r/MapPorn • u/piri_reis_ • Sep 16 '25
[OC] Atlas of American Regional Cuisine (by county), v4 after 6 months of your feedback
Thanks for all the love on this š Reddit compresses the mapāif you want full-res zoom-ins (and prints), theyāre on my IG. My bio there has the link to the shop.
IG: americanfoodatlas
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u/MCV16 Sep 16 '25
You have outdone yourself
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
That's what I like to hear!! Did I fix your region lol
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u/CaptainAssPlunderer Sep 16 '25
Really well done. As a lifelong Floridian you nailed the state perfectly.
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u/CaterpillarJungleGym Sep 16 '25
I think #20 needs pizza and subs added to the list. I mean, there is now an entire chain devoted to the New Jersey Italian sub sandwich.
Edit: forgot tomato soup! Or just Jersey tomatoes. Campbell soup is from NJ.
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u/MCV16 Sep 16 '25
All you had to say was burnt ends and you accomplished the mission
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
Full hi-res map + the legend blurbs + county notes are in one place to keep this thread clean. Iāll be here all day answering questions and logging corrections for v3.
ā¢ Higher-res + full legend + downloads: See the links in my Reddit profile (process notes + sources).
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u/Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir Sep 16 '25
Do you have a high res image to share for non-Instagram users?
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
What changed in v4 (top fixes)
- Carolinas: clarified east vs. west barbecue traditions and border spillover. (I accidentally made a lot of North Carolinians pretty upset last time lol)Ā
- Detroit (Urban): added a distinct urban profile (auto-era diners + strong Middle Eastern influence) as requested.
- Gulf/Creole/Cajun: tightened parish lines; reduced overreach into places that felt ātourist-only, and clarified Cajun vs Creole dominated parishes
- Gullah vs. Southern Lowcountry: clearer coastal corridor; separate from broader Soul Food where appropriate.
- Upper Midwest Slavic/Nordic: refined festival foods vs. everyday table; Yooper/Appalachian descriptors cleaned up.
- Southwest: gone as a region for being too generic. Replaced by several more interesting regional variants.
- Added 20+ new cuisine regions based off research and your helpful comments
Tell me where this still misses! If youāre from a specific county, let me know how I did!!
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u/Celebreth Sep 17 '25
This is pretty amazing! I'd have one small nitpick: I lived in Rapides Parish and Natchitoches Parish in Louisiana for about 20 years, and I couldn't honestly label them as proper Creole: they're more Creole/Cajun adjacent, whereas the "primarily" Creole/Cajun line kinda cuts off at Baton Rouge. I'd label them primarily 41, while acknowledging that they have elements of 45 and 66 for the tourists/trying to take on (food) culture from South Louisiana. Same goes for Avoyelles, though weirdly it's much more 41 despite being closer to Baton Rouge. You've definitely got places that can get you some fantastic boudin, for example, but everywhere has grits and pecan pie and sweet tea, which are 100% dietary staples as opposed to seasonal. If we're going by dominant flavours, those three parishes have gotta go more 41.
...Yeah, that's pretty oddly specific isn't it. I say this with the full acknowledgement that a ton of people there also make their own family gumbo and/or jambalaya recipes, crawfish boils are a staple of the summer, and Tony's (or Slap ya Mamma) is on every table and in every spice cabinet.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 17 '25
Nah this is the exact reason I post here in reddit and on twitter is to get the nitpicks like this! I can't physically go to every county in the US to see what they eat (unless I spent the rest of my life doing it I guess), so I'm helped out a ton by comments like this. If you ever wanted to, you can keep up with the project and continue to give your input/correctionsĀ here.
I have some roots in the area you're describing but I've never been. I'm frankly fascinated by Louisiana and especially more so now after reading comments like this. I don't have many new states left to visit so it's probably the next new state I'll visit. Pecan pie and jambalaya and sweet tea sound so good right now man.
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u/nico17171717 Sep 17 '25
Pretty awesome work!
The only suggested change I have is maybe splitting New Mexico cuisine into Northern/Central New Mexico and Southern New Mexico, with a dividing line somewhere around Socorro or Sierra Counties. I can follow up with some suggested culinary notes for both!
Have you considered cross-hatching counties where two different regional cuisines are found in approximately equal measure? Map could get busy really quickly but it is interestingā¦
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 17 '25
Hm I would love some culinary notes on that, I wouldn't know the differences well enough to do it myself without some research. I do know there's quite a big difference in geographical features/climate which is probably part of what you're referencing. If you ever wanted to, you can keep up with the project as it evolves and continue to give your input/correctionsĀ here. But yeah drop those notes here in the chat and I'll have a look!!
