No Peanuts In Church: 20 Quirky Outdated Food Laws In The US That Still Exist
What's The Weirdest Food Law In Your State?
The US has no shortage of quirky, outdated food laws you probably didn't know about. Even if they're not enforced, it pleases us that they're still on the books. From bouncing pickles to banning utensils with fried chicken, here are 20 of the most bizarre American food laws that are sure to make you chuckle.
1. No Ice Cream Cone In Your Back Pocket - Alabama
This bizarre food law isn't about ice cream at all, but about horse theft. In the 19th century, it was a serious offense to steal horses, but if the horse followed you home, it didn't count as theft, so thieves had the genius idea of luring them with an ice cream cone in their back pocket. This law exists not only in Alabama, but in Kentucky and Georgia, too.
2. Pickles Must Bounce - Connecticut
In Connecticut, pickles must bounce to be legally classified as pickles. The idea behind this law is to make sure vendors are selling fresh pickles that meet certain quality standards, but we doubt there's any kind of pickle police enforcing it.
3. No Margarine In Restaurants - Delaware
The law forbidding margarine to be served in restaurants in Delaware is rooted in turn-of-the-century food industry battles. The American dairy industry saw newly-invented margarine as a threat, so they lobbied to ban it, and the ban still exists today.
4. Must Eat Fried Chicken With Hands - Georgia
Finally, a weird food law we actually agree with! Gainesville, Georgia, the "Poultry Capital of the World,” wrote into law that you must eat fried chicken with your hands in 1961 as a publicity stunt.
5. No Eating Frogs Who Participated In Jumping Competition - California
The town of Angels Camp in California hosts a frog jumping competition every year. To protect the animals involved and for public health reasons, the state outlawed eating the frogs that competed in a race. We didn't know frogs were such a popular culinary delight in California in the first place.
6. No Giving Alcohol To Moose - Alaska
Apparently, drunken moose are a real problem in Alaska. They stumble around, wreaking havoc, and can be very dangerous. So much so that there's a law banning people from giving alcohol to moose as a public safety measure.
7. No Honking In Front Of Sandwich Shops - Arkansas
Be careful where you honk your horn in Little Rock, Arkansas. If it's after 9 p.m. in front of a sandwich shop, you could get arrested. The law dates back a decade, when it was common to honk outside eateries late at night, causing a public disturbance.
8. No Betting At Lobster Races - Maine
In Maine, lobster races are common at fairs and festivals. Naturally, where there's competition involved, there are people who want to place wagers, but the state's gambling laws remain strict, whether you're betting on Blackjack or lobsters.
9. No Watermelon In Beech Grove Parks - Indiana
The watermelon ban in Beech Grove Parks comes from the fact that the rinds were so destructive. They would puncture holes in trash bags and cause messes, so rangers banned the fruit altogether.
10. No Ice Cream Trucks - Iowa
Several towns in Iowa banned ice cream trucks in the 1960s, mainly due to public safety and traffic. However, in some places, the bans were pushed by ice cream shops that didn't want the competition.
11. No Hitting Vending Machines - Kansas
If you've ever used a vending machine, you've likely encountered the frustration of a snack you just paid for getting stuck in the machine. The obvious reaction is to hit or rock it, but apparently, in Kansas, this was such a big issue, they banned any sort of violence towards vending machines, protecting property and people.
12. No Peanuts In Church Massachusettsts
At first glance, this "no peanuts in church" law sounds incredibly bizarre and random. However, it's actually about protecting people with peanut allergies, as that's one of the most common.
13. No Hamburgers On Sundays - Minnesota
Minnesota banned hamburgers on Sundays in the early 20th century as part of its "blue laws," which prohibited certain activities for religious reasons, often to encourage church attendance. While no longer enforced, the law is still on the books in certain counties.
14. No Giving Beer To Elephants - Missouri
In Natchez, Missouri, it's actually outlawed to give beer to elephants. This law is so oddly specific, we can only surmise that someone at some point experimented with giving alcohol to an elephant at the circus, and it went horribly wrong.
Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash
15. No Serving Alcohol Unless You're Cooking Soup - Nebraska
It's illegal for bar owners in Nebraska to serve alcohol unless they have a pot of soup on the go. This is a relic from prohibition time, when alcohol could only be on-site if it was part of food preparation, but it's still on the books to this day, so be sure to ask for a bowl of chicken noodle next time you go for drinks.
16. No Harvesting Seaweed At Night - New Hampshire
This law may sound extremely odd, but it actually has practical safety origins. The state's coastal communities use seaweed as fertilizer, but harvesting at night is dangerous, with people potentially getting swept up by the tide.
17. No Slurping Soup - New Jersey
Given how annoying it is to hear people slurping soup, we can totally understand this rule. The early 220th-centurylaw law has its roots in good old public manners, decency, and hygiene.
18. No Lunchboxes On Main Street In Las Cruces - New Mexico
In Las Cruces, New Mexico, it's illegal to carry a lunchbox on Main Street. This law is quite the headscratcher, but we can only guess it was passed to encourage people to patronize the town's local restaurants.
Antoni Shkraba Studio on Pexels
19. No Eating Donuts While Walking Backwards - Ohio
We're not sure who needs to hear this, but walking backwards while eating a donut in Ohio is a no-go. The law comes from early 20th-century safety measures, when apparently eating backwards and potentially falling over was a big problem.
20. No Taking A Bite From Someone Else's Burger - Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, taking a bite from someone else's burger is illegal, as it should be. The law comes from the early 20th century, when disputes over food could lead to real fights.
