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Re: left behind



I'll be bringing several dishes from all across New York State:
*beef-on-weck and Buffalo wings from Buffalo
*spiedies from the Binghamton area
*bagels from New York City
*pizza (with *thin* crust) from New York City
*Cornell bread from the Ithaca area

I'll also bring a few bottles of wine produced on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, and Western New York regions.

As a native of Cleveland, I have to say that I really don't think that Ohio has a distinctive regional food.  The foodways of every place are rooted in the heritage of its inhabitants, but I think that this is particularly true of Ohio.  The Yankees who moved to Ohio from New York and New England brought their foodways with them, as did the Germans who came in increasing numbers during the 19th century.  The German influence remains particularly pronounced in the foodways of the substantial Amish and Mennonite communities found in many parts of the state.  It's also strong in the Cincinnati area, where many inhabitants are of German descent.  Geographically and culturally, southeastern Ohio is quite solidly Appalachian, and in the postwar era these Ohioans and migrants from Kentucky and West Virginia moved northward in search of better jobs.  My mother is one of the many West Virginians who came to Cleveland seeking work, and her cornbread and hush puppies just can't be beat (if I ask her nicely enough, maybe she'll make some for us).  The state's foodways are also profoundly shaped by the Southern and Eastern European immigrants who found work in the state's many industrial towns.  The first wave came during the late 19th-early 20th century and the second arrived after the Second World War.  They brought pierogis, goulash, and all kinds of other good things with them.  

I won't even go into the state's agriculture, which is quite diverse, except to say that Geauga County maple syrup is really tasty.

Having spent 24 years in the northeastern quadrant of the state, I realize that my perspective may be too skewed to make a definitive judgement about the distinctiveness of Ohio's foodways.  People from other parts of the state may have a very different perspective.  However, I think we can all agree that the best thing to do is to taste a  little of everything .  .  .




Bonita L. Weddle
Documentary Heritage Services
New York State Archives
9C71 Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
(518) 473-4258

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