Region-specific foods

[Sasquatch]

I bought some Nutella the other day. I had never had it, but I saw it in the check-out aisle and figured what the hell, why not. A little container with some bread sticks and some Nutella to dip them into. It's actually pretty good. It seems like just a chocolate spread, nothing fancy, and I don't know how "healthy" it is, but yeah, pretty good.

I know it's more common in other areas, and that got me thinking. Do you have certain foods in your part of the world that are uncommon or unheard of outside that area?

In Wisconsin, we have cheese curds -- basically, cheese forms in lumps (or "curds" -- they seperate from the liquid "whey"), then gets pressed together into blocks or wheels. From that rate, it's aged, spiced, or whatever, depending on the type of cheese. But in Wisconsin, some of the curds are kept seperate. They're sold either as regular cheese curds, or battered and fried. Fried cheese curds are common for appetizers and bar-food. And they are AWESOME.

Fresh cheese curds actually squeek against your teeth when you eat them. That's how to tell how fresh they are.

I have noticed, however, that most people that haven't lived in Wisconsin haven't been exposed to cheese curds. I had never heard of them, even after living in northern Illinois (less than half an hour from the Wisconsin border) for years, until I moved into WI. I've met plenty of people from surrounding or nearby states -- Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan -- and apparently, they're nearly nonexistent outside WI.

If you ever (for some unfortunate reason) find yourself in Wisconsin, stop at a bar or restaurant and get yourself some fried cheese curds. I usually eat 'em with ranch, but you can use all the regular condiments -- ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, honey, I've even seen people dip them in mayonaise. But seriously, get some, they're awesome.

[NikkiLinkle]

Nutela is hazelnut/chocolate spread. That's sold everywhere in Australia. I actually eat it out of the container with a spoon

I really like Cherry Coke. But it's only sold in speciality stores or can be bought online for like $3 a can and can only be bought in 12 packs. Whereas Coke is sold in 24 packs each can costing about 80 cents.

I can't think of any Australian foods other than Vegemite and Kangaroo and crocodile meat. Yes, we eat the animals that appear on our national emblem Ok I don't eat those meats, but it is sold in our supermarkets.

[Aerif]

It's illegal to call Nutella a 'chocolate spread' in most countries where it is sold, there isn't enough cocoa in it or something like that, I'm surprised that you say it's regional in the US, it's sold in every supermarket and corner shop in this country in both the 'breadstick dipping' packs and in jars.

Um... regional foods... you all know about haggis and IRN BRU so that's sort of a wasted point.

Oh, deep-fried mars bars. Those exist. Most sold in Glasgow chip shops, they look as appealing as they sound - a battered chocolate bar with caramel and mallow inside, deep fried. Yuck. They're commonly believed to be an urban myth - they aren't an urban myth. Occasionally the news papers will report on some chip shop offering an even more disgusting option, we've had deep-fried easter eggs and deep-fried Big Macs. Ew ew ew.

Potato scones are a nice food that are generally quite a regional thing. In England occasionaly you can buy an equivalent 'potato cake', but it's not quite the same thing. They're semi-thin layers of potato, covered in a coating of some sort that can be fried and are generally served either on a roll or as part of a full Scottish breakfast. Also on that note, black pudding and fruit pudding are considered quite regional sometimes, and square sausage as well.

[Pete]

Pizza. There's nothing quite like getting pizza in New York City. Sure the ingredients are generally the same anywhere else, and pizza is readily available pretty much anywhere, but its just not the same, out nearly as good anywhere else. Some people say its because of the water and whatnot.

there's just to much food in NY to list, and its too early on the morning for me to think.

[Dodie16]

Oh, deep-fried mars bars. Those exist. Most sold in Glasgow chip shops, they look as appealing as they sound - a battered chocolate bar with caramel and mallow inside, deep fried. Yuck. They're commonly believed to be an urban myth - they aren't an urban myth. Occasionally the news papers will report on some chip shop offering an even more disgusting option, we've had deep-fried easter eggs and deep-fried Big Macs. Ew ew ew.

If you're ever in the States, you should hit up a State Fair sometime. They have all kinds of fried food goodness (?). Deep fried butter, fried coke (the drink) and fried Kool-aid, fried pickles, fried candy bars and snack cakes. I've even seen fried PB and J.

Bottom line: If you can fry it and/or put it on a stick, chances are, someone in America has done it.

I want to try Nutella one of these days. People on FunnyJunk are gaga about the stuff. Makes me feel like I'm missing out on something.

As for regional foods... I dunno. Arkansas cuisine is pretty much a hodge-podge of things from all over the country. I guess Succotash could count. I loved to eat it when I went to Silver Dollar City, and they cooked a massive amount of it on a huge iron skillet outside. Something about cooking outdoors makes food taste so good.

[Halie]

We have Welsh cakes which look like this...


I don't know how popular they are to the rest of the world though. I think they're delicious, one of my favourite sugary treats. I think fish and chips is a more popular dish in the UK than anywhere else, but I'm not totally sure, I don't like fish myself. Other than that, I can't really think of any.

