US Regional cuisines: then and now ...

[phaelon56]

Exceptionally high quality hot dogs (made from beef, pork and veal) from several German immigrant sausage makers were and still are a staple in central NY state. The white hot or "coney" variety (with veal and pork only) are the style that is not completely unique to this area but is very regionalized in the US - showing up only in a few specific pockets here and there.

The truly unique food that is specific to my town and not well known even in communities as close as 75 to 100 miles away is the salt potato.

Yorkstaters Blogspot has some info on this delightful food as well as discussion of Beef on Weck (a Buffalo NY area specialty) and grape pie (a pie made from Concord grapes and a dessert specific to the upper Finger Lakes area).

The following quote from yorkstaters is attributed to our local Salt Museum but no author is referenced:

"In the 1700s & 1800s, perhaps even earlier, this Salt plant produced almost all of the nations salt. Add the salt production to the Erie Canal and you can see what a prosperous location Syracuse was during that time. Water taken from the Onondaga Lake was boiled down, or set out in the sun for evaporation in huge bowls. As most of the workers were Irish they brought along their potatoes for their meals and would place the potatoes in the boiling vats to cook giving you the famous salt potatoes. Syracuse is well known for its salt potatoes to this day! (Nowadays all they are, are very small potatoes boiled whole with the skins on in very salty water. 4 lbs potatoes to 1 lb of salt). Eat these dipped in melted butter and you have a great treat. By the 1870s this way of making salt was obsolete and the factory folded. "

Almost correct. Onondaga Lake is not saline water but there are enormous underground salt deposits in the area. Salt ponds near the lake supplied the briny water - the rest of the story is true. And, according to my mom, my late grandfather wrote much of the interpretive historical material that is used by the Salt Museum but I'm sure he didn't write this one (he was a stickler for historical accuracy).

My mom and all eight of her siblings actually learned to swim in the salt ponds - which were converted to public swimming areas after the salt industry folded.

Salt potatoes are popular enough - and profitable enough - food to have created a "knock-off" scandal with our recent and infamous Salt Potato Wars

And the quantities are not a typo. The local market is estimated to consume about 2 million five pound bags of salt potatoes per year - and most of that gets scarfed down between Memorial Day and Labor Day!

[Carrot Top]

Wow. That was an unexpected surprise, and a very nice one, Owen. Who would'a thunk it, of Syracuse!

A lovely story.

Strangely enough I've heard of Salt Potatoes, though I've never been to Syracuse. For several years I was responsible for defining the menu for the "New York State Festival" held in Washington DC which was one of those "members of Congress meet big business" events. Part of the process of defining the menu was to take, sort, then choose or discard. . . the food ideas of the members of Congress' representatives in meetings that they came to solely to fight for their voting district's specialities.

Salt Potatoes on the menu was argued by someone who really made an impression on me, I remember. I think I got samples and booklets and lovely letters all about Salt Potatoes. They are much beloved. Can't remember whether I did finally include them - will see if the menu is around here somewhere . . .

The only other food argued as strongly came from Buffalo. Red Hots.

In some parts of central and western New York State, a white hot dog composed of pork and veal (similar to a white bockwurst, a mild German sausage made with veal, pork, milk, and eggs) is referred to as a "coney," while the usual red frankfurter is called a "frank." Each of these terms is used only to refer to the sausage, irrespective of any toppings applied to the sandwich. Another term common in the Western New York (i.e. Buffalo) area is the "Texas Red Hot". This is essentially a Coney Island - a hot dog with chopped raw onions, mustard (horseradish mustard, sometimes) and a thin chili sauce. Because of the appearance, there are several slang terms in the Buffalo area applied to "Texas Red Hots", including "scum dogs", "slime dogs", "puke dogs", and "shitty canoes", and an order of "2 scummers" or "2 slimers" will be instantly understood.

[suzilightning]

Yorkstaters Blogspot  has some info on this delightful food as well as discussion of Beef on Weck (a Buffalo NY area specialty) and grape pie (a pie made from Concord grapes and a dessert specific to the upper Finger Lakes area).

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actually there is an even more regional Beef on Weck divide. in Buffalo it is hot with jus. 60 miles southwest in Fredonia you have the same weck roll but served cold with the thin sliced beef, swiss cheese, chiffonaded iceberg lettuce and thousand island dressing. i like 'em both...

[crinoidgirl]

Exceptionally high quality hot dogs (made from beef, pork and veal) from several German immigrant sausage makers were and still are a staple in central NY state.  The white hot or "coney" variety (with veal and pork only) are the style that is not completely unique to this area but is very regionalized in the US - showing up only in a  few specific pockets here and there.

Don't forget Salina St./Ave, named after the salt!

I grew up in Syracuse eating the hot dogs (red hots were my favorite), but I don't remember the salt potatoes at all. Hmmm.

Edited for hot dog clarification

Edited February 10, 2007 by crinoidgirl (log)

[MarketStEl]

Certainly the cheesesteak sandwich ought to fit the definition of an emblematic food that is particular to a region, even if, like Buffalo wings, it can be found outside its home region.

Lebanon bologna should also qualify here.

[JohnL]

Yorkstaters Blogspot  has some info on this delightful food as well as discussion of Beef on Weck (a Buffalo NY area specialty) and grape pie (a pie made from Concord grapes and a dessert specific to the upper Finger Lakes area).

[

←

actually there is an even more regional Beef on Weck divide. in Buffalo it is hot with jus. 60 miles southwest in Fredonia you have the same weck roll but served cold with the thin sliced beef, swiss cheese, chiffonaded iceberg lettuce and thousand island dressing. i like 'em both...

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Beef on a Weck shares a lot of similarities with the "French Dip" which I believe was "invented" on the west Coast.

The key difference is the bread--the Weck is unique to Western New York I believe.

[phaelon56]

For those just dying to know more about Beef on Weck... there's a fair amount of discussion starting with this post on the Garbage Plate thread.