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The Facts About
Food
Farm Fresh in the Midwest
Traditional Midwestern cuisine can be summed up in three words: simple and hearty.
Dairy, especially cheese, is a staple in many dishes, and beef and pork processing have always been big in this region. So it’s only natural that hamburgers, meatloaf, pork chops and barbecue are comfort-food favorites throughout the Midwest.
As with most regional cuisines, immigrant groups have incorporated their tastes into the mix. Many ethnic German immigrants settled in Missouri, Kansas and Illinois, where sausages and potatoes are more prevalent. A number of Midwest cities, including Milwaukee and Columbus, are renowned for their bratwurst.
Miners looking for a convenient lunchtime meal popularized the pasty, a small pastry pie filled with meat, which is now an iconic dish of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A distinctive dish of Indiana is the pork tenderloin sandwich, consisting of a deep-fried, tenderloin-cut pork chop served on a bun. And the horseshoe sandwich – meat or vegetables served over Texas toast, piled high with fries and topped with cheese sauce – is all the rage is Illinois.
Many cities have their own characteristic dishes – barbecue in Kansas City, pizza in Chicago, toasted ravioli in St. Louis, chili over spaghetti in Cincinnati – served with a variety of flavors and styles that reflect the range of cultural influences.
While no hard-and-fast rules determine this region’s cuisine, some examples of traditional Midwest dishes include cheese soup, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, pork chops and sweet corn.
Some chefs have taken these homey recipes and given them an upscale twist, focusing on the farm-fresh flavors of wild rice, sweet corn, sun-ripened tomatoes and fine cheeses that set the Midwest apart.
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