This Is the Most Iconic Food Every State Has Given the Rest of the US

Imagine a rich pork bone broth with sage and savory mixed with pork jowl and organ meat, thickened with cornmeal, then sliced and fried like polenta. Sound delicious? That is scrapple.

For those who’ve never eaten it, the word scrapple may invoke images of pig brains and all the unmentionable “scraps” being ground into a grey loaf of gelatinous horror. The truth is, the word scrapple is derived from the German panhaskröppel, which means “a slice of panhas” — panhas being the German predecessor to scrapple that was thickened with buckwheat instead of corn.

Scrapple is synonymous with Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, and while it’s known across the country, it’s most beloved in the mid-Atlantic and gaining popularity in charcuterie circles. Here are more examples of the strangest foods from every state.

Many such regional delicacies have gained regard across the United States. 24/7 Tempo reviewed regional and state cuisine for all 50 states and picked the most iconic foods that each state has given the rest of the country — and these are the most iconic items at America’s biggest fast food chains.

It may be common knowledge that gumbo and jambalaya come from New Orleans, but did you know that the ever-popular Cuban sandwich was invented not in Cuba but in Florida? While some of these foods have become ubiquitous American fare, others are just gaining popularity. All, however, are worth a taste.