Cuisine of the Midwestern United States

Chicago-style deep dish pizza

A Reuben sandwich is a hot sandwich of corned beef or pastrami, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, with Russian or Thousand Island dressing on rye bread

Midwestern cuisine is a regional cuisine of the American Midwest. It draws its culinary roots most significantly from the cuisines of Central, Northern and Eastern Europe, and is influenced by regionally and locally grown foodstuffs^[1] and cultural diversity.^[2]

Everyday Midwestern home cooking generally showcases simple and hearty dishes that make use of the abundance of locally grown foods. Its culinary profiles may seem synonymous with "American food." Quoted in a 2007 interview with the Daily Herald, Chef Stephen Langlois, a pioneer in the Midwestern local food movement, described it: "Think of Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey and cranberry sauce and wild rice and apple pie."^[3]

In its urban centers, however, the Midwest's restaurants offer a diverse mix of ethnic cuisines as well as sophisticated, contemporary techniques.

Characteristics

Seen highlighted in red, the region known as the Midwestern United States, as currently defined by the U.S. Census Bureau

Sometimes called "the breadbasket of America," the Midwest serves as a center for grain production, particularly wheat, corn and soybeans. Midwestern states also produce most of the country's wild rice.

Beef and pork processing always have been important Midwestern industries, with a strong role in regional diets. Chicago and Kansas City were historically stockyard and processing centers of the beef trade, while Iowa remains the center of pork production in the U.S.

Far from the oceans, Midwesterners traditionally ate little seafood, relying on local freshwater fish, such as perch and trout, supplemented by canned tuna and canned or cured salmon and herring, although modern air shipping of ocean seafood has been increasing Midwesterners' taste for ocean fish.

Dairy products, especially cheese, form an important group of regional ingredients, with Wisconsin known as "America's Dairyland," although other Midwest states make cheese as well.

The upper Midwest, a prime fruit-growing region, sees the extensive use of apples, blueberries, cranberries, cherries, peaches and other cold-climate fruit in its cuisine.

As with many American regional cuisines, Midwestern cooking has been heavily influenced by immigrant groups. Throughout the northern Midwest, northern European immigrant groups predominated, so Swedish pancakes and Polish pierogi are common. Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, Ohio and Illinois were destinations for many ethnic German immigrants, so pork sausages and potatoes are prevalent. In the Rust Belt, many Greeks became restaurateurs, imparting a Mediterranean influence. Native American influences show up in the uses of corn and wild rice.

Traditionally, Midwestern cooks used a light hand with seasonings, preferring sage, dill, caraway, mustard and parsley to hot, bold and spicy flavors. However, with new waves of immigrants from Latin America and Asia moving into the region, these tastes are changing.

This section of the country is also headquarters for several seminal hamburger chains, including McDonald's in Oak Brook, Illinois (founded in California, but turned into the iconic franchise by Ray Kroc beginning with a still-standing store in Des Plaines, Illinois). The Midwest is also home to Hardee's in St. Louis, Missouri, Culver's in Sauk City, Wisconsin; Steak n Shake, founded in Normal, Illinois, and now based in Indianapolis; Wendy's in Dublin, Ohio; and White Castle founded in Wichita, Kansas, and now based in Columbus, Ohio. Diner chain Big Boy, known for burgers, is headquartered in Warren, Michigan.

Urban centers

Major urban areas in the Midwest feature distinctive cuisines very different from those of the region's rural areas, and some larger cities have world-class restaurants.

Barberton, Ohio

Main article: Barberton, Ohio

Part of the greater Akron area, this small industrial city with a strong Central and Eastern European heritage has a culinary contribution called Barberton Chicken, created by Serbian immigrants, deep fried in lard, and usually accompanied by a hot rice dish, vinegar cole slaw and french fries.

Chicago

Main article: Culture of Chicago#Cuisine

Chicago style, party cut, thin-crust pizza.

The ethnic mix of the people of Chicago has led to a distinctive cuisine of restaurant foods exclusive to the area, such as Italian beef, the Maxwell Street Polish, the Chicago-style hot dog, Chicago-style pizza, chicken Vesuvio and the jibarito, as well as a large number of steakhouses.

