Regional Foods?

[Skywalker3]

I'll start the list, but will probably be adding more.
I'm not Cajun, but born and raised down there, not in NOLA, distinguishing that because NOLA has a different style of cooking in a lot of ways, same dishes, but often different flavors.
Some of the more well known:
Jambalaya (usually brown, not red, but both are good)
gumbo (usually seafood, chicken/sausage, or just sausage)
andouille sausage
sauce piquante
red beans/rice,
all sorts of fish dishes, like redfish courtbouillon
shrimp creole
etoufee
crab and/or shrimp au gratin
fried seafood everything
crawfish! boiled and in dishes listed above
turtle soup--my ex husband picked up a turtle one time on the side of the hwy on the way to his folks house, and that was dinner....
po-boys (my favorite is roast beef-dripping and soggy) There is a place where I'm from called Mr Poboy, it's the best

dirty rice--aka rice dressing, basically ground meat/port/liver, etc, and rice, typically had at Thanksgiving instead of stuffing/dressing-you can get a fast food version at Popeye's
oyster dressing- also often made for holidays, like Thanksgiving
Speaking of Thanksgiving- my ex in-laws (very Cajun, spoke French at home,) didn't like turkey, so they often had duck or raccoon. yes, raccoon.

king cake-because my birthday is in February, usually in Carnival season, i grew up often have a king cake for my birthday cake

beignets,

tarte a la bouille-my ex MIL made this sometimes, but mostly we'd get it at Rouse's, local grocery store. Rouse's also sold the meat mixture we'd use for dirty rice

I'm sure I'm leaving out a lot of stuff, dishes we didn't have often, but that's what comes to mind. we didn't eat all of the above on a regular basis, but we did usually have jambalaya, and gumbo, fried seafood like shrimp, and beans/rice/sausage at least once.month

will keep thinking on it.

My parents were from Alabama and made a LOT of typical Southern food, cornbread, mustard/turnip greens, chicken/dumplings, etc.

 

[bcla]

I dunno.

San Francisco style sourdough bread.

Cioppino.

California cuisine (which is maybe more an overall idea than a type of food).

California pizza. This place is my favorite.

While it's not specifically from my area, this is a distinctly regional style of taco that originated in Tijuana and really took off in Southern California. I've personally been to this place.

 

[Skywalker3]

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

I just did a list, but I KNOW I've left out some things, I mean it's too many to list!!!
We lived in Baton Rouge for 15 years, and I haven't been back in several years. Something recently got me craving Mike Anderson's. I need to make a trip to Louisiana to just eat!!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Definitely fish, in general. Not surprising, as I live in a fishing community!

Ah, fresh fish. The one thing that's almost impossible to find in South Florida.

 

[Micca]

Hot Brown

If this dish were to be introduced to other areas it would be a nation-wide success. It's absolutely delicious. What's not to like??? OK, maybe the name "Hot Brown" could be updated to something less...scatalogical sounding?

Hot Browns are open-faced warm sandwiches loaded with roast turkey, lightly charred tomatoes, creamy Mornay sauce, crisp bacon, and melted cheese

 

[easyas123]

Eastern Shore reporting in (of Maryland):

Scrapple (delish)
Muskrat
Smith Island Cake
Stuffed Ham
Oysters
Berger Cookies
Crab in various forms (for the record we are a JO family)
Snakehead
Turtle soup
Venison in many forms
Chicken (houses everywhere)

and from growing up in in South Jersey, for my Burlington County folks - Boost!

 

[TheChanClan]

California... we're a melting pot so we've got pretty much everything, whether it's authentic or good is another debate altogether.

As for something regional...? Avocados?

 

[LoveDaisy]

Connecticut

Hot lobster rolls
Stonington scallops
New Haven apizza
Steamed cheeseburgers
Clams
Oysters

 

[NotUrsula]

Since South Louisiana has already been covered (well, mostly; how on earth did Boudin and Elmer's Easter candy not make the list?) I'll address my current home, St. Louis:

-Pork steaks (large thick slices of pork butt, almost always cooked on the grill b/c they are fatty, usually with ...
-Maull's BBQ sauce (which is thin and very tomato-ey; I'm not a fan)
-Gooey Butter Cake (a dense yellow cake that has so much butter that it never quite sets up; normally served plain with powdered sugar on top.) Also Deep Butter Cake, which is a variation with even more butter.
-Toasted ravioli (beef ravioli, not actually toasted, they just look that way; they are breaded and then deep-fried. Served with marinara for dipping.)
-Brain sandwiches (these are now pretty much gone thanks to Mad Cow disease, though a few restaurants do them with pork or veal.) Thick slice of beef brain, heavily breaded and then deep-fried, and served on a large burger bun (or rye bread) with raw onion rings, dill pickles and spicy mustard. And no, I was never brave enough to try one when they were common.

