Regional Foods?

[NotUrsula]

Interestingly, we do have snowballs in St. Louis, but pretty much only in the city and the close-in older suburbs; you really won't find them out in tract-house territory; too declasse, I suppose. Most of the stands here use machines and syrups made in NOLA, but the technique is a tad lacking at most of them; they mostly don't do the funnel-pack on the top, and are likely to short the syrup a bit, especially on the clear flavors. Also, with the exception of Wedding Cake, you can't get the really classic NOLA flavors; no one has Nectar at all, and Spearmint is very rare (and when you do find it, it's pale green, not that deep, dark green that colors your tongue for 3 days.) SCM is often available, but without nectar, what's the point?

BTW, for those unaware, in South Louisiana, "Wedding Cake flavor" means almond, often with a wee bit of pineapple mixed in. It used to be that white almond cake with pineapple filling was just about the only flavor of wedding cake that local bakeries would make, so everyone local knew the association. These days wedding cakes themselves come in every flavor imaginable (a classic local favorite for the past couple of decades is Italian Cream--which is actually neither Italian nor contains cream), but lots of other treats in New Orleans that are almond are labeled with the flavor "wedding cake".

PS: Growing up in the rural Louisiana delta we used to frequently eat Frito Pies at outdoor events such as baseball games or fairs, and sometimes even were given them for lunch at school. Our Frito Pie was a bag of the chips cut open across the side of the bag, with a ladle of no-bean chili on top. (Tamale Pie is also popular in South Louisiana, but we know it's really a Texas import.)

 

[GreatLakes]

Cleveland…

All I can think of offhand are Lake Erie perch and Polish Boys

And Stadium Mustard.

The only other Ohio related regional food that seems to be known anywhere is chili on pasta (think Skyline), but that is Cincinnati, not Cleveland.

I see a lot of references to the Fish Fry and they are big around here as well but I don't think those are really regional as much as tied to any area with a high Catholic population.

 

[jimmymc]

In New Jersey, we had:

• Pork Roll
• Disco fries - poutine but with mozzarella instead of curds
• Custard and custard waffle sandwiches
• Tavern style pizza. It's pizza where the crust is almost as thin as a Ritz cracker, and it snaps when you fold it. Different than Chicago or other tavern-style pizzas
• Bagels - they're massive, like NY bagels but larger
• Not exclusive to NJ, but lots of great Italian take out

Lord Manhammer covered Detroit pretty well. I would also add:

• Frank's RedHot
• Shawarma and kebabs
• Paczkis (pronounced "punch keys") - I think these are popular other places too, but I first encountered them in Detroit. They actually remind me of the jelly donuts sold at our local grocery store year-round in New Jersey

 

[soccerdad72]

• Paczkis (pronounced "punch keys")

I think Paczkis generally are a Midwest thing, not just Detroit area. They're really popular around here as well.

 

[Moliphino]

In New Jersey, we had:

• Pork Roll
• Disco fries - poutine but with mozzarella instead of curds
• Custard and custard waffle sandwiches
• Tavern style pizza. It's pizza where the crust is almost as thin as a Ritz cracker, and it snaps when you fold it. Different than Chicago or other tavern-style pizzas
• Bagels - they're massive, like NY bagels but larger
• Not exclusive to NJ, but lots of great Italian take out

Lord Manhammer covered Detroit pretty well. I would also add:

• Frank's RedHot
• Shawarma and kebabs
• Paczkis (pronounced "punch keys")

I think you get paczki wherever there are a lot of Polish immigrants. They're all over the grocery stores here in western MA now until Lent.

 

[jimmymc]

I think Paczkis generally are a Midwest thing, not just Detroit area. They're really popular around here as well.

After a quick Google I think they are. I never saw them until moving to Detroit, so I associated them together.

 

[PollyannaMom]

This thread made me weak at the grocery store

 

[Lord Manhammer]

This thread made me weak at the grocery store

View attachment 826843

I'm the OP so sorry, not sorry?