Chicago also boasts many gourmet restaurants, as well as a wide variety of ethnic food stores and eateries, most notably Mexican, Polish, Italian, Greek, Indian/Pakistani and Asian, often clustered in ethnic neighborhoods. Many of these cuisines have evolved significantly in Chicago. For example, the Greek cheese dish saganaki was first flambéed at the table in Greektown.^[4]

The Midwest is sometimes thought to be behind the coasts in culinary trends, yet, perhaps ironically, Chicago is the country's leading center of cutting-edge molecular gastronomy, likely due to the influence of Grant Achatz.^[5][6]

As a major rail hub, Chicago historically had access to a broad range of the country's foodstuffs, so even in the 19th century, Chicagoans could easily buy items like live oysters^[7] and reasonably fresh shrimp. Chicago's oldest signature dish, shrimp de Jonghe, was invented around the turn of the 20th century. Today, flights into O'Hare Airport bring Chicago fresh food from all over the world.

Cincinnati

The Queen City is known for its namesake, Greek-influenced "Cincinnati chili". Unlike other forms of chili, Cincinnati-style chili is almost never consumed by itself and is a staple of "three-way" spaghetti, cheese coneys, and various dips. Goetta, a sausage made from pork and oats, often eaten at breakfast, and opera cream chocolates are less-famous local specialties. The city also has a strong German heritage and a variety of German-oriented restaurants can be found in the area.

Cleveland

Cleveland's many immigrant groups and heavily blue-collar demographic have long played an important role in defining the area's cuisine. Ethnically, Italian foods as well as several Eastern European cuisines, particularly those of Poland and Hungary, have become gastronomical staples in the Greater Cleveland area. Prominent examples of these include rigatoni, pizza, Chicken paprikash, stuffed cabbage, pierogi, and kielbasa all of which are widely popular in and around the city.^[8] Local specialties, such as the pork-based dish City Chicken and the Polish Boy (a loaded sausage sandwich native to Cleveland), are dishes definitive of a cuisine that is based on hearty, inexpensive fare. Commercially, Hector Boiardi (aka Chef Boyardee) started his business in Cleveland's Little Italy, and Mr. Hero, a regional sandwich shop franchise, is based in the area.^[8]

Columbus

The Columbus, Ohio, area is the home and birthplace of many well-known fast food chains, especially those known for hamburgers. Wendy's opened its first store in Columbus in 1969, and is now headquartered in nearby Dublin. America's oldest hamburger chain, White Castle, is based there. Besides burgers, Columbus is noted for the German Village, a neighborhood south of downtown where German cuisine such as sausages and kuchen are served. In recent years, local restaurants focused on organic, seasonal, and locally and/or regionally sourced food have become more prevalent, especially in the Short North area, between downtown and the OSU campus.

Detroit

Detroit specialties include the chili dogs called Coney Island hot dogs, found at hundreds of unaffiliated "Coney Island" restaurants. Famous examples include Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island, which stand next to each other, serving Coneys all night in downtown Detroit.

Detroit also has its own style of pizza, a thick-crusted, Sicilian cuisine-influenced, rectangular type called square pizza. Other Detroit foods include zip sauce, served on steaks; the triple-decker Dinty Moore sandwich, corned beef layered with lettuce, tomato and Russian dressing; and a Chinese-American dish called warr shu gai or almond boneless chicken.

The Detroit area has many large groups of immigrants. A large Arabic-speaking population reside in and around the suburb of Dearborn, home to many Lebanese storefronts. Detroit also has a substantial number of Greek restaurateurs. Thus, numerous Mediterranean restaurants dot the region and typical foods such as gyros, hummus and falafel can be found in many run-of-the-mill grocery stores and restaurants.

Polish food is also prominent in the region, including popular dishes such as pierogi, borscht, and pączki. Bakeries concentrated in the Polish enclave of Hamtramck, Michigan, a suburb within the city, are celebrated for their pączki, especially on Fat Tuesday.

Indianapolis

Indianapolis was settled predominately by Americans of British descent and Irish and German immigrants, so much of the city's food draws upon these influences. Much of the food is considered to be "Classic American Cuisine". Later immigrants included many Jews, Poles, Eastern Europeans and Italians, all of whom influenced local food. Two of the city's most distinct dishes are the pork tenderloin sandwich and strawberry shortcake.^{[citation needed]}

A fast-growing immigrant population from places such as Mexico and India is also beginning to influence the local food. The area offers many diverse, locally owned ethnic restaurants, as well as nationally and internationally renowned restaurants. Indy is also home to many local pubs.

