Pittsburgh has a culinary tradition.
I can hear some of you snickering out there, but Pittsburgh does have a food tradition. Sometimes it isn’t pretty (much like our predilection to use the word “yunz” in sentences), but it is a tradition nonetheless.
Here are some of the foods that we can make claim to, or simply remind us of Pittsburgh, in alphabetical order.
- Big Macs: Invented and first sold in Pittsburgh.
- Chip Chopped Ham: Shaved ham, a deli meat. Often quite fatty.
- City Chicken: Veal or pork disguised as Chicken…don’t ask.
- Clark Bars: North Side Candy Bar that became popular nationwide.
- Dippy Eggs: eggs over easy…over very easy, often served on untoasted white bread.
- Fried Zucchini Strips: Popularized by Italian immigrants, I grew up on these and fried Zucchini Slices. Of course, Pittsburghers can’t just leave well enough alone, and you’ll often see them topped with Heinz Ketchup.
- Heinz Ketchup: Thank GOD Heinz makes an Organic Ketchup.
- Hoagies: Our version of Submarine Sandwiches. In Western Pennsylvania, Hoagie sales are extremely popular in High Schools to raise money.
- Imp an Ahrn: An Imp an Ahrn, is a shot of Imperial Whiskey placed in a glass of Iron City. Our version of a boilermaker.
- Iron City Beer: Our hometown brew, known for their cans featuring the various sports teams. It’s taste? Meh.
- Italian Wedding Soup: Beef meatballs in Chicken broth, with pasta and carrots.
- Jimmies: Jimmies are what everyone else calls sprinkles (i.e. the tiny candies put on ice cream).
- Jumbo Sandwiches: Jumbo isn’t a size, it’s a name for Baloney
- Klondike Bars: Isaly’s ice cream treat.
- Pierogies: Potato dumplings made popular by the many Polish and Ukranian immigrants in the area.
- Pittsburgh style steak: Steak cooked at an extremely high heat, so that the outside is burnt, but the inside is pink
- Pop: Coke and Pepsi are pops. Soda is water.
- Strawberry Pies: Every year, Eat ‘n’ Park would have specials based on this dessert, and every year, families would make at least one pilgrimage to indulge in them.
- Rolling Rock Beer: Actually a Latrobe, PA institution. Home to the Steelers training camp.
Restaurants and Food Sellers
- Eat n’ Park: Our version of Denny’s. Tasted better than Denny’s as well.
- Giant Eagle: A local grocery store, often pronounced J’an T’ggle in Pittsburghese.
- Isaly’s: Actually a Eastern Ohio Dairy Company that became Pittsburgh’s version of a Soda Shop.
- Primanti Bros.: A Pittsburgh Institution
- Winky’s: A long gone fast food restaurant, who had a slogan that went “Winky’s makes you happy to be hungry.”
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