How well do you know strange American foods? Take the ultimate quiz!

The quiz: Match the food to the state
Toasted Ravioli (T-Ravs)
Missouri (St. Louis)
Brats
Wisconsin
Tater tot hotdish
Minnesota (& North Dakota)
Jell-O
Utah
Garbage Plate
New York (Rochester)
Carne Asada French Fry Burrito
California (San Diego)
Sonoran hot dogs
Arizona
‘Five-way’
Ohio (Cincinnati)
Hot buttered lobster rolls
Connecticut
Scrapple
Delaware
Horseshoe Sandwich
Illinois
Mountain oysters
Colorado
Boiled peanuts
South Carolina
Taylor Ham
New Jersey
Fluffernutter
Massachusetts
Fried pickles
Arkansas
Frito Pie
Texas
Pepperoni roll
West Virginia
Jucy Lucy
Minnesota
The quiz: Match the food to the state

While the US may not always be celebrated for its culinary artistry, its rich blend of cultures, ingredients, and individual flair has birthed a multitude of unmistakably American creations... like this wonderfully jiggly Jell-O salad! But each state also has a culinary claim to fame or two. Take this quiz to test your knowledge and celebrate the taste of America!

Toasted Ravioli (T-Ravs)

These toasted ravioli are a snack or appetizer made of breaded and deep-fried ravioli, typically filled with cheese or meat. Dip them in marinara sauce to truly understand their glory.

Photo: Timothy Boyd / Wikimedia

Missouri (St. Louis)

This very American food has roots in the Italian neighborhood of St. Louis called The Hill. Legend has it that the ravioli was accidentally dropped into a deep fryer by a drunk chef. Who says mistakes can’t lead to greatness?

Photo: Brittney Butler / Unsplash

Brats

This hearty sausage is usually wrapped in a warm bun and served with a variety of toppings. It’s a classic food that’s beloved in a state known for its beer and cheese. Which state is that?

Photo: Myrtle Beach TheDigitel / Flickr

Wisconsin

The popularity of brats (aka bratwurst) in Wisconsin can be traced back to the German influence in the state. The southern German bratwurst, made of pork, became especially popular because it was the cheapest option. Prost!

Photo: Tom Barrett / Unsplash

Tater tot hotdish

This dish is made up of tater tots (deep-fried potato snacks), ground meat, canned veggies, and a creamy sauce baked together in a casserole dish. Comfort food at its finest?

Photo: SEWilco / Wikimedia

Minnesota (& North Dakota)

You Betcha! This casserole-like creation has been a staple for decades in the Midwestern states. Tater tots were first created in the 1950s by Philadelphia company Ore-Ida when it was trying to figure out what to do with leftover slices of potatoes.

Photo: Tom ConWay / Unsplash

Jell-O

While this jiggly dessert is ubiquitous around the country, only one state calls it its official state snack. There’s even a statewide Jell-O week.

Photo: Cottonbro studio / Pexels

Utah

There’s a theory that Mormons eat Jell-O because they can’t drink coffee, tea, or alcohol. But according to Slate, the dessert’s popularity has more to do with a marketing campaign that linked the food to family values. Since Utah had the highest birth rate, marketing efforts were especially aggressive there.

Photo: Brent Pace / Unsplash

Garbage Plate

The appetizingly named Garbage Plate is made of home fries, macaroni salad, baked beans, and French fries. It is topped with different kinds of meat and fixings. For added visual appeal, it is usually mixed together before eating.

Photo: Eugene Peretz / Wikimedia

New York (Rochester)

This meal, once crowned the fattiest food in the state of New York by Health.com, was created at the Nick Tahou Hots restaurant. It’s the ultimate hangover cure (or cause, depending on how you look at it).

Photo: Liz Lawley / Flickr

Carne Asada French Fry Burrito

This gigantic burrito is stuffed with fries, carne asada, and any other fixing your heart may desire. Bonus points for eating it while wearing flip-flops.

Photo: RightCowLeftCoast / Wikimedia

California (San Diego)

This Cal-Mex classic, also known as the California Burrito, rose to popularity in San Diego taco shops in the 1980s, according to Gustavo Arellano, who wrote a book on Mexican-America food ‘Taco USA.’

Photo: Sean Mullowney / Unsplash

Sonoran hot dogs

This Mexican-influenced dish consists of a hot dog wrapped in bacon and topped with beans, onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, mustard, and other toppings. It is typically served in a bun or on a tortilla.

Photo: Kate Hopkins /ia Flickr

Arizona

The Sonoran hot dog originated in Sonora, Mexico, but has gained widespread popularity in Arizona, particularly in the Phoenix area. It is often served at food carts and street vendors.

Photo: iStrfry, Marcus / Unsplash

‘Five-way’

A 'five-way' order of this mystery dish includes all the fixings: spaghetti, chili, beans, onions, and cheese. The more basic version involves a Mediterranean-spiced meat sauce on top of spaghetti.

Photo: Valereee / Wikimedia

Ohio (Cincinnati)

Anthony Bourdain called Cincinnati Chile “the story of America on your plate.” It was developed by Macedonia immigrants in the 1920s when they decided to serve a traditional stew on top of spaghetti.

Image: Jake Blucker / Unsplash

Hot buttered lobster rolls

A hot buttered lobster roll is a sandwich made with succulent lobster meat mixed with melted butter and served on a buttered and toasted bun. It is a popular dish in the summer months.