And lastly, St. Louis style pizza, which is famous for 3 aspects: 1) a cracker-thin crust, 2) being baked on a round sheet but cut in squares, and 3) for using a strange processed cheese called provel (which is a mixture of provelone and swiss.) Other toppings are the usual things one might find on any more traditional pizza. I personally cannot stand Provel, which sticks to the roof of my mouth, and IMO, is tasteless. Luckily there are several local pizza joints that make thin, square cut pizza, but with real Italian cheeses.

 

[leebee]

Maine...

Lobster, clams, shrimp, scallops, mussels, oysters- all fresh.
Whitefish like haddock and cod- also fresh
Teeny tiny low-bush blueberries. They are AWESOME, can't be beat.
Red hot dogs
Moxie (don't drink it, it's gross).
Brown bread- with or without raisins.
Beans baked in a bean pot all day long, with a whole onion in the bottom of the pot and a big hunk of scored salt pork on top.

 

[barkley]

thought of something else-

we are VERY fortunate to have 2 locally owned and operated brick and mortar eateries that feature indigenous native american foods. previously it was only available at food trucks and the occasional pop up (maybe at a fair but that was more of a fast food variety). fresh made fry bread

 

[kanne323]

In Boston we have:
Moxie soda
Lobster rolls
Black and White cookies (which @Buzz Rules has told me I need to try so here it is)
Clam Chowder
Necco Wafer
Boston Cream Pie
Fenway Frank

I've lived in southern New England (CT & MA), northern NJ, and now Maine.

I think Moxie is generally considered more of a Maine thing these days (I know it used to be more widespread.) And that lobster in the Boston lobster rolls is probably from Maine.

We didn't call them black & white cookies in southern New England area- we called them half moons. When I moved to NJ as an adult, I learned they called them black & whites there. Whatever you call them, they are delicious!

Regarding NJ- great pizza, Taylor ham (yes, I'm calling it that.)

In New England, milkshakes were traditionally milk and flavoring, no ice cream. An ice cream based drink was a frappe. I think this has been changing quite a bit, though. I grew up near the home of Friendly's, so we just had Fribbles, anyway.

I now live in southern Maine, which has very different cuisine from northern Maine, where my family is from. In southern Maine, we have:

Shellfish. So. Much. Shellfish. (I'm allergic, which makes eating out a rarity for me here)- obviously, lobster is the big one (lobster rolls, lobster omelets, lobster mac & cheese, lobster grilled cheese, lobster salad, lobster everything)
Moxie (all over Maine)
Italians (in CT we called these grinders, in NJ, they were subs)
Needhams (potato candy; my family also made them up north but called them bonbons aux patates)
Blueberry everything (that's all of Maine)
Cape Cod sandwiches and salads (basically chicken salad with cranberries... maybe this is everywhere in New England, but I had been out of New England for 20 years when I moved back, so I don't remember!)
Whoopie pies (well, all over Maine)

In the very northern part of Maine, there is still very much so the presence of Acadian and Brayonne cultures. Some of these foods and some just found in that area would be:

Ployes (buckwheat pancakes)
Cretons (a meat spread)
Tourtierre (meat pie)
Fricot (a chicken stew)
Poulet gras (a soup made with a weed called lamb's quarters, I have no idea why we call it "fat chicken" soup)
Moose meat
Wild strawberries (the best food in the whole world)
Fiddleheads (the second best food in the whole world)- these are not only in northern ME, but also found along rivers throughout the state and sometimes in other New England states, so I assume elsewhere, as well

 

[kanne323]

Maine...