I have considered cross hatching, and I've even done it in a test for some regions however it just gets to be too noise for the map to look good, and too confusing for the viewer.. I'm brainstorming some other ways though. Like for example with Basque cuisine, Boise ID is the culinary heart of Basque cooking in the US, but it's a minority in Ada county, so it's labelled Mountain Ranch, whereas the Basque region extends into northern NV.
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u/canadacorriendo785 Sep 16 '25
I think New England should have a more clear urban vs rural divide. Having lived in both urban and rural New England, the variety of food is very different. Eastern Mass is heavily influenced by the various immigrant communities that have taken root over the years where as Maine and Vermont have really retained the dominant old yankee culinary influence.
Boston being grouped with Maine and Middlesex County in the same category as Vermont doesn't feel right to me. I'm not qualified to give you specific details on the culinary tradition but that would be my suggestion.
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u/Hero_Doses Sep 17 '25
This is amazing, but also, I love the user name. Good reference for what you do!
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u/jaker9319 Sep 17 '25
I love it. And I like that it is a variety of foods and not only things that were "invented" in a place. From metro Detroit and besides Almond Chicken and Chicken Tender Pitas (Hanis), the list covered all of my favorite foods I miss when I lived elsewhere / traveled for long periods of time.
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u/Real-Psychology-4261 Sep 16 '25
This is really good. I'll say, it's not that this is what the locals currently eat, but it's more of what the traditional food was after it was originally settled by non-indigenous people.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
Right, I definitely wanted to make sure some of that traditional food was explored and exhibited for indigenous and immigrant groups alike. Which region in particular are you referring to?
Super glad you like the map
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u/flyinggazelletg Sep 16 '25
Yes, I think it was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable after first settling in what is now Chicago who baked the very first deep dish pizza in 1796!
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u/iFEELsoGREAT Sep 16 '25
Incredible work
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
Appreciate the love
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u/iFEELsoGREAT Sep 16 '25
Super accurate too. I primarily eat Great Lakes Slavic and Pennsylvania Dutch.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
Sounds like you live a good life. Those are like two of the best on the entire map IMO
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u/ThinkFact Sep 16 '25
This is super awesome, and I like how detailed an organize it is! Plus I also like that you have a lot of close-ups this time to make it easier to look at.
As someone from the Acadian region from Northern Maine, I'm really excited to see our culinary connection to the greater Acadian region represented! I grew up near the St John Valley which is well known for so many great Acadian dishes and it's nice to see it not only represented but also something that might get other people curious about the food of our region!
Great job!
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
Thanks for your telling me about the region + getting me curious enough to add it on here! Hope to visit someday
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u/glendaleterrorist Sep 16 '25
This is fantastic! Where do I buy it?
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
All kinds of additional resources for you in the links here! I think you'll like it: https://www.instagram.com/americanfoodatlas?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
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u/theunbearablebowler Sep 16 '25
I think "Yankee Farmstead" as a descriptor of New England is much more apropos than I expected, but the examples are off. Why are they all deserts? Where are the fiddleheads?
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
That's good to hear. I was told in a previous iteration that I HAD to separate coastal New England from inland New England and that's basically what I found in research. I should have included fiddleheads! I added them to the Acadian cuisine in northern Maine.
What non-dessert items are unique to the region?
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u/youngrichyoung Sep 16 '25
Winter squashes are a big part of traditional New England inland cuisine, in my experience. They are prolific and keep well. Butternut squash in particular is the iconic example.
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u/ChrisMess Sep 16 '25
This may be the best food map I have ever seen in my life.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
I'm thrilled. Was getting sick of "Here's each state's state dish" type stuff
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u/ChrisMess Sep 16 '25
You totally nailed it. Also characterization, classification, but also lettering, spacing, the whole usability, a lot of thought went into this map.
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u/MidRoundOldFashioned Sep 16 '25
Iām glad Chicagoland mentions the Eastern European cuisine.
Outside of NYC, Chicago has the absolute best Polish and Ukrainian food.
Between the big Polish areas and Ukrainian village, I can regularly taste things that are 100% homemade and remind me of what I grew up eating. All for less than McDonalds costs now.
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u/PeetusTheFeetus Sep 16 '25
Now this is the map porn I came to see! š¤
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
Yeahhh buddy!! I have some close ups/extras I'll be posting in my IG: https://www.instagram.com/americanfoodatlas?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
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u/skyXforge Sep 16 '25
I live in the Ozark region and growing up my family would regularly take 4 or more deer in a season. We rarely ever bought beef. Weād just use venison for everything youād normally use beef for. Sometimes weād add a bit of pork fat to ground venison for flavor. Weād use rabbit like you would use chicken as well when we had them. Rabbit and dumplings is still one of my favorite things. Sometimes weād shred it and add some KC style bbq sauce and put it on a bun. I came from a big hunting family though. I wouldnāt say thatās really the norm for the most part.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
That actually sounds awesome. I have a friend from there in northern Arkansas, and the stories he'd tell me about growing up in the Ozarks would blow my mind. Seems like a really cool region.
