# Iconic foods for different areas **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 27, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462 "2019-12-27T18:52:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/41 "2019-12-28T05:29:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For what it’s worth, New York doesn’t have a distinctive style of pizza, either. Whenever New Yorkers try to describe it, they just end up describing American pizza, like you can find anywhere in the nation. Sorry, this is just plain wrong. I must assume you’ve never had a slice from a typical small neighborhood pizzeria in New York. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/42 "2019-12-28T05:36:06Z")
Lots of iconic foods from Hawaii’s melting pot of immigrants. I’ve posted many times that despite the constant influx of new immigrants, authentic ethnic food is really hard to find. Restaurants may start out serving traditional style food, but to survive, they usually have to adopt local style cooking to match the local palate. \*\*Bento \*\*- Not bento box, just _bento_. Originating with the various immigrants sharing their local foods with each other at lunch and dinner. Every place has their own bento with different ingredients, but it’s almost always, a bed of white rice, beef or pork, fried fish and a mystery meat, Spam, luncheon meat, hot dog or sausage. **Saimin** - Japanese style broth with thin or thick Chinese style noodles. Close to, yet distinctly different from traditional ramen. **Loco Moco** - A bowl or mound of white rice topped with one or two hamburger patties, fried onions, one or two fried eggs and topped with brown gravy. **Spam Musubi -** You’ve probably heard or and/or seen it. Love it or hate, it’s a staple in Hawaii. **Goody Goody/Guri Guri** - A milker, less sweet version of sherbert. **Shave Ice/Ice Shave** for those from Hilo, Hawaii. - Similar to a snow cone, but the ice is much finer, similar to snow as I’m told. I touched snow in Japan when I was 3 or 4 and don’t remember anything about the texture. **Rainbow Cake** - OMG! Rainbow Cake from the now defunct Dee Lite Bakery! Light chiffon like cake layers in guava, lilikoi (passion fruit) and lime flavors with whipped cream frosting. There are a few imitators, but nothing like the real deal. Lots more including Hawaiian (now local style) foods: **Poi Lau lau Kalua (not Kailua, which is a town) pig or turkey Lomi lomi salmon Pipikaula Poke** ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/43 "2019-12-28T05:38:24Z")
Greater Seattle area: - Coffee - Seattle-style hot dogs - Mustard-based tartar sauce as a burger spread - Clam chowder - Dungeness crab - Geoduck - Pho and banh mi - Smoked salmon sushi rolls - Tuna poke - Marionberry pies and ice cream ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/44 "2019-12-28T12:36:21Z")
Southern Merrylande: [Stuffed Ham](http://www.fairmontmoments.com/food-drink/southern-maryland-stuffed-ham) I had it once - it was… interesting… I grew up in the Baltimore area where steamed crabs were seasoned with pepper and Old Bay. Here in the southern end of the state, the crab seasoning is based on salt. It’s so wrong… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/45 "2019-12-28T14:24:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For what it’s worth, New York doesn’t have a distinctive style of pizza, either. Whenever New Yorkers try to describe it, they just end up describing American pizza, like you can find anywhere in the nation. It might sound the same but it don’t taste the same. Just the difference from Central Jersey to most of the country is pretty major. Forget about chains, they’re all garbage. A good authentic NYC pizza is art, it is great. NYC doesn’t seem distinctive as most pizza tries to imitate NY. They don’t succeed. ---
**Author:** ![Wallet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/46 "2019-12-28T14:57:14Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > An obvious one is Manhattan Clam Chowder. Well, we can try to lay claim to it, but as per Wikipedia, “Manhattan clam chowder has red broth, which is tomato-based. The addition of tomatoes in place of milk was initially the work of Portuguese immigrants in Rhode Island, as tomato-based stews were already a traditional part of Portuguese cuisine.” Long Island does have an abomination called Long Island Clam Chowder, but the less said about it the better. 🙂 > [@Colibri](#): > > Also, the bacon, egg, and cheese on a hard roll breakfast sandwich Yup, also just the buttered roll - a breakfast staple! Hmm, can we lay claim to the Halal Carts? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/47 "2019-12-28T14:59:57Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > North Carolina - Pulled pork barbecue Yes but there are 2 types - western NC/tomato sauce and eastern NC/vinegar. I only eat the eastern type. