Leaving Maine is hard enough. But, when you think about leaving the FOOD here, things can go from hard to nearly impossible. Anyone who has tried to get a proper lobster roll in any other state, will understand. Considering a move from Vacationland? Don’t do it before reminding yourself of the foods you’ll be missing out on. Maybe you just want to know what food Maine is known for. Either way here are 10 of the foods Mainers miss most when they leave and they might be the hardest to live without!
- Maine Sugar on Snow
Sharon Bautista / Flickr This dessert is made by combining fresh snow with milk, then covered with a hearty serving of maple syrup. It might be the best sugar infusion you’ll have all winter and the best ones are definitely in Maine!
- Maine Brown Bread
amanda / Flickr There’s only ONE way to make this perfect bread - steamed and in a can! If it doesn’t have the outer rings of the can on it, you’re not enjoying the real thing. Bonus points if the can is a B&M Baked Beans can!
- Moxie!
Peter Dutton / Flickr You say you won’t. You say you hate it. But, we know the truth. The minute you can’t have it, you’re going to miss the odd medicinal tasting soda that calls Maine its home.
- Wild Maine Blueberry Pie
Abby / Flickr Any other variety is just “blueberry pie.” If it’s not made with wild Maine blueberries, it’s just not the same. Mainer miss this even when they’re IN Maine if it’s not the right season for the fresh, juicy berries!
- Maine Needhams
Susie Wyshak / Flickr The delicious candy was first created in Portland in way back in 1872 by Reverend Needham. The secret ingredient? Maine potatoes! But, you’d never know it - the delicious chocolate and coconut is the only thing you taste.
- The perfect lobster lunch
Andrés Monroy-Hernández / Flickr Only in Maine will you find this perfect mix of juicy lobster, plastic container butter and baked beans. Any other state just might serve them with the rubber bands on the claws. If that happens, come right back to Maine. We’ll be waiting for you.
- The Maine Whoopie Pie
Allagash Brewing / Flickr Some might try to argue that it belongs to Pennsylvania, but we know where it REALLY comes from. The Maine whoopie pie is SO Maine, in fact, that it’s our official state treat. Good luck finding a good one anywhere else.
- Traditional Maine Corn Chowder
Heather Joan / Filckr Made with fresh corn in the summer, this dish is actually very thick and comforting making it perfect for a cold Maine winter. The real ones are only made with in-season corn, so you may need to wait until summer.
- Fiddleheads
Dana Moos / Flickr These funny little side-dish worthy vegetables are often added to a meal after being found that day in the forest. They’re best with garlic or even fried. If you see these on a menu outside Maine, you should ask where the chef is from. We bet they’re a Mainer!
- Maine Baked Beans
Theryn Fleming / Flickr They might LOOK like Boston baked beans, but the Maine version is much less sweet.
- The Maine Lobster Roll
Arnold Gatilao / Flickr If there’s one thing about Maine’s best loved foods that you should know, it’s that you’ll never find a good lobster roll anywhere else. In Maine, the meat is hearty, juicy and noticeably lacking the mayo filler found in lesser-versions!
So those are the foods Maine is known for. They maybe strange food sometimes but they belong to us and we are proud of it! For a fun laugh, check out the video of these West-Coasters actually TRYING these Maine foods for the first time! Thinking about leaving Maine is hard. Cheer yourself up by checking out these 14 hilarious memes that you’ll only understand if you’re a Mainer!
Sharon Bautista / Flickr
This dessert is made by combining fresh snow with milk, then covered with a hearty serving of maple syrup. It might be the best sugar infusion you’ll have all winter and the best ones are definitely in Maine!
amanda / Flickr
There’s only ONE way to make this perfect bread - steamed and in a can! If it doesn’t have the outer rings of the can on it, you’re not enjoying the real thing. Bonus points if the can is a B&M Baked Beans can!
Peter Dutton / Flickr
You say you won’t. You say you hate it. But, we know the truth. The minute you can’t have it, you’re going to miss the odd medicinal tasting soda that calls Maine its home.
Abby / Flickr
Any other variety is just “blueberry pie.” If it’s not made with wild Maine blueberries, it’s just not the same. Mainer miss this even when they’re IN Maine if it’s not the right season for the fresh, juicy berries!
Susie Wyshak / Flickr
The delicious candy was first created in Portland in way back in 1872 by Reverend Needham. The secret ingredient? Maine potatoes! But, you’d never know it - the delicious chocolate and coconut is the only thing you taste.
Andrés Monroy-Hernández / Flickr
Only in Maine will you find this perfect mix of juicy lobster, plastic container butter and baked beans. Any other state just might serve them with the rubber bands on the claws. If that happens, come right back to Maine. We’ll be waiting for you.
Allagash Brewing / Flickr
Some might try to argue that it belongs to Pennsylvania, but we know where it REALLY comes from. The Maine whoopie pie is SO Maine, in fact, that it’s our official state treat. Good luck finding a good one anywhere else.
Heather Joan / Filckr
Made with fresh corn in the summer, this dish is actually very thick and comforting making it perfect for a cold Maine winter. The real ones are only made with in-season corn, so you may need to wait until summer.
Dana Moos / Flickr
These funny little side-dish worthy vegetables are often added to a meal after being found that day in the forest. They’re best with garlic or even fried. If you see these on a menu outside Maine, you should ask where the chef is from. We bet they’re a Mainer!
