California is well-known for a variety of reasons. There is so much to see and do in the Golden State, from the beaches of Los Angeles to the redwoods of San Francisco. You may expect that this well-known state has its fair share of gourmet highlights, too. You’re absolutely correct!
While visiting California, you will undoubtedly encounter the rich tastes for which it is famous. You will learn what cuisine California has to offer, from a renowned burger place in Los Angeles to northern coastal communities providing fresh seafood.
California food culture encompasses practically all forms of American cuisine, although it is best recognized for Mexican, Italian, Mediterranean, and health-conscious, all-natural cuisine.
Throughout the state, there are hundreds of venues to sample diverse food. But which foods are really classic? Here is a list of the most well-known California meals that people adore!
Best California Cuisine
Cheeseburger
Food is a wonderful way to connect with culture and location, and if you’re going to have cuisine that represents a state, it needs to be iconic. By many accounts, the cheeseburger is undoubtedly California’s most iconic cuisine.
With melted cheese on top of a heated patty, the cheeseburger is a California speciality and the recommended method to enjoy your burger. It is also one of the most popular meals in the world, notably in the United States, as one could anticipate from such an iconic cuisine.
With just one bite of a cheeseburger, you’ll understand why this simple dish has won the hearts of so many Californians. Melted cheese, hot meat, and condiments atop a bun are certainly a marriage made in heaven.
California’s diverse array of ingredients makes it the ideal location for a superb cheeseburger tailored to your exact tastes.
Burrito de California
When it comes to fresh, inexpensive, and tasty cuisine, the California Burrito is the way to go!
Many people have argued over where this exquisite cuisine originated, but the truth is that it did not begin in California. Rather, it was introduced to California by Mexican immigrants in the late 1800s.
Burritos have been a popular culinary item in the United States for over a century, and after you have one, you’ll understand why!
Nothing beats a burrito prepared with wheat flour tortillas folded over to surround the tasty contents within. What’s the greatest part? You may customize your fillings to your liking!
The filling is made up of a variety of components, including beef, beans, rice, lettuce, guacamole, and cheese.
No matter where you go in California, you can always find a fantastic burrito to enjoy!
Bread with Sourdough
When addressing the cuisine that California is famous for, sourdough bread must be included!
The San Francisco Bay region is home to a unique sourdough starter, which provides the bread the characteristic taste that California is known for.
Sourdough bread has been around for centuries, but it gained popularity in San Francisco during the California Gold Rush when the city produced a unique starter that gave the bread its sour tastes and solidity.
The Bay Areas environment is suitable for the microorganisms present in the starter. Moreover, this bread is important in California history since miners moved from one section of the state to another, bringing this bread with them.
Even today, the mascot of the San Francisco 49ers is named Sourdough Sam, demonstrating the significance of this iconic dish!
Dressing from the ranch
Ranch dressing is the most popular salad dressing in the United States, and you’ve undoubtedly heard of it! Ranch dressing is a creamy and tangy classic that goes well with salads, sandwiches, and just much any other food you can think of.
Ranch dressing was established in the 1950s by a young couple who turned their Santa Barbara ranch into a tourist attraction offering a variety of salad dressing tastes.
Shortly after, the ranch welcomed tourists who adored their homemade salad dressing, which quickly became the only option.
Since then, everyone has fallen in love with it! So what makes this dish so special? You’ll have to figure it out for yourself, and you may even be able to create it at home if you have the necessary components on hand.
You’ll need buttermilk, garlic paste, onion flakes, dried parsley flakes, dried chives, salt, and pepper to create the dish. That is all that is required.
Ranch dressing is provided with practically every meal at chain restaurants, can be purchased in grocery shops, and is often served at celebrations.
Despite this, many people find ranch to be a little bland and try combining it with salsa or other condiments to bring out the tastes, but it is still popular among Americans!
The California Roll (Uramaki)
The California roll, also known as the inside-out roll, is a popular kind of sushi in the United States. Since it became a standard on American menus, this has become one of the most popular sushi rolls in the world.
Sticky rice, nori seaweed, crab or surimi, avocado, and cucumber are used to make this sushi roll. In the California Roll, sesame seeds are often utilized.
It differs from most other forms of sushi in that the rice is on the outside, as opposed to the customary positioning of the seaweed on the inside (nori).
The origins of this California roll are uncertain, however it is said to have originated somewhere in Southern California around the 1960s, when sushi became popular in North America.
Despite their simplicity, they are becoming more popular in many eateries due to their distinctiveness!
Cioppino
Cioppino, a seafood stew cooked with any combination of squid, Dungeness crab, mussels, clams, and white fish floating in a tomato and wine sauce base, originated in San Francisco.
Cioppino, like most of California cuisine, is a mash-up of ethnic influences. It is one of the must-try foods in California. It’s only natural to order the Italian-American meal in North Beach, San Francisco’s Little Italy area, where it’s said to have originated.
There are many of locations to have the traditional fish stew, but I suggest taking a seat at Ferry Plaza Seafood, which has a beautiful view of Washington Square Park.
Ice Cream with Garlic
Gilroy is kind of a garlic lover’s paradise. It also, of course, grows garlic. Garlic, garlic, garlic!
Whether you are a garlic enthusiast or just have a fondness for the pungent allium, you may be familiar with Gilroy from its annual Garlic Festival held each summer. But did you know the area is also known for its ice cream? Garlic ice cream is a unique California product that you may not have heard of.
Doesn’t it sound strange? You’d be surprised!
Gilroys ice cream shop’s Salted Caramel ice cream Garlic powder is used in lieu of salt at