image via mapbox screen capture

Growing up in Minnesota, I could have easily told you our state bird (the humble Loon), our state motto (“L'Étoile du Nord”), and even who designed our state’s domed capital building (legendary architect Cass Gilbert). I was a walking, talking, fountain of North Star trivia. But, had you asked me what type of food sets Minnesota apart, well, I would have been at something of a loss. There are plenty of meals I’d grown up associating with my home state—hot dish, walleye, various things on a stick—but to pick just one would have been next to impossible.