Local specialties around the world

[liuzhou]

We have members in many parts of the world. I'd be interested in knowing what local specialties you have where you are. Not the country you live in, but more local than that. Maybe even just the city you live  in.

 

Earlier this week, Liuzhou, where I live in southern China, held a sort of interactive exhibition showcasing some of the city's specialties, especially snails which are loved here! Yes, snails are eaten in other parts of China, but Liuzhou has by far the most different ways of using them, the most famous being luosifen. 

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend but here are 9 photos from the event.

 

Pig Foot with Snails

 

What's very local to you? The more out of the ordinary, the better!

Edited December 3, 2021 by liuzhou (log)

[chileheadmike]

The first thing that came into my head was burgoo. I did a quick google search to find recipes and pics.

The first thing that came up was the wikipedia site and the first thing that said was see British Royal Navy. So maybe it isn't so local.

Seems there is a burgoo festival in Lawrenceburg, KY

https://visitlawrenceburgky.com/event/2021-anderson-county-burgoo-festival/

Recipe here

https://gardenandgun.com/recipe/the-ultimate-kentucky-burgoo/

 

Kentucky Hot Brown is served at the Brown Hotel in Louisville. Basically a thick slice of toasted white bread topped with ham and or turkey. That is covered in mornay sauce and topped with sliced tomato and bacon.

 

I have read online about something called a chili bun that is served out of convince stores and gas stations in Southern Kentucky. It's basically a chili dog without the dog, but people seem to search out the best.  

[kayb]

Corn nuggets. Tiny little corn fritters, deepfried. I've never seen them anywhere but East Arkansas and West Tennessee, maybe northern Mississippi, but in that tri-state region, they're ubiquitous in convenience stores and gas station deli counters.

 

[weinoo]

Dirty water dogs.

[gfweb]

Roast pork sandwiches with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone

[heidih]

I thought long and hard and because the city and even my immediate part of it is so multi-cultural I can get regional specialties from so so many places. But what finally leapt to mind was - bacon dogs. I know they are other places with variations in toppings and names. To me, here, in Los Angeles, they are generic hot dogs wrapped in bacon, griddled on a street cart. Bun warmed on there and jalapeno, onion lightly charred on that griddle. Toppings - you do or you can say "con todo" (all) pickle relish, ketchup, ballpark mustard, mayo. gut busting satisfying . Carts often outside Hollywood and environs clubs to tamp down the booze and get you home. But also around town mid day in areas where street vendors not hassled. Usually had mine when I went to bank in a warehouse district.

[Beebs]

Nanaimo Bars! Sweet confection of chocolate layered over a custard filling and graham, nut and coconut base.

 

BC Rolls! Sushi roll with cucumber and salmon skin, created by a local sushi chef here in Vancouver, Hidekazu Tojo. He is also credited with creating the California Roll, but I believe that's debatable in some circles.

[Duvel]

Mettbrötchen 

[chileheadmike]

2 hours ago, gfweb said:

Roast pork sandwiches with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone

I've only seen these on TV but they look way better than the standard cheese steaks. They're definitely on my bucket list.

[ElsieD]

Butter tarts.  Also, beaver tails.

Edited November 5, 2021 by ElsieD
Added beaver tails (log)

[chromedome]

I can't think of anything that's especially local to my current home. Dulse is probably the leading contender, though of course it's eaten elsewhere (and the best is said to come from Dark Harbour on the island of Grand Manan, some distance up the coast from here). Local lobster and scallops are of the highest quality and are well appreciated on their merits, but are not at all unique. One local quirk, I guess, is that old-timers often reserve the neck from each autumn's deer to use in their Christmas mincemeat. Crosby's molasses is headquartered here, so molasses-based baked goods are common, but there's nothing I'd call unique.

 

The Acadians here have their own traditions, such as "rappie pie." This is basically a savory stodge made from shredded potatoes, flavored with onion and chicken and chicken broth, and then baked in a pie crust. I suppose you could call the filling a local analogue of risotto or grits, but made with potatoes. It's...okay. One of those things that's maybe hard to appreciate unless you grow up with it. It's also not especially local to Saint John, because I'm in an Anglophone region and the Acadian parts of the province are (duh) Francophone.

 

In my native Nova Scotia, a local favorite is called hodgepodge or (in some older recipes) "hotch-potch." It's not a sophisticated dish: basically you take your new baby potatoes and carrots, plus anything else your garden happens to be producing (beans, peas, greens, early cabbage) and boil it up together, then serve it in a bath of heated cream and melted butter. It's old-school farm food, designed to provide calories in bulk on non-meat days.