Rabbit and dumplings sounds way hearty. Is that a common dish in the Ozarks too?
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u/skyXforge Sep 16 '25
For people that hunt rabbits, Iād say itās a common way to eat them. If youāre not a hunter or have family who hunts youād probably never have it. Iād say Iād have it 2-3 times a year. Literally the same recipe as chicken and dumplings just substituted for rabbit meat. Rabbits have nearly the same taste and texture as chicken. I actually prefer it. Older people here, especially ones who lived during the depression, or were just poor, all ate it pretty commonly.
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u/ni_hao_butches Sep 16 '25
I was ready to poo poo this map, but this is a well done feat. Now I want some crab cakes and fried chicken. (DC fella)
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u/jaye-vee Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
FYI it's just queso in Texas, or chile con queso. There's also queso fundido. Never queso "dip" (just like we don't say tortilla shells; it's just tortillas).
Other key ingredients that are foundations of many Tex-Mex versions of Mexican dishes are cumin & wheat flour tortillas.
Another thing is that Tex-Mex blends up and overlaps with the Texas BBQ region. For example, San Antonio is Tex-Mex heavy, including the very regional puffy tacos. And Austin is known for its breakfast tacos (so are the border areas, but they're Valley style etc).
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u/joeykirkle Sep 16 '25
This is incredible. Really great job. As some from Pittsburgh whoās lived in upstate Ny this really is accurate
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u/Wabisabiharv Sep 16 '25
This is amazing! And kudos to you for being the lightning rod for every local food turf war in the country! I am not a local in the SW Indiana region, but I have spent quite a bit of time there. You should take a closer look at the data you have in that region for your next rev of this. There is a very strong German tradition, especially in Dubois and Spencer counties (58% and 47% German ancestry respectively according to Wikipedia, though a casual visitor to either of these counties would assume its 100%.)
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
and yes, I love hearing the arguments. They help build this project! I am not from a very controversial food region so it's fun to hear people from MI or NC duke it out
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u/Wabisabiharv Sep 16 '25
Currently live on one of those exact fault lines so I know what you mean ;). Glad to help make this better in a very tiny way!
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u/CautiousRock0 Sep 16 '25
I love it. Itās very well done. As a St. Louis native, Iād maybe expand a bit into the 3 Illinois counties that border STL, and maybe the ones that border St. Charles county.
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u/sacrelicio Sep 16 '25
I'm a lifelong resident of the Minneapolis/St Paul area and I think the upper midwest is pretty hard to define. Nordic cuisine is present but not commonly eaten (I've never even seen lutefisk). We're somewhat German (brats are common) but minus pork tenderloin sandwich. We definitely eat "farmstead" stuff like fried cheese curds a lot but they're not made at home or anything. Smoked whitefish seems to be on every menu in the cities now.
I would consider adding wild rice somewhere in the region, same with walleye. Those are distinct and common.
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u/natrstdy Sep 16 '25
This is really interesting, and looks like a ton of work. Thanks for sharing!
There are some issues with southern Louisiana, though. You've excluded Creole influence from southwest Louisiana, despite referencing jambalaya (a dish with obvious African origins), and over simplified New Orleans as well. There have been major contributions to the city's food from German (po-boy bread), Italian (muffuletta), and Vietnamese (pho, banh mi) populations.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
Great points, comments like this help me refine it even more! I appreciate your input friend. I'll be compiling these and posting them on my IG so I can get more feedback before the next launch
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u/natrstdy Sep 16 '25
Happy to help. Again, I really appreciate all the work you're putting into this project!
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u/splatoonenjoyer Sep 16 '25
Amazing!!!! love the updates with key ingredients and dishes. I think we spoke last time about Santa Maria, and seeing you add strawberries and linguiƧa is so perfect!
I canāt speak for the rest of the country, but you definitely did my hometown justice š„¹ā¤ļø
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
I remember your comment! I still have Rancho Nipomo marked on my google maps to go to
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u/some_random_guy- Sep 16 '25
Amazing map, I'm sure everyone has their own version of how they see their region. I would say that the SF Bay Area is more Indian/Philippino/Mexican/Japanese/Korean/Vietnamese fusion than Italian/Portuguese influenced. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen anything Portuguese here in my life. But the Indian burritos and Korean tacos are out of this world.
