Every state has its must-have dish. These are the foods that capture the mood and mettle of a place in one compact package. These foods boil down the geography, boil up the history, and distill down the attitudes and appetites of the state. Some of them are humble, some are gluttonous, and some are so elevated as to defy their earthbound origins. But when you ask people what the best state dish is, it’s not long before the list gets winnowed. A shortlist quickly becomes apparent, because though they might all be great, there are a select few that go beyond mere flavor to capture more than a plate’s worth of a state’s soul.
Sure, there are a handful of regional icons throughout the country that are always in the mix. Each of them has a passionate following, a deep history, and an identity so inextricably linked to the region they’re from that it’s hard to imagine one without the other. But when it comes to a state dish, there’s one that edges out the rest in terms of influence, adaptability, and sheer cultural gravitas.
The Philly Cheesesteak
Few foods are as universally identifiable as the Philly cheesesteak. At its most basic, it’s disarmingly simple: thin-sliced beef, cooked on a flat-top grill, usually with onions, layered with melted cheese and served on a long, crusty roll. But of course it’s not simple at all. Ask a Philadelphian about cheesesteaks, and you’ll learn that every element of this deceptively straightforward sandwich is the subject of contention, discussion, and near-religious devotion.
Tourists line up at celebrity rival shops, but locals of a certain age will talk endlessly about old-school joints where the meat is grilled to order and the bread is just as important as the filling. The processed American or sharp provolone you choose is a statement of identity. Deciding whether to add onions is like picking a political party. And the very language of ordering has been honed over generations to move a line as quickly as possible.
Nashville Hot Chicken
At some point in the process of history, the result became a regional obsession. Nashville hot chicken is consumed in quantity and in many iterations. The sandwich iteration is most popular: a breaded fried chicken breast, uncut and unsplit, slathered in oil infused with the same seasoning. Pressed into white bread, or a bun. Often pickles on the side to balance the heat, and heat levels can range from mild to torturous.
Nashville hot chicken is special because of the dual nature of pain and pleasure. It is not spicy just for the sake of being hot. It is rich, layered, savory, and undeniably, even painfully, addictive. It has become a nationwide, or worldwide, craving, but the original and best is still right in Tennessee, where the original family still slings it.
Key Lime Pie
Florida’s official state pie isn’t savory or spicy, it’s sweet, sunny, and proudly local. Key lime pie was so closely identified with the state that it became Florida’s official state pie. It’s made with tart key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks, and is baked in a graham cracker crust. The pie is bright, acidic, and packed with lime tang.
Tradition and authenticity are important to this dish as well. The real thing is a pale yellow, not neon green, and is made with the unique fragrance of key limes, not regular Persian ones. Versions are available all over Florida, but the best of the bunch are in the Keys, where bakeries have been dishing up traditional slices and twists for decades.
All three are classic, but the cheesesteak edges out its competition. While universally known, it's more culturally specific. It's a simple dish that has resisted the urge to stray from what made it great all these years. It's a meal that will not be taken away from its city. It's a sandwich that tastes like decades of identity. There is only one dish that sums up an entire state, and it's the cheesesteak of Pennsylvania.
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