Althouse: "If every state had an official dessert, what would it be?"

September 2, 2014

"If every state had an official dessert, what would it be?"

Did they get your state right?

81 comments:

Charles Purvis said...: They got Georgia right, but it's a pretty obvious one.; 9/2/14, 10:48 AM
SteveR said...: Just because New Mexico has two good ones they give one of them to Arizona. Good luck finding a decent sopapilla in Phoenix.; 9/2/14, 10:58 AM
Original Mike said...: They could have given Wisconsin apple pie WITH cheddar cheese.; 9/2/14, 11:00 AM
Mary Beth said...: No, I picked Derby Pie for Kentucky. I've never had bread pudding, or if I have it wasn't memorable enough to make an impression.; 9/2/14, 11:00 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: Well, I've never heard of Nanaimo bars, so no. Sounds like she listed the obvious ones and just made shit up for the rest.; 9/2/14, 11:00 AM
Birkel said...: I got mine right.

Slate, on the other hand, is full of shit.; 9/2/14, 11:02 AM
ron winkleheimer said...: I have lived in Alabama since 1995 and have never even heard of Lane cake.

Georgia gets all the publicity, but they grow excellent peaches in Alabama. I think peach ice-cream would be a better dessert for this state.

http://www.southernliving.com/travel/south-central/best-peaches-in-alabama; 9/2/14, 11:04 AM
Greg said...: I'm from Wyoming but live in Utah. I've lived roughly half of my life in each state. I love dessert. I don't think I've ever had a Cowboy cookie. Not sure if I've ever seen one. I rarely eat Jello--almost never. Maybe Utahans buy a lot of Jello, but I'm thinking Iello--green Jello with shredded carrots, specifically--is a stereotype shrouded in Urban legend and sprinkled with heavy doses of snark.; 9/2/14, 11:07 AM
Kelly said...: They got Indiana right considering it is the official state dessert. I've always hated sugar cream pie though, its to sweet.; 9/2/14, 11:08 AM
MayBee said...: Nowadays, elegant, not-too-sweet Meyer lemon cake is ubiquitous on West Coast restaurant menus.

Is it really? How did I miss that?

Michigan fudge is a good choice.
Brownies for Illinois seems fair if Chicago invented them. They are one of the great gifts to this earth after all. But Caramel Corn seems to be a huge thing in Chicago these days.; 9/2/14, 11:14 AM
mezzrow said...: @Ralph Hyatt

Lane Cake is the clear choice for Alabama. If you haven't had some, you didn't grow up there. It is a tribute to the work ethic of the southern housewife. Go find a recipe and imagine what would be involved without modern appliances. Often inspected by prospective Mothers-In-law for signs of sloth in the distant Alabama past.

The only time my granny in Montgomery would allow alcohol into her house was for the making of the Lane Cake. I love it, and my dad had to bribed to come to Alabama for Christmas by the promise of a Lane Cake. That said, it's an acquired taste.; 9/2/14, 11:24 AM
Lance said...: I don't even have to look, Utah will be Jell-O. Ha ha, so funny.; 9/2/14, 11:29 AM
Brando said...: They got Smith Island cake for my state, which seems about right. But was any state given Root Beer Float? Because that's still my favorite dessert.; 9/2/14, 11:32 AM
Original Mike said...: Utah's state dessert is Jell-O? That's kind of embarrassing.; 9/2/14, 11:34 AM
traditionalguy said...: Georgia is not peach cobbler, silly. It's pecan pie. Peaches are seasonal treats, and no one does cobbler in the winter.; 9/2/14, 11:35 AM
Mark said...: Slate, get something right?

I suppose a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes ... but she missed the boat on Wisconsin.

You do not eat kringles for dessert as you don't eat kringles after 11 AM. It's like coffee cake or donuts - people do not serve them for dessert. They're what you finish off before the Packer game starts.; 9/2/14, 11:35 AM
Original Mike said...: Mark's right. Kringles are breakfast.; 9/2/14, 11:40 AM
MadisonMan said...: I would've given Shoo-Fly pie to PA. But I guess if Banana Splits were invented there...

I have never considered Kringle a dessert. (that is to say, Mark's right). Nor is a Del's Frozen Lemonade a dessert.; 9/2/14, 11:43 AM
Unknown said...: Life long Seattle resident and I too have never heard of a Nanaimo Bar although Nanaimo, BC is a very nice place to visit.; 9/2/14, 11:43 AM
Eleanor said...: Try to find Boston Cream Pie in any restaurant in Massachusetts. It was popular in the 50's, but it's quaint now. I grew up close enough to the Toll House to smell those cookies baking. Those you can still find everywhere. Toll House cookie sundaes. Toll House cookie pie.; 9/2/14, 11:45 AM
Brian said...: No. "Mississippi Mud Pie" has got nothing at all to do with the state of Mississippi. I don't think I've ever seen it on a menu here nor been offered it at a private gathering.