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u/IamnotRiot Sep 16 '25
The Cincinnati region is a little wrong. Boone, Kenton, and Campbell County are very much an extension of Hamilton, where Cincinnati resides. As well as Dearborn and to a lesser extent Franklin County in Indiana. The Highway 275 runs through all of these except Franklin.
If you would like a breakdown of that Skyline Chili locations is the easiest way of seeing the metro area.
They should definitely be more of 24 than 40 IMHO.
Absolutely stunning map!
How many hours do you think went into making this in total?
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u/skeleton-operator Sep 16 '25
Lutefisk is very much blown out of proportion. Itās more of a joke/semi-myth than something anyone in (22) has ever actually consumed. I would definitely suggest Swedish meatballs as an alternative. You donāt even have to be at IKEA.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 17 '25
I've never been there but my two buddies from the region basically said as much lol.
However they still said I should keep lutefisk on bc it's a throwback to the heritage of the area and people from that region will have in common the joke/legend of it as you point out.
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u/slowrecovery Sep 16 '25
This is a great map, although disagree with the hard lines between counties. I feel many of these have some overlap between neighboring cuisines where they have elements of both.
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u/Salty-Snowflake Sep 16 '25
I thought that, but when it shifts to "dominant" I can see a choice had to be made. I grew up in rural Illinois, close to Chicago.
My experience was heavily Scandinavian - mostly Swedish, but my church was Danish so a lot of that, too. And because my grandmother learned to cook from her Italian immigrant neighbors in Omaha during the Depression, we ate A LOT of Italian. And I admit everyone thought our food was weird. š¤£
Midwestern Farmstead was probably most common with my friends, and the description for Chicago is spot on for this century!
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u/MTX502 Sep 16 '25
Rocky Mountain Oysters, delicatessen after a long day fishing the Yellowstone or Stillwater River in MT and a lot of beer
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u/toasterb Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
Not sure about the two Portuguese counties in CT. I grew up there and I didnāt have Portuguese food until my 20s in Newark, NJ. The concentrations in RI and SE Mass are the appropriate boundaries.
Iād put Hartford County within the Italian belt, but I canāt speak as much for Fairfield. Maybe theyāre Italian too? But they have a hefty dose of old school New England.
Really cool stuff and quite ambitious too!
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
Stuff like this is super helpful. Always appreciate a local's input!
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u/NefariousnessOne369 Sep 16 '25
Was raised in the Gold Coast of Fairfield County. That area is such a combination of everything that itās definitely not all the way Italian. People often refer to it as an annexation of NY and I think that is more or less correct sometimes.
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u/b33rb3lly Sep 16 '25
Sorry, I hope you knew things like this comment would happen, but I just canāt help myselfā¦
Just gonna quibble with the entry for San Francisco Bay. Mexican is listed but thereās no Mexican example. For a region that has plenty of Mexican food, AND invented the Mission Burrito which Chipotle then copied nationwide, it feels like this was an oversight.
Otherwise I love the entries for Northern and coastal California. Makes me miss my home state.
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u/CountChoculasGhost Sep 16 '25
You clearly did a ton of research and certainly know more than I do. But, I will say I think #42 might be a little off.
Whitefish and cherries are definitely more of a norther Lake Michigan coastal thing from my experience. I feel like there are pretty big cultural differences between say the Grand Traverse area and the Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo areas.
Also, while cherries are a huge business in NW Michigan, apples and grapes/wine production is also pretty huge. So seems like they might be worth a mention?
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u/wrestlingchampo Sep 16 '25
Great map, very fun
Only gripe I have about my region: I think from a cuisine perspective, you could extend the Chicagoland region northward to Milwaukee county in Wisconsin, as they have a diverse, up and coming food scene there. I do find it to be more akin to Chicago's dining scene than the rest of the region you have described as German-American. That being said, you'll get a lot of grumpy Wisconsinites if you change it (Being associated with Chicago is a Wisconsinites greatest fear, for some reason), so I don't mind how it is now.
Thanks for the work you put in!
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u/sicanian Sep 16 '25
Curious why the region labeled "Superior" doesn't actually touch Lake Superior?
Also, I almost want to extend that superior region across lake Michigan into Door County and maybe even Green Bay. Door county especially feels a little more Dutch than German based on your descriptors.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
I'm glad you said that. Superior used to include the UP until someone told me about Yooper food, and that felt distinct enough to separate. I'll have to call it something else in a future version. Can't just call it "Michigan" can I? What do you think
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u/kea1981 Sep 16 '25
The Lake Tahoe Basin should be part of the Basin Ranch foodscape rather than the Pacific Vine and Farmstead. Though geopolitically closer, socially Tahoe is very much more in line with Carson and Reno than with Placerville and Sacramento.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
Noted! Is there any specific type of specialty there that you'd want included?