Theryn Fleming / Flickr
They might LOOK like Boston baked beans, but the Maine version is much less sweet.
Arnold Gatilao / Flickr
If there’s one thing about Maine’s best loved foods that you should know, it’s that you’ll never find a good lobster roll anywhere else. In Maine, the meat is hearty, juicy and noticeably lacking the mayo filler found in lesser-versions!
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
The OIYS Visitor Center
What food is Maine known for July 13, 2022 Chris Dodge What food is Maine known for? Maine has a plethora of great food. Some are obvious others are less obvious. We all know Lobster (or should we call it lobstah?) is a Maine stable, but what about some other less obvious choices. Here are some good ones you can bring up during the next family gathering, or better yet cook them up and bring them to share. First up is the fluffernutter sandwich. If you grew up in Maine on a hot summer day chances are your mother prepared this surgery and deliciously fluffy treat. People outside of Maine have never heard of putting fluff and peanut butter together under two pieces of white wonderbread. What? Peanutbutter and Jelly is so old school, go with the classic fluffernutter and you will not be disappointed. For an interesting treat head on over to Becky’s diner for a Fluffernutter french toast! Next up try yourself a red hotdog. Were not kidding, it tastes better when a hotdog is encased in a “natural” red casing. It snaps and it’s juicy on the inside. It’s mouth-watering to just think of it and we like to call them red snappers. Also, Moose meat is not the same anywhere else. There is something about finally getting a permit, hunting, and killing your very own moose and eating it. Moose stake is so much better than regular stake and in Maine, it tastes so much better. What are some good places to eat in Maine? For something a little bit more traditional We recommend taking a long weekend and do this lobster roll and lighthouse road trip. There are tons of great lobster roll places to try and it should be an amazing trip. If you find yourself in Bar Harbor you should get your seafood right from the source. There is no shortage of great seafood restaurants. In fact, it feels as though they are found in every corner. If you want a tasting of all of the freshest and best ingredients that Maine has to offer head on over to the Maine Tasting Center. Whatever you choose make sure you keep it local and then you know it will be delicious.
The OIYS Visitor Center
What food is Maine known for
July 13, 2022
Chris Dodge
What food is Maine known for? Maine has a plethora of great food. Some are obvious others are less obvious. We all know Lobster (or should we call it lobstah?) is a Maine stable, but what about some other less obvious choices. Here are some good ones you can bring up during the next family gathering, or better yet cook them up and bring them to share. First up is the fluffernutter sandwich. If you grew up in Maine on a hot summer day chances are your mother prepared this surgery and deliciously fluffy treat. People outside of Maine have never heard of putting fluff and peanut butter together under two pieces of white wonderbread. What? Peanutbutter and Jelly is so old school, go with the classic fluffernutter and you will not be disappointed. For an interesting treat head on over to Becky’s diner for a Fluffernutter french toast! Next up try yourself a red hotdog. Were not kidding, it tastes better when a hotdog is encased in a “natural” red casing. It snaps and it’s juicy on the inside. It’s mouth-watering to just think of it and we like to call them red snappers. Also, Moose meat is not the same anywhere else. There is something about finally getting a permit, hunting, and killing your very own moose and eating it. Moose stake is so much better than regular stake and in Maine, it tastes so much better. What are some good places to eat in Maine? For something a little bit more traditional We recommend taking a long weekend and do this lobster roll and lighthouse road trip. There are tons of great lobster roll places to try and it should be an amazing trip. If you find yourself in Bar Harbor you should get your seafood right from the source. There is no shortage of great seafood restaurants. In fact, it feels as though they are found in every corner. If you want a tasting of all of the freshest and best ingredients that Maine has to offer head on over to the Maine Tasting Center. Whatever you choose make sure you keep it local and then you know it will be delicious.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Maine has a plethora of great food. Some are obvious others are less obvious. We all know Lobster (or should we call it lobstah?) is a Maine stable, but what about some other less obvious choices. Here are some good ones you can bring up during the next family gathering, or better yet cook them up and bring them to share. First up is the fluffernutter sandwich. If you grew up in Maine on a hot summer day chances are your mother prepared this surgery and deliciously fluffy treat. People outside of Maine have never heard of putting fluff and peanut butter together under two pieces of white wonderbread. What? Peanutbutter and Jelly is so old school, go with the classic fluffernutter and you will not be disappointed. For an interesting treat head on over to Becky’s diner for a Fluffernutter french toast! Next up try yourself a red hotdog. Were not kidding, it tastes better when a hotdog is encased in a “natural” red casing. It snaps and it’s juicy on the inside. It’s mouth-watering to just think of it and we like to call them red snappers. Also, Moose meat is not the same anywhere else. There is something about finally getting a permit, hunting, and killing your very own moose and eating it. Moose stake is so much better than regular stake and in Maine, it tastes so much better.
What are some good places to eat in Maine?
For something a little bit more traditional We recommend taking a long weekend and do this lobster roll and lighthouse road trip. There are tons of great lobster roll places to try and it should be an amazing trip. If you find yourself in Bar Harbor you should get your seafood right from the source. There is no shortage of great seafood restaurants. In fact, it feels as though they are found in every corner. If you want a tasting of all of the freshest and best ingredients that Maine has to offer head on over to the Maine Tasting Center. Whatever you choose make sure you keep it local and then you know it will be delicious.