Lemon icebox pie would be a much better choice --- this you will find in every diner and great old lady's kitchen.

The elongated shortbread cookie called a "straw", available in a variety of flavors, would be my second choice.; 9/2/14, 11:46 AM
MadisonMan said...: And who in their right mind would say "We're having salt-water taffy for dessert"?; 9/2/14, 11:46 AM
Peter said...: Which state should be awarded Moose Turd Pie?; 9/2/14, 11:47 AM
Jaq said...: No, a Maple Creamee or some Ben and Jerry's or better yet, local craft ice cream and apple pie.

Nobody eats those maple candies except tourists, but once in a while.; 9/2/14, 11:48 AM
lemondog said...: Which state should be awarded Moose Turd Pie?

DC which is listed as a state.; 9/2/14, 11:54 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: Did they get your state right?

No. There's no special connection between red velvet cake and Arkansas. Arkansas should have had apple cobbler or apple pie.; 9/2/14, 12:03 PM
Christy said...: Banana Pudding certainly works for Tennessee. So would blackberry cobbler, Tennessee Jam cake, and Buttermilk Pie (Chess Pie [a corruption of "just pie" - look at the ingredients - nothing special and imagine "just" with a strong hillbilly accent] made with buttermilk.)

Looking at the Cracker Barrel local menus and product line is a much better proxy for state desserts than the Slate list.; 9/2/14, 12:05 PM
Original Mike said...: Cheese or no cheese, Freeman?; 9/2/14, 12:05 PM
Anonymous said...: I lived in Montana for the first 26 years of my life and never had one smore. Based on my last visit something with huckleberries in it would be appropriate. Growing up there were Montana Monster Cookies which you could get at most convenience stores.; 9/2/14, 12:07 PM
Shanna said...: Arkansas seems wrong to me, because red velvet is not all that popular here and their reasoning is stupid (Steel Magnolia's was set in Louisiana, which is close enough apparently, and it was possibly invented in NY??? WTF, Slate?); 9/2/14, 12:15 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Cheese or no cheese, Freeman?

I gagged when I read this question, so I'm going with no cheese. Cheese on apple pie is not a thing here.; 9/2/14, 12:15 PM
jille said...: Cherry pie for Iowa is based on 9,000+ mini cherry pies sold every year at Iowa State University's VEISHEA celebration. Trouble is, VEISHEA just got axed forever due to multiple years of student riots. But the pies were yummy and an 80-year tradition - gone because of alcoholic stupidity.; 9/2/14, 12:18 PM
Kyhisprof said...: Kentucky should be Derby Pie. I do not know anyone who eats bread pudding and it is rarely on the menu at local eateries.; 9/2/14, 12:18 PM
Anonymous said...: Forget it, Jake, it's Slate.; 9/2/14, 12:18 PM
Original Mike said...: Cheddar cheese, at least 5 years old, on the side. Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm.; 9/2/14, 12:18 PM
Shanna said...: No. "Mississippi Mud Pie" has got nothing at all to do with the state of Mississippi. I don't think I've ever seen it on a menu here nor been offered it at a private gathering.

Half my family is from Mississippi. I thought that one was weird too. If they had said Mississippi Mud Cake, then I could have gone with it.

Back to Arkansas, their only Arkansas related reason (colors of the UofA) was also stupid when you realize that half the SEC is Red and White.; 9/2/14, 12:19 PM
Original Mike said...: With a glass of milk, of course.; 9/2/14, 12:19 PM
Paco Wové said...: "...mini cherry pies sold every year at [ISU's] VEISHEA celebration. "

I guess those were pretty iconic. I often wondered how much actual cherry was involved in that fluorescent red goopy filling.

Now that they're gone, Iowa will just have to fall back on Rice Krispies treats.; 9/2/14, 12:23 PM
Big Mike said...: I've never even seen Virginia's official desert on a menu, much less tried. But it's Slate, so one has low expectations for veracity.; 9/2/14, 12:31 PM
DanTheMan said...: I'd agree with Pecan pie for GA, as long as you say "pee CAN", and not "pee CAHN"!
As it was explained to me by a guy from Valdosta: "You don't drink from a CAHN of beer, right?"; 9/2/14, 12:34 PM
Jolan.False said...: No. Oregon's official dessert (/food/symbol/fruit/berry) would indisputably feature the marionberry (which, admittedly, is a type of blackberry, but the article does not acknowledge this). Doesn't matter if it's crumble, cobbler, pie, whiskey, or otherwise.; 9/2/14, 12:40 PM
Larry J said...: Ralph Hyatt said...
I have lived in Alabama since 1995 and have never even heard of Lane cake.

