When I think of the term comfort foods, unhealthy is the first thing that comes to mind.
According to Merriam Webster, comfort food is “food prepared in a traditional style having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal.”
I wanted a better definition of the term so I turned to Urban Dictionary which says that comfort food is “defined as food that gives emotional comfort to the one eating it, these tend to be favorite foods of childhood, or linked to a person, place or time with which the food has a positive association.”
I’d tend to agree more with Urban Dictionary than Merriam Webster.
So what would I consider some of my favorite comfort foods? That’s a tough call! I’d probably go with mac & cheese, biscuits & gravy, pizza and homemade chocolate chip cookies (which have to be eaten warm).
I came across an article from Thrillist which really made me hungry! They go state by state sharing “The Unofficial Comfort Foods of Every State in America“.
I went through the article and noticed that I’ve tried a bunch of the foods mentioned in the article.
- Steamed Cheeseburgers- Connecticut
- Deep-Dish Pizza- Illinois
- Hot Brown- Kentucky
- Gumbo- Louisiana
- Lobster Roll- Maine
- New England Clam Chowder- Massachussetts
- Juicy Lucy- Minnesota
- Cheese Frenchee- Nebraska
- Anything from a Buffet- Nevada
- Buffalo Wings- New York
- Cheesesteak- Pennsylvania
- Johnny Cakes– Rhode Island
- Nashville Hot Chicken- Tennessee
- Fried Cheese Curds- Wisconsin
Here are a few of my favorites (which aren’t so surprising):
Being from New York, I found it strange that Thrillist picked Buffalo Wings as the state’s comfort food. I think pizza would be much more fitting.
Looking over the article, I also came across some comfort foods that I’d love to try.
- Cheese dip in Arkansas
- Loose-meat sandwich in Iowa
- Toasted ravioli in Missouri
What are your favorite comfort foods? Let us know in the comments below.
Find out about each state’s unofficial comfort food in the article by Thrillist HERE.
Aaron- While I haven’t been to Washington yet I’d agree that salmon does not fit the description of a comfort food! In my first response I said that I wouldn’t consider all of their selections to fit the description. However, I do think they did a good job selecting local dishes…
Just curious- what would you consider to be Washington state’s comfort food?
Don’t take my word for it. Here is a quote from one of our local newspapers in Seattle today about the Thrillist list suggestion of Salmon as Washington’s top comfort food.
“Now, our salmon is fabulous. It is undoubtedly the symbol of quintessentially Pacific Nortwestern cuisine. But when you’re sick or have had a hard day at work or are wallowing over a break-up, do you reach for a salmon fillet from your freezer and throw it on the cedar plank? Neither do we.”
Let’s face, it they could have said “pizza and burgers” for pretty much every state in the country and have been more accurate than this list by Thrillist.
Aaron K- While I wouldn’t call this list the most accurate I also don’t agree with your comment. I think Thrillist did a pretty good job picking local dishes. Would I consider them all to be comfort foods- no, but that is a bit subjective.