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/48 "2019-12-28T15:07:18Z")
> [@Wallet](#): > > Well, we can try to lay claim to it, but as per Wikipedia, “Manhattan clam chowder has red broth, which is tomato-based. The addition of tomatoes in place of milk was initially the work of Portuguese immigrants in Rhode Island, as tomato-based stews were already a traditional part of Portuguese cuisine.” The OP isn’t about foods that necessarily originated in a place, but have become associated with it. And when it’s actually called “Manhattan Clam Chowder,” I think the association is pretty well established.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/49 "2019-12-28T15:44:15Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I’ll add New Orleans, I’m probably missing some as I’ve only been there 5 times. > > Gumbo > Jambalaya > Beignets: a French doughnut like dessert, similar to Italian zeppoles. > Po’boys: New Orleans messy & tasty sandwiches > King Cake (I’m not a fan, but iconic) > Pralines, pecan and sugar confections. > Crawfish > Frozen Daiquiris > Muffuletta > Étouffée Solid list. Just a few editorial comments: **Gumbo** - never, ever made with tomatoes or tomato sauce locally. If it’s got a red base, or has visible chunks of tomatoes in it, it is not authentic to New Orleans cuisine. To really go native: ladle some gumbo over your (local) potato salad in lieu of rice. **Jambalaya** - this CAN have tomatoes in it and still be authentic, though use of tomatoes in jamabalaya is a bone of contention for many locals. **Beignets** - these are not bite-sized as seen in some media renditions (e.g. _The Princess and the Frog_). They are not made from canned biscuit dough, as is done in some ersatz versions in other cities. **Po’boys** – is made with any popular sandwich fillings. Roast beef and ham-&-cheese are popular. “Shrimp po’boy” is not the default as commonly presented in “Cajun” restaurants in the Northeastern U.S. **King Cake** - much variation in these. If you’ve tried the over-iced version that’s become popular since the mid-1990s and were underwhelmed, seek out the kind that only has a dusting of colored sugar sprinkled over hot, lightly-sweetened brioche. **Pralines** - Not just pecan and sugar, but BUTTER and milk. If they don’t taste buttery, they are a poor imitation. Unfortunately, many poor imitations are sold wrapped in plastic around town – these are bad examples of the type. And the reference in plural is always “praline **S** ” – nothing to do with whatever it is that is called “praline” in the plural. A proper New Orleans praline is cookie-sized and shaped, and a box of them is properly called “a box of praline **S** ”. **Crawfish** - boiled in huge pots with celery, onions, Zatarain’s crab boil (liquid spice), lemons, etc. Lots of variation household to household regarding what gets thrown in. Smoked sausage, mushrooms, and garlic heads are personal favorites. **Frozen Daiquiris** - famously legal to serve through drive-in windows like fast food. Legal to drive around with one in your car’s cupholder so long as the straw is not inserted. **Muffuletta** - I don’t know why we pronounce it “moofa-lotta”. Probably an old local Italian dialect thing. Old-timers maintain that a muffuletta should only be served cold, never toasted or heated. Nevertheless, the hot muffulletta has been gaining ground for 30 years now. The old-timers have a point: heating does enhance some of the flavors, but also can make the cheese and olive salad runny and oily. **Étouffée** - here’s where tomatoes properly belong. Shrimp étouffée and crawfish étouffée are probably the most known to tourists, but any protein can be the base. Served over rice. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/50 "2019-12-28T15:59:33Z")
I thought the whole “tomato” debate was part of the creole vs Cajun distinction. Creole versions of dishes tend to use tomatoes, Cajun versions do not. I’m guessing from reading your post that that is too much of a simplification. (I’ve certainly had etouffees without tomatoes – I’m assuming those are more “Cajun” or country-style rather than New Orleans.) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/51 "2019-12-28T16:07:42Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Solid list. Just a few editorial comments: … Thank you, I never could have done that justice as just a guest and not a resident. I love New Orleans (except for the heat and humidity). The culture & food is amazing. ---
**Author:** ![SacFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@SacFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SacFly)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/52 "2019-12-28T16:22:04Z")
Porkroll, egg, and cheese on a roll - breakfast sandwich in central-northern Jersey. Scrapple from Amish country, Pennsylvania. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/53 "2019-12-28T16:25:42Z")
