year, the Taste of Brunswick Festival celebrates the stew’s legacy and impact on Virginia’s epicurean culture with a Brunswick stew cook-off.

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Oysters in all their forms are ubiquitous in Washington thanks to the state’s bountiful, rocky coastline and seafood farming practices. West coast oysters tend to be smaller than those hailing from the East, like Kumamoto oysters, which are milder in flavor than other oysters but still fragrant and sweet. These oysters are farmed in Washington but native to Japan, while Oympia oysters are Washington’s one and only native species and are considered a rare delicacy with a distinct coppery, earthy taste.

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West Virginia’s most iconic dish doesn’t relate to its rich, verdant natural environment whatsoever, but it does hearken back to its working-class heritage. In the 1920s, Italian immigrant miners would stuff pepperoni into soft bread rolls to create an easy, satisfying, and portable lunch to bring into the mines. The miners’ lunch took the state by storm, and now nearly every bakery and food festival in West Virginia features pepperoni rolls, either in their standard form or with added cheese and sauce.

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Although they originated in Germany, bratwursts are an incredibly significant snack in the U.S., especially in Wisconsin. It’s said that brats were once offered at a Milwaukee baseball game in the 50s and have been a Wisconsin tradition ever since. They’re sometimes boiled in beer, or cooked and served like a regular American hot dog. Bratwurst are absolutely necessary for any tailgating event or game day party, and to this day, Miller Stadium is the only baseball stadium in the U.S. to sell more brats than hot dogs.

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Game meats are no stranger to many Americans’ regular diets, but bison meat is a particularly rare treat, and an extremely desirable one in Wyoming. Bison were once overhunted and scarce in Wyoming but have since become more prevalent due to small farming operations. The meat from bison — commonly referred to by the misnomer “buffalo” — is a popular swap for regular beef burgers at plenty of Wyoming restaurants. Bison is less fatty than beef, with a more delicate marbling and tender, softer meat.

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To select the most iconic dish from each U.S. state, we focused on foods that are either strongly linked to a state or uniquely regional. Some are well-known, tourist-friendly favorites, while others are beloved local specialties passed down through generations. For states without a distinct standout dish, we chose unique foods commonly enjoyed there, even if they can also be found elsewhere in the country.

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We aimed for dishes that were invented in the state or have some level of cultural significance to it, as opposed to choosing strictly the most popular dishes in each state. While some of these foods can be linked to more than one state, we determined that there’s a significant argument to tie each dish to its accompanying state, making them all iconic regional meals.