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!
North Carolina also has good Mexican cuisine due to immigration. Don’t sleep on elote, tamales, or alambre in NC.
Maryland: blue crab, Old Bay, and soft shell blue crab.
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
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
Not including Minnesota cheese would feel like a crime!
you forgot lutefisk and lefse!
Taylor brand Pork Roll.
No, stop. You’re wrong.
Which state is that?
New Jersey
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!)
Brisket. Tx.
I think Pasties for Michigan.
Cherries in your coffee, cherries in your wine, cherries in your toothpaste, cherries all the time!
Virginia ham is quite tasty.
Ooh what kinda of flavor is Virginia ham normally?
Ham flavor
These snozz berries taste like snozz berries
Salty but also I’ve had some great spiral cut sugar cured ham.
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.
I think Georgia comes to mind for peaches
Love all those myself! Great choices to pick from
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.
I’m in Ohio, and my reluctant suggestions for your meal would be Buckeyes (the chocolate-coated peanut butter candy, not the actual nut), that weird “Cincinnati-style” chili served over spaghetti noodles, and a big buttery ear of sweet corn. “Reluctant” because the idea of eating all 3 in one sitting really grosses me out, let alone in combination with anything else from any other state.
Buttery sweet corn feels super versatile in my mind for meals! Buckeyes as a or part of a larger desert maybe!
I love your enthusiasm and positivity even more than I love your clever username. I hope you get your epic American meal someday!
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).