 

The proud "invention" my hometown of Halifax prides itself on is the donair, a localization of the ubiquitous doner kebab. The Lebanese diaspora of the 70s saw many families arrive in Halifax, where they quickly gravitated to the restaurant industry. One such family switched the kebab meat from lamb to beef, came up with a sweet, garlicky milk-based sauce, and created the "Halifax-style donair" as we now know it. It has since spread across the country, as East-coasters traveled in search of work, and you can now find 'em all the way out to BC.

 

For the fully authentic experience, of course, you still need to try one at Halifax's downtown "Pizza Corner" at about 2AM, as the bars are closing, with the sauce running down your arm as you try to get your mouth around the over-stuffed pita.

 

 

[liuzhou]

21 minutes ago, chromedome said:

In my native Nova Scotia, a local favorite is called hodgepodge or (in some older recipes) "hotch-potch." It's not a sophisticated dish: basically you take your new baby potatoes and carrots, plus anything else your garden happens to be producing (beans, peas, greens, early cabbage) and boil it up together, then serve it in a bath of heated cream and melted butter. It's old-school farm food, designed to provide calories in bulk on non-meat days.

 

That is Scottish / English and anciently so. In writing, first recorded in the mid-1500s. Hardly Canadian.

[chromedome]

13 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

That is Scottish / English and anciently so. In writing, first recorded in the mid-1500s. Hardly Canadian.

No claims for originality, express or implied.

 

It's something not seen elsewhere in Canada, though (as far as I've been able to discern in my travels) and can reasonably be described as a local specialty.

[Maison Rustique]

Probably burnt ends. I'm not sure they are served elsewhere. I'd have said BBQ, but that has spread and there are several BBQ regions that are quite different. 

 

Burnt Ends

 

[Mjx]

Hearts in cream sauce (e.g. https://www.dk-kogebogen.dk/billeder-opskrifter/vis-billede-stor-slider.php?id=23347&billede=4).

Super-traditional in Denmark, but makes me think of something the wicked queen might've done with Snow White's innards, or from a recipe book based on the original versions of Grimm's fairy tales.

No idea whether it's original/unique to Denmark, but since it's a specialty here, it fits the bill.

[Tropicalsenior]

One of the things that Costa Rica is most famous for is bad food. Even the foreign foods that they try to imitate turn out badly. It is such a small country that it has very few Regional favorites. Most things can be found in every part of Costa Rica. Most food is so bland that they have a sauce that they put over everything. It is ubiquitous. To me, it is a cross between Heinz 57 and mud. Most Costa Ricans love it and can't go a day without it. It is called Salsa Lizano.

In our particular neighborhood they do sell something that I haven't seen in other parts of the country. We have a lot of grapefruit trees in this area and they sell something called toronja relleno (filled grapefruit). The grapefruit are boiled whole, then injected with dulce de leche and rolled in sugar. They are so sweet that they take this enamel off your teeth. They are only sold by roadside vendors and I haven't seen one since the pandemic started.

[MetsFan5]

Taylor Ham 

[weinoo]

3 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

Taylor Ham

 

I remember that (as an old deli man) as Taylor Pork Roll.

 

 

I also remember a few other items we used to slice up for customers: New England Bologna and olive loaf.

 

These (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) are a Philadelphia specialty...

 

[Annie_H]

No words to describe my hometown RapaScrapple. I just ordered my holiday obsession.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Annie_H (log)

[Tropicalsenior]

28 minutes ago, Annie_H said:

No words to describe my hometown RapaScrapple. I just ordered my holiday obsession.

You're right. It has ingredients that I have never seen used in Scrapple. I think that I might even like this one.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[donk79]

48 minutes ago, Annie_H said:

No words to describe my hometown RapaScrapple. I just ordered my holiday obsession.

It's pretty good scrapple.  I have had better, but only when buying direct from an old fashioned Mennonite butcher.  I'm glad to have it locally available.

[Captain]

[Tropicalsenior]

1 hour ago, Captain said:

Duh, of course!

[Maison Rustique]

On 12/2/2021 at 6:57 AM, weinoo said:

 

I remember that (as an old deli man) as Taylor Pork Roll.

 

 

I also remember a few other items we used to slice up for customers: New England Bologna and olive loaf.

 

These (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) are a Philadelphia specialty...

 

@weinoo Those spiced wafers sound good. Is that the best brand? I think I'll order some to put out during the holidays. I think Ivin's brand also popped up--probably other, too.

[weinoo]

13 minutes ago, Maison Rustique said:

@weinoo Those spiced wafers sound good. Is that the best brand? I think I'll order some to put out during the holidays. I think Ivin's brand also popped up--probably other, too.

 

I think they are the classic brand; I've bought them and they're quite good. 

Adding that it looks as if Ivin's are as well...https://www.inquirer.com/food/sweetzels-spiced-wafers-ivins-cookies-acme-fall-philadelphia-20190925.html