Alabama
Signature dish: Chicken in
white sauce. During the
1920s, Alabamians flocked
to railroad worker “Big
Bob” Gibson’s backyard
on the weekends for
hickory-smoked chicken
smothered in his own vinegar-and-
mayonnaise sauce. His Decatur
restaurant and his chicken and white
sauce are still institutions.
Who Knew? Marcel Proust had his
madeleine; Alabama has the Lane
cake. The layered bourbon-laced
confection makes a cameo in several
books, including Alabama native
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
and the memoirs of former president
Jimmy Carter.Alaska
Signature dish: King crab legs.
“Even before the rise of Deadliest
Catch, I loved king crab legs. On
a dream trip to Alaska we ordered
them, and the legs were longer than
my arm.” —Renee Page, Taste of
Home field editor
Who Knew? Alaska is renowned for
its wild salmon, but the wild salmon-
berries are plenty tasty too. Be careful,
though—bears also adore
them. In fact, many
Alaskans wear “bear
bells” when they
go picking to avoid
surprising their large
berry-loving rivals.Arizona
Signature dish: Posole, a stew made
from pork shoulder and hominy.
“Posole is a wonderful hearty soup
that we ate with our Hispanic neigh-
bors for New Year’s or Christmas.”
—Lisa McNeil, Taste of Home reader
Who Knew? Yuma County is known
as the Winter Salad Bowl. Arizona
is America’s second-largest producer
of lettuce, behind California.Arkansas
Signature dish: Barbecue sand-
wiches. “It’s just like with Grand-
mother’s chicken soup—every family
and establishment in Arkansas
swears their barbecue sandwich is
the real deal.” —Debbie Glasscock,
Taste of Home field editor
Who Knew? Quiz: What’s the
self-proclaimed edamame
capital of the world?
A. Tokyo. B. Beijing.
C. Mulberry, Arkansas.
Mulberry it is! Of
the top ten soybean-
producing states in the
United States, Arkansas
is the only one not in
the Midwest.California
Signature dish: Fish tacos. “Sitting at
the beach, watching the sunset and
the surfers, and having a fish taco.
Not many other states can claim this
experience.” —Kallee Krong-
McCreery, Taste of Home field editor54 july/august 2019
Reader’s Digest Cover Story
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