[Tallulah]

There is actually a fish and chip shop near me (I live in England rather than Scotland, which is unusual) which does deep fried Mars bars, or Snickers bars (peanut and caramel covered in chocolate) or even deep fried Creme Eggs (egg-shaped chocolates filled with a yellow and white sugary fondant goo) near Easter. I don't know if they still do them as I haven't been to that chippy for a while.

I never heard of cheese, usually grated chedder, on chip shop chips (or chunky fries) until I moved to Lincoln. We also have plum bread, which can also be deep fried, and Lincolnshire sausage, which is a herb flavoured sausage.

[Crescent]

Tip Top Jelly Tip ice cream (NZ brand) not sold in Australia or in Sydney as far as I know but MY GOD..

[Alpha]

^

Also I suppose we have hangis (plural of a hangi; "haang-ee"... It's a Māori word). What's notable is the method of cooking moreso than the food. Food is cooked in a 'fire pit' in the ground (traditionally with special food baskets, but today with tin foil). Everything cooks in the juices of everything else, and just becomes so tender, you have no idea. Usually they throw in an assortment of meats, pumpkin, kumura (a sweet potato, sourced from pre-colonial South America, whose existence in Aotearoa/NZ is a really interesting phenomena), and other vegetables conducive to roasting. If you ever stay on a marae, you'll likely eat this.

Also there's pavlova, which is like a cake made from lots of eggs, covered in cream and topped with sliced strawberries and kiwifruit. It's traditionally a Christmas dessert... Christmas being summer here, where a steaming fruit pudding wouldn't do any favours. Also be careful because Australians try and claim it as their own dish, but it's not.

Hmm, next we have manuka (man-oo-kah) honey, which is the honey of bees who collect in areas full of flowering manuka trees. It's quite expensive (I heard you can get it in London for +$40), but is by far the best honey ever.

New Zealand (and especially Wellington) is well known for coffee. Not that American diner filter crap, but actual coffee. In particular, if you're ever here (or if you're elsewhere and you see it--we invented it) get a flat white.

[OceanEyes28]

When this thread first popped up, I thought it was "Religion-specific foods" and was like "Wtf? Hot cross buns? Matzah balls?"


Well in that case.... SONIC!! I don't go much anymore, but in high school, fried mozzarella sticks and cherry limeades were my JAM.

And on the east coast of the USA... Cheerwine. Not a soda drinker, but I will drink some of that when I see it.

Chocolate gravy seems like a southern thing.... and is awesome....

Also, if you want good bbq, you should probably just come down south. Or if you want to try fried ANYTHING.

[RamesesII]

^

Also I suppose we have hangis (plural of a hangi; "haang-ee"... It's a Māori word). What's notable is the method of cooking moreso than the food. Food is cooked in a 'fire pit' in the ground (traditionally with special food baskets, but today with tin foil). Everything cooks in the juices of everything else, and just becomes so tender, you have no idea. Usually they throw in an assortment of meats, pumpkin, kumura (a sweet potato, sourced from pre-colonial South America, whose existence in Aotearoa/NZ is a really interesting phenomena), and other vegetables conducive to roasting. If you ever stay on a marae, you'll likely eat this.

Hangi is what Aborigines call it as well, I love a good hangi my great uncle was an indigenous Australian (adopted into the family) I say that as if I feel ashamed to be part aboriginal haha but he was a fair dinkum true abo haha anyway he would always have one when we went to visit him.

Also there's pavlova, which is like a cake made from lots of eggs, covered in cream and topped with sliced strawberries and kiwifruit. It's traditionally a Christmas dessert... Christmas being summer here, where a steaming fruit pudding wouldn't do any favours. Also be careful because Australians try and claim it as their own dish, but it's not.

This is bullsh*t it is an Australian dessert haha don't believe those kiwis, I don't trust a nation who wears black and white as there sports colours

Pavlova is eggwhite and sugar beaten until it is extremely frothy and stiff then baked in a oven until it sets in other words it is a giant meringue but pavlovas are still a bit soft in the middle and the trick to it is to get as much fruit and cream on it before it collapses.

Also we have Lamingtons and Vegemite but they are sold world wide now.

[FeyLenne13]

I've been in MO for several years now but I lived in TN growing up. Traveling all over the south, I've noticed that sweet tea seems region specific. In MO they like barely a couple of scoops of sugar in their jugs but in TN, if the spoon doesn't stand up on its own, there isn't enough sugar in it. Also, I've not really seen Cherry Mash, YUM!, anywhere else but up around here. Hmm, in OK, my friends wouldn't let me leave until I had this beef fried stake sandwich. I kid you not, the meat was three times the size of the bun! It's was amazing though!

[Rowan]

Deep fried Mars Bars. Beware, they are very good...

[FeyLenne13]

@Rowan how do you make those? I've never had one. Sounds dangerous....