Gravlax, Spätzle, halušky, cabbage rolls, potato dumplings, and pierogis are very popular in Minnesota, all of which were brought by immigrants from Northern Europe. "Minnesotan sushi" is an appetizer that contains a pickle, covered in cream cheese and wrapped in ham, and cut into slices like sushi.
Potato salad, and pasta salad are often served in Minnesota. Mashed potatoes and gravy, asparagus, and green beans are Minnesota staples, often eaten at Thanksgiving or large dinners. French fries are often enjoyed with jucy lucys and corn dogs, along with other foods.Typical sides include pickles, locally grown boiled new potatoes seasoned with fresh herbs or horseradish, baked beans, and vegetables buttered peas, and carrots. Preferred to rice or pasta, potatoes are often served alongside buttered rolls and homemade strawberry jam.
Minnesota-style cheese curds are very popular, they are often served battered and deep fried[1]
Sauerkraut - sliced and fermented cabbage, was brought to Minnesota by German immigrants
Latkes - fried potato pancakes or fritters. Brought by immigrants from Central or Eastern Europe
Minnesotan soups include knoephla and booyah, which is a thick stew usually requiring up to two days and multiple cooks to prepare; it is cooked in specially designed "booyah kettles" and traditionally was meant to serve hundreds to thousands of people, but in contemporary Minnesotan usage, booyah has found itself typically served at small gatherings. In cooking booyah, one makes a base or broth derived from meat bones, to which vegetables are added. Beef, chicken, and pork are popular varieties of meat for booyah (with all three often in the same kettle), with vegetables such as carrots, peas, onion, and potatoes also in the mix. A wide variety of seasonings are used.
Some soups proposed as the Minnesota state soup include: cream of mushroom, cream of lutefisk, and wild rice soup, all of which include either ingredients from Minnesotan cuisine or are popular in the state.[3][4] Brought to Minnesota by Vietnamese immigrants, pho is a soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat usually beef, and sometimes chicken. It is very popular in Minnesota and can be found in eateries around the Twin Cities. Ke'Ke, a Somali-inspired stew made with strips of chapati, was invented in Minnesota.
Lutefisk - is very popular in Minnesota, and is often eaten during Christmas. Lutefisk is driedwhitefish. Usually cod is used, but ling and burbot are also used. It is made from aged stockfish (air-dried whitefish), or dried and salted cod, cured in lye. Lutefisk is traditionally served with boiled potatoes, mashed green peas, melted butter and small pieces of fried bacon. Madison, Minnesota has dubbed itself the "lutefisk capital of the world" as well as claiming the largest per capita consumption of lutefisk in Minnesota. It is also used to make cream of lutefisk soup. It was brought to Minnesota by Norwegian immigrants.[5]
Swedish meatballs - Are usually made with a mix of ground beef and ground pork, or just with ground beef, which is mixed into a mixture of beaten eggs, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, and grated raw onions or finely chopped and fried onions. Cream is often added for more luxurious versions. The meatball mixture is seasoned with salt and white pepper or a mixture of white pepper and allspice. Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with gravy, boiled or mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam, and sometimes pickled cucumber. It was brought to Minnesota by Swedish immigrants.[6]
Hoppel poppel - is an egg casserole made with leftovers. the casserole dish is associated with the Midwestern United States. The basic recipe for the casserole is home fries (fried potatoes), scrambled eggs, and onion. Sometimes it is topped with melted cheese. Other ingredients like green pepper or mushrooms can be added to the basic combination, and a variety of meats can be used including bacon, ham and salami. It was brought to Minnesota by German immigrants.
Pasty - Pasties are made by placing an uncooked filling, typically meat and vegetables, in the middle of a flat shortcrust pastry circle, bringing the edges together in the middle, and crimping over the top to form a seal before baking. Associated with immigrants from the UK, they are popular in the Iron Rage of Minnesota.
Hotdish- is a casserole dish that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canned or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup that must be served hot or warm. the most popular varieties in Minnesota are tater tot, tuna, chicken, hamburger, and wild rice hotdish. They were invented in Minnesota or the Upper Midwest; it is one of Minnesota's most iconic dishes.[6]
Hautedish- is a fancy variation of the hotdish, it is deconstructed and contains tater tots, short ribs, a cream of porcini sauce, topped with green beans, and mushroom-Parmesan salad. Unfortunately all restaurants serving this dish have closed.[7]
Jucy Lucy - a burger with melted cheese in the patty.Two bars in Minneapolis, Minnesota, claim to be the inventor of the burger, while other bars and restaurants have created their own interpretations of the style. In a jucy lucy both patties around the cheese to create a single patty with a cheese core. As the burger cooks, the cheese inside melts. This has the effect of keeping the meat near the center of the burger very juicy. It also separates the cheese from the bun, resulting in a slightly different texture than the usual cheeseburger. Burger toppings such as condiments, onions, and pickles may be added. It was invented in Minneapolis and is one of the most iconic dishes in Minnesota.[6]
Corn dogs - a sausage on a stick that is deep fried in corn batter. Another variety eaten in Minnesota is the corn brat, a brat on a stick that is fried in cornmeal. Corn dogs are very popular in Minnesota, and are a common state fair food.
Minneapolis-style pizza - a thin crust pizza, cut into squares, with hearty toppings. It is popular in Minneapolis and the rest of Minnesota, with several chain restaurants offering the style.[8]
Walleye fingers - pieces of cut up walleye that are deep fried. They are especially popular in Minnesota because they are the state fish. It can also be served as a sandwich in Minnesota's pubs where the fish is very popular, deep fried walleye on a stick is a Minnesota State Fair food.