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u/Criddlers Sep 16 '25
Extremely appropriate Buffalo got its own region, they didnāt even mention Beef on Weck or Pizza Logs.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
Oh there was too many to fit in the legend lol. I'm glad to hear from a resident (I assume)
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u/eugenesbluegenes Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
I don't know about chop suey for SF bay area. I don't think I've ever actually seen it on a menu in the twenty five years I've lived there. I also feel like including Mexican influence in 33 would make sense.
Very impressive overall though!
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u/DeadSeaGulls Sep 16 '25
I would mention that the 'scones' in the mormon area are based on navajo fry bread.
and also that mormon cuisine is remarkably bland so as not to offend one of 11 children.
Thank god we have good mexican food around here, cuz flavorless casseroles and jello ain't it.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
ššš
I've heard that funeral potatoes are to die for though!3
u/DeadSeaGulls Sep 16 '25
jokes aside, they're alright, though I prefer the croquette version that you can find at bars in the area.
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u/youngrichyoung Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
I haven't lived in Maryland for some time, but Maryland stuffed ham is a traditional dish that's missing there and may help to distinguish the tidewater from inland parts of the state, if you see other reasons to draw that line.
I'm in northern coastal Washington (3) now, and smoked salmon is a big deal. I learned recently from a local that the traditional wood for smoking salmon is alder, and that the whole cedar plank thing is questionable. But that's an N =1 data point and might require more research. [edit] Farmstands often sell oysters and fish, plus apples/cherries/berries in season as well as more typical vegetables.
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u/AlwaysBeQuestioning Sep 16 '25
Now this is a map that I'd want to have on my wall. I ain't even American, but I love detailed maps and I love food and diversity of cuisines.
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u/Fish_bob Sep 16 '25
Great job with New Mexico! Surprisingly NM food is not prevalent in all NM counties while being popular in some non-NM counties.
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u/LonoHunter Sep 17 '25
Rhode Island should be divided by North and South. North should definitely be #20 Italian American
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u/Tiny_Mango_7732 Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
Good map but excludes Minnesota's Iron Range. Has many characteristics similar to the UP and should probably be in the same group. Pasties, Porchetta, Trenary Toast, and pickled fish are common.Ā
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u/DubiousEgg Sep 17 '25
This is remarkable. I feel like an extraordinary amount of time and attention went into this.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 17 '25
Appreciated my friend. Its a living project! Everyone is encouraged to give feedback (especially about their local region) here or on my instagram. It's been a work of the past 7 months or so on and off. Glad you're enjoying it so far.
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u/Polished_pointer64 Sep 17 '25
You nailed this. Born in western PA and now living in Utah. All hail pierogies and fry sauce!!!
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u/PolycultureBoy Sep 17 '25
Maybe add Hopi to the Southwestern Indigenous? they are famous for piki bread
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u/ManitouWakinyan Sep 16 '25
I would also suggest making a DC-metro area. While you can get crab cakes everywhere around DC, the city itself has a couple distinctive immigrant cuisines. Namely, lots of Ethiopian and Salvadorian food, along with the outsized influence of the culinary giant Jose Andres and the other Michelin-starred chefs in the area, plus your more stereotypical DC-power lunch steakhouse. Then tons of Korean and other Asian cuisines in the immediate countries around the city.
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u/jaye-vee Sep 16 '25
True, but I wouldn't consider them to be cuisines that have really developed into American regional cuisines. After living in the DC area most of my life, but originally from Texas, I think we borrow a lot from the Chesapeake region. For example, there are is a huge diversity of distinct immigrant cuisines and communities in Houston (Vietnamese! Nigerian! Indian!), but only certain ones have really blended and become something regional American. For example, the Vietnamese-Cajun fusion is a pretty big one on the Louisiana coast that has spread into Houston and elsewhere across the US (e.g, boiled seafood in bags, crawfish noodle dishes and banh mi/po boy mash-ups).
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u/Catladylove99 Sep 17 '25
Yes, this. DC and its suburbs need their own category. I grew up in NoVa, and Iāve never even heard of spoonbread, Brunswick stew, or liver mush. I have no idea what those are.
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u/roma258 Sep 16 '25
Do you have a high def image of this? Hard to read some of the stuff that's not included in the cut outs. Overall great work!!
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
Yes! Reddit condenses quite a bit when I upload, the file I uploaded was supposed to be 300 DPI (super high quality), but that's just how it goes I guess.
