As most of you know, I lived in Memphis for a while. I have a lot of friends from Tupelo.

Anyway, wherever I travel, I try to find out what the local Food Claim To Fame is, so I can sample it. Memphis's famous food is pork barbeque, Philadelphia's food is cheesesteak, Colorado is buffalo steak (I guess), and so on. I even ate haggis when I visited Scotland.

The fringe benefit of local food pride is that the natives get to boast about their hometowns when they travel. My father, a Philadelphian, scoffs at the "philly cheesesteak" offerings on menus across the country. My British friends mope about the tea in America. I complain to whoever will listen about the lack of good apple cider anywhere outside of the Northeast, plus I lament the absence of TastyKakes outside the Philly area. My old friend from Tupelo moans that there is no good soul food in Fraser, CO, where he lives now.

I know this is an old thread, but for those of you who check the "recent messages"--what are your local foods?

--Jez"misses pierogi and kielbasa"zika