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Must-Have Foods in Every State

colored map of the united states

In my world, vacations are all about food. If there’s a food tour in town, I’m on it. If there are must-have foods, I’ll try them! So, that got me thinking…what are the must-have foods in every state? I came up with some, but I drew a blank when it came to states like Delaware and North Dakota. This list is certainly not official, so consider this a bucket-list of must-have foods, and please leave a comment to help fill-in the blanks.

Must-Have Foods Across the Nation

Alabama – Anything fried…fried catfish, fried pies, chicken-fried steak, fried green tomatoes.

Alaska – King Crab and don’t skimp on the butter!

Arizona – Chimichanga…they claim to have invented it when someone accidentally dropped a burrito in the fryer.

Arkansas – Fried Catfish with a side of hushpuppies, please.

California – In this land of vegans and vegetarians, I’ll put a vegan restaurant on my must-do list.

Colorado – Denver Omelet a.k.a. the Western Omelet.

Connecticut – Fill in this blank, please!

Delaware – Please enlighten me as to the delecacies of the great state of Delaware.

Florida – Key Lime Pie…it’s our state dessert!

Georgia – Give me peaches…fresh from the farm, peach pie a la mode, peach ice cream, peach anything!

Hawaii – Poke (raw fish salad) seems to be a trendy food right now, so let’s be trendy!

Idaho – Potatoes in every way, shape or form although I am partial to mashed potatoes.

Illinois – Oooey, gooey, cheesy Deep Dish Pizza.

Indiana – Hoosier Pie…I’m not exactly sure what this is, but the sweet tooth in me loves the word pie.

Iowa – Sweet Corn grilled with lots of butter!

Kansas – BBQ. Enough said.

Kentucky – It’s a toss up between Derby Pie and the Hot Brown (Kentucky’s legendary open-face turkey, bacon, and Mornay sauce sandwich). I’ll go with Derby Pie!

Louisiana – Another state where foodies swoon over cajun favorites like Gumbo, Jambalaya, Po Boys and Beignets. These are all must-have foods!

Maine – Lobster Rolls.

Maryland – Crab Cakes.

Massachusetts – Clam Chowdah

Michigan – The square Detroit Pizza is becoming popular around the country, and if I’m in Michigan, this tops my list because cherries aren’t my favorite.

Minnesota – Hot Dish. I learned about this casserole (topped with tater tots) from one of our West Palm Beach Food Tour guests, and she insisted it’s a must-try!

Mississippi – Mississippi Mud Pie. Maybe this list should be renamed “must-have desserts in every state!”

Missouri – St. Louis is the birthplace of one of my favorite desserts, the Gooey Butter Cake!

Montana – Huckleberries are a big deal in this part of the country, and I’d like to try a big slice of huckleberry pie!

Nebraska – Steak

Nevada – When I think of Las Vegas, I think of buffets of which I am not a fan. Suggestions?

New Hampshire – Absolutely nothing comes to mind.

New Jersey – Boardwalk French Fries drenched in vinegar, sounds interesting!

New Mexico – Hatch Chiles atop a burrito, a burger or with some crispy tortilla chips.

New York – Pizza, please.

North Carolina – Pulled Pork Sandwich…they’re known for a tangy, vinegar based sauce.

North Dakota – I need help with this one.

Ohio – Gimme Buckeyes…you can’t go wrong with a chocolate and peanut butter ball.

Oklahoma – Chicken Fried Steak.

Oregon – Another pie, oh my! Marionberry Pie makes the must-do list.

Pennsylvania – Cheese Steak.

Rhode Island – Johnny Cakes…simple yet intriguing.

South Carolina – Shrimp & Grits.

South Dakota – The Dakota’s are giving me fits!

Tennessee – Memphis BBQ

Texas – Tex Mex, y’all!

Utah – Funeral Potatoes. Yes, it’s a thing that I learned about from some guests on the West Palm Beach Food Tour.

Vermont – Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream at the factory with lots of samples!

Virginia – Ham.

Washington – Serve me up a big slice of Apple Pie!

West Virginia – Suggestions, please.

Wisconsin – Fried Cheese Curds.

Wyoming – Buffalo Burger