TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Kansan Foods
Barbecued meat is the gastronomic passion of the so-called "world capital of barbecue", also known as Kansas City. Barbecued pork ribs, flavorful slices of hot or cold beef brisket, or a "pig salad" of succulent pulled pork - those are just some of the delicacies of the Kansas City-style barbecue.
The barbecue craze dates back to around 1908, when Henry Perry, an African-American chef, first started slow cooking pork ribs over oak and hickory, drizzling them with a sauce consisting of molasses, chiles, and tomatoes. He served the meal in newspaper and sold it for 25 cents a piece, and the consumers' acceptance and love of barbecued meat went better than expected.
MOST ICONIC Kansas City-Style Barbecue
Although many people might think so, the famous slider is not just a small hamburger, but a very specific food item. First of all, a small ball of ground meat is smashed on a well-oiled griddle until very thin, accompanied by onions, which fry into the meat during the cooking process.
The meat is then flipped, and other ingredients are added on top of the meat, including the slider bun which absorbs the aromas and flavors while it steams. Originally, slider was a term describing small burgers at White Castle restaurants throughout the United States of America.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Burger
MOST ICONIC Slider
Z-Man is an American burger originating from Kansas City. It consists of a split Kaiser roll that's filed with sliced smoked brisket, smoked provolone cheese, onion rings, and barbecue sauce. This burger was invented at a barbecue joint called Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que.
Jeff, the owner, went to Zarrick, a sports talk show host on the local radio station, and asked him to talk about this new burger. The listeners chose the name as they began regularly asking for that Z-Man sandwich on the air, referring to Zarrick, who had begun calling himself Z-Man not long before.
MOST ICONIC Z-Man
Cheeseburger pie is a savory American pie that’s especially popular in Kansas, the biggest producer of beef in the United States. It’s usually made with a combination of ground beef, onions, cheddar cheese, cornstarch, sour cream, milk, eggs, salt, pepper, and a pie crust.
The meat and cheese are cooked with the other ingredients, and the resulting mixture is then poured into pie shells. The pie is baked until golden brown and puffy. It’s usually served as a simple and comforting weeknight meal.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Peppernuts are tiny, spice-packed cookies with deep roots in the state’s German and Mennonite immigrant heritage, especially among the descendants of Volga Germans who settled in the Midwest. Though inspired by the traditional German pfeffernüsse, these cookies have evolved into a distinct regional specialty, especially popular during the Christmas season.
Despite the name, peppernuts contain no nuts. Instead, the defining feature is their bold, aromatic spice blend—typically including cinnamon, cloves, and anise. The dough is rolled into thin ropes, sliced into tiny discs, and baked until crisp, resulting in hundreds of miniature cookies with a satisfying snap and deep, warming flavor.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Kansan Food Producers
Union Horse Distilling Co., established in 2010, is a family-owned and operated distillery located in Lenexa, Kansas. They specialize in crafting small-batch, artisanal spirits using traditional methods and locally sourced ingredients. Their product lineup includes Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Reunion Straight Rye Whiskey, Rolling Standard Four Grain Whiskey, and Rider Vodka.
Each spirit is distilled in copper pot stills and aged to perfection, reflecting the distillery's commitment to quality and craftsmanship.
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2024
NYWSC - New York World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
NYWSC - New York World Spirits Competition - Gold
2023
BEST Union Horse Distilling Co. Spirits
AWARDS
World Beer Cup - Gold
2024
Great American Beer Festival - Gold
2021
BEST Wichita Brewing Co. Beers
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
BEST ANNX Spirits Co. Spirits
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
BEST Clyde May’s Spirits
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
BEST J. Rieger & Co. Spirits
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
BEST Próspero Spirits
AWARDS
International Chocolate Awards - Bronze
2022
BEST Hazel Hill Chocolate Chocolates
AWARDS
World Beer Cup - Gold
2024
Great American Beer Festival - Gold
2022
Untappd - 3.7
BEST Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant Beers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Kansan Food Products
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
Reunion Straight Rye Whiskey is a small-batch, 100% rye whiskey crafted by Union Horse Distilling Co. Handcrafted from the finest quality rye and aged for over five years in their signature oak barrels, this non-chill filtered whiskey offers a rich flavor profile with notes of butterscotch, caramel, cinnamon, and ginger.
Bottled at 46.5% ABV (93 proof), each bottle is hand-numbered and signed by Master Distiller and Co-Founder Patrick Garcia, reflecting the distillery's dedication to quality and tradition.
AWARDS
NYWSC - New York World Spirits Competition - Gold
2023
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2024
AWARDS
World Beer Cup - Gold
2024
AWARDS
World Beer Cup - Gold
2024
AWARDS
World Beer Cup - Gold
2024
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.