Must-Try Regional Specialties
I love trying different foods from different parts of the US and even globally.
So what are some specialties that you can mostly get from a specific place?
I know that everything is becoming global, so that you can pretty much get anything via the internet.
But if you traveled to a particular place, what would be the specialty from that area?
Fried cheese curds in Wisconsin? Boiled peanuts in Georgia? Chow Chow in South Carolina? New Mexico Green Chile Pork?
Omg... I'm getting hungry.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 25 | October 18, 2021 1:38 AM
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Another Louisville classic. I remember getting rolled oysters at Mazzoni’s, wrapped in newspaper (with a handful of oyster crackers), and tied with twine.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 2 | October 17, 2021 9:10 AM
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If you come to Wisconsin and try the curds, make sure you ask if they have the white deep fried curds, not those Cisco brand barrel shaped yellow cheese ones. Those Cisco ones are nasty. Deep friend white cheese curds are the bomb.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | October 17, 2021 9:13 AM
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Another Louisville classic. Served as a sandwich on crustless white bread triangles, more or less during “high tea”
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 4 | October 17, 2021 9:18 AM
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Maple syrup on a snow cone in Quebec.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | October 17, 2021 2:20 PM
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West Coast Dungeness Crab.
Everyone seems to rave about it.
Not sure why, but then again I've never tried it before.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | October 17, 2021 2:48 PM
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Century egg with pickled ginger
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 7 | October 17, 2021 3:59 PM
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Shoofly pie in PA Dutch Country
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 8 | October 17, 2021 4:05 PM
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Rocky and Carlos (New Orleans) Mac N Cheese with red or brown gravy. Plus Wop Salad. They had to add subtitles to this, the guy has a thick ‘y’at accent, maybe first gen Italian?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 9 | October 17, 2021 5:15 PM
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I enjoyed the Jucy Lucy (apparently NOT spelled 'Juicy') in the Twin Cities.
A cheeseburger where the cheese is placed in the middle of the beef patty and then cooked.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | October 17, 2021 6:22 PM
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[quote] Shoofly pie in PA Dutch Country
Speaking of PA Dutch, I love their red potato salad.
Red potatoes, sour cream, mayonnaise, snow peas, red onions, and dill.
It's wonderful!
by Anonymous | reply 11 | October 17, 2021 6:23 PM
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I enjoyed a thing relatives from North Carolina sent us (entirely possible they got it out of state, somewhere close by). They were individually wrapped (in clear plastic) cookie-sized not-caramel, not-fudge but like some hybrid of the two. Tasted like caramel (very buttery) but didn't have any chew or pull like caramel, it feel apart immediately like fudge. They had pecans in them. Got them for one Christmas in the 90s and still remember them, they were SO GOOD.
They weren't cookies, to be clear. Just cookie sized.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | October 17, 2021 6:30 PM
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I don’t care what it is, there is no way in hell I’m eating anything called "hot brown". Especially when it comes from the state that brought us Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul.
by Anonymous | reply 13 | October 17, 2021 6:36 PM
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Hawaii - their poke. Nothing like you can get on the mainland, even in California.
Mexico - their tacos. Not to sound like every Youtube travel blogger left to travel to only Mexico because of the pandemic, but they are definitely better in Mexico. From the casual street stands versions to more elevated restaurant versions, these are not Taco Bell or even "where all the Mexicans live taqueria" version.
Thailand - everything. I never tried spicy food until we had the Thai version of spicy. Nothing in the watered-down versions of spicy at even the most authentic of neighborhood Thai restaurants in the US prepares you for their real spicy.
In all three examples, I'd say the distinction has to be the abundance of local, fresh, and authentic ingredients.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | October 17, 2021 6:38 PM
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[quote] West Coast Dungeness Crab. Everyone seems to rave about it. Not sure why, but then again I've never tried it before.
It is very good. My tip would be to wear a T-shirt or something you don't mind getting dirty. There's a lot of picking the shells. The good thing is that there are large-ish chunks of crab meat in there, so it's not like eating sunflower seeds.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | October 17, 2021 6:41 PM
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That hot brown sandwich at R1 looks horrible, like there is American cheese on top. I think it's a bad photo / bad representation of a hot brown.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | October 17, 2021 6:43 PM
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Utah funeral potatoes. I could eat the whole fucking casserole dish
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 17 | October 17, 2021 6:46 PM
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They're called pralines, R12.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | October 17, 2021 6:59 PM
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Navajo fry bread in the Southwest. Pozole in New Mexico.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | October 17, 2021 7:35 PM
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Speaking of New Mexico, how about New Mexico HATCH chiles?
They're supposed to be wonderful.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 20 | October 17, 2021 7:49 PM
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In Pittsburgh, and where they are franchised, are Primanti Bros.which puts coleslaw and french fries into their sandwiches that are quite delish.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 21 | October 17, 2021 8:29 PM
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Primanti Brothers is hardly a "must try" specialty. It's the PA version of White Castle.....mighty filling at sopping up the booze at 1 am but not anything I'd make a grand fuss about.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | October 17, 2021 9:29 PM
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[quote] Speaking of New Mexico, how about New Mexico HATCH chiles? They're supposed to be wonderful.
I love New Mexico and would like to think they have this specialty, but I think hatch chiles are basically Anaheim chiles.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | October 17, 2021 10:13 PM
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Hatch chiles are nothing like Anaheims. They have a fuller taste and are hot as hell. If you enjoy hot food they will get the endorphins going.
by Anonymous | reply 24 | October 17, 2021 10:27 PM
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Carne adovada in New Mexico - I ate way too much of it when I visited Albuquerque.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | October 18, 2021 1:38 AM
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