Cuisine of Ohio facts for kids

The food of Ohio is a special part of what people eat in the Midwestern United States. It has its own unique flavors and history!

History of Ohio's Food

Long ago, Ohio was full of natural foods. There were many wild animals like turkeys, deer, elk, and even huge herds of buffalo. As more people moved to Ohio, the number of buffalo went down. But people were still hunting them in southeastern Ohio as late as 1792.

In 1785, a general named Richard Butler wrote about a big dinner. It had roast buffalo, buffalo soup, fried turkeys, and fresh catfish. They also ate roast ducks. All this food came from hunting and fishing!

Deer and turkey were the most popular game to hunt. Fish like pike, catfish, sturgeon, bass, and perch were easy to find. If food was scarce, people would eat raccoons, squirrels, or opossums. One person from the Revolutionary War time said a hunter could catch six to eight deer every day.

Early Farming Challenges

In the early days, growing wheat was hard in Ohio's rich soil. So, wheat bread was a rare treat. Many other crops were also difficult to grow. When The Ohio Company settled Marietta in 1788, they planted potatoes, turnips, pumpkins, corn, squash, melons, beans, and cucumbers.

But in 1789, bad weather ruined the crops. This led to a very tough time called "the starving year." People usually kept pork by brining it in barrels. But there weren't many hogs, and salt had to be brought all the way from the Allegheny Mountains. By the end of winter, many families had no cornmeal left. Even the richest families had only a few potatoes.

When spring came, pioneers gathered wild plants like nettles and purslane. It wasn't until July that new corn, beans, and squash were ready. They made these into soup.

Growing Food in the 1790s

By 1792, Jack Heckewelder saw corn, barley, potatoes, turnips, oats, millet, and wheat growing in Cincinnati. Even though not many people lived there yet, soldiers at Fort Washington had "very fine" vegetable gardens.

Buckwheat cakes were a common food. In 1797, Francis Bailey wrote in his travel journal that settlers made syrup from sugar maples. During winter, they relied on wild meats like turkey and venison.

Ohio's Food Specialties

Ohio has many unique foods that people love!

Buckeye Candy

Buckeye candy

Buckeye candy is a very popular sweet treat in Ohio. It's like a peanut butter cup, but it looks like the nut from Ohio's state tree, the buckeye. This candy has a center of peanut butter fudge. It's then dipped in chocolate, but a part of the peanut butter center is left showing.

Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati-style chili is a special meat sauce. It's made with ground beef and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, bay leaf, and chili powder. Some homemade recipes even add chocolate! This chili is often put on top of spaghetti or hot dogs. You can also add red beans, chopped onions, and shredded cheese. These extra toppings are called "ways."

Sauerkraut Balls

Sauerkraut balls are a popular snack in Ohio. They are small, meatball-sized fritters. They contain sauerkraut mixed with ham, bacon, or pork. Two brothers, Max and Roman Gruber, invented this recipe in the 1950s for their restaurant in Shaker Heights, Ohio. They were inspired by the different cultures in Northeast Ohio. There's even an annual Sauerkraut Festival in Waynesville, Ohio, where you can try them! Sauerkraut balls are the official dish of Akron.

Northeast Ohio Clam Bakes

Clam bakes are very popular in Northeast Ohio. This area was first settled by people from Connecticut and other New England states. A typical clam bake here includes clams, chicken, sweet potatoes, and corn. Unlike New England, they don't use seaweed. Instead, all the food is steamed together in a big pot.

Barberton Chicken

Barberton, Ohio, near Akron, is known for Barberton Chicken. This dish is chicken deep-fried in lard. Serbian immigrants created it. It's usually served with a hot rice dish, vinegar coleslaw, and french fries.

Famous Ohio Treats

Mansfield, Ohio is home to two famous food companies. Stewart's Restaurants created Stewart's Fountain Classics Sodas. The Isaly Dairy Company created the well-known Klondike bar ice cream. Both are now sold all over the world!