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Lobster roll is a Maine specialty consisting of cooked lobster meat that is, ideally, drizzled with melted butter and placed into long hot dog rolls. Additionally, the sandwich might include lettuce, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Traditional accompaniments include potato chips or french fries on the side.
Some claim that lobster roll first appeared at Perry's in Milford, Connecticut, while others claim it was first prepared at Red's in Wiscasset, Maine. Regardless of the origins, the entire state of Maine continues to honor the tradition by offering more version of lobster rolls than the first inventor could have possibly imagined, starting an endless debate over how it should be made and who makes the best rolls.
MOST ICONIC Lobster Roll
Italian sandwich is an American sandwich consisting of a long bread roll filled with cheese such as provolone, meats such as salami, mortadella, and ham, and condiments such as tomatoes, olives, pickles, and onions. It is believed that the first Italian sandwich was created in Portland, Maine, in 1899 by an Italian baker named Giovanni Amato.
He originally created it as an inexpensive, portable lunch for road construction workers, but today it has gained such popularity that it is a staple of numerous variety stores and sandwich shops throughout Maine.
MOST ICONIC Italian Sandwich
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Despite its name, whoopie pie is actually an enlarged cookie sandwich consisting of two soft chocolate cake cookies with a sweet and fluffy white filling sandwiched in between. It is believed that whoopie pie has a Pennsylvania Amish origin, although today it is extremely popular throughout New England, especially in Maine.
According to the Amish, when children would find this sweet treat in their lunch bags, they used to shout “Whoopie!“, hence the name.
MOST ICONIC Whoopie Pie
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This true American classic consists of a thick, juicy blueberry filling enclosed between two layers of flaky, golden pastry. It first appeared in the written form in 1829, but its origin probably dates back to the early American pioneers. Even though it is traditionally associated with Maine, where it is declared as the official state dessert, the classic blueberry pie is a summer favorite enjoyed throughout the country, usually served with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on the side.
MOST ICONIC Blueberry Pie
Lobster fra diavolo is an Italian-American dish, a blend of American ingredients with the Italian-style of cooking, where a lobster in a spicy red tomato sauce is paired with pasta. The origins of the dish are still debated; some claim it’s a completely American invention, while others trace it back to southern Italy.
MOST ICONIC Lobster Fra Diavolo
Milkshakes are usually described as flavored milk and ice cream beverages, usually lavishly decorated and served cold. The first written mention, dating from 1885, was somewhat different, and the word was used to refer to a whiskey drink, similar to eggnog, which was used as a health remedy.
At the end of the 19th century, milkshakes were already prepared as milk-based drinks made with flavored syrups. The invention of malted milk powders which contained dried milk, malted barley, and wheat flour, along with the popularization of electric blenders, inspired the creation of a more familiar milkshake version.
MOST ICONIC Milkshake
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The technique of frying oysters is traditionally associated with the coastal areas of the United States, namely the West and the Southeast. It is said that pan-fried oysters were initially a frugal dish, but by the 19th century they became a well-known delicacy, while the technique of deep-frying developed in the 20th century.
When shucked, the oysters are usually dipped in batter, optionally coated in breadcrumbs and various seasonings, and finally shortly fried until crispy and golden. The batter is occasionally made with buttermilk, which creates a lighter, slightly sour coating that perfectly complements the oysters.
MOST ICONIC Fried Oysters
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Usually accompanied by a glass of milk or a cup of hot tea or coffee, chocolate chip cookies are well balanced between salty and sweet in flavor, tenderly chewy in texture, and filled with small melting chocolate pyramids, bringing a generation of Americans back to their childhood.
The origin story of these sweet treats is incredibly interesting, almost as the cookies themselves. The Toll House Inn was a popular bed-and-breakfast in Whitman, Massachusetts, bought by Ruth Graves Wakefield and her husband in 1930. Ruth's cooking was so good that the inn gained an excellent reputation in a short span of time.
MOST ICONIC Chocolate chip cookie
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Bagels are an iconic New York City food: boiled, then baked hand-shaped, round rolls with a hole in the middle. It is a small and dense bread with a malty flavor and a dark, shiny, and crunchy exterior which should snap when bitten into it. Originally, they were brought to the United States by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.
There is a theory that bagels were popular in the Jewish community because the dough needs to rest for twelve hours before being baked, so it was convenient for Jews to let it rise during the Sabbath, when work is forbidden. New Yorkers claim that their bagels are the best due to the water's softness, as there are low levels of calcium and magnesium that could toughen the dough when combined with gluten.
MOST ICONIC New York City Bagels
Boiled dinners are simple dishes that have been a staple of New England's cuisine for a long time. It consists of corned beef and root vegetables such as carrots, onions, celery, turnips, and cabbage, cooked together in boiling water until tender.
From preparation to presentation, everything is as simple as it can be, and there is no gravy nor condiments to accompany the meat and vegetables. Its origins are unclear, but the existence of the dish has been noted by historians since the 1660s.
In the times before refrigeration, boiled dinner was a kind of a survival strategy, and because the cuts of meat needed to be cooked for a long time, one could do other things while the dish was cooking.
MOST ICONIC New England Boiled Dinner
