The Best Food You Can Eat In Every State
Mike Nudelman/Business Insider
We searched for the top foods you should chow down on wherever you find yourself across the country.
Some dishes evolved from early immigrants and others were inspired by celebrities, but each contributes to the character of the state.
Did we get your state right? Click here to see a full, annotated version of the above map.
ALABAMA: Smother your chicken with white barbecue sauce, a northern Alabama specialty. This creamy, tangy concoction consists of four main ingredients: mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, and coarsely ground black pepper.
ALASKA: Try the freshest, pinkest wild salmon on the coasts of Alaska. It's great on the grill.
ARIZONA: Chow down on a crispy chimichanga, a deep-fried tortilla filled with meat, cheese, and other ingredients, in Tuscon.
ARKANSAS: Visit Bailey's Dairy Treat outside Little Rock, where Bill Clinton used to visit for a chili cheeseburger and Grapette (locally-made soda).
CALIFORNIA: Eat an extravagant $445 meal at Chef Thomas Keller's Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry.
COLORADO: Feast on some light, crispy, and protein-rich Rocky Mountain Oysters (also known as Prairie Oysters), which are fried bull calf testicles.
CONNECTICUT: Take a bite out of the original hamburger from Louis' Lunch in New Haven, which actually comes on white bread, not a bun.
DELAWARE: Munch on the original Thrasher's french fries as you walk along the beach in Rehoboth.
FLORIDA: Scoop a tangy and sweet bite out of a piece of key lime pie with a fluffy dollop of whipped cream.
GEORGIA: Sink your teeth into a sweet, juicy peach in the Peach State. Try peaches in pie, cobbler, or grilled on the barbecue with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
HAWAII: Savor a mouthful of traditional, slow-roasted Kalua pork with a side of fried rice.
IDAHO: Slurp a comforting spoonful of creamy potato chowder. Diced bacon on top gives it a little salty twist.
ILLINOIS: Bite into the cheese-oozing sauce and crust of a Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
INDIANA: Treat yourself to a satisfying slice of "Hoosier" pie, Indiana's official state pie made with sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and cinnamon.
IOWA: Spoon up a bite of your favorite pie flavor in a cold and creamy pie shake, a famous staple at Iowa City's Hamburg Inn.
KANSAS: Sample the sticky, cinnamon-crusted rolls from Shroud’s, a homestyle staple in the Breadbasket of America.
KENTUCKY: Bite into the crispy battered skin of a fried chicken leg. The original KFC is located in Corbin, but you can get great Kentucky fried chicken almost anywhere.
LOUISIANA: Sit down with a po'boy sandwich stuffed with fried catfish, oysters, soft-shell crab, or even alligator.
MAINE: Enjoy every succulent bite of a lobster roll, made with a little tangy mayo, and served on a soft hot dog bun.
MARYLAND: Indulge in a tender, buttery crab cake lightly spiced with Old Bay seasoning, a Maryland original blend of herbs and spices.
MASSACHUSETTS: Delight in a cup of New England clam chowder. Try it out of a bread bowl so you don't miss a bite!
MICHIGAN: Inhale the savory scents of a pasty, a meat-filled hand pie. Michigan loves these easy-to-eat pastries, and even has an annual Pasty Fest in Calumet every June.
MINNESOTA: Relish the oozing cheese of the Juicy Lucy burger, a hamburger where the cheese is melted inside. Two Minneapolis bars claim to be the inventors of the sandwich (Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club); try both to see which you like best.
MISSISSIPPI: Pig out on a decadent piece of Mississippi mud pie, made with layers of gooey chocolate, and usually chopped pecans or walnuts and marshmallow.
MISSOURI: Pick apart a saucy rack of ribs hot off a low-and-slow barbecue smoker in Kansas City.
MONTANA: Cut yourself a sweet, flaky slice of huckleberry pie. Huckleberries are native to high altitudes like the mountains of Montana.
NEBRASKA: Enjoy the simple farm flavors of grilled corn on the cob with a little butter, salt, and pepper.
NEVADA: Stuff yourself at one of Las Vegas' many exquisite all-you-can-eat buffets.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Sample all different kinds of maple-infused breakfast foods, like the waffle with maple butter and cinnamon sugar, at Parker’s Maple Barn in Mason.
NEW JERSEY: Pop a sweet and sticky saltwater taffy into your mouth for a small treat down on the Jersey shore.
NEW MEXICO: Test your limits for heat on some of New Mexico's intensely spicy hot sauces.
NEW YORK: Nosh on a chewy bagel, shmear, and lox from a New York deli.
NORTH CAROLINA: Treat yourself to a hot glazed Krispy Kreme donut from the original shop in Winston-Salem.
NORTH DAKOTA: Munch on some famous "Chippers" from Widman's Candy Shop. The thick-ridged Red River Valley Potato Chips come covered in chocolate, peanut butter, or white almond.
OHIO: Pop into a chili parlor for a plate of Cincinnati chili. The chili is spiced with cinnamon and cloves and spooned over spaghetti, then covered with kidney beans, diced onions, and grated cheddar cheese.
OKLAHOMA: Chow down on some crispy chicken-fried steak, a breaded piece of thin and tenderized steak. The steak cutlet is pretty similar to wiener schnitzel.
OREGON: Wander through Portland to check out the booming street food scene, where you can sample everything from Vietnamese pho to chocolate cupcakes with bacon garnish.
PENNSYLVANIA: Pick up a Philly Cheese Steak, the region's favorite sandwich that made its debut in Philadelphia in 1930.
RHODE ISLAND: Sit down with a piping hot plate of jonnycakes, a flatbread made from cornmeal. They can be found from Newfoundland to Jamaica, but New Englanders claim the modern variation was invented in Rhode Island.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Savor a steaming bowl of shrimp and grits, a dish locals love so much it's served from breakfast to dinner.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Cut yourself a piece of kuchen, the German word for "cake" and the official state dessert. Kuchen doesn't refer to one specific type of cake, but instead comes in several varieties: pie, coffee cake, cheesecake, and rolled pastry.
TENNESSEE: Try Elvis Presley's favorite sandwich, made with peanut butter, banana, and bacon.
TEXAS: Sink your teeth into some barbecue beef brisket, the tender and juicy meat that's touted as "the national dish of the Republic of Texas."
UTAH: Indulge in a Utah scone, a hot crispy fried piece of dough that's served with honey butter, syrup, or powdered sugar.
Youtube/RhodesBread
VERMONT: Treat yourself to some maple syrup tapped right from a Vermont tree. Pour it over everything from classic pancakes and eggs to ice cream, chicken, and coffee.
VIRGINIA: Chow down on a piece of Virginia country ham, a high quality cured ham known for its salty and savory flavor.
WASHINGTON: Eat a fresh fillet of wild-caught Pacific salmon. Grill, broil, or steam the fish, or leave it raw and include in a sushi roll.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Stop into Ben's Chili Bowl and order a Bill Cosby's Original Half Smoke, a half pork and beef smoked sausage served on a warm steamed bun with mustard, onions, and spicy homemade chili sauce.
WEST VIRGINIA: Munch on some pepperoni rolls, the unofficial state snack. The dough rolls filled with meat and cheese used to be a popular lunch option amongst coal miners, and now can be found in nearly every convenience store.
WISCONSIN: Grab yourself a plate of hot bratwurst and wash it down with a cold beer.
WYOMING: Sample some game meats, like tender cuts of venison, elk chops, and bison burgers.
Now see all the best eats in map form:
Michael Nudelman/Business Insider
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