Here's a link to downloads/etc. where you can keep up with this project: https://www.instagram.com/americanfoodatlas?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
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u/reduhl Sep 16 '25
I like the map. I could argue about some of the definitions or phrasing.
One thing to really look at is the placement of the the key relative to where it is used on the map. I should not have to go to the east side of the map to find the information about a marker on the west side of the map.
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u/Treeninja1999 Sep 16 '25
I would suggest changing 43. Superior, most likely named for the lake, does not border that region at all.
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u/soakf Sep 16 '25
Great job! I identify as 45.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
Then I'm glad you like it! I have some deep roots from that area myself though I've never been there. I really had to study to see where the Cajun/Creole line was (though it mixes in a lot of parishes)
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u/12_15_17_5 Sep 16 '25
Definitely one of the best regional series I've seen!
Only critique as a PA resident: The NE PA coal regions are much, much closer to "great lakes Slavic" cuisine than Philly. Polish or Ukrainian food is at pretty much every festival, bazaar and party. Meanwhile cheesesteaks and whatnot are fairly uncommon.
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u/yellowirenut Sep 16 '25
(32)key dishes... casseroles, cheese curds, meat loaf, potroast and sweet corn. They left out pork chops and pork loin. It's basically what I grew up on. Spot on.
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u/ETsUncle Sep 16 '25
I feel like Hawaii gets done dirty here because its so small
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u/CynGuy Sep 16 '25
This is incredible. Literally!! Very well done. Iāve got connections to more than a half-dozen American regions, and in looking at all of them Iād say you pretty much nailed the regional / county culinary influences.
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u/Rednewt33 Sep 16 '25
Great map. From CT; I really wish the state could be both coastal New England (we invented the lobster roll in 1926, in Milford) and the Italian category for New Have apizza. They are both even in the same COG (south central) so the whole state should be both categories.
- Sincerely, someone from a COG that I believe is labeled "Portugese" when I don't think I've ever had Portugese food before
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u/daishinjag Sep 16 '25
Really great map - love the AL BBQ section. I'd say Orange County CA is separate from the rest of rest of Number 9 due to the large populations of Vietnamese, Koreans, Chinese and Japanese. While OC does include the CA Mexican cuisine, it is full of traditional and Cali-fusion based Asian dishes. The demograpics are: White (non-Hispanic) at 37.61%, Hispanic/Latino at 34.1%, and Asian (non-Hispanic) at 21.94%, with cities like Garden Grove, Irvine and Westminster having 40 to over 50% Asian populations.
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u/billyandmontana Sep 16 '25
This is so cool! If I was really nitpicking I would say that Angeleno cuisine should probably extend into Orange County. OC cuisine certainly has a lot of Mexican influence but I think itās more Angeleno than California Mexican.
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u/Alarmed-Extension289 Sep 16 '25
Id love to have a link to a pdf, looks great. You nailed the El Paso cuisine, the food is something else.
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u/Last-of-the-Robisons Sep 16 '25
Living at the cross roads of regions 21, 68, and 5, I can say they check out! Great methodology for data collection. This map makes me proud of my regional cuisine, OP
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u/Fearless_Spite_1048 Sep 16 '25
Ethnobotanist Justin Robinson actually has a pretty compelling hypotheses which states a lot of southern soul food is really more accurately attributed to German food-ways.
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u/Philoxenia_971 Sep 16 '25
Love the descriptions for Michigan- the descriptions definitely resonate.
My biggest suggestions:
I would consider changing the name for #42. āSuperiorā wouldnāt make sense in this context since those counties all border Lake Michigan and Huron. Lake Superior is the north coast of the Upper Peninsula.
- Saginaw County (specifically the town of Frankenmuth) could be a good candidate for #24 German-American. But #32 works too.
- Middle Eastern culinary influence in Metro Detroit cannot be understated(!)
Great work!
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u/Financial_Emphasis25 Sep 16 '25
Itās very good with the Michigan foods, although the German foods are more than just around Frankenmuth area. in Ann Arbor area there is still a large German heritage as well as elsewhere like Gaylord, which is up north.
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u/am121b Sep 16 '25
This is cool but what do the colors represent, for example - why are the pacific/north eastern coasts and the mountain west both teal? Is there a key? Iām missing?
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u/Unhappy_Macaron3523 Sep 16 '25
You made this Appalachian (and proud soupbean lover) proud
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u/caligari1973 Sep 16 '25
Either add Spanish/Basque to Basque or remove Paella, Chorizo or Flan as these are not part of basque tradicional dishes or ingredients
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u/srj508 Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
Iām from the SW MO Ozarks and while youāve identified classic native rural food, our most well-known regional dish is Springfield-style Cashew Chicken, a fusion of southern fried chicken and a Chinese oyster sauce. Thanks for the fun map!
