Food in Missouri
Food in Missouri is plentiful and varied.
The territory is named after the Missouri Indians. Their name may have meant “people of the big canoe” as the Missouri used their large canoes to travel along the river. Missouri is known for producing cattle, hogs, and poultry including turkeys, as well as dairy products. Soybeans, corn, apples, and black walnuts are some of the important crops. Abundance of food lead to food processing as one of the Missouri major industries..
Aunt Jemima pancake flour, invented in 1889, was the first self-rising flour for pancakes and the first ready-mix food available in the market.Aunt Jemima has its home in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Jerry Perry who worked out of a trolley barn and sold his ribs wrapped in newsprint, was Kansas City's first barbecue man. Now, Kansas City barbecue is among Missourians favorite foods and you can find in the city lovely barbecue in all sorts of places, from tiny walk-ups, filled with smoke, to fancy restaurants. It is difficult to miss out on a barbecue joint in Kansas City.
The ice cream cones, iced tea, and hot dogs on buns were first introduced at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904.
Missouri foods
Catfish is a favorite food with Missourians, as well as the local beef, corn and wheat. They also like bread from the St. Louis Bread Company - Panera bread for every other State - thrown rolls from the Lambert's Cafe in Silkeston, Kansas City barbecue - Kansas City, Missouri, of course - and Tyson chicken. The many Mexican immigrants working on the farms brought their food with them, and Missourians have grown to love authentic Mexican food, as well. Most people would drink cold Budweiser, brewed in St. Louis - although Kansas City locals like Natural Light Beer that they call "Naty light"t or "beer flavored water."
Other foods to remember, if you have tried them once, are the ice cream treats from the Central Dairy, Jefferson City, and, also from Lambert's Cafe, the "pass arounds" which are a mix of black-eyed peas, fried okra, fried potatoes, pasta, tomatoes and sorghum, sweetened with honey - servers walked around with large containers with this mixture. In Kansas City, there are also steaks, hot wheat rolls and Mexican eateries to give something to remember. You can buy about everything at the City Market, outdoors in the River Market area, Kansas City. You can buy dog treats there too, the Three Dog Bakery, a bakery only for dogs, even bakes birthday cakes for dogs.
No more river fare in St. Louis. If you visit St. Louis, have frozen custard - which is a big thin with the locals.Try also chicken wings, and pizza St. Louis style, with always has a thin crust. In St, Louis, visit The Hill, the Italian neighborhood where you can find excellent restaurants. Visit Soulard Market where the farmers bring their produce and whatever else to sell, including live chickens.
…and food events
Ozark Ham And Turkey Festival, California, Missouri, September
Missouri State Fair, Sedalia, August, an event with lovely food.
State bird: Bluebird
State tree: Flowering Dogwood
State Flower: Hawthorn
Recipes from Missouri
Black walnut is the State tree and there are plenty of recipes with black walnuts.
Meatballs in mushroom sauce with mashed sweet potatoes.
Missouri is also "The Birthplace of Jazz."
The first European settlers to this area were French trappers and fur traders who arrived in the late 1600s but later the united States bought the Missouri as part of the Louisiana purchase.
Things to do, places to see
There are many interesting places such as Great River Road offers history, natural beauty, scenic vistas, and small towns with good food; St Genevieve has several restored old inn, and bed and breakfast places .Hannibal and Florida, Missouri, in the Mark Twain Region, where you will find his house restored to its 1800s appearance. But there is also Hermann, known as Little Germany, with award wining wines, home grown, and excellent German food; or Jamesport, Missouri's Amish country, with Amish food.