Lobster, clams, shrimp, scallops, mussels, oysters- all fresh.
Whitefish like haddock and cod- also fresh
Teeny tiny low-bush blueberries. They are AWESOME, can't be beat.
Red hot dogs
Moxie (don't drink it, it's gross).
Brown bread- with or without raisins.
Beans baked in a bean pot all day long, with a whole onion in the bottom of the pot and a big hunk of scored salt pork on top.

How could I have forgotten the red snappers? I always had one once a year.

I think brown bread is a New England thing in general- we definitely had it growing up in southern New England. My mother was born and raised in Boston, and it was one of her favorite things when I was a kid.

Another one I'm not sure of- I had these, particularly in MA as a kid and teen, but when I moved to NJ, they hadn't heard of them- raspberry lime rickey drinks. I still see them some places down the Cape. I know the original drink was created in MA by a bartender using bourbon, but alcohol-free rickies were a staple of my childhood.

A great way to sample a whole bunch of New England favorites is to go to the Big E, the annual regional fair in MA. Each state owns a piece of land on the fairgrounds, and each state building sells treats specific to that state.

 

[Skywalker3]

Since South Louisiana has already been covered (well, mostly; how on earth did Boudin and Elmer's Easter candy not make the list?) I'll address my current home, St. Louis:

-Pork steaks (large thick slices of pork butt, almost always cooked on the grill b/c they are fatty, usually with ...
-Maull's BBQ sauce (which is thin and very tomato-ey; I'm not a fan)
-Gooey Butter Cake (a dense yellow cake that has so much butter that it never quite sets up; normally served plain with powdered sugar on top.) Also Deep Butter Cake, which is a variation with even more butter.
-Toasted ravioli (beef ravioli, not actually toasted, they just look that way; they are breaded and then deep-fried. Served with marinara for dipping.)
-Brain sandwiches (these are now pretty much gone thanks to Mad Cow disease, though a few restaurants do them with pork or veal.) Thick slice of beef brain, heavily breaded and then deep-fried, and served on a large burger bun (or rye bread) with raw onion rings, dill pickles and spicy mustard. And no, I was never brave enough to try one when they were common.

And lastly, St. Louis style pizza, which is famous for 3 aspects: 1) a cracker-thin crust, 2) being baked on a round sheet but cut in squares, and 3) for using a strange processed cheese called provel (which is a mixture of provelone and swiss.) Other toppings are the usual things one might find on any more traditional pizza. I personally cannot stand Provel, which sticks to the roof of my mouth, and IMO, is tasteless. Luckily there are several local pizza joints that make thin, square cut pizza, but with real Italian cheeses.

How is the heck did I forget boudin! SO yummy when done right!
Thank you! and boudin balls!
oh and shrimp bouillettes ! so much goodness.

 

[LSUmiss]

I'll start the list, but will probably be adding more.
I'm not Cajun, but born and raised down there, not in NOLA, distinguishing that because NOLA has a different style of cooking in a lot of ways, same dishes, but often different flavors.
Some of the more well known:
Jambalaya (usually brown, not red, but both are good)
gumbo (usually seafood, chicken/sausage, or just sausage)
andouille sausage
sauce piquante
red beans/rice,
all sorts of fish dishes, like redfish courtbouillon
shrimp creole
etoufee
crab and/or shrimp au gratin
fried seafood everything
crawfish! boiled and in dishes listed above
turtle soup--my ex husband picked up a turtle one time on the side of the hwy on the way to his folks house, and that was dinner....
po-boys (my favorite is roast beef-dripping and soggy) There is a place where I'm from called Mr Poboy, it's the best

dirty rice--aka rice dressing, basically ground meat/port/liver, etc, and rice, typically had at Thanksgiving instead of stuffing/dressing-you can get a fast food version at Popeye's
oyster dressing- also often made for holidays, like Thanksgiving
Speaking of Thanksgiving- my ex in-laws (very Cajun, spoke French at home,) didn't like turkey, so they often had duck or raccoon. yes, raccoon.

king cake-because my birthday is in February, usually in Carnival season, i grew up often have a king cake for my birthday cake

beignets,

tarte a la bouille-my ex MIL made this sometimes, but mostly we'd get it at Rouse's, local grocery store. Rouse's also sold the meat mixture we'd use for dirty rice

I'm sure I'm leaving out a lot of stuff, dishes we didn't have often, but that's what comes to mind. we didn't eat all of the above on a regular basis, but we did usually have jambalaya, and gumbo, fried seafood like shrimp, and beans/rice/sausage at least once.month

will keep thinking on it.

