Most states have a variety of official symbols, from trees to birds to flowers, and while many also have iconic regional dishes, not every state has declared an official food. The culinary designations that do exist can be pretty specific — for instance, there are several states with official muffins. And while sometimes they’re a little more general, as in the case of the official state snack, state foods are often no less surprising. Read on to learn about some of the foods you didn’t know were official snacks, as well as some other surprising state grub.
New York: Yogurt
New York is the most recent state to appoint an official state snack, and despite the abundance of iconic foods people associate with New York — from pizza to bagels to chopped cheese sandwiches and beyond — they went with yogurt. The decision wasn’t entirely out of nowhere: the state has, in the past, been designated the yogurt capital of the country, with most of the nation’s supply being manufactured upstate. There were some naysayers, however, and the 2014 hearing at the State Senate in Albany has been described as “animated” and “heated,” with some senators worrying about lactose intolerance, and whether or not a breakfast food counted as a snack. The yogurt proposal was brought forth by a fourth-grade class in western New York and, according to Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer, who sponsored the bill, truly demonstrated democracy in action.
Texas: Chips and Salsa
One of the best parts of Tex-Mex dining is the basket of tortilla chips and bowl of salsa that appear on your table the moment you sit down. In 2003, the ubiquitous pair was appointed the state’s official snack, not only because of its wide-reaching popularity throughout the state, but because of the historical, cultural, agricultural, and economic significance of the dish’s ingredients. The 78th Legislature of the State of Texas highlights not only that “tortilla chips and salsa enjoy popularity ratings in the stratosphere,” but that the corn, peppers, onions, and tomatoes used to make the dish have fed the state’s ancestors for centuries, and even served as important components in Texas folk medicine. Corn, onion, tomato, and jalapeno crops, meanwhile, were major drivers of the state’s economy at the time. “They constitute a much savored part of our shared cultural identity,” the resolution stated, showing just how deep the reverence for the beloved appetizer really is.
Illinois: Popcorn
Illinois might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of popcorn. In fact, while the state does boast more than 300 popcorn farms across almost 50,000 acres, it’s only the third biggest U.S. producer behind Nebraska and Indiana. But in 2003, after a group of second and third graders from Joliet Elementary School proposed that popcorn be given official state snack status, Senator Larry Walsh sponsored the bill and successfully earned the all-time classic snack its due. There was some unusually tough competition for the title: Beer Nuts, Lemonhead candy, Doritos, and Cheetos were all mentioned (if not outright fought for), but in the end, the humble kernel came out on top.
South Carolina: Boiled Peanuts
Boiled peanuts have been a southern staple since the 1800s, and in 2006, South Carolina declared them the official state snack. The reasoning was simple, with the General Assembly calling them “a delicious and popular snack food” and a “truly Southern delicacy.” They’re pretty much exactly what they sound like, but if you’re picturing a sopping wet version of a traditional roasted peanut, fear not — the peanuts are boiled from a raw, green state, and end up with a texture similar to edamame. Boiled peanuts are believed to have been brought to America by African slaves before the Civil War, and are considered an important part of South Carolina’s culture and history.
Utah: Jell-O
Although it wasn’t invented in and isn’t made in Utah, Jell-O has been the official snack of the Beehive State since 2001. Utahns are known to consume more Jell-O per capita than anywhere else in the U.S., even rallying to take back the title when Iowa surpassed their consumption in 1999. The state’s reasons for honoring the jiggly gelatin dessert are endearingly wholesome, including it being “representative of good family fun, which Utah is known for throughout the world.” During the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics, an enamel pin shaped like a bowl of green Jell-O became an official souvenir, and is now a coveted collector’s item.
Nebraska: Kool-Aid
In 1998, Nebraska reclaimed a part of its heritage by naming Kool-Aid the official state soft drink. The sweet, fruit-flavored beverage was invented in Hastings in 1927 by Edwin E. Perkins. It was originally invented as a syrupy liquid called Fruit-Smack, but, inspired by Jell-O, Perkins found a way to turn it into a powder, making it into the Kool-Aid drink crystals most widely known today. Although production was moved out of state shortly thereafter, Nebraska still proudly calls Kool-Aid theirs. The now-iconic Kool-Aid Man mascot once had his footprints immortalized in cement on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but they were rightfully returned to their Hastings home, and now, every August, attendees of the annual Kool-Aid Days Festival can visit the piece of history as well as the original Kool-Aid Factory and even a Kool-Aid Museum.
