# Most iconic food from each state **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 4, 2024, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151 "2024-05-04T23:48:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/241 "2024-06-24T02:13:43Z")
Brie pairs well with fruit. But I’ve tried the whole apple-pie-and-cheddar thing, and totally didn’t get it at all. I mean, it wasn’t actively gross or anything, but there just wasn’t any synergy, at all, between the flavors. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/242 "2024-06-24T02:15:19Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’d like to see how they came up with this list, because the only thing anyone can seem to agree on is that they got their own state wrong. I have a theory that listicles like this purposely pick the wrong choice, because their real goal is to drive “engagement”. And what better way to generate engagement than to get a bunch of people in the comments complaining that they got their state wrong, that the pick for this state really should have been this, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/243 "2024-06-24T02:21:49Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > You are very, very wrong. A slice of nice sharp cheddar sets off a slice of apple pie beautifully. Great minds obviously think alike. 😉 Never mind those who recoil at at, and/or don’t want to try it. All the more for you and me! Mmmm! ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/244 "2024-06-24T03:47:43Z")
I’ve heard of that pairing forever. While you can keep the cheese, I expect my slice of apple pie ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/245 "2024-06-24T08:24:47Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > All the more for you and me! Is the world in danger of running out of either apple pie or cheddar? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/246 "2024-06-24T17:01:17Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Is the world in danger of running out of either apple pie or cheddar? I have neither in my kitchen at the current moment, so possibly. ---
**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:** [June 24, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/247 "2024-06-24T19:21:13Z")
Thankfully I have both at present, and am well stocked against world-wide shortages thanks to having a ton of local cheese factories, the knowledge of how to make cheese on my own (cows are easy to access here too). Plus I have about 6 apple trees on my property. My family heritage emphasizes the necessity of cheese and apple pie. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/248 "2024-06-24T19:53:59Z")
Yeah, but you also eat Marmite and neutronium, so what does that say for the palatability of this flavor combination? ---
**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:** [June 24, 2024, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/249 "2024-06-24T23:07:17Z")
Taste that combo yourself and find out! To me, marmite goes great with neutronium! However, I’ve found that vegemite and pentaquark matter really don’t mix well. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/250 "2024-06-25T00:10:07Z")
I do, however, have Vegemite handy in case a random Aussie stops by. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/251 "2024-06-25T00:39:11Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I had no idea that pepperoni rolls came from West Virginia. That is totally understandable. West Virginia is (or, used to be) an oddly divided state. The northern part was more ethnic European people, especially Italians. They lived closer to Pittsburgh and its predominently recent immigrant community. As the linked article says, a lot of them were coal miners, so pepperoni rolls were the perfect food for the lunch box. Further south in WV–the culture–and the food-was/is very different. I can’t find a link right now, but I remember an article that polled various noted people about what were the favorite foods from their home state. The West Virginia segment asked both Michael Tomasky (editor of the _New Republic_) and aviation legend Chuck Yeager. Tomasky named pepperoni rolls. Yeager disagreed, nominating cornbread and britches (sic). I’m from WV, but haven’t ever had either. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/252 "2024-06-25T00:40:57Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > Yeager disagreed, nominating cornbread and britches (sic). At least they had britches. We had to eat our own knickers for breakfast! ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/253 "2024-06-25T00:45:47Z")
At General Bart Simpson’s order. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/254 "2024-06-25T01:09:04Z")
They taste better if you have an onion tied to your belt. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/255 "2024-06-25T01:21:34Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > Tomasky named pepperoni rolls. Yeager disagreed, nominating cornbread and britches (sic). I’ll ask the obvious question; WTF are “britches”, food-wise? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/256 "2024-06-25T02:48:40Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > Yeager disagreed, nominating cornbread and britches (sic). OK, so cornbread I know, both the northern version and the superior southern version. But what in the world are britches, however they’re spelled? Googling for “Cornbread and britches” just gets me pictures of someone’s cats named that. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/257 "2024-06-25T03:15:08Z")
Maybe it means that when someone wanted to write “cornbread and brisket”, they by mistake wrote “cornbread and britches”. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/258 "2024-06-25T03:41:41Z")
“Britches” would be leather britches, aka dried green beans. Also known as shuck beans (the term I grew up with) or shucky beans. Traditionally they’re sun-dried but a lot of people use dehydrators now. You cook them in a pot of water with seasoning meat. Very distinctive and iconic of central Appalachia. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/259 "2024-06-25T03:47:17Z")
Thanks to you and to @Wendell_Wagner for the guesses, but ideally we’ll hear from @F.U.Shakespeare what they _really_ meant, though of course the simplest explanation is that Chuck Yeager missed being able to eat trousers for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151/260 "2024-06-25T03:53:30Z")
> **[Oak Spring Garden Foundation - Leather Britches: An Appalachian Culinary...](https://www.osgf.org/blog/2021/10/13/leather-britches-an-appalachian-tradition)** > > To celebrate World Food Day, we’re talking about leather britches - a unique and sustainable preserved beans with a rich history in southern Appalachia. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-iconic-food-from-each-state/1001151.md?page=14)