I was born in Alabama and lived about half my life here. Never heard of Lane cake, either. It does sound interesting. I lived in Colorado for 27 years and never had pot brownies, either. However, I left two years ago before legalization, although with my security clearance, it still isn't permitted.; 9/2/14, 12:42 PM
Gusty Winds said...: Wisconsin should have been Frozen Custard.; 9/2/14, 12:44 PM
I Callahan said...: Yes, they did. Anyone I've met not from Michigan, but has visited, wants to find a fudge store.; 9/2/14, 12:54 PM
Wince said...: Massachusetts is synonymous with a variant of a porno "money shot".; 9/2/14, 1:02 PM
Hagar said...: Arizona is all screwed up - again.

Sopapillas are not a dessert; they go with the dinner.; 9/2/14, 1:17 PM
Hagar said...: and for that matter, neither are biscochitos; they are just cookies.; 9/2/14, 1:18 PM
Roy Lofquist said...: Now key lime pie is clearly one fabulous dessert but the most popular dessert in Florida is a nap.; 9/2/14, 1:22 PM
Revenant said...: Nowadays, elegant, not-too-sweet Meyer lemon cake is ubiquitous on West Coast restaurant menus.

I've lived in California for over 20 years. I've never had, or seen, a Meyer lemon cake and can't remember ever noticing one on a restaurant menu.

In any case, picking a representative dessert for a state as geographically and culturally diverse as California would be pretty much impossible.; 9/2/14, 1:27 PM
ron winkleheimer said...: "Lane Cake is the clear choice for Alabama. If you haven't had some, you didn't grow up there."

Grew up in Ohio, moved to Alabama for a job and became a "Damn Yankee." That is, a Yankee who moved south, stayed, and bought property.; 9/2/14, 1:27 PM
lemondog said...: re: Arkansas, the always informative Wiki says:

When foods were rationed during World War II, bakers used boiled beet juices to enhance the color of their cakes. Beets are found in some red velvet cake recipes, where they also serve to retain moisture. Adams Extract, a Texas company, is credited for bringing the red velvet cake to kitchens across America during the time of the Great Depression by being one of the first to sell red food coloring and other flavor extracts with the use of point-of-sale posters and tear-off recipe cards.[4

Maybe Texas should be credited with 2 desserts......this AND peeCAN pie.; 9/2/14, 1:27 PM
Ann Althouse said...: They gave huckleberry pie to Idaho, but we ate huckleberry pie in Montana.; 9/2/14, 1:36 PM
ron winkleheimer said...: "peeCAN" is something found under a bed in a house without plumbing.

A pehCahn is a flavorful nut.; 9/2/14, 1:40 PM
Brando said...: I don't know why everyone here is criticizing the Slate writer so much. Compared with the usual Emily Bazelon or Marcotte piece, this is like reading a masterpiece.

Why yes, I like to keep the bar low...; 9/2/14, 1:45 PM
Anonymous said...: they nailed PA.; 9/2/14, 1:57 PM
Fr. Denis Lemieux said...: Nanaimo bars were invented in Nanaimo, BC, and, along with butter tarts, are uniquely Canadian desserts (and extremely delicious ones, too, I might add).; 9/2/14, 1:58 PM
Clyde said...: Florida - Key lime pie - no surprise there! And it's delicious...; 9/2/14, 2:11 PM
CStanley said...: Peach cobbler is what you think GA should be but you don't actually see much of it here and when you do it is made with canned peaches (usually at a BBQ or "meat and three" place, alongside banana pudding.

Pecan pie would be a pretty good choice although I associate it more with My previous home of New Orleans (it's probably Pan-South.)

Here in North GA I would go with fried pie, which is a ubiquitous treat at the roadside stands and orchards. They look just like those packaged pies you might have gotten in stores as a kid but they actually taste good.; 9/2/14, 2:34 PM
Think said...: Utah/Jello is not right at all. Having lived in Utah for most of my life, I have never been served Jello as a dessert. Sure, it is a common enough side dish for some Mormon gatherings, but a dessert it is not. It was a lazy choice because I am having a hard time thinking of what it would be. We have a great frozen custard place that has made various top ten lists on a national level. My personal favorite is fresh peach pie (Utah grows amazing peaches, despite Georgia's reputation), or homemade peach ice cream. Sugar cookies are common here too. I would say many Utahns are above average at cooking comfort food with our pioneer heritage.; 9/2/14, 2:39 PM
jacksonjay said...: peeCAHN is Texas Twang.

peeCAN is Southern Drawl.; 9/2/14, 2:40 PM
Think said...: Having thought some more, some sort of dutch-oven cobbler would have been more appropriate for Utah. Nearly everyone I know thinks they make the best.; 9/2/14, 2:44 PM
paminwi said...: Wisconsin's should have been a cream puff (a big seller at our State Fair) or frozen custard. My favorite though is a schaum torte with ice cream and strawberries. If you have never had schaum torte you are missing a wonderful dessert!; 9/2/14, 3:59 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/2/14, 4:03 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: Fact is, when you say Frozen Custard, you say Culvers.

No brag; just fact.; 9/2/14, 4:24 PM
LordSomber said...: Gotta echo in favor of pecan pie for Georgia. Much more common.

And salt water taffy for dessert? That's something tourists buy at the boardwalk.

If there's an official dessert for Jersey, it should be cannoli.; 9/2/14, 4:25 PM
Anonymous said...: No. Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream is the real choice for dessert in The Republic of Texas.; 9/2/14, 4:56 PM
Revenant said...: So the answer is:

If every state had an official dessert, it would be... a really silly thing for every state to do.; 9/2/14, 5:50 PM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: I believe that when Scout and Jem's mother died Miss Maudie baked a Lane cake "so loaded with shinny it made me tight." So of course it has to be the entry for Alabama.; 9/2/14, 6:21 PM
Bob R said...: Right, Big Mike. Have never been served Chess Pie, or seen it on a menu in VA.; 9/2/14, 6:26 PM
ken in tx said...: I also grew up in Alabama and also never heard of Lane cake. Pecan pie would have been a good choice for most southern states. We said peKahn in Alabama. We laughed at Georgians who said peecan. BTW, South Carolina produces more peaches than Georgia does and probably consumes more banana pudding than Tennessee does. Whoopee pie sounds like a Moonpie to me. Get me an ROC Co-Cola.; 9/2/14, 6:50 PM
ken in tx said...: Oh, I forgot, if you leave out the pecans from pecan pie you get Just pie. which is the same same as Chess pie. It's an egg and sweetener custard in a pie shell. I have actually made peanut butter pie by adding crunchy peanut butter to Just Pie.; 9/2/14, 6:58 PM
Deb said...: You've got it all wrong. It's PEEcan pie*. I read somewhere, and I'm not interested enough to check it out, that Georgia produces more peanuts than peaches, and South Carolina should really be the Peach State.

My aunt Gladys made a PEEcan pie that was a work of art.

*People who pronounce it peeCAHN are puttin' on.; 9/2/14, 7:01 PM
Michelle Dulak Thomson said...: Jolan False, the blurb for Oregon says "blackberries," but the attached recipe says "blackberries or marionberries." As a resident of Marion County, I approve. And some sort of blackberry/marionberry dish was the obvious choice.

I'll have to try that recipe, btw.; 9/2/14, 7:21 PM
George M. Spencer said...: Deb and traditional guy have it right about Georgia...I'd say a toss-up between pecan pie and anything having to do with peaches, say, sliced fresh peaches and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

N. Carolina and sweet potato pie sounds way wrong...Banana pudding might fit. Perhaps honeysuckle ice cream from Crooks Corner Restaurant in Chapel Hill; 9/2/14, 8:15 PM
southcentralpa said...: No, they were wrong to pass over apple dumplings. At least in this part of PA, apples are ... important. And, sometimes in August, peach dumplings *drooool*.; 9/2/14, 9:10 PM
Fred Drinkwater said...: ken in sc has it right for Alabama. My company was once acquired by a company based in Mobile, AL, and to mollify us they sent a big package of...Moon Pies and RC Cola.; 9/2/14, 9:42 PM
Shawn Levasseur said...: I was going to complain about the Whoopie Pie going to New Hampshire, when Maine has a greater claim to it.

However I found this article about a very important piece of legislation that was passed a few years ago:

"Maine House votes for whoopie pie as state treat, blueberry pie as state dessert"; 9/2/14, 11:34 PM
William said...: Fried pie is an idea whose time has come. Fried pie is the only obscure dessert that I really, really want to try....Is that some kind of subtle dig at Utah. Is the state flooring in Utah linoleum? Is the state flag made of polyester?; 9/3/14, 1:30 AM
Shanna said...: Fried pie is the only obscure dessert that I really, really want to try

Are fried pies actually obscure? You can get them all over in Arkansas. Way more places serve fried pies than red velvet cake.; 9/3/14, 9:16 AM
Shanna said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/3/14, 9:17 AM
Nichevo said...: Hostess and Drake fruit pies are fried pies. McD and BK used to sell them. Am I wrong?

Delicious, certainly.; 9/3/14, 7:13 PM