My parents were from Alabama and made a LOT of typical Southern food, cornbread, mustard/turnip greens, chicken/dumplings, etc.

I’ll add:
Zapps chips
Doberge cake
Boiled shrimp & crabs
Oysters (chargrilled, raw, fried etc)
Boudin
Hot sausage poboys (my poboy of choice)
French bread
Hubigs pies
“Red gravy” -it’s what we call spaghetti sauce

Eta: barqs root beer & red cream soda
Snow balls

 

[LSUmiss]

How is the heck did I forget boudin! SO yummy when done right!
Thank you! and boudin balls!
oh and shrimp bouillettes ! so much goodness.

I added that to my list too! I love boudin!

 

[LSUmiss]

Since South Louisiana has already been covered (well, mostly; how on earth did Boudin and Elmer's Easter candy not make the list?) I'll address my current home, St. Louis:

-Pork steaks (large thick slices of pork butt, almost always cooked on the grill b/c they are fatty, usually with ...
-Maull's BBQ sauce (which is thin and very tomato-ey; I'm not a fan)
-Gooey Butter Cake (a dense yellow cake that has so much butter that it never quite sets up; normally served plain with powdered sugar on top.) Also Deep Butter Cake, which is a variation with even more butter.
-Toasted ravioli (beef ravioli, not actually toasted, they just look that way; they are breaded and then deep-fried. Served with marinara for dipping.)
-Brain sandwiches (these are now pretty much gone thanks to Mad Cow disease, though a few restaurants do them with pork or veal.) Thick slice of beef brain, heavily breaded and then deep-fried, and served on a large burger bun (or rye bread) with raw onion rings, dill pickles and spicy mustard. And no, I was never brave enough to try one when they were common.

And lastly, St. Louis style pizza, which is famous for 3 aspects: 1) a cracker-thin crust, 2) being baked on a round sheet but cut in squares, and 3) for using a strange processed cheese called provel (which is a mixture of provelone and swiss.) Other toppings are the usual things one might find on any more traditional pizza. I personally cannot stand Provel, which sticks to the roof of my mouth, and IMO, is tasteless. Luckily there are several local pizza joints that make thin, square cut pizza, but with real Italian cheeses.

Oh yes Elmers!

 

[NYCgrrl]

Connecticut

Hot lobster rolls
Stonington scallops
New Haven apizza
Steamed cheeseburgers
Clams
Oysters

Don’t forget smoked eels and Foxon Park sodas! Yum.

NYC has a plethora of choices but NYS can show some muscle with Cornell white chicken, spiedies, tomato pie, salt potatoes, garbage plate, beef on weck, and red hots to name a few.

 

[NannyBeBe]

Liver mush appears to be a big deal in our part-time location. I grew up two counties away, but had never heard of it. Apparently, liver mush & scrapple are kinda sorta similar. When I decide to give it a try, I'll try it your way.

I grew up in the hills of Maryland, so far in the country that you had to work to find us. My family raised our own hogs and chickens. The family made scrapple, which we called Pon Haus, and Pudding, which some call liver mush. Scrapple is made with corn meal. Pudding contains no corn meal. We ate scrapple fried and eaten with a drizzle of maple syrup. Pudding was warmed and eaten on pancakes or mixed with cooked hominy. So many yummy memories.

As to regional foods, here where I live now, we are known for our Sonora Dogs; and my son-in-law makes the best I've ever eaten.

 

[leebee]

In the very northern part of Maine, there is still very much so the presence of Acadian and Brayonne cultures. Some of these foods and some just found in that area would be:

Ployes (buckwheat pancakes)
Cretons (a meat spread)
Tourtierre (meat pie)
Fricot (a chicken stew)
Poulet gras (a soup made with a weed called lamb's quarters, I have no idea why we call it "fat chicken" soup)
Moose meat
Wild strawberries (the best food in the whole world)
Fiddleheads (the second best food in the whole world)- these are not only in northern ME, but also found along rivers throughout the state and sometimes in other New England states, so I assume elsewhere, as well

Also poutine!!

Louisiana DISers, I'm disappointed nobody's mentioned shrimp and grits, or cheesy grits. I've had some pretty amazing grits in NOLA!