Food Traditions Shaping The Pacific Northwest Dining Experience

There are some food rules that you have been passed down from your parents and grandparents. Some rules are very particular to the Pacific Northwest. We were raised to love certain foods and prepare them a certain way.

Yes, it is a regional thing.

Longtime residents of each state are familiar with the rules that have been passed down from one generation to the next. My family (and my in-laws) swear by the Washington food rule found below.

The people at Ranker shed light on food rules for each state.

Get our free mobile app

I’ll never forget having hot dogs with my wife’s teacher friend from Chicago.

She and other people from the Midwest will loudly protest if you put ketchup on your dog. Psst… pass the mustard and enjoy.

Here are the #1 Food Rules from up and down America’s West Coast

If you live in California (or have any friends over from the Golden State), don’t include lettuce in your burrito. 

If you’re in Idaho, don’t use a REAL potato in your ice cream potato. We know - the Idaho dessert classic looks like a baked potato - but it isn’t. 

In Montana? Make sure you get your Flathead Cherries from a street stand.

Don’t serve your Alaskan friend's pollack. They consider it "garbage fish." You’ll do great if you serve them some true cod.

Our Oregon friends SWEAR by only using Tillamook Cheddar Cheese. Bought a different brand?

Hide the wrapper. 

How about the Washington food rule?

Avoid purchasing salmon out of season. And make sure it's wild-caught.

When the Copper River Salmon hype hit Washington grocery stores in mid-May, we bought about a dozen full salmon filets, chopped them into serving sizes, vacuum-packed them, and stored them in the freezer.

There are other odd food rules, but those are the #1 big rules in every state. Go to Ranker’s page and look through all the rules for all 50 states.