 

[Lord Manhammer]

After a quick Google I think they are. I never saw them until moving to Detroit, so I associated them together.

We have a big Polish population outside of Springfield Mass so they are popular around here, but I can't eat them since I've tried the real ones in Poland.

Also, not to be pedantic but saying "paczkis" is not correct. Paczki is already the plural of the doughnut. The singular in Polish is paczek.

 

[Moliphino]

We have a big Polish population outside of Springfield Mass so they are popular around here, but I can't eat them since I've tried the real ones in Poland.

Also, not to be pedantic but saying "paczkis" is not correct. Paczki is already the plural of the doughnut. The singular in Polish is paczek.

There used to be a Polish bakery in Chicopee that made really good ones, but they closed a few years ago (after 50 years in business). They had the rose jelly kind.

 

[TCRAIG]

I love grits - I use them to hold my butter and cheese - I’ve also heard they’re pretty hard to pick -
I used to eat popcorn for breakfast a lot and someone once commented that it must be a ‘Yankee Thing’…nope, I replied, they’re very Southern. ‘No Way’! they replied - ‘I’ve lived in the South all my life and I never knew anyone who had popcorn for breakfast’!! I thought my comeback was pretty classic…’Popcorn is just grits with hot air’…

 

[LSUmiss]

That's cool. I've never been able to find a sno-ball made with the fine, fluffy ice like in Louisiana. The ones I've had elsewhere always use course, and crunchy ice. There's a sno-ball stand here in TN where we live, and the guys who run it are from around New Orleans. The sno-balls are so good

Adding pralines to our list!

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I’ll let you do it & I can add anything you might have forgotten!

@Skywalker3 Since you're both from NOLA, where do you get pralines in the FQ? I would always get Loretta's Pralines but am curious where the locals go? I usually don't have a car and stick to the FQ.

 

[LSUmiss]

@Skywalker3 Since you're both from NOLA, where do you get pralines in the FQ? I would always get Loretta's Pralines but am curious where the locals go? I usually don't have a car and stick to the FQ.

Those are pretty good for store bought ones. But mostly we make them or know someone who does. DH just made some this past Christmas.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Those are pretty good for store bought ones. But mostly we make them or know someone who does. DH just made some this past Christmas.

Can you share a recipe? I don't get down there nearly as much as I'd like and would love to try making them myself, especially with Carnival coming up.

 

[Micca]

This thread made me weak at the grocery store

How are they? I don't generally eat/buy packaged cookies, but your review could convince me

 

[TiggerTrigger]

In New Jersey, we had:

• Pork Roll
• Disco fries - poutine but with mozzarella instead of curds
• Custard and custard waffle sandwiches
• Tavern style pizza. It's pizza where the crust is almost as thin as a Ritz cracker, and it snaps when you fold it. Different than Chicago or other tavern-style pizzas
• Bagels - they're massive, like NY bagels but larger
• Not exclusive to NJ, but lots of great Italian take out

I miss diner Disco Fries and a good NJ bagel! It's impossible to get a good bagel down here and people just want to be trendy with poutine. I'm always seeing old friends bickering over Taylor Ham vs. Pork Roll. I think I must be one of the only people from NJ that has no memory of eating it. I see the Taylor Ham in the market down here, but I have yet to drop the $11 on one to see if it triggers any memories. I do miss great Italian take out...something we definitely took for granted in NJ.

 

[LSUmiss]

Can you share a recipe? I don't get down there nearly as much as I'd like and would love to try making them myself, especially with Carnival coming up.

Sure let me find it!

 

[Aladora]

Also poutine!!

I would humbly correct you on poutine, that was invented in Quebec, Canada.

For my area, British Columbia, it has to be the Nanaimo Bar.

 

[princesscinderella]

South Florida is such a melting pot of cuisine and culture. Cuban food I would say is our biggest. I second Key lime pie too.