Photo: T.Tseng / Flickr

Connecticut

This is the Connecticut twist on the better-known New England-style lobster rolls from Main. While the classic roll is served cold and with mayo, this one is hot and buttered. Which is better remains a hotly contested debate between the two states.

Photo: Taylor Hunt / Pexels

Scrapple

Scrapple is a type of pork-based sausage that is made from a combination of pork scraps, cornmeal, and spices. It is typically sliced and fried before being served with eggs or as a sandwich filling.

Photo: Stu_Spivack / Flickr

Delaware

This food, also known by the Pennsylvania Dutch name Pannhaas, came from the Mennonites and Amish but has also gained wider popularity around the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.

Horseshoe Sandwich

This open-faced sandwich consists of thick pieces of toast (Texas toast), a hamburger patty, and other meat smothered in French fries and cheese sauce.

Photo: Ryan Harvey / Flickr

Illinois

The sandwich is widely believed to have been invented in the Leland Hotel in Springfield, Illinois, in 1928. There’s a similar dish called the Magic Mountain in Iowa, which Barack Obama and Bette Midler have famously eaten.

Photo: Erol Ahmed / Unsplash

Mountain oysters

Mountain oysters, also known as prairie oysters or calf fries, are a type of food made from the testicles of young bulls. They are typically breaded and deep-fried before being served as a snack or appetizer.

Photo: Vincent Diamante / Flickr

Colorado

While this cowboy delicacy is served in areas where cattle ranching is prevalent- from Canada to Argentina- Rocky Mountain oysters are perhaps most strongly associated with Colorado. You can even get them at Coors Field during baseball games.

Photo: Taylor Brandon / Unsplash

Boiled peanuts

These tasty treats are made by simmering raw peanuts in a flavorful broth of spices and seasonings for several hours until they become tender and burst with flavor. They’re often served as a snack or appetizer and are a perfect complement to a cold beer on a hot summer day.

South Carolina

The official state snack of South Carolina, they were first popularized there during the Civil War to elevate the food that was available, according to Serious Eats. However, boiled peanuts were not likely the snack of Confederate soldiers, as African Americans were the ones commonly cultivating and eating peanuts at the time.

Taylor Ham

This ‘mystery meat’ is made from a mixture of pork shoulder and spices, and it is typically sold in a circular shape that can be sliced for use in sandwiches or other dishes. USA Today’s Larry Olmsted described it as “a cross between Canadian bacon and bacon, less hammy and smoky than Canadian, fattier and saltier than bacon, with a unique texture, both crispy and slightly mushy.”

Photo: Ll1324 / Wikimedia

New Jersey

New Jersey Senator John Taylor is credited with creating the secret recipe for Taylor Ham in 1856. In the south of the state, it’s called pork roll and consumed with ketchup. Which one is better is the source of considerable rivalry.

Photo: Jonathan Roger / Unsplash

Fluffernutter

This sandwich, made with peanut butter and marshmallow cream, is usually served on white bread. Simple, but this dish even has an official national day on October 8.

Photo: Keitei (modified) / Wikimedia

Massachusetts

Marshmallow creme was invented in the state in 1917. In 1960, an advertising agency coined the term Fluffernutter as a way to market the sandwich. Lowell-born astronaut Richard Michael Linnehan even ate one on the International Space Station.

Photo: Osman Rana / Unsplash

Fried pickles

Grab some dill pickles, batter them up, and then put them in the deep fryer. Then these pickled cucumbers can be enjoyed as a snack, appetizer, or “vegetable” side dish.

Photo: Guanaco / Wikimedia

Arkansas

Although these deep-fried dreams are enjoyed in sports bars and at fairs across the country, the fried pickle appears to have been invested in the Duchess Drive-in in Atkins, Arkansas, which put them on the menu as far back as 1963, according to Eater.

Frito Pie

Frito pie is a popular dish that combines Fritos chips, ground beef, beans, and cheese in a casserole-like dish, or, as it is done traditionally, directly in the bag of Fritos chips. If opting for a casserole-style, you can bake it in the oven until the cheese melts.

Photo: Jeffreyw / Flickr

Texas

Although this dish is popular in several areas of the U.S., the oldest known recipe for this dish traces back to Texas in 1949. A classic 'tex-mex' dish, this has some resemblance to Mexican chilaquiles.

Photo: Carlos Alfonso /  Unsplash

Pepperoni roll

A classic pepperoni roll is simple, consisting of just bread and pepperoni. Start by rolling out bread dough and placing slices of pepperoni on top, then rolling the dough up tightly and baking it in the oven.

Photo: (WT-shared) Haem85, wts wikivoyage / Wikimedia

West Virginia

Pepperoni rolls originated in West Virginia in the early 20th century as a portable, easy-to-eat meal for coal miners. They became a popular snack throughout the region and have since spread in popularity to other parts of the United States, including the auto workers of Michigan.

Jucy Lucy

A Jucy Lucy is a type of hamburger that is made by stuffing cheese inside the patty before it is cooked. When the patty is grilled or fried, the cheese melts and creates a juicy center.

Photo: Jonathunder / Wikimedia

Minnesota

Two bars in Minneapolis claim to have created this Minnesota classic decades ago, and the rivalry remains fierce. In 2018, food critics of ‘The Thrillist’ called the food “an important milestone in the evolution of hamburgers.”

Photo: Weston M / Unsplash