Oh, the above reminds me: Lebanon bologna, which is more like a salami or summer sausage than what you think of as bologna, courtesy of the Pennsylvania Dutch of Lebanon county (just east of Harrisburg, Pa.) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/54 "2019-12-28T16:32:17Z")
> [@SacFly](#): > > Scrapple from Amish country, Pennsylvania. And Shoofly Pie, and Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Pie. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/55 "2019-12-28T17:30:45Z")
Rochester, NY - white hots, garbage plate, maybe Chicken french? Buffalo, NY - Beef-on-weck, chicken wings, Chiavetta’s chicken (marinade) ETA: Oh, yeah, and loganberry drink. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/56 "2019-12-28T17:35:34Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > San Diego: Fish tacos. California-style burritos. Beer with weaponized levels of hopping. Forgot taquitos from El Indio (where they were invented), carne asada fries and California-style, wood-fired pizza. ---
**Author:** ![txjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/57 "2019-12-28T19:19:53Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > Lots of iconic foods from Hawaii’s melting pot of immigrants. I’ve posted many times that despite the constant influx of new immigrants, authentic ethnic food is really hard to find. Restaurants may start out serving traditional style food, but to survive, they usually have to adopt local style cooking to match the local palate. > > \*\*Bento \*\*- Not bento box, just _bento_. Originating with the various immigrants sharing their local foods with each other at lunch and dinner. Every place has their own bento with different ingredients, but it’s almost always, a bed of white rice, beef or pork, fried fish and a mystery meat, Spam, luncheon meat, hot dog or sausage. > > **Saimin** - Japanese style broth with thin or thick Chinese style noodles. Close to, yet distinctly different from traditional ramen. > > **Loco Moco** - A bowl or mound of white rice topped with one or two hamburger patties, fried onions, one or two fried eggs and topped with brown gravy. > > **Spam Musubi -** You’ve probably heard or and/or seen it. Love it or hate, it’s a staple in Hawaii. > > **Goody Goody/Guri Guri** - A milker, less sweet version of sherbert. > > **Shave Ice/Ice Shave** for those from Hilo, Hawaii. - Similar to a snow cone, but the ice is much finer, similar to snow as I’m told. I touched snow in Japan when I was 3 or 4 and don’t remember anything about the texture. > > **Rainbow Cake** - OMG! Rainbow Cake from the now defunct Dee Lite Bakery! Light chiffon like cake layers in guava, lilikoi (passion fruit) and lime flavors with whipped cream frosting. There are a few imitators, but nothing like the real deal. > > Lots more including Hawaiian (now local style) foods: > > **Poi > Lau lau > Kalua (not Kailua, which is a town) pig or turkey > Lomi lomi salmon > Pipikaula > Poke** How about the Plate Lunch? A meal consisting of an entree of fish or some form of katsu or other protein, 2 scoops of rice and one scoop of macaroni salad. In my case consumed from food trucks near my office in Mililani or at the Mililani Cafe. Great if you were about to go back to work in the pineapple and cane fields (they still existed on Oahu when I lived there) but not so much for an engineer heading back to the office. I’ll also add that Zippy’s flaky doughnuts were manna from heaven. When traveling, I’d always pick up a sack on the way to the airport and consume them in front of returning tourists. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/58 "2019-12-28T20:16:45Z")
Iconic Wisconsin foods: Fresh squeaky cheese curds Deep fried cheese curds Beer cheese soup Cream puffs Frozen custard Butter burgers (Solly’s, I mean you. NOT Culver’s) Blue moon ice cream Moving away from dairy items, we also have: Brandy Old Fashioned Oostburgers (hamburgers with a bratwurst on 'em) Friday fish fries Kringle Booyah Fish boils ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/59 "2019-12-28T20:24:47Z")
What, no beer brats? Probably the first food I associate with Wisconsin! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![fedman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/278dde/32.png) [@fedman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/60 "2019-12-28T20:31:59Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I’ll add New Orleans, I’m probably missing some as I’ve only been there 5 times. > > Gumbo > Jambalaya > Beignets: a French doughnut like dessert, similar to Italian zeppoles. > Po’boys: New Orleans messy & tasty sandwiches > King Cake (I’m not a fan, but iconic) > Pralines, pecan and sugar confections. > Crawfish > Frozen Daiquiris > Muffuletta > Étouffée > > San Diego: > Nothing, nothing iconic for San Diego foods. Maybe it has changed since I left, but nothing as of 1989. probably fish tacos, that’s what they brag about [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462.md?page=4)