If you know anything about Arkansans, it’s that we have food that we love and have grown up eating. And most of these delicious foods came from our grandma’s kitchens. While we have great food all the way around, there are some dishes that are the most iconic. Of course, every family in Arkansas has its own recipe; our best southern restaurants serve them, and we’ve collected them into this list for you to salivate over. Let’s dive into the Arkansas foods that we can’t get enough of.
- Fried Catfish
Flickr/Butch Scott Fresh caught and fileted in the backyard is best!
- Fried Chicken
Wikimedia/Dougs Tech Need we say more?
- Chicken Fried Steak
Flickr/Dave Hensley With gravy, of course!
- Barbecue
Flickr/David McSpadden Memphis, Kansas City and Texas have big names in barbecue, but I’d put Arkansas barbecue up against them any day.
- Baked Beans
Stevesworldofphotos/Flickr The perfect side for any BBQ plate.
- Deviled Eggs
Flickr/Pulaw Yum!
- Fried Okra
Wikimedia/Jonathunder Can’t you just smell that frying pan?
- Chocolate gravy
Flickr/thebittenword.com The world’s perfect breakfast food.
- Homemade Biscuits
Flickr/Larry Hoffman These are totally worth the work.
- Sawmill Gravy
Larry Hoffman/Flickr Mmmmm….bacon grease…
- Cheese Dip
Flickr/my_amil No really, it was invented in North Little Rock.
- Fried Pickles
Flickr/Stu_Spivack (Also, an Arkansas invention.)
- Beans and Cornbread
Flickr/Jefferyw This is comfort food at its best.
- Watermelon
Pixabay/StockSnap I can taste the summer now.
- Fresh Grown Tomatoes, sliced and salted.
Flickr/Emily Better yet, just take the salt shaker into the garden.
So, did we miss anything on the list? Or tell us about your favorite Arkansas food. We would love to hear from you in the comments below.
Flickr/Butch Scott
Fresh caught and fileted in the backyard is best!
Wikimedia/Dougs Tech
Need we say more?
Flickr/Dave Hensley
With gravy, of course!
Flickr/David McSpadden
Memphis, Kansas City and Texas have big names in barbecue, but I’d put Arkansas barbecue up against them any day.
Stevesworldofphotos/Flickr
The perfect side for any BBQ plate.
Flickr/Pulaw
Yum!
Wikimedia/Jonathunder
Can’t you just smell that frying pan?
Flickr/thebittenword.com
The world’s perfect breakfast food.
Flickr/Larry Hoffman
These are totally worth the work.
Larry Hoffman/Flickr
Mmmmm….bacon grease…
Flickr/my_amil
No really, it was invented in North Little Rock.
Flickr/Stu_Spivack
(Also, an Arkansas invention.)
Flickr/Jefferyw
This is comfort food at its best.
Pixabay/StockSnap
I can taste the summer now.
Flickr/Emily
Better yet, just take the salt shaker into the garden.
And of course, we love sweet treats in Arkansas, so here’s a pie road trip that you will enjoy.
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Address: Arkansas, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Iconic Arkansas Foods October 06, 2022 Melanie J. What is the official Arkansas food? While we have so much food that we love in Arkansas, there are some that are staples in almost every kitchen and restaurant in the state, one of which is the fried catfish. We eat so much of it that you would think that it would be the official food of Arkansas. Truly, the catfish deserves its shine, but the official food of Arkansas is rice. The Natural State is the top producer of rice in the United States, so it makes sense that rice is the official food of the state. Another food that is considered official in Arkansas is the vine-ripe pink tomato. This fruit is so celebrated in the state that there is a long-running tomato festival held each year. The state is also known for producing pecans. Even though these foods are official, I am sure that many of us would prefer that catfish be at the top of that list. But we can still enjoy the delicious staple at these incredible restaurants that serve the best catfish in Arkansas. What food is Arkansas known for? Believe it or not, the cheese dip that you have grown to love has roots in Arkansas. It is said that the delicious dip was created in 1935 by Blackie Donnely who was the owner of a successful Mexican restaurant in the state. Of course, this claim has been argued by many who have also taken credit for the ooey-gooey dip, including the state of Texas, which has its own version of the yummy snack. Regardless of who first created the cheese dip, we are just glad that they did. And today the cheese dip is part of the roots of Arkansas’ southern food culture, so much so that the state hosts an annual cheese dip competition that attracts visitors from all over the country. And here’s an article about that world-famous cheese dip competition.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Iconic Arkansas Foods
October 06, 2022
Melanie J.
What is the official Arkansas food? While we have so much food that we love in Arkansas, there are some that are staples in almost every kitchen and restaurant in the state, one of which is the fried catfish. We eat so much of it that you would think that it would be the official food of Arkansas. Truly, the catfish deserves its shine, but the official food of Arkansas is rice. The Natural State is the top producer of rice in the United States, so it makes sense that rice is the official food of the state. Another food that is considered official in Arkansas is the vine-ripe pink tomato. This fruit is so celebrated in the state that there is a long-running tomato festival held each year. The state is also known for producing pecans. Even though these foods are official, I am sure that many of us would prefer that catfish be at the top of that list. But we can still enjoy the delicious staple at these incredible restaurants that serve the best catfish in Arkansas. What food is Arkansas known for? Believe it or not, the cheese dip that you have grown to love has roots in Arkansas. It is said that the delicious dip was created in 1935 by Blackie Donnely who was the owner of a successful Mexican restaurant in the state. Of course, this claim has been argued by many who have also taken credit for the ooey-gooey dip, including the state of Texas, which has its own version of the yummy snack. Regardless of who first created the cheese dip, we are just glad that they did. And today the cheese dip is part of the roots of Arkansas’ southern food culture, so much so that the state hosts an annual cheese dip competition that attracts visitors from all over the country. And here’s an article about that world-famous cheese dip competition.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
While we have so much food that we love in Arkansas, there are some that are staples in almost every kitchen and restaurant in the state, one of which is the fried catfish. We eat so much of it that you would think that it would be the official food of Arkansas. Truly, the catfish deserves its shine, but the official food of Arkansas is rice. The Natural State is the top producer of rice in the United States, so it makes sense that rice is the official food of the state. Another food that is considered official in Arkansas is the vine-ripe pink tomato. This fruit is so celebrated in the state that there is a long-running tomato festival held each year. The state is also known for producing pecans. Even though these foods are official, I am sure that many of us would prefer that catfish be at the top of that list. But we can still enjoy the delicious staple at these incredible restaurants that serve the best catfish in Arkansas.
What food is Arkansas known for?
Believe it or not, the cheese dip that you have grown to love has roots in Arkansas. It is said that the delicious dip was created in 1935 by Blackie Donnely who was the owner of a successful Mexican restaurant in the state. Of course, this claim has been argued by many who have also taken credit for the ooey-gooey dip, including the state of Texas, which has its own version of the yummy snack. Regardless of who first created the cheese dip, we are just glad that they did. And today the cheese dip is part of the roots of Arkansas’ southern food culture, so much so that the state hosts an annual cheese dip competition that attracts visitors from all over the country. And here’s an article about that world-famous cheese dip competition.