Kansas City

See also: Kansas City-style barbecue

Kansas City is an important barbecue and meat-processing center with a distinctive barbecue style. The Kansas City metropolitan area has more than 100 barbecue restaurants^{[citation needed]} and proclaims itself to be the "world's barbecue capital." The Kansas City Barbeque Society spreads its influence across the nation through its barbecue-contest standards. The oldest continuously-operating barbecue restaurant is Rosedale Barbecue near downtown Kansas City. Other popular barbecue restaurants are Gates Bar-B-Q and Arthur Bryant's. Both Arthur Bryant's and Gates Bar-B-Q sell bottled versions of their barbecue sauces in restaurants and specialty stores in the surrounding areas.

Milwaukee

German immigrants settled Milwaukee. Sauerkraut, bratwurst, and beer as well as other traditional German favorites continue to be popular in homes as well as at Milwaukee's famous German restaurants. Milwaukee also offers a diverse selection of other ethnic restaurants.

Served under various names, a favorite sandwich for Milwaukeeans and Wisconsinites consists of a brat (often butterflied to lay flat) on top of a hamburger in a kaiser roll.

Frozen custard is a local favorite in the Cream City, with many competing stands throughout the area.^[9]

Cheese curds are another local favorite, and Wisconsinites also enjoy them fried.

Also known as Brew City,^[9] Milwaukee is home to many breweries and the traditional and nominal headquarters for national beer brands.^[10][11]

Minneapolis and Saint Paul

Minneapolis and Saint Paul offer a diverse array of cuisines influenced by their many immigrant groups, as well as those restaurant chefs who follow the trends of larger cities. While at-home fare varies broadly within various ethnic groups and their culture, historically, the overall majority of Minnesotans were of European ancestry, many with farming backgrounds and many home cooked meals still reflect this, with comfort food items such as hotdish, hearty soups and stews and meat and potatoes commonly being served. Many Minnesotans claim some Scandinavian heritage, and while iconic dishes such as lefse and lutefisk are quite commonly served at home as well as church potlucks and community get-togethers; few restaurants serve these items. Another popular item in Minnesota is wild rice which has been gathered in area lakes by Native Americans for centuries. In the fall, the Twin Cities share along with Green Bay, Wisconsin, the tradition of the neighborhood booyah, a cuisine and cultural event featuring a hodge-podge of ingredients in stews. One item of note, Minneapolis and Saint Paul pioneered the Jucy Lucy (or "Juicy Lucy"), a hamburger with a core of melted cheese.

American restaurants in the Twin Cities supply a wide spectrum of choices and styles that range from small diners offering simple short order grill fare and the typical sports bars and decades old supper clubs to high-end steakhouses and eateries that serve new American cuisine using locally grown ingredients. Most types of American regional cuisine can be found at restaurants in the Twin Cities. Barbecue restaurants in the area tend to feature a combination of the various regional styles of this type of cooking.

Germans composed the majority of the states ethnic heritage and one can find authentic German cuisine at the Glockenspiel in Saint Paul, the Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter in nearby Stillwater, and at the Black Forest Inn and the Gasthof zur Gemutlichkeit both found in Minneapolis. The latter restaurant is in Minneapolis' Northeast community which is also home to thriving Czech, Polish, Ukrainian and other Eastern European restaurants such as Jax Café, Kramarczuk's, Mayslack's and Nye's Polonaise lending this area an old world character and charm. The Twin Cities can also boast of authentic French, Irish, Italian and Russian restaurants. Spanish tapas restaurants exist, but are more trendy than homage. In the Twin Cities, pizzerias tend to be American rather than rustic Italian (although they too exist and offer inventive recipes.)

Authentic Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants are quite popular in the Twin Cities, as there are Hispanic neighborhoods in both Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Many entrepreneurs have taken authentic Mexican cuisine into the suburbs as well. Latin American purveyors are also pioneering their home cuisines from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Peru and the West Indies offering authentic churrasco and ceviche among their dining options.

