Seafood classics, local sandwiches, filling stews, and rich sweets appear across the nation, each reflecting a state's unique background, traditions, and ingredients.

Our selections highlight foods with strong regional or national fame, deep historical or cultural connections, and lasting roles in local food scenes.

National standouts include Illinois deep-dish pizza and Tennessee Nashville hot chicken, available at spots like Hattie B's.

Regional favorites cover Maine cold lobster rolls with mayonnaise and Colorado over-the-top Fool's Gold sandwich.

Many link to key industries that boost jobs, visitors, and economies, such as Alaska salmon, Wisconsin cheese, and Virginia oysters.

Explore the signature local dish from each state below.

ALABAMA: Chicken with white barbecue sauce

Alabama white barbecue sauce blends mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, and black pepper for a creamy yet zesty flavor.

Created in the 1920s by Bob Gibson at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, the sauce tops sandwiches or pairs with grilled and fried chicken.

ALASKA: Smoked salmon

Alaska excels with salmon, though residents debate top preparations like smoking, grilling, or pan-searing.

Classic meals pair the fish with fresh vegetables, or try smoked salmon on bagels with cream cheese.

ARIZONA: Chimichangas

Chimichangas trace their start to Arizona.

Two Tucson eateries claim invention of the large meat burrito packed with vegetables and spices, then deep-fried and finished with cheese and sauce.

ARKANSAS: Fried pickles

Fried pickle fans credit Arkansas for the popular snack. The first fried dill pickles debuted on the Duchess Drive-In menu in Atkins during summer 1963.

CALIFORNIA: Avocado toast

California avocados make avocado toast a standout local favorite. Residents have enjoyed it for over 130 years, with an 1885 recipe advising to spread avocado on bread slices and season with salt and pepper.

COLORADO: The "Fool's Gold" sandwich

The former Colorado Mine Company in Denver created the original Fool's Gold sandwich using a hollowed sourdough loaf filled with peanut butter, blueberry jam, and a pound of bacon.

The sandwich gained fame when Elvis Presley flew his jet to Denver and back overnight just to enjoy one.

CONNECTICUT: Warm lobster rolls

The first recorded lobster roll appeared at Perry's restaurant in Milford, Connecticut, in 1929.

Connecticut offers its own version with warm lobster meat lightly coated in melted butter on a split-top bun, unlike the cold mayonnaise style.

DELAWARE: Peach pie

Peach pie serves as Delaware's official state dessert, tied closely to local farming.

Peaches entered the agricultural scene during Colonial times and grew into a major industry by the 1800s, peaking with roughly six million baskets shipped in 1875.

FLORIDA: Cuban sandwiches

Though rooted in Cuba, the modern Cuban sandwich owes much to Tampa immigrants.

The Florida take sometimes adds Italian salami and became known as the Cuban sandwich.

GEORGIA: Brunswick stew

Both Brunswick County, Virginia, and Brunswick, Georgia, claim the stew's origin.

A Georgia monument displays a 25-gallon iron pot noting the first batch cooked there in 1898.

HAWAII: Kālua pork

Kālua pork ranks among Hawaii's signature foods. The smoked, shredded pork, occasionally mixed with cabbage, cooks traditionally in an underground oven, matching the name meaning "to cook in an underground oven."

IDAHO: Finger steaks

Finger steaks, or fried beef pieces, trace back to Milo's Torch Lounge in Boise.

Chef Milo Bybee created the dish in 1957 using leftover tenderloin.

ILLINOIS: Deep-dish pizza

Deep-dish pizza is an American invention.

Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo launched it at Pizzeria Uno in Chicago in 1943 as an Italian-American style.

INDIANA: Pork tenderloin sandwiches

Pork tenderloin sandwiches, or Hoosier sandwiches, began with Nick Freienstein in Huntington, Indiana.

Inspired by Wiener schnitzel, he switched to available pork in 1904, added pickles and onions, and sold them from a cart, creating the first version.

IOWA: Fried catfish

Fried catfish enjoys popularity in Iowa as well as the South.

KANSAS: Loose meat sandwiches

Loose meat sandwiches sit between sloppy Joes and cheeseburgers as a Kansas staple.

The Nu-Way Cafe chain in Wichita is known for them, while elsewhere they appear as tavern sandwiches or Maid-Rites.