Is This Really MD’s ‘Most Iconic Food’? The Food Network Says So

MARYLAND — You may not agree, but the Food Network says the most iconic food in Maryland is steamed blue crab.

The network listed the foods each of the 50 states is known for in its 2024 “United Plates of America” report released earlier this year.

Here’s what the Food Network says about the Chesapeake Bay delicacy: “Nothing shouts Maryland quite like blue crab, the crustacean prized for its sweet, white meat. … The purest way to enjoy these clawed beauties is the simplest: steamed and dusted with a piquant spice mix (like Old Bay!). Order them at crab houses across Maryland — think Cantler's Riverside Inn in Annapolis or Costas Inn just outside Baltimore — where steamed crabs are sold by the dozen and dumped directly atop tables covered in newspaper or brown butcher paper. Prepare to get messy, since no utensils are required but your own two hands and the supplied crackers and mallets.”

The Food Network says its list is “packed with iconic local flavors that share its history and define its geography.” The list also includes the best place to find these foods.

If crab doesn’t suit your tastes, other iconic foods in the region include:

Delaware: Fries with Vinegar such as those served up at Thrasher's on the boardwalk

New Jersey: Disco Fries, billed as the state's answer to Canada’s poutine.

Pennsylvania: Philly Cheesesteak

Virginia: Peanut Soup, brought to the colony from enslaved Africans, The Jefferson Restaurant in Williamsburg serves it up.