What would you put in a meal if wanted something special from each US state?
Late night thought on a road trip in the US and I can't stop think what an "All American meal with a great from every state" would consist of. Like something that a state is know for being exceptional in from beef to white tail to peaches to oastets to sunflowers to almonds to coffee. Even better it's something an average American could actually eat in one meal.
Extra bonus points include the greater US (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands)!
If others want to through other wide geographic/culture dishes like an EU, North African, all of China please do so too, it would be interesting to see too!
If you're putting 50+ things in one meal, you're definitely already eating American
Anywhere in the US you go, if they have a “California-style” anything it has avocado.
You could have a month (or quarter year) featuring food from the different states. Louisiana is known for boiled crabs and crawfish, as well as Cajun and creole cooking. Maryland is known for crab cakes. Utah is known for gelatin salads. Nebraska (Omaha) is known for its steaks. North Carolina is known for two distinct types of barbecue sauce.
And South Carolina has Mustard based BBQ!
Minnesota is home to the juicy lucy, a cheeseburger with the cheese being cooked inside the patty. Serve that with a tater tot hot dish
you forgot lutefisk and lefse!
Not including Minnesota cheese would feel like a crime!
The states can’t even agree on hot dogs and pizza. A meal representing everyone could feed a neighborhood. (And if you do make it, invite me!)
Maryland: blue crab, Old Bay, and soft shell blue crab.
Taylor brand Pork Roll.
No, stop. You're wrong.
Which state is that?
New Jersey
I think Pasties for Michigan.
Cherries in your coffee, cherries in your wine, cherries in your toothpaste, cherries all the time!
Brisket. Tx.
Every US state has official state foods, sometimes getting as specific as state vegetable, state dessert, state grape, etc.
This list should give you a head start: list of official US state foods
Virginia ham is quite tasty.
Ooh what kinda of flavor is Virginia ham normally?
Ham flavor
Salty but also I've had some great spiral cut sugar cured ham.
Green Chile from Hatch, New Mexico.
Colorado is known for its lamb, green chili, melons, and peaches.
If you put a peach in this meal, tho - that’s Georgia’s peach.
I would agree with that.
And Chili Colorado- not because it has any relation to the state but because it shares a name.
Love all those myself! Great choices to pick from
I think Georgia comes to mind for peaches
Burrito
Honestly I feel like a couple burritos could cover a lot of ingredients from places!
Alligator sausage
Man a couple states come to mind, which one do you think would have the best?
Louisiana, but they're a bit spicy.
Florida?
No not quite, gator sausage from Louisiana.
For the Virgin Islands, maybe go with salt fish, callaloo, and fungi (cornmeal & okra dumplings, not mushrooms).
Salt fish, and corn meal seem super versatile options!
Callaloo seems really interesting, but it is new to me, what plant(s) would you say would be the most best from the Virgin Islands for it? (If that question even makes sense, my ddg searches tell different places have different sources).
Bourbon.
Kentucky I can only assume. Great choice could used in cooking, sauce or you know as a drink!
Kentucky also has the Hot Brown and Derby Pie.
Derby pie is delicious.
The wiki someone posted mentions blackberry as the state fruit, which I didn't know but could definitely see. I have fond memories of picking blackberries outside so grandma could make blackberry cobbler.
As far as drinks go, we also have the Mint Julip and the Oaks Lily, which are basically signature drinks of the Kentucky Derby.
Wisconsin cheese curds!