Asian cuisine was initially dominated by Chinese Cantonese immigrants that served Americanized offerings. Authentic offerings began at Minneapolis' first Chinese restaurant, Nankin which opened in 1919, and many new Chinese immigrants soon took this cuisine throughout the Twin Cities and to the suburbs. Authentic Chinese cuisine from the provinces of Hunan and Szechaun and from Beijing, Shanghai and Taiwan are relatively new. The cuisine of Japan has been present since the opening of the areas very first Japanese restaurant, Fuji Ya in 1959. Since then, sushi and teppanyaki restaurants have also become increasingly more common. In the 1970s the Twin Cities saw a large influx of Southeast Asian immigrants from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The urban areas are now proliferated by Vietnamese phở noodle shops and Thai curry restaurants. Cambodian cuisine has also flourished given the large Hmong population familiar with it. Korean restaurants are few, as possibly their dining style and flavors have not been as adopted into the American mainstream. In the Twin Cities suburbs, Oriental buffets are popular for offering different Asian cuisines together. Restaurants offering other cuisines of Asia including those from Afghanistan, India, Nepal and the Philippines are also fairly recent additions to the Twin Cities dining scene and have been well received. Local ingredients are often integrated into Asian offerings, for example Chinese steamed walleye and Nepalese curried bison.

The Twin Cities are home to many restaurants that serve the cuisines of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. There are numerous Greek restaurants that range from fine dining to casual fast food shops that specialize in gyros. In both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, there exist long established Jewish cafes and delicatessens. Lebanese restaurants have also had a long time presence in both cities.

Authentic offerings of Arab cuisine from throughout the Arab world, including Egyptian, Iranian (Persian), Kurdish, and Turkish restaurants can be found throughout the Twin Cities.

Various African cuisines are increasingly being found throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. While restaurants that serve Ethiopian cuisine have been in the Twin Cities for decades, more recent immigrants from Somalia have also opened a number of restaurants in Minnesota.^[12] Somali cuisine consists of an exotic mixture of native Somali, Ethiopian, Indian, Italian, Persian, Turkish, and Yemeni culinary influences.^[13]

West African immigrants have also introduced their own unique cuisine in recent years. There is also a presence of Afro-Caribbean restaurants.

The University of Minnesota has been a center for food research with inventions such as the Honeycrisp apple. The Minnesota State Fair offers a sampling of many cuisines each year and Twin Citians claim that the all-American Corn Dog and Pronto Pup made their very first appearances there. Additionally, many important agricultural conglomerates, including Cargill, General Mills/Pillsbury, and International Multifoods make their home in Minneapolis-Saint Paul. The Betty Crocker food brand (named after a non-existent housewife) was born there. Several national restaurant chains, such as Buca di Beppo, Famous Dave's and the now defunct Chi-Chi's started in the Twin Cities. Buffalo Wild Wings, Dairy Queen, KarmelKorn Shoppes, Old Country Buffet, Orange Julius and T.G.I. Friday's (a division of Carlson Companies) are also well known chains headquartered in the Twin Cities.

Omaha

Main article: Cuisine of Omaha

Omaha has some unusual steakhouses, several of which are Sicilian in origin or adjacent to the Omaha Stockyards. Central European and Southern influences can be seen in the local popularity of carp and South 24th Street contains a multitude of Mexican restaurants. North Omaha also has its own barbecue style.

Omaha is one of the places claiming to have invented the reuben sandwich, supposedly named for Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocer from the Dundee neighborhood.

Bronco's, Godfather's Pizza, and the Garden Cafe are among the chain restaurants that originated in Omaha.

St. Louis

Pork steaks cooking

See also: St. Louis-style barbecue and St. Louis-style pizza

The large number of Irish and German immigrants who came to St. Louis beginning in the early nineteenth century contributed significantly to the shaping of local cuisine as confirmed by a variety of uses of beef, pork and chicken, often roasted or grilled, as well as a variety of desserts including rich cakes, stollens, fruit pies, doughnuts and cookies. Even a local form of fresh stick pretzel, called Gus's Pretzels, has been sold singly or by the bag full by street corner vendors.

Mayfair salad dressing was invented at a St. Louis hotel of the same name, and is richer than Caesar salad dressing. St. Louis is also known for popularizing the ice cream cone and for gooey butter cake (a rich, soft-centered coffee cake) and frozen custard. Iced tea is also rumored to have been invented at the World's Fair, as well as the hot dog.

Although St. Louis is typically not included on the list of major styles of barbecue in the United States, it was recognized by Kingsford as "America’s Top Grilling City" in its second annual list of "Top 10 Grilling Cities."^[14] A staple of grilling in St. Louis is the pork steak, which is sliced from the shoulder of the pig and often basted with or simmered in barbecue sauce during cooking. Other popular grilled items include crispy snoots, cut from the cheeks and nostrils of the pig; bratwurst; and Italian sausage, often referred to by its Italian name, salsiccia. Maull's is a popular brand of barbecue sauce in the St. Louis area.

