As much Americans love to identify as a unified group, the thing that makes the country pretty cool is the fact that each individual state has its' own identity and takes pride in that. Each state has things they're famous for, bragging rights if you will, and what's the topic that comes to mind when they talk about their home state? Famous foods of course!

Maine has Lobster, Idaho has Potatoes, Maryland has crab cakes and of course, Kansas and Missouri love to brag about their BBQ. Every state has a food they are especially proud of, but how about local cuisine that is so strange or gross, that only people who live there can stand to stomach?

I stumbled upon a list that compiled the most, um, "interesting" regional cuisine, and was immediately curious to see what the claim to fame was for the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I have to say, I was pretty surprised to see that the answer was Boston Baked Beans.

Really?! I can see the Koolickle (Yes, a Kool-Aid marinated pickle) from Mississippi, or Nutria, which is literally a yellow-toothed river rat, apparently a local delicacy in Louisiana, but you cannot put baked beans in the same category!

While I get that maybe Baked Beans don't sound or look like the most appetizing dinner choice, but there's not a person alive, o.k., maybe a person over the age of 25, who wasn't served baked beans as a child, and guess what, I didn't complain about it.

We can all agree that Franks and Beans (hot dogs and beans for those youngsters reading, whose parents don't feed them nitrate-filled DELICIOUSNESS) was a regular dinner staple in our households, but they were all a bit different. Growing up, my brother and I ate our franks and baked beans with sauerkraut, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't totally into it.

 

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