Baked Penne - is a baked pasta dish consisting of cream cheese, penne pasta, and marinara sauce, it can also be sprinkled with mozzarella and Parmesan. There is also a special variation of baked penne in Minnesota consisting of sausage, ham, and a spicy marinara sauce that is also used on Minneapolis-style pizza.
Slumgullion - is made with ground beef, canned tomato, macaroni, and occasionally cream of corn. They are often served at potlucks along with hotdish.
Pizza rolls- are a popular snack food in Minnesota.
Iron Range pot roast - a pot roast made with porchetta or pork, potatoes, and seasonings.[9]
Walleye cakes - are fish cakes made with walleye meat.[10]
Sandwiches
Sandwiches in Minnesota are typically served hot or cold, and were popular among the working class of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, or in the iron mines of Northern Minnesota. Most Minnesotan sandwiches are influenced by Italian Cuisine.
Porchetta sandwich- is a sandwich consisting of slow roasted, season pork. It is served on a sandwich with greens (rapini or spinach) and provolone cheese. Porketta remains a popular local dish in towns such as Hibbing, Minnesota with distributors such as Fraboni Sausage.
Roast beef commercial - an open faced sandwich, with roast beef, mashed potatoes, and gravy.[2]
Fried walleye sandwich
Chapati wraps - which is a wrap made of chapati, Somali rice, meats, and various spices.[2]
Hot dago - is a sandwich consisting of an Italian sausage patty, between two pieces of bread. It is usually topped with melted cheese, and marinara.[2]
Banh Mi - is a baguette, that is filled with vegetables and meats. It originated from Vietnam.
South American sandwich- This sandwich was invented in the iron range of Minnesota. It is a bar snack made with several kinds of minced meat, onions, tomatoes, peppers, celery and other leftovers in between two slices of bread.[11]
Ting-Town barbecue beef sandwich- is a sandwich originally served at Ting-Town, a restaurant that closed in 1970. It is still homemade by Minnesotans in the Iron Range. It is made with barbecue beef, numerous sauces, seasonings, on a burger bun.[12]
Beverages
Craft root beer is popular in Minnesota and there are many brands in Minnesota such as Killebrew, Lift Bridge, and Northern Craft Root beer. Milk is very important for making cheeses. It is also the state beverage of Minnesota.[13]
The Bootlegger cocktail was invented in Minnesota and remains popular today. Akvavit was brought from Scandinavia by immigrants and is produced in numerous distilleries. The Minnesota Slammer, a popular cocktail in Minnesota, is made with cherry brandy, sweet and sour mix, peach and sour apple schnapps, and lemon-lime soda.[14]
Minnesota also produces Minnesota wines. The Minnesota Grape Growers Association (MGGA) is a statewide organization that promotes grape growing and winemaking in the state and also in cold-hardy climates. Minnesota is home to the International Cold Climate Wine Competition (ICCWC) hosted annually in partnership between MGGA and University of Minnesota. This is the only wine competition solely dedicated to the promotion of quality wines made mainly from cold-hardy grape varieties.
Blue Moon ice cream is also popular in Minnesota and throughout the Midwest.[20]Licorice is a popular confection usually flavored and colored black with the extract of the roots of the licorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra. Licorice is so popular that it was proposed as the state candy in 1997.[21]
Other dishes
A blueberry muffin.
Produce
The Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station's Horticultural Research Center at the University of Minnesota has developed three new apple varieties, the Haralson, Honeycrisp, and the Sweetango. These fare well in the harsh Minnesota climate and are popular fruit. Morel mushrooms are the state mushroom, and very popular among Minnesotan chefs. Wild rice is a popular appetizer in Minnesota. It can be eaten in several "ways" such as in a soup or hotdish. Lingonberries are used to accompany lefse and lutefisk. The berry can also be eaten plain as a snack.
Cheese
Minnesota is known for its dairy industry. Cheeses in Minnesota are made with cow, sheep, or goat milk.[22]Caves of Faribault and Shepherd's Way Farms are among the Minnesota businesses that produce artisan cheese. Caves of Faribault has produced cave-aged cheeses in Faribault since 2001. Shepherd's Way, which began producing cheese in 1998. Minnesota produces numerous cheeses such as: cheddar, brie, swiss, and gouda.
Spam- is salty processed canned pork and ham. It is made and was invented in Minnesota. It can be eaten in many ways, but also plain as a snack.[25]
Polish sausage- is very popular served cold as cold cuts on a platter, usually for an appetizer. It is also a common snack served with beer or plain vodka.
bratwursts- Are eaten in hotdog buns or as corndogs.
Breakfast hotdish- a hotdish consisting of eggs, cheese, and sausages.
Minnesota-style barbecue
Minnesota barbecue in includes meats like lamb, ribs, chicken, pulled pork, and fish such as smoked salmon. Horseradish is used opposed to chiles. Brown sugar, molasses, and tomato is also used. Spices such as allspice, nutmeg, and star anise. Minnesota barbecue is served with lingonberries, lefse, ranch, pickles, and broccoli salad. Smoked juicy Lucy is also part of Minnesota barbecue. Minnesota barbecue originated in the Twin Cities, but smoked fish barbecue started in Duluth.[27][28] The restaurant that started Minnesota-style barbecue was Neighbor’s BBQ Co.[29]
Minnesota is known for its church potlucks, where hotdish is often served. Hotdish is any of a variety of casseroles, which are popular throughout the United States, although the term "hotdish" is used mainly in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Hotdishes are filling comfort foods that are convenient and easy to make. Tater tot hotdish is popular, as is wild rice hotdish; Minnesota is one of the leading producers of wild rice. Dessert bars are also common at Minnesota potlucks. Other dishes include glorified rice, German baked apples and cookie salad.