Restaurants on The Hill reflect the lasting influence of the early twentieth century Milanese and Sicilian immigrant community. Two unique Italian-American style dishes include "toasted" ravioli, which is breaded and fried, and St. Louis-style pizza, which has a crisp, thin crust and is usually made with Provel cheese instead of traditional mozzarella cheese.

A Poor boy sandwich is the traditional name in St. Louis for a submarine sandwich. A St. Paul sandwich is a St. Louis sandwich, available in Chinese-American restaurants. A Slinger is a diner and late night specialty consisting of eggs, hash browns and hamburger, topped with chili, cheese and onion.

Regional specialties

Illinois

Illinois is a top producer of corn and soybeans,^[15] but corn, particularly sweet corn, figures most substantially in its cuisine. Chicago-style cuisine is dominant in Northeastern Illinois, while other parts of the state mirror adjoining regions.

Springfield, Illinois, and the surrounding area are known for the horseshoe sandwich.

Indiana

A popular dish seen almost exclusively in Indiana is sugar cream pie, which most likely originated in the state's Amish community. Persimmon pudding is also a favorite Indiana dessert very difficult to find outside of the Hoosier State.

The pork tenderloin sandwich is a popular state food. Beef and noodles is another homespun Hoosier dish.^[16]

Frogs' legs are traditional in old-fashioned Indiana restaurants,^[17] and brain sandwiches have a following.^[18] Fried biscuits with apple butter are served at many restaurants in southern Indiana, as are fried-brain sandwiches.^{[citation needed]}

Iowa

Pork tenderloin sandwich as served in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

The cuisine of Iowa includes the pork tenderloin sandwich, consisting of a lean section of pork tenderloin that is pounded flat, breaded, and deep fried before being served on a seeded hamburger bun with any or all of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and dill pickle slices. The main ingredient of this dish bears a similarity to schnitzel and may be related to the German immigrants who originally populated central Iowa. Iowa is also the center for creamed corn production and consumption.^{[citation needed]}

Iowa is the center for loose-meat sandwiches, such as those popularized by Maid-Rite, although they can also be found in western Illinois, Indiana ^[19] and Nebraska.^[20]

Michigan

Western and northern Michigan are notable fruit-growing and wine-making regions. The Northwestern region of Michigan's Lower Peninsula accounts for approximately 75 percent of the U.S. crop of tart cherries, usually about 250 million pounds.^[21]

Cornish immigrant miners introduced the pasty to Michigan's Upper Peninsula (UP) as a convenient meal to take to work in the numerous copper, silver, and nickel mines of that region. The pasty is today considered iconic of the UP.

Minnesota

Tater Tot Hotdish from the Saint Paul, Minnesota, Winter Carnival

Minnesota potluck

Perhaps the most iconic Minnesota dishes are lefse and lutefisk, brought to the state with Scandinavian immigrants. Lefse and lutefisk dinners are held near Christmas and have become associated with that holiday. Lutefisk is a traditional dish of the Nordic countries made from stockfish (air-dried whitefish) and soda lye (lut). Walleye is the state fish of Minnesota and it is common to find it on restaurant menus. Its popularity with Minnesotans is such that the residents of the state consume more of the fish than does any other jurisdiction. Battered and deep-fried is a popular preparation for walleye, as is grilling. Many restaurants will feature walleye on their Friday night fish fry, which is popular at locales throughout the state.

Minnesota is known for its church potlucks, where hotdish is often served. Hotdish is any of a variety of casserole dishes, which are popular throughout the United States, although the term "hotdish" is used mainly in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Hotdishes are filling comfort foods that are convenient and easy to make. "Tater Tot Hotdish" is a popular dish, and as Minnesota is one of the leading producers of wild rice, wild rice hotdishes are quite popular.^[22] Minnesota goulash, a famous combination of tomatoes, macaroni, ground beef and creamed corn is popular as well.^[23]

Bars are the second of the two essentials for potlucks in Minnesota.^[24] According to You Know You're in Minnesota When...: 101 Quintessential Places, People, Events, Customs, Lingo, and Eats of the North Star State by Berit Thorkelson, the bar is a Minnesota staple and a "typical Minnesota dessert".^[25] Thorkelson notes that bars are not included in Webster's Dictionary, and the word pronunciation of the "ar" is with "a pirate-like arrr" followed by a soft clipped s. Rice Krispie treats are considered bars in Minnesota, but brownies are not.

