28% Of People Say This Is The Famous Regional Food They Would Want To Try- Mashed Survey

In an increasingly homogenized world where it seems every strip mall has a Starbucks, a Chick-fil-A, and a Panera, it's good to know that regional specialties are still a thing. Okay, sure, you can get New York-style cheesecake, Maryland(ish) crab cakes, and New England clam chowder in nearly every supermarket nationwide (Manhattan clam chowder, not so much, although Progresso and Campbell's do still make the stuff). Even Sonic sells Chicago dogs — just don't ask for ketchup!  Still, when you're traveling, it's always a little bit more fun to seek out and sample the local cuisine.

Which regional food would you most like to try if you were taking a road trip to hit the nation's best food spots? Mashed recently polled 604 readers and gave them a choice between six different specialties: Cincinnati chili, Louisiana gumbo, Minnesota hotdish, Philly cheesesteak, Texas barbecue, and Wisconsin cheese curds. While the top two candidates were separated by fewer than 15 votes, at the end of the day, there was still a clear winner. The good news for non-travelers is that the most popular local specialty is also widely available outside its region of origin.

When all of the votes were tallied, we found the winner, with nearly 28% of the vote, to be the Philly cheesesteak. Can't make it to the City of Brotherly Love to try one at Pat's or Geno's? You can get a knockoff cheesesteak at any mall food court or make your own at home. (Be sure to add some fried garlic to that Philly!)

In the number two spot, with over 25% of the vote, was Texas-style barbecue, although this dish may have lost a few points due to partisans who stick with the Kansas City or North Carolina barbecue styles. In the middle of the pack came Cajun gumbo (almost 17%) trailed by cheese curds (15%) — don't confuse the latter with those foam cheese heads worn by Packers fans although they, too, can be a bit bland (and noisy). Flavorful Cincinnati chili made a surprisingly poor showing with less than 10% of the vote, but it came as no surprise whatsoever to find that the biggest loser was Minnesota hotdish. This canned soup casserole, a dish that only a Midwesterner could love, was the favorite of just over 4% of the people we polled. Still, one thing you can say about hotdish is it beats the heck out of another Minnesota specialty: the notorious lutefisk.