Pies · Hot Dogs · Pork Roll · Saltwater Candies · Tomato Pie. New Jersey has no shortage of food icons: saltwater candies, apple candies and great delicatessen sandwiches, but those of us who aren't lucky enough to live within state lines can buy them elsewhere. This sandwich has become one of the most popular foods in New Jersey because of its convenient portability and ease of preparation. Hammonton is the blueberry capital of the world and New Jersey ranks third nationally in blueberry production.
Ham, pork, pickles, cheese, mojo (adobo) and pressed bread make up the Cuban sandwich, and the best in the country is in New Jersey. Delve into the vast expanses of forest that make up New Jersey's Pine Barrens and you'll find farms that produce some of the best blueberries in the country. New Jersey residents may insist on calling a long sandwich full of meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onions a sandwich, but an Atlantic City store has long been bucking that naming trend. With its rich culinary history and unique flavors that combine the best of American and other cultures, it's no wonder that so many New Jersey foods have become famous across the country.
Many New Jersey bakeries and coffee shops adorn their blueberry muffins with a sweet, crumbly streusel topping, which adds a little more texture and flavor. Invented at the Belmont Tavern by the mysterious chef Stretch, kale chicken has been designated by some as New Jersey's unofficial state dish. These are the foods that New Jerseyans love to fight about and they love to eat; the iconic foods that anyone who has moved out of the state should eat from the moment they return to their land. The intoxicating smell of this classic New Jersey roast chicken mixed with garlic, herbs, and red wine vinegar hits you right away.
The pork roll sandwich is one of New Jersey's iconic foods that was invented in the late 19th century. Forget the one-person hot dog carts in New York and the loaded Vienna sausages in Chicago, because the true hot dog paradise in the United States is in New Jersey. New Jersey is the third largest blueberry-producing state, and the intense crimson of a blueberry swamp (pictured) is my favorite fall color. Not surprisingly, seafood is one of New Jersey's strengths, with millions of pounds of fish being unloaded every year at the state's six major commercial ports (Belford, Point Pleasant Beach, Barnegat Light, Atlantic City, Port Norris and Cape May).