The immigrants that settled in the state in the 1800s were predominantly from Central and Eastern Europe (particularly Germany) and Scandinavia. They brought with them taste preferences that largely remain to this day. Those Minnesotans with this Northern European ancestry, in general, avoid hot spices in favor of earthy or aromatic spices.

The Mesabi Range, known locally as The Iron Range or just "The Range", is known for Cornish pasties. The pasty, a meat and vegetable combination in a pastry crust, was brought to Minnesota by way of early Finnish iron miners as an easy lunch for miners working deep in the iron mines of northern Minnesota. It remains a favorite for both "locals" and summer tourists.^[26]

The state is a productive area for chicken, dairy and turkey farms and crops such as corn, soybeans, and sugar beets and as such, eggs and meat along with potatoes and vegetables are mainstay foods. Warm baked goods along with stews and hearty soups are a favorite in the winter given the extreme Minnesota climate. Recipes using local wild game such as bison, deer, or elk are also common. Other popular dishes statewide include glorified rice, Jell-O salad, and krumkake.

Missouri

In Missouri, much of the cuisine is influenced by that of the Ozarks. Barbecue, both pork and beef, is popular in both St. Louis and Kansas City, as well as in much of the Southern half of the state. In the bootheel, the favored food tends to be distinctly Southern..it is in this part of the state that sweet tea is readily available everywhere. Missouri also leans heavily on beer and bratwurts, and St. Louis features the "brain sandwich", the "St. Paul Sandwich", toasted ravioli, St. Louis-style pizza, gooey butter-cake, and many other cuisines that are popular throughout the state. Chinese food is also very popular in the state, with Springfield being a big example. Fishing is a very popular sport throughout the state, with the presence of Missouri's many rivers and lakes, and like in Wisconsin, many fish fry events are popular throughout the state featuring catfish and large-mouthed bass. Like many of its fellow Midwestern states, Missouri is at the forefront of corn and soybean production, and items such as corn-on-the cob, mashed potatoes, basically a typical Midwestern meal, are very popular throughout the state. The middle of the state, known as the "Missouri Rhineland", lies along the valley of the Missouri River, and is known for its wineries.

North Dakota

Cuisine in North Dakota has been heavily influences by both Norwegians and Germans from Russia, ethnic groups which have historically accounted for a large portion of North Dakota's population. Norwegian influences in the state include lefse, lutefisk, krumkake, and rosettes. Much of the Norwegian-influenced cuisine is also common in Minnesota and other states where Norwegians and their descendants live(d), although Norwegian influence may be the greater in North Dakota than any other state, as Norwegians played a large role in settling the area, and nearly one-third of North Dakotans claim Norwegian ancestry. Norwegian ancestry was historically more widespread throughout the northern half and eastern third of North Dakota, and therefore plays a stronger role in local cuisine in those parts of the state.

German-Russian cuisine is primarily influenced by that of the Schwarzmeerdeutsche, or Black Sea Germans, that heavily populated south-central and southwestern North Dakota (an area known as the German-Russian Triangle), as well as areas of South Dakota. While large numbers of Wolgadeutsche, Germans from Russia who lived near the Volga River in Russia (several hundred miles away from the Black Sea), also settled in the United States, they did not settle in large numbers in the Dakotas. Popular German-Russian cuisine includes kuchen, a thin, cheesecake-like custard pastry often filled with fruit such as cherries, apricot, prunes, and sometimes cottage cheese. Fleischkuekle (or fleischkuechle) is a popular meat-filled thin flatbread that is deep-fried and served hot. Another German-Russian specialty in the area is knoephla, a dumpling soup that almost always includes potatoes, and to a lesser extent, celery.

Ohio

A popular way to order pizza is "fold over" style. A fold over pizza has a layer of crust on the bottom and on the top, with typical pizza toppings in between. Unlike a calzone or turnover, in which the ingredients are completely sealed in with dough, a fold over resembles a sandwich.

