# States That "Own" a Food Item **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670 "2014-08-27T19:14:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/1 "2014-08-27T19:14:14Z")
I’m talking about states that immediately come to mind when a food item is mentioned. So, something like “Texas \_\_\_\_\_” or “New Hampshire \_\_\_\_\_” just as random possibilities. Two important distinctions: I’m not talking about recipes, so New York or Chicago style pizza is out. While the best examples may be in those states, they can be made just as well anywhere, the ingredients are ubiquitous. Same for California fish tacos or Iowa pork tenderloin sandwiches. I’m talking about basic foodstuffs - I’ll give a couple of examples in a paragraph or two. Also, no out of date items or anachronisms. At one time, Chicago and Omaha were known for their beef, but that was due more to location than anything else. They were close to the ranchlands, and more importantly had big railyards across the street from the meat cutters. Nowadays your beef in NYC may have been raised and slaughtered in North Dakota or North Texas and you’d never know the difference. Along the same lines, let’s avoid the pedantic arguments. Yes, California may have more dairy cattle than Wisconsin, but is there any doubt which is the dairy state? Oh, one more thing - it doesn’t have to be only one state that owns the title - I can think of one particular food item that calls to mind two states, one on each side of the country. To get the ball rolling, I’ll nominate some easy ones - the aforementioned Wisconsin for dairy, and Maine for lobster. Feel free to use Provinces or Regions in other countries without states. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/2 "2014-08-27T19:15:36Z")
Isn’t champagne only from Champagne in France, by law? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/3 "2014-08-27T19:25:28Z")
While the ingredients may be ubiquitous, I think [Cincinnati chili](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_chili) is so unlike chili anywhere else that it deserves a mention. I remember a Cincinnati chili style restaurant (Gold Star, maybe?) opening in Denver in the 1990s, and completely bewildering the shit out of everybody who went in looking for chili. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/4 "2014-08-27T19:27:27Z")
New Mexico Green Chile. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/5 "2014-08-27T19:27:42Z")
Oh yes, and Ohio is [buckeyes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckeye_candy). ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/6 "2014-08-27T19:40:06Z")
Vermont maple syrup. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/7 "2014-08-27T19:40:14Z")
I forgot a couple of sincere requests. Please limit your nominations to two per post maximum - one would be better. Also, we all know about Wikipedia, so no links to an article listing the “50 State Foods” or a similar article in a food magazine or something of the kind. I wouldn’t count Cincinnati Chili as you can make it anywhere with simple ingredients (but why would you want to?) but the others are exactly right. I almost used New Mexico Chilies as one of the examples. I also thought of another bi-coastal (hint) foodstuff, but it is a lot different in vital ways from my original thought. Lastly, just as two states can share an item, one state can be known for more than one thing. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/8 "2014-08-27T19:40:49Z")
Georgia Peaches Idaho Potatoes ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/9 "2014-08-27T19:41:45Z")
Florida oranges. California (wine) grapes. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/10 "2014-08-27T19:42:01Z")
n/m ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/11 "2014-08-27T19:42:50Z")
Florida for Key lime pie, assuming you know what a Key lime is. edit: That’s a recipe, so might break the rule? So I guess just “Key limes,” since the place is in the name of the fruit. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/12 "2014-08-27T19:43:42Z")
Maryland crabs. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/13 "2014-08-27T19:44:05Z")
Indiana has sugar cream pie and tenderloin sandwiches. Georgia has Vidalia onions (Vidalias are to onions as Coors light is to beer, and I don’t mean that as a compliment). ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/14 "2014-08-27T19:45:07Z")
Vermont cheddar Florida oranges ---
**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:** [August 27, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/15 "2014-08-27T19:47:28Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Florida oranges. > California (wine) grapes. California raisins. (cue music) ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/16 "2014-08-27T19:52:50Z")
Washington state for Ranier cherries. Florida stone crabs. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/17 "2014-08-27T19:53:16Z")
Prosciutto and Parmesan from Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. ---
**Author:** ![Orr\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Orr\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orr_G)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/18 "2014-08-27T20:05:02Z")
Not sure how this plays out of state, but Wisconsin claims quite a few foods, and has even mastered vertical integration. Wisconsin Dairy " Cheese " Cheddar " Cheese Curds Although, IMO the best cheese curds are Mozzie and not Cheddar, but you can find both claiming to be “Wisconsin”, and the latter fit my scheme better. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/19 "2014-08-27T20:19:22Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > California raisins. (cue music) Also: California almonds California avacados ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670/20 "2014-08-27T20:20:35Z")
New Jersey: Taylor Ham (aka Pork Roll) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-that-own-a-food-item/696670.md?page=2)