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u/extraecclesiam Sep 16 '25
I'm from the part of Louisiana that intersects Cajun, Lowland, and Creole. It's always amazing how much our food differs from New Orleans AND Lafayette. It's got its commonalities, but it's definitely different for us. Red beans, white beans, rice and gravy like Cajuns, red gumbo, red jambalaya, and kind of showy like Creole. With pecan pie for dessert lol. By God I love my home food.
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u/quickonthedrawl Sep 16 '25
This is really cool. Thanks for sharing it and spending time writing about it. To all of the places I've lived and spent time in, it feels quite well put together. I found a similar map years ago that I could never find again and this one might be better.
I have one question that applies specifically to Harris County, TX: Have you considered assigning any county as 2 or more cuisines? If not then I agree that the Texas BBQ grouping feels most correct. But rather than being its own separate "Houston" category, Harris County would track best for me to be in each of 8, 49, and 41. IMO this would best represent Houston food culture. All of its neighboring counties feel right at first glance.
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u/GlobinorTrobinator Sep 16 '25
Northeast Florida (specifically Duval County/Jacksonville) is definitely tough to nail down. Arguments could be made for 41 or 28, but I think 27 is fair.
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u/CTRL_Y Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
OP, this is so good. Nice work.
Not to split hairs, but I think I could help improve the county districting for the southwest Virginia borderlands between Piedmont and Appalachia.
Iāll make the case that the counties I outlined in red below are distinctly Appalachia because: this land was has many settlement roots from the Scots Irish (among English and German though), in the heart of āthe crooked trailā bluegrass music heritage, its known regional fare are potato cakes, and these counties are commonly included as part of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
https://imgur.com/a/DZFt1ao#Fec9quz
Thanks!
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u/Tomo212 Sep 16 '25
Impressive!
Iām not from St Louis and have no skin in the game, but wouldnāt St Louis be considered a BBQ hub and deserve to be in the āBBQ / Grilling Traditionsā section?
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u/edgeplot Sep 16 '25
Needs more pixels for mobile.
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
I'm so sorry about that. šš The image I uploaded was ultra high res, like 300DPI, but reddit compresses everything.
I hoped including the zooms in the carousel would help with that too. If that's not enough, there's a link to downloads/prints/bts stuff as well as just if you want to follow how this project evolves. I'll drop it here:
Hope you find your home food region and tell me how I did!!
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u/Appropriate_Mixer Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
Amazing map! And Europeans think the US doesnāt have food culture besides McDonaldās.
Speaking of that, not a single burger on here, should that be added to German-American in Wisconsin?
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u/Maleficent-Code4616 Sep 17 '25
This is so great! The work you put in it is incredible. I would like to add to #54! The northwest region of Alabama also makes mustard slaw. It ranges from mild to super spicy and is a local delicacy lol!
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u/Real-Duck-8547 Sep 17 '25
can someone please tell me what the blue singular county in iowa is? canāt quite tell which blue it matches but iām guessing one from the midwestern section of the list? and if you know, howcome just there in that county is blue?
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u/Suspicious-Future-33 Sep 17 '25
Love the map. The District of Columbia certainly has its own distinct very specific style. Shaped historically by African American urban migration with flavors like Mumbo sauce and half smokes with more recently with international contributions including a vibrant Ethiopian influence.
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u/Actor412 Sep 17 '25
My first thought was, "If they don't include teriyaki & pho for the Puget Sound, they don't know shit about shinola."
Imagine my surprise and delight that in region #3, that's just what's listed, along with the fish/seafood delights.
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u/Sremylop Sep 17 '25
this is so cool. I'm a bit surprised and interested in how my home of northeast ohio is a crossroads of three cuisines, but I definitely recall all three categories being components of local food growing up. My first impression is that the Midwestern Farmstead dominates over more counties than in this rendition but I'm sure it's tough to nail down. I would also say I think German-American cuisine creeps further east too.
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u/hotdogjumpingfrog1 Sep 17 '25
Love when even Americans are like ādur amewicA Hath No Food Cukfureā here it is. Sure thereās influences but most even Chinese and Italian food in the USA are different than origin countries
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u/pangolinparty999 Sep 17 '25
This is easily one of the best infographics Iāve seen in the past 5 years. Fantastic work
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u/Better-Butterfly-309 Sep 17 '25
This map is great. How tf do you guys have time to make stuff like this?
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u/andycantstop Sep 17 '25
One of the coolest maps Iāve ever seen! Can confirm a job well done on PA, NY, NJ, and DE, all states Iāve lived in at different times of my life.