Cincinnati-style chili is a dish consisting of spaghetti noodles, a thin meat chili, covered with shredded cheese, as served by Skyline Chili and others. In the Cleveland and Cincinnati areas, a popular dish are Sauerkraut Balls. Sauerkraut Balls are meatball-like snack foods eaten as appetizers or as bar food. These were reportedly invented in Akron, Ohio, but are more properly a derivative of the various ethnic cultures of Northeast Ohio, which includes Akron and Greater Cleveland. A once-famous but now closed restaurant in Vermilion, Ohio, was McGarvey's, which was famous for its Sauerkraut Balls as well as for its charismatic owner, Captain Eddie, and its location near the scenic Vermilion River.

Clam bakes are more popular in Northeast Ohio than any other region of the United States outside of New England. The region was originally the Connecticut Western Reserve, and its first settlers came from Connecticut and other New England states. A typical clam bake in Northeast Ohio includes a dozen clams with a half chicken, sweet potatoes, corn, and other side dishes. Seaweed is not used and the clams, chicken, and sweet potatoes are all steamed together in a large pot. The spelling "clambake" is usually preferred in this part of the country.

Wisconsin

The Friday night fish fry, typically fried perch or walleye, is ubiquitous throughout Wisconsin, while in northeast Wisconsin along Lake Michigan, the Door County fish boil holds sway.

Besides beer, Wisconsinites drink large quantities of brandy,^[27] often mixed into the unique Badger libation, the "brandy Old Fashioned sweet." The drink originated in 1947 at Chissy's Pub, owned by Harry Chisholm, in Waldo, Wisconsin.^{[citation needed]}

Seymour, Wisconsin, claims to be the birthplace of the modern hamburger,^{[citation needed]} although several other locations make similar claims. The southern Wisconsin town of Racine is known for its Danish kringle.

Wisconsin is "America's Dairyland," and is home to numerous frozen custard stands, particularly around Milwaukee and along the Lake Michigan corridor, as well as many cheesemakers, ranging from artisans who hand-craft their product from the milk of their own dairy herds to large factories. Cheese curds are common as a snack or fried as an appetizer.

Wisconsin is also well known for summer sausage and bratwurst.

Dishes

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These dishes, while not all exclusive to the Midwest, are typical of Midwestern foods. Although many foods are shared with other U.S. regions, they often feature uniquely Midwestern preparation styles.

• barbecue
• beans
• beef, especially steak, pot roast and prime rib
• bread-and-butter pickles
• beer
• beer cheese soup
• brain sandwiches
• brandy
• bratwurst
• cabbage
• cabbage roll, also known as stuffed cabbage
• cheese, including cheese curds
• Chicken Vesuvio
• Chicken paprikash
• chislic
• cole slaw
• Coney Island hot dog
• deep fried bacon
• diner fare
• Door County fish boil
• doughnuts
• Duck
• freshwater fish, including catfish, perch, trout, walleye and whitefish and other panfish, often breaded and fried
• fried chicken
• frogs' legs
• frozen custard
• fruit, especially apples, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, peaches and strawberries
• fruit wines
• fruit pies
• German potato salad
• goulash
• hamburgers
• head cheese
• horseshoe sandwich
• hotdish or casseroles
• ice cream cone
• Italian beef
• gyros (loaf-style)
• Jello salads
• Johnny Marzetti
• lefse
• lutefisk
• maple syrup
• meatloaf
• morel mushrooms
• pancakes
• pasties
• pea salad
• persimmon pudding
• pierogi
• pizza, with several regional styles
• pork
• potatoes, including mashed potatoes, potato pancakes, and potato salads
• ramps
• roast beef
• sauerbraten
• sauerkraut
• sausage, including bratwurst, kielbasa, summer sausage, ring bologna, and other ethnic types, as well as hot dogs, with several regional styles
• shrimp DeJonghe
• steak
• stollen
• sugar cream pie
• sweet corn, on the cob, in creamed corn and in corn relish
• turkey
• wild rice

