These are the 9 weirdest dishes from your hometowns. Would you eat them, Charlotte?
Food is regional, y’all. We all know some of the famous ones: New York famously has hot dogs, Chicago has deep dish pizza, Philly has cheesesteaks and North Carolina has barbecue.
But what about the strange and unusual dishes that can’t be found everywhere, but the moment you taste them, you taste home?
Recently, we asked you to send us the foods that people outside of your hometown would not understand. As we read through this list, we noted that some of these dishes can be found here in Charlotte — but we also realize that this could be partially from years of folks bringing their traditions this way.
Here are some of your suggestions (including where you’re from):
FOOD: Put export soda crackers or small chunks of mozzarella type cheese like string cheese in your hot coffee and pick the semi molten cheese or soggy crackers with your spoon to eat them.
WHERE FROM: Puerto Rico
NOTE: I love both coffee and cheese, so I’m intrigued by this idea.
FOOD: Kolaches: Sweet dough with fillings inside
WHERE FROM: Waco, Texas
MORE INFO: There’s a Charlotte Reddit thread full of people who miss the Eastern European staple.
FOOD: Grits and stewed tomatoes
WHERE FROM: The reader didn’t say! What’s your guess? Definitely the South.
PRO TIP: There are a lot of restaurants serving great grits recipes, as the dish is a staple here. If you’re new here, Atlanta-based Flying Biscuit’s creamy, dreamy white cheddar grits are among the best I’ve had. And if you want some with a ham bone taste, don’t sleep on Uptown Yolk’s when it reopens.
FOOD: Ground Steak Sandwich
WHERE FROM: Mount Airy, North Carolina
MORE DETAILS: “It’s like a sloppy joe without the ketchup.” Check out Our State’s article about the Mount Airy dish.
FOOD: The Garbage Plate (also called The Trash Plate)
WHERE FROM: Rochester, New York
PRO TIP: Check out The Garbage Can (restaurant) or The Garbage Truck (food truck) specializing in Trash Plates.
FOOD: Fried okra
WHERE FROM: East Texas
NOTE: Fried okra is a staple in the Southeast, too. It was about the only “vegetable” I ate in college. Unless mac and cheese counts? (Here in the South, it counts!) Next time you hit up Cajun Yard Dog or Smith’s Soul Food, place an order.
Food: Chili and cinnamon rolls for school lunch
Where from: York, Nebraska
Note: CharlotteFive’s Heidi White Finley is from Lincoln, NE, and she had some things to say after Alton Brown incorrectly tried the cinnamon roll/chili dish.
Food: Livermush
Where from: Forest City, North Carolina
Pro tip: Greensboro’s Neese’s and China Grove’s Frank C. Corriher Beef and Sausage are just two NC brands known for livermush. People outside of the state might think it a strange breakfast protein, however!
Food: French fries on sandwiches and salads
Where from: Pittsburgh
Note: This sounds like diet hack we could get behind ...
