When it comes to popular cuisines in the U.S., it's best to image the country as a patchwork quilt. We might think of all-American food as being things like apple pie, but in reality American cuisine is just as varied and that's before you start adding ethnic foods. From Chinese cuisine to Mexican cuisine to Italian cuisine, the melting pot analogy fits so well with describing the contemporary United States because not only are more international cuisines cooked regularly at eateries, but more health-conscious foods are, as well. All trends aside, Alissa Scheller from the HuffPost's team created this map of disproportionately popular U.S. cuisines in each state based on Yelp data.
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The map features the most popular cuisine across the U.S., while the list below features the five most popular in each state. A few just might surprise you. After all, I wouldn't have guessed Illinois' pick. Spoiler alert: These are cuisines instead of individual dishes, so you won't see something like Chicago deep dish pizza, hamburger, Mexican tacos, Texas brisket or North Carolina cornbread on the list. Instead, you'll see categories like Japanese food, Thai Food, Mexican food and BBQ.
How did Yelp find out the most popular cuisine in each state across America? According to HuffPost, "Yelp first calculated the percentage of total restaurants each cuisine represented in a given state. Then it compared each percentage with the cuisine's represention in restaurants nationwide. The resulting map, made by HuffPost, shows the cuisines with a disproportionate level of representation in each state."
So this map, in short, details the cuisines that are most popular in that state that are not popular in other states. Now onto the list of states with its top five cuisines. The choices are listed in descending order, with the most popular food as the first and the fifth most popular as the final.
Alabama
- Southern
- BBQ
- Cajun
- Chicken wings
- Soul food
Alaska
- Filipino
- Fish and chip
- Thai
- Seafood
- Hawaiian
Arizona
- Mexican
- Greek
- Gluten-free
- Buffets
- Mediterranean
Arkansas
- Southern
- BBQ
- Tex-Mex
- Cajun
- Steak
California
- Taiwanese
- Filipino
- Vietnamese
- Korean
- Hawaiian
Colorado
- Gluten-free
- Vietnamese
- Mexican
- Soup
- Breakfast/brunch
Connecticut
- Spanish
- Deli
- Italian
- Irish
- Caribbean
Delaware
- Irish
- Cheesesteaks
- Caribbean
- Seafood
- Gastropub
District of Columbia
- Belgian
- Ethiopian
- African
- Food stands
- French
Florida
- Cuban
- Caribbean
- Peruvian
- Latin
- Spanish
Georgia
- Southern
- Soul food
- Caribbean
- Chicken wings
- BBQ
Hawaii
- Hawaiian
- Ramen
- Filipino
- Korean
- Food stands
Idaho
- Gastropubs
- Cafes
- Mexican
- Steak
- Traditional American
Illinois
- Pakistani
- Hot dogs
- Middle Eastern
- Greek
- Indian-Pakistani
Indiana
- Pizza
- Tex-Mex
- Fast food
- Steak
- Burgers
Iowa
- Buffets
- Pizza
- Steak
- Traditional American
- Fast food
Kansas
- BBQ
- Chicken wings
- Tex-Mex
- Mexican
- Fast food
Kentucky
- Southern
- Fast food
- Tex-Mex
- Chicken wings
- Burgers
Louisiana
- Cajun
- Southern
- Soul food
- Seafood
- Chicken wings
Maine
- Seafood
- Irish
- Gastropubs
- Gluten-free
- Diners
Maryland
- Peruvian
- Cheesesteaks
- Caribbean
- Latin
- Pakistani
Massachusetts
- Portuguese
- Brazilian
- Irish
- Seafood
- Middle Eastern
Michigan
- Middle Eastern
- Diners
- Hot Dogs
- Pizza
- Soup
Minnesota
- Buffets
- Traditional American
- Pizza
- New American
- Gluten-free
Mississippi
- Southern
- Cajun
- Buffets
- Soul food
- Chicken wings
Missouri
- BBQ
- Soup
- Chicken wings
- Steak
- Tex-Mex
- Montana
Nebraska
- Steak
- Buffets
- Chicken wings
- Comfort food
- Burgers
Nevada
- Filipino
- Hawaiian
- Buffets
- Steak
- Vegan
New Hampshire
- Breakfast/brunch
- Irish
- Gluten-free
- Traditional American
- Diners
New Jersey
- Portuguese
- Spanish
- Kosher
- Peruvian
- Delis
New Mexico
- Mexican
- Steak
- French
- Cafes
- Vegetarian
New York
- Kosher
- Halal
- Spanish
- Caribbean
- Delis
North Carolina
- Southern
- Cheesesteaks
- Hot dogs
- Chicken wings
- Soul food
North Dakota
- German
- Steak
- Soup
- Buffets
- Salad
Ohio
- Soup
- Pizza
- Fast food
- Chicken wings
- Burgers
Oklahoma
- Tex-Mex
- BBQ
- Steak
- Buffets
- Fast food
Oregon
- Food stands
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
- Hawaiian
- Thai
Pennsylvania
- Cheesesteaks
- Pizza
- Italian
- Diners
- Delis
Rhode Island
- Portuguese
- Fish and chips
- Irish
- Spanish
- Seafood
South Carolina
- Southern
- Seafood
- Soul food
- Chicken wings
- BBQ
South Dakota
- Steak
- Buffets
- Traditional American
- Chicken wings
- Pizza
Tennessee
- Southern
- Soul food
- BBQ
- Chicken wings
- Tex-Mex
Texas
- Tex-Mex
- Cajun
- BBQ
- Mexican
- Chicken wings
Utah
- Hawaiian
- Hot dogs
- Mexican
- Comfort food
- Burgers
Vermont
- Gastropubs
- Diners
- Comfort food
- Vegan
- Delis
Virginia
- Peruvian
- Southern
- Latin
- Middle Eastern
- Pakistani
Washington
- Vietnamese
- Fish and chips
- Thai
- Korean
- Japanese
West Virginia
- Hot dogs
- Pizza
- Buffets
- Fast food
- Chicken wings
Wisconsin
- Traditional American
- Soup
- New American
- Sandwiches
- Pizza
Wyoming
- Steak
- Comfort food
- Traditional American
- New American
- Diners
All information sourced through HuffPost.
Do you agree with your state's selection? American food is scattered throughout each state, but it also seems like buffalo-style chicken wings are just as popular, too. Also, would fried chicken count as Soul Food or Southern dining?
While not all of the details are clear in the methodology of the map, one thing is for certain: we're lucky to live in America, where you have your choice of cuisines and when worse comes to worst, you can always find a comforting chili dog around.
This article was originally published on March 30, 2018.
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