References

1. ^ Crook, Nathan C. "Foods That Matter: Constructing Place and Community at Food Festivals in Northwest Ohio." (abstract). The Ohio Library and Information Network. Accessed July 2011.
2. ^ "Michigan/Great Lakes Region." Community Based Food and Farming. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at Michigan State University. Accessed July 2011.
3. ^ Zeldes, Leah A. (Jan. 17, 2007). "Hearty food from the heartland satisfies him". Daily Herald. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5273/is_200701/ai_n20752284. Retrieved Feb. 19, 2008  "Stephen Langlois was one of the pioneering chefs who brought local food to national attention during the height of the contemporary awakening to American cuisine when he opened the groundbreaking Prairie in Printers Row."
4. ^ North Shore Magazine: Olives and Ends Forty years ago, the Parthenon restaurant in Chicago's Greektown neighborhood took a patron's suggestion and began flambéing their saganaki tableside.
5. ^ New York Times: Sci-Fi Cooking Tries Dealing With Reality Chicago … has emerged as an American center for this cuisine.
6. ^ Zeldes, Leah A. (2009-03-30). "Is Chicago the capital of 'molecular gastronomy'?". Dining Chicago. Chicago's Restaurant & Entertainment Guide, Inc.. http://www.diningchicago.com/blog/2010/03/30/is-chicago-the-capital-of-molecular-gastronomy/. Retrieved 2010-08-03. 
7. ^ VOICES, THE KANSAS COLLECTION ONLINE MAGAZINE Chicago's busy rail yards received "hundreds of thousands of barrels of oysters"
8. ^ ^{a b} DeMarco, Laura (July 31, 2008). "Cleveland's best, as seen through the eyes of the rest of America". The Plain Dealer. http://www.cleveland.com/goingout/index.ssf/2008/07/clevelands_best_as_seen_throug.html. Retrieved July 31, 2008 
9. ^ ^{a b} OnMilwaukee.com Frozen custard guide "It may be Brew City, but custard is no small matter in Milwaukee, where everyone has his or her own favorite custard stand."
10. ^ Milwaukee Breweries
11. ^ Zeldes, Leah A. (August 10, 2009). "Chicago gave Pabst its blue ribbon". Dining Chicago. Chicago's Restaurant and Entertainment Guide, Inc.. http://blog.diningchicago.com/2009/08/10/chicago-gave-pabst-its-blue-ribbon-and-a-tax-break/. Retrieved Sept. 9. 2009. "Although it was founded in Wisconsin in 1844 and promotes itself as a Milwaukee brand, the Pabst Brewing Co. has been headquartered in Woodridge since 2006, when it relocated from Texas." 
12. ^ From the Somali table; From meats to sweets, the food traditions of Somalia have traveled to the Twin Cities along with its people.(TASTE)
13. ^ Ali, Barlin (2007). Somali Cuisine. AuthorHouse. ISBN 1425977065. 
14. ^ "St. Louis 101". Grilling.com. The Kingsford Products Company. 2011-01-12. http://www.grilling.com/home/article/190/. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
15. ^ Illinois Agriculture
16. ^ Photo: Allen County Community Album Assistant Fire Chief Robert A. Kiles tasting beef & noodles
17. ^ Duffy, Reid (2006). Reid Duffy's Guide to Indiana's Favorite Restaurants. Indiana University Press. 
18. ^ Hefling, Kimberly. "Craving brain food, mad cow or no: Indiana diners chow down on a disappearing delicacy"
19. ^ Loose Meat Sandwiches at Madvek's, Hammond IN
20. ^ Beer or Kid.com Tastee Inn Their claim to fame is the tastee sandwich, kind of a loose meat not quite sloppy joe kind of thing.
21. ^ History
22. ^ Klobuchar wins congressional hot dish competition | kare11.com
23. ^ Difference Between Casserole and Hot Dish | Difference Between | Casserole vs Hot Dish
24. ^ Fertig, Judith M. (1999). Prairie Home Cooking: 400 Recipes that Celebrate the Bountiful Harvests, Creative Cooks, and Comforting Foods of the American Heartland. Harvard Common Press. ISBN 1558321454. http://books.google.com/?id=eEMyNDQP4VEC&dq=seven-layer+bar. 
25. ^ Thorkelson, Berit (2005). You Know You're in Minnesota When...: 101 Quintessential Places, People, Events, Customs, Lingo, and Eats of the North Star State. The Globe Pequot Press. ISBN 0762738952. http://books.google.com/?id=rWSpAJc0G64C&pg=PA4&dq=dessert+bar+minnesota. 
26. ^ Shortridge, Barbara (1998). The taste of American place. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 21–36. ISBN 0847685071. http://books.google.com/books?id=DsDW7DHknCQC. 
27. ^ OnMilwaukee.com Bars & Clubs: Wisconsinites love affair with brandy

External links

• Eating Habitats
• St. Louis's Italian Neighborhood website, known for Toasted Ravioli