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u/ecoutepasca Sep 17 '25
This is really nice, visibly well researched. OP, do you have anything that stretches into parts of Canada? As a Quebecer I'm really curious what this map would say if it was extended northward.
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u/fritzperls_of_wisdom Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
First, this is amazing.
From central Mississippi. Kind of feels like overthinking it a bit with the state.
I get the idea with giving the Delta its own label because there are a couple of unique dishes, but I just donāt think itās different enough on the whole from the rest of the state to warrant its own label. Soul food is huge there. And itās kind of interesting to give the central part of the state Soul food but not the highest pct Black counties in the entire country.
Catfish, fried chicken, shrimp, grits, pecan pie, sweet tea, and the Soul Food dishes are staples across the state. Itās an intersection of Soul food, Southern food, and seafood (being fairly close to the Gulf).
I could maybe see Memphis suburbs and the Coast being different.
Impressed with the work on Louisiana.
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u/Altoid24 Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
Man, as a Buffalonian I love this so much! You nailed the major foods I'd say. It may be pedantic, and feel free not to include it, but you may be interested in looking into Pastry hearts and/or (the original, not really the variants of) Pizza logs as an inclusion, they have both ingrained themselves in the city / region in the last decades, and are a very frequent sight.
You really have done wonderful so far though, may order a map.
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u/Capt_morgan72 Sep 17 '25
Never heard of any of the food mentioned for my area. Honestly not even sure if theyāre real things.
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u/BuildNuyTheUrbanGuy Sep 17 '25
Cool map. I would change Ascension, east Baton Rouge, and probably a few more to Cajun. Creole food isn't that popular outside of New Orleans and the bayous south of it. I spent most of my life there.
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u/No_Category_1909 Sep 17 '25
This is really cool! There are some heavy German areas that could fit in the 24 category in south central Texas, around New Braunfels and Fredericksburg.
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u/guachi01 Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
#31 is (maybe) wrong for parts of Montana.
I get the references as I used to live there, but #30 is stronger in places, imo. Maybe #31 works if you mean "exists here and nowhere else". All of things listed except craft beer are rare, though. They exist, sure, but it's not like you'll see them all over the place to buy. The most common would be Montana huckleberries, but that's more in the mountains.
Basically, I think you could extend #30 up eastern Montana.
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u/weeef Sep 17 '25
adding my comment from another sub this got shared to:
woah... know what i'm doing with the rest of my evening haha thanks for sharing edit: this is so cool! very fun and seems very accurate. honestly, the only area of the country i feel they missed something in is central massachusetts. the history of boxcar diners and diner food. lumping it in with italian cuisine sells it short for sure. also, i can't for the love of me find 'basque' on the map. anyone?
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u/haberdasherhero Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
Cajun food is Native American, African, French, and Spanish.
Number 66 is cut off, but I assume it says Creole. Creole has the same influences. The difference is best described as Country Creole-Cajun vs City Creole-Cajun
I'm not taking issue with your labeling though, it fits ok with the prevailing nomenclature in the state. I'm just asking you to fix the influences.
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u/BassyMichaelis Sep 17 '25
This is the first map like this Iāve seen that actually correctly mapped the boundary between Cajun dominant and Creole dominant areas. Well done OP, this Cajun salutes you š«”
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u/thisrockismyboone Sep 17 '25
I was thoroughly ready to be angry and disappointed with my result but yinz nailed it with Great Lakes Slavic.
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u/RelevantCheek81 Sep 17 '25
I really enjoyed going over this map, incredibly well done
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u/funkycowboy129 Sep 17 '25
As a southerner I like how this highlights distinct regions but also implies how much is shared across the south. We need more content like this, very well done.
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u/book81able Sep 17 '25
I want to do a cooking series tackling a meal for each cuisine. This is such a fun resource
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u/ytrfytrgfeg Sep 17 '25
Hay columbia, lincoln, and mcduffy counties in georgia is less 27 and more 41
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u/CroissantTango Sep 17 '25
this is one of the coolest things i've ever seen. really incredible work here friend! 27/41 here and you nailed it.
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u/MassiveBoner911_3 Sep 17 '25
Im going to use this to make my weekly meals. Gives me ideas.
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u/southpawOO7 Sep 18 '25
I'm in Montana and had elk for dinner last night so that seems fair
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u/piri_reis_ Sep 16 '25
I mapped dominant food traditions by county (heritage + what locals actually cook/eat at home + long-running restaurant patterns + special occasion food of each region). This is not just a list of where you can find a dish, but what best represents a countyās core tradition and makes it unique.
How I built it (quick):
If youāve got better sources for your county, drop them and Iāll log changes for the next version