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The Philadelphian icon known as Philly cheesesteak is an extremely popular sandwich consisting of thinly sliced pieces of steak and tender, melting cheese in a long and crusty hoagie roll. It was invented in the 1930s in what is now a Philadelphian institution called Pat's King of Steaks.
Pat's started as a regular hot dog stand in South Philadelphia, and one day Pat had decided to make himself a sandwich consisting of thinly sliced rib-eye steak and cooked onions placed into an Italian roll. When a hungry cab driver stopped by and smelled the beef, he forgot about the hot dogs, and Philly steak sandwich was born.
MOST ICONIC Cheesesteak
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Roast pork sandwiches are a staple of numerous sandwich shops throughout Philadelphia. The bread roll is typically topped with sesame seeds and loaded with a generous spoonful of pork juices. It is then stuffed with either sliced pork roast, roast pork chunks, or pulled pork, along with broccoli rabe (or spinach), and melted cheese such as provolone.
The condiments are optional and every customer can choose some of them according to personal preferences. These succulent sandwiches are popular in Philadelphia due to their simplicity and a nice balance of flavors.
MOST ICONIC Roast Pork Sandwich
View moreSticky buns or cinnamon buns are a classic Philadelphian staple that evolved from German snail pastry (shnecken). The pastry was brought to Philadelphia by English and German immigrants in the 18th century. The sticky buns are made with a combination of milk, yeast, flour, salt, sugar, eggs, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and walnuts.
The dough has to rice twice and the process is labor-intensive. If properly prepared, the result is a brioche-like cinnamon roll that's slightly crispy on the exterior and tender on the inside. There should be enough sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and walnuts between the dough layers.
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Somewhat similar to a calzone, the American stromboli is a savory type of turnover filled with classic pizza ingredients: mozzarella or other types of cheese, Italian meats like salami, pepperoni, bresaola, and capocollo, and sometimes even vegetables, while the marinara sauce is served on the side, rather than baked inside with the filling.
The dough can be either Italian bread dough or standard pizza dough, and before baking, the finished product is rolled into a loaf, similar to that of a jellyroll. Unlike calzone, stromboli did not originate from Italy, but supposedly from suburban Philadelphia where it was invented in the 1950s and named after one of Roberto Rossellini's movies.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Pizza
MOST ICONIC Stromboli
View moreApple dumpling is an American dessert consisting of a dumpling filled with apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes raisins. The dish is traditionally baked until it develops a tender texture, and it is often served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
It is believed that apple dumplings were invented by the pilgrims, who brought the recipes for fruit dumplings over to America. Today, the dessert is especially popular in the Pennsylvania region.
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Originally brought to the Pennsylvanian region by immigrants from Eastern Europe, pierogies have become a unique staple dish, both in the city of Pittsburgh and all over Western Pennsylvania. Pierogies are soft, semicircular dumplings that are traditionally filled with potatoes or cheese, but the number of fillings is virtually countless and limited only by imagination.
In Poland, pierogies have been made since the 13th century, and they had been brought to the United States during the late 19th and the early 20th century, when Pittsburgh experienced a population boom during the Great Migration. As pierogies are inexpensive and portable, they were a common meal in the lunch boxes of numerous mill workers during the Industrial Age.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Pierogi
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Hoagie has been declared the official sandwich of Philadelphia in 1992, consisting of an Italian roll that is sprinkled with oil and vinegar, then layered with onions, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, provolone cheese, and different types of meat according to the customer's preference.
The authentic Philly hoagie is complete only after the addition of oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Pickles and mayonnaise are strictly forbidden. There are many theories about its origin, but the one that sounds most likely involves a jazz musician turned sandwich shop owner called Al De Palma.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Submarine Sandwich
MOST ICONIC Hoagie
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An ice cream float is a beverage consisting of ice cream that is placed in a soft, fizzy drink. One of the most popular varieties of the beverage is a root beer float. The origins of ice cream floats date back to the 19th century. It was invented in Philadelphia by Robert Green, a soda shop operator who ran out of cream and decided to use ice cream instead of it.
Shortly after, his daily earnings soared from $6 to $600. With the popularity of ice cream floats, it is no wonder that there are numerous variations such as chocolate ice cream soda, coke floats, purple cow, butterbeer, and Boston cooler.
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Banana split is a classic dessert consisting of a lengthwise-cut banana topped with scoops of strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate ice cream. Typical garnishes include nuts, fruits, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. The dessert is traditionally served in a long dish called a boat.
It was invented in 1904 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania by David Strickler, who wanted to make something "different" for a college student who had one day entered the pharmacy where he worked as an apprentice. The pharmacies often featured a soda fountain where customers could indulge in a soda or a frozen treat for just a few cents.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Sundae
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A quintessential part of every American street fair is a crispy funnel cake. The unique name is derived from the method of preparation in which the batter, made with eggs, sugar, milk, and baking soda, is poured through a funnel directly into the sizzling oil.
It falls in circular, thin, and tangled streams, creating the distinctive shape of this American delicacy. When fried, the batter expands, and the final result is a crispy, golden brown treat. In the modern history of the United States, funnel cake is traditionally associated with Pennsylvanian Dutch, the German-speaking immigrants who inhabited the area in the 17th and 18th century.
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. For the “Top 27 Pennsylvanian Foods” list until February 16, 2025, 1,489 ratings were recorded, of which 1,372 were recognized by the system as legitimate. 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.