Oklahoma: An Entire Southern Meal
Why have a state snack when you can have a whole meal? In 1988, the 41st Oklahoma Legislature named a plateful of Southern home-cooked staples as the official state meal. So just what will you get in this state-sanctioned feast? Well, you sure won’t go hungry: Barbecue pork, sausage and gravy, chicken fried steak, fried okra, squash, black-eyed peas, grits, corn, biscuits, cornbread, strawberries, and pecan pie. Phew! The meal was assembled to reflect the state's cultural backgrounds and its agriculture businesses, and officials from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, the Oklahoma Pork Council, the Oklahoma Beef Commission, and even the Oklahoma Restaurant Association weighed in on the dish. Louisiana is the only other state to have also designated an official meal in 2015, although it is specific to the northern part of the state.
Indiana: Hoosier Pie
Since 2009, sugar cream pie — aka Hoosier Pie — has been the official state pie of Indiana. The earliest recipe first appeared in the state in 1816 (the same year the state was founded) and is believed to have originated with the Shaker or Amish communities. The delectable, custard-like pie consists of creamed butter, maple or brown sugar, and vanilla-flavored cream. It was also informally known as desperation pie because it could be made year-round and not rely on seasonal ingredients, but on items already often found in a pantry (which was also a reason the dessert sustained its popularity throughout generations). Hoosier Pie is so deeply ingrained in Indiana’s culinary heritage that there is even a “Hoosier Pie Trail,” a journey throughout the state with stops at 20 noteworthy spots along the way.
New Mexico: Biscochito
New Mexico was the first place to name an official state cookie. The biscochito (or bizcochito) was given the designation in 1989 in an effort to ensure that traditional recipes continued to be handed down and made in homes throughout the state. The crisp, buttery cookie, flavored with cinnamon and anise, originated with the 16th century Spanish settlers, and has become a mainstay not only in day-to-day life, but at celebrations in the state, from weddings, to baptisms, and (especially) Christmas. The only other state that has adopted an official state cookie is Massachusetts, who honored the invention of the original Toll House chocolate chip cookie.
Alabama: Lane Cake
It’s been around since the 1800s, but until Alabama native Harper Lee wrote about it in her famous 1960 novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Lane cake was a lesser-known regional dessert. There are several variations on the multi-level layered cake, but the filling rarely strays from the mixture of pecans, coconut, whiskey-soaked raisins, sugar, eggs, and butter. The recipe — and cake’s namesake — originated with Emma Rylander Lane, who even won a Clayton, Ala. county fair baking competition with it in 1898. The cake became a point of Alabama pride following its appearance in “Mockingbird,” elevating the sticky-sweet dessert to a Southern staple and, eventually, the official state dessert in 2015.
Rhode Island: Calamari
Calamari’s chewy texture may make it somewhat of an acquired taste, but not for Rhode Island — in 2014, the Ocean State named the squid dish its official state appetizer. Rep. Joseph McNamara and Senator Susan Sosnowski sponsored the bill in a bid to highlight the importance of the state’s fishing and food and tourism industries, and the Fishermen's Alliance president Richard Fuka eagerly agreed, saying that "squid is to Rhode Island what the potato is to Idaho." Rhode Island lays claim to being the squid capital of the Northeast, accounting for 54 percent of the supply in the region and more of the aquatic creature being brought to shore than any other type of seafood.
Maine: Whoopie Pie
Though the whoopie pie originated as a Pennsylvanian Amish tradition, the cakey frosting sandwich has become a New England classic, and in 2011, it became Maine’s official state treat. Yes, treat — not dessert. Though the bill that was initially passed did indeed name the chocolate goodie as the official state dessert, it was quickly amended to specify it was merely a treat after public outcry demanded the official state dessert designation belonged to blueberry pie — with wild Maine blueberries, of course. The whoopie pie exploded in popularity in the late 2000s, appearing in grocery store aisles and specialty bakeries alike across the country.