Traveling in the Great American West, in the heart of the United States, letting yourself be intrigued by local delicacies, discovering local gastronomic habits and traditions, curious dishes, original seasonings, intriguing flavors, and unique ingredients as well as typical customs greatly enriches the already coveted journey. Here are some culinary suggestions to include in the travel itinerary in the Great American West.
Yellowstone National Park: huckleberries
Nothing to do with Huckleberry Finn, a fictional character created by the American writer Mark Twain and first appearing in the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. These are small berries that in the United States come in different colors, such as red, blue, or black, very similar to blueberries. Many products come from wild blueberries: from tasty smoothies to bath salts! In Yellowstone National Park there are many and they delight not only tourists but also the grizzly bears who love them.
These berries with a thick skin offer delicacies such as jellies, gummy candies, and jams. You can sip a huckleberry margarita at the historic Old Faithful Inn or drizzle huckleberry syrup on pancakes at the M66 Grill of the Canyon Lodge. An excellent huckleberry ice cream cone is enjoyed at Mammoth Hot Springs. If your lips crack in the dry Rocky Mountain climate, you can find a great stick balm at the shop of the Yellowstone Lake Hotel. All accommodations are located within the national park.
Wyoming: grüner Chili
Neben dem Rindersteak gibt es eine unerwartete Spezialität in Cheyenne, im Wyoming. Bereiten Sie sich auf ein anderes kulinarisches Erlebnis auf der Basis von grünem Chili vor. Über diese Sauce kann man diskutieren, da jedes Restaurant seine eigene Version anbietet, aber die Leute bleiben der beliebtesten treu.
Sie wird großzügig über Burritos, Pommes Frites oder Omeletts gegossen. Die Sauce variiert in Konsistenz, Schärfe und Zutaten. Die Basis wird durch eine oder mehrere Sorten der sieben Arten grüner Chilischoten gewürzt, die die Schärfe bestimmen. Einige fügen etwas Wurst oder Hackfleisch hinzu; dann gibt es die dickere und cremigere Löffelsauce und die, die schnell ins Essen einzieht. Alle tragen jedoch die unverwechselbare Geschmacksnote von Cheyenne. Viele Restaurants beanspruchen den ersten Platz für die beste grüne Chile-Sauce: Man muss sie also probieren und sich hineindenken, wie es die Einheimischen tun, indem man sie zum Frühstück auf einem Burrito genießt. Dann sollte man immer Burger, traditionelle mexikanische Gerichte und eine große Auswahl an Beilagen im Auge behalten: die Sauce harmoniert gut mit zahlreichen Speisen.
North Dakota: smorgasbord
A decidedly Midwestern meal inspired by Scandinavian traditions is now commonplace in the culinary scene of Fargo in North Dakota. This is the smorgasbord: a wide selection of hot and cold foods usually served buffet-style and traditionally part of the local home tradition, especially to celebrate an event, or simply to gather whatever is available at home on the table. Go to Prairie Kitchen, one of the gastronomic concepts of the city’s 701 Eateries: here you will find on the menu the smorgasbord of Scandinavian tradition, that is the charcuterie board provided with various types of meats, cheeses, bread, lefse, trout sauce, and salted herring.
South Dakota: chilslic and pickle beer
Il South Dakota has its own tasty state dish: chilslic. Cubes of aged beef or lamb, fried or grilled on wooden skewers. You can find them in pubs or restaurants. A good place to enjoy them in Sioux Falls is Urban Chislic or in Freeman at Meridian Corner, and in this very location the annual South Dakota Chislic Festival takes place at the end of July. This mouth-watering skewer is also at home in Rapid City at Minervas Restaurant & Bar and at Dakota Steakhouse. Speaking of meat, South Dakota is home to the largest bison ranches in the United States: this powerful and iconic animal grazes freely on the Great Plains. It is very easy to enjoy its lean, cholesterol-free meat in restaurants serving bison burgers or steaks, such as Firehouse Brewing Co. For breakfast you can try a buffalo hanger steak with eggs at Tally’s Silver Spoon, while at lunch or dinner you can enjoy a bison meatloaf at Murpley’s Pub & Grill. What to drink? A pickle beer, of course! A light draft beer, typical South Dakota product with the addition of a pickle.
Idaho: finger steaks
Idaho has launched the very latest in comfort food combo. Finger steaks are a unique delicacy of the state. You can find these strips of buttered and then fried beef on many menus in the Gem State. Many places claim to have been the first to introduce this delicacy. Although the origin is unknown, it is certain that it is now a dish of Idaho. For the true experience, you need to dip the finger steaks in fry sauce, a sauce that mixes ketchup, mayonnaise, spices, and pickles.
Montana: craft breweries
If you find yourself in Montana in Butte, downtown there is Pekin Noodle Parlor, the oldest Chinese restaurant in the United States – born with the gold rush – founded in 1911 by Chinese immigrants who came to Butte for mining. A very different atmosphere, to say the least eccentric, can be found at Sip’n Dip Lounge in Great Falls, where you sit for a drink watching a mermaid (and her merman!) swimming in a tank behind the tiki bar. A decidedly unexpected tropical-themed place. A Montana pride in Glacier Country are the craft breweries (per capita they rank second in the USA, much loved by beer enthusiasts!) with labels featuring truly creative and quirky names.
The city of Missoula is the mecca of breweries, including the largest brewery in the entire state, Big Sky Brewing, with beers such as Moose Drool, Space Goat, and Trout Slayer. KettleHouse Brewing offers beers like Cold Smoke, Double Haul, Eddy Out, and Fresh Bongwater. At the Draught Works brewery, you can find Clothing Optional Hazy Pale Ale and Space Hippy. On the shores of the large Flathead Lake at Lakeside, you can taste Bottom Blonde and Sip N’Go Naked at Tamarack Brewing. In Kalispell, the Kalispell Brewing brewery offers Two Ski Brewski, while the town of Whitefish is home to Bonsai Brewing with labels like Basket Case and Cranky Sheriff 21. Just to finish the series of whimsical names for these tasty beers, the Cut Bank Brewery offers Penguin Piss and Rail Spike. The only thing left is to plan a tour in Western Montana with selected stops at some of these breweries.
