It can be hard to pinpoint “iconic” Nevadan food since we actually lack an official state food. A lot of states have a food of which they are famous for…such as Idaho and potatoes. Nevada doesn’t. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of unique Nevada fare that are easily found in the Silver State. These nine food items may not be official state foods, but every Nevadan surely craves them when they aren’t in Nevada. Which one is your favorite?
- Frozen Hot Chocolate
Debbie R/Flickr A classic cold treat in Nevada is frozen hot chocolate. Yes, it’s an oxymoron. But every Nevadan will swear it’s the only way to enjoy hot chocolate. This tasty concoction is hard to track down outside of Nevada. It’s most easily found on the Las Vegas strip.
- Basque Food
Charles Haynes/Flickr A large amount of Basque people settled in Nevada during the gold rush era, making the state one of the best places to feast on delicious Basque cuisine. Every Nevadan who’s left the state knows that Basque food can be hard to find elsewhere. However, it’s pretty easy to find a place to indulge in classic Basque dishes like paella, chorizo sandwiches, or chateaubriand.
- Onions…in all forms.
Stu Spivack/Flickr Over 3,000 acres of Nevada’s land is devoted to growing onions, making Nevada one of the top onion producers in the nation. No wonder onion rings are served as appetizers in pretty much every Nevadan restaurant. And there’s truly nothing like a fresh, steaming bowl of french onion soup!
- Saffron cake
Kimberly Reinhart/Flickr A lot of Nevada’s food staples were introduced by early pioneers in the 19th century. Saffron cake is one of the desserts that has stuck around for over a hundred years now. Delicious by itself or served with berries, saffron cake serves as a delightful reminder of Nevada’s beginnings.
- Raw oysters
Quinn Dombrowski/Flickr Despite being a landlocked state, raw oysters are an extremely common starter dish in many restaurants. They may not look appetizing, but true Nevadans know what a delicacy these are!
- Thai food
star5112/Flickr Most people don’t realize that Nevada is home to hundreds of Thai restaurants serving up authentic Thai cuisine. In fact, Lotus of Siam is one of the top rated Thai restaurants in the entire country…and it’s located in Las Vegas. It’s hard to imagine living a state where Thai food isn’t readily available.
- Steak and eggs
LWYang/Flickr Although Nevada is a melting pot of different cultures and types of food, the most common type of food is good ol’ American fare, including steak and eggs. What makes this dish so unique to Nevada is the fact you can order it pretty much anywhere, and at any time of the day…including 3 a.m. in the morning at some restaurants.
- Shrimp cocktail
Ming-yen Hsu/Flickr If Nevada were to actually obtain an official state food, the shrimp cocktail might just be it. This classic appetizer has become a bit of a cliche and is probably what first comes to mind when you think of Vegas. The shrimp cocktail has been popular in southern Nevada for 50 years and it doesn’t show any sign of going out of style.
- All You Can Eat-style everything.
Yelp Inc./Flickr There are dozens of articles on the internet listing each state’s most “iconic” food, and for Nevada it always seems to be the All You Can Eat Buffet…as if that’s a single food item. Well, it may not be a specific dish but the AYCE buffet is certainly iconic of Nevada. These massive buffets are not to be taken for granted and they are definitely something you come to miss if you ever leave Nevada.
What would you add to this list? You’re most definitely a Nevadan if you can say you’ve had all of these. Check out these other 10 Undeniable Ways You Know You’re From Nevada.
Debbie R/Flickr
A classic cold treat in Nevada is frozen hot chocolate. Yes, it’s an oxymoron. But every Nevadan will swear it’s the only way to enjoy hot chocolate. This tasty concoction is hard to track down outside of Nevada. It’s most easily found on the Las Vegas strip.
Charles Haynes/Flickr
A large amount of Basque people settled in Nevada during the gold rush era, making the state one of the best places to feast on delicious Basque cuisine. Every Nevadan who’s left the state knows that Basque food can be hard to find elsewhere. However, it’s pretty easy to find a place to indulge in classic Basque dishes like paella, chorizo sandwiches, or chateaubriand.
Stu Spivack/Flickr
Over 3,000 acres of Nevada’s land is devoted to growing onions, making Nevada one of the top onion producers in the nation. No wonder onion rings are served as appetizers in pretty much every Nevadan restaurant. And there’s truly nothing like a fresh, steaming bowl of french onion soup!
Kimberly Reinhart/Flickr
A lot of Nevada’s food staples were introduced by early pioneers in the 19th century. Saffron cake is one of the desserts that has stuck around for over a hundred years now. Delicious by itself or served with berries, saffron cake serves as a delightful reminder of Nevada’s beginnings.
Quinn Dombrowski/Flickr
Despite being a landlocked state, raw oysters are an extremely common starter dish in many restaurants. They may not look appetizing, but true Nevadans know what a delicacy these are!
star5112/Flickr
Most people don’t realize that Nevada is home to hundreds of Thai restaurants serving up authentic Thai cuisine. In fact, Lotus of Siam is one of the top rated Thai restaurants in the entire country…and it’s located in Las Vegas. It’s hard to imagine living a state where Thai food isn’t readily available.
LWYang/Flickr
Although Nevada is a melting pot of different cultures and types of food, the most common type of food is good ol’ American fare, including steak and eggs. What makes this dish so unique to Nevada is the fact you can order it pretty much anywhere, and at any time of the day…including 3 a.m. in the morning at some restaurants.
Ming-yen Hsu/Flickr
If Nevada were to actually obtain an official state food, the shrimp cocktail might just be it. This classic appetizer has become a bit of a cliche and is probably what first comes to mind when you think of Vegas. The shrimp cocktail has been popular in southern Nevada for 50 years and it doesn’t show any sign of going out of style.
Yelp Inc./Flickr
There are dozens of articles on the internet listing each state’s most “iconic” food, and for Nevada it always seems to be the All You Can Eat Buffet…as if that’s a single food item. Well, it may not be a specific dish but the AYCE buffet is certainly iconic of Nevada. These massive buffets are not to be taken for granted and they are definitely something you come to miss if you ever leave Nevada.
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