Are you a Patriots fan? Send this to your friends who are rooting for the Seahawks, and then read about how Seattle food could give New England food a run for its money.
It's time to take stock of the great region of New England and celebrate everything it gets right in life, like its food. For those of you who aren't quite sure, New England is made up of the small, but great, states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. (No, New York is not part of the cluster.)
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To our fellow Americans who were born in any of the other 44 states, we acknowledge that you also have great food traditions to offer. No one does fish tacos like San Diego does. And the best bacon is found in the South, no question. But New England, well, it's been around the longest, has the deepest history, and knows how to take full advantage of its tiny, yet plentiful coast. It's home to some of the country's most beloved foods -- ahem, Ben & Jerry's -- but also has some well-guarded secret treats that require a trip to the region to experience. (Maple Creemees or bust.)
Without further ado, here are 22 food reasons why New England is winning at life -- edited down from a 1,001, for your reading pleasure.
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1
New England has perfected the hot dog bun.
It's all about the top cut. That way you can set it down without having it fall over and everything topple out. You can also easily butter and grill these types of buns, which means they can (and should) be filled with lobster.
2
There are more ice cream stands in the summer than billboards on the highway.
Alison Spiegel
That's because New England is home to some of the best dairy cows and fresh ingredients.
3
There's Chicago pizza. New York pizza. And then New Haven APIZZA.
New Haven's claim to fame is not Yale, but its pizza -- which the locals have lovingly renamed apizza. It rivals the best styles in the country -- even Lena Dunham thinks so.
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4
The chedda is betta.
Sure, Wisconsin makes excellent cheese curds and is a master of cheese making in general, but Vermont makes some of the best cheddars this world has ever known. Grafton or die, bitches.
5
Portland, Maine has dominated the weird chip flavor game.
No one can top sour cream and clam flavored chips. Or grilled cheese and ketchup. Or fries and gravy. No one.
6
New England is the home of the Fluffernutter, HELLO.
Peanut butter and jelly is fine, but peanut butter and marshmallow creme? It's the stuff childhood dreams are made of. The first versions of the famous Marshmallow Fluff was created during the early twentieth century -- in the great state of Massachusetts -- and the irresistable Fluffernutter soon followed.
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7
The rest of the country might have chocolate milk, but New England has COFFEE milk.
Wikimedia: Jessamyn
Coffee milk is a drink made with sweetened coffee concentrate and milk -- mixed just like you would chocolate milk, only with coffee. You can find the syrup, and make it yourself -- Rhode Island's Autocrat Coffee is a popular choice -- or you can buy the milk already mixed and sold in the dairy aisle. New Englanders are so into it that Rhode Island made it its official drink in 1993.
8
They don't call it a NEW ENGLAND clambake for nothing.
You might be able to host a clambake anywhere sand can be found, but the idea came from New Englanders -- the original masters. Naturally, New Englanders will always do it best.
9
A true New Englander brings their own jar of real maple syrup to breakfast.
Monica Donovan via Getty Images
There's just so much of the stuff. (Plus, a proper New Englander would rather starve than eat fake maple syrup.)
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10
America's love affair with burgers is all thanks to New Haven, CT.
Louis' Lunch in New Haven is famous for being the birthplace of American burgers. You can still get a burger there today -- just as it was served over 100 years ago. While it's a far cry from the burgers the country enjoys these days, it's a little taste of history everyone should experience.
11
TWO WORDS: Maple Creemee.
This is soft serve made with maple syrup in it. Life doesn't get better than this.
12
Del's frozen lemonade is the official taste of summer.
By now, most people have heard of Del's. It's a frozen lemonade drink that pretty much defines the taste of summer. It's such a popular beverage that it almost took coffee milk's place as Rhode Island's official drink. Almost.
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13
Manhattan doesn't know a thing about chowder.
New Englanders know how to make it creamy, like the kind you find all over the coast of Massachusetts, AND they know how to make it broth-y, the version Rhode Island has perfected.
(They also know that you never add tomatoes. Ever.)
(They also know that you never add tomatoes. Ever.)
14
TRUTH: The world would be a sadder place without Ben & Jerry's.
Vermont, we owe you everything.
15
Cape Cod Potato Chips actually come from Cape Cod.
And you can take a tour of the factory when you're there and eat lots of chips. It's just one more piece of evidence that Cape Cod is heaven on earth.
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16
Moxie wouldn't exist without Maine.
The word AND the soda. Dr. Augustin Thompson, the founder of this beverage, made up the word Moxie to name his drink -- now the official state drink of Maine -- and it has stuck. The soda isn't sweet by today's soda standards, some even say it's bitter, but it remains a favorite with locals.
17
New York might have popularized the hot dog, but Rhode Island is making them famous.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
You haven't had a hot dog until you've had one Rhode-Island style. Known as New York System Wieners, these dogs are shorter, traditionally made with made of veal and pork, and topped with a seasoned meat sauce that isn't quite chili and isn't really gravy -- but is damn good.
18
New England gave the country Dunkin' Donuts.
The first shop was opened in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts. Now there are over 10,000 franchises. You. Are. Welcome. America.
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19
CRAN-BER-RIES.
Philippe Bourseiller via Getty Images
This native New England fruit has defined the landscape of MA. Southeastern Massachusetts alone has over 14,000 acres of working cranberry bogs -- harvesting millions of cranberries each year and making everyone's Thanksgiving table complete.
20
The Wellfleet Oyster Festival that takes place every year is a testament to NE's great seafood.
Amy Steigbigel via Getty Images
Long considered some of the world’s best, New England's Wellfleet oysters are a source of pride.
21
Belgium might have Godiva, but New Hampshire has given us Burdick.
And their adorable chocolate mice.
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22
LOBSTER ROLLS.
og-vision via Getty Images
Connecticut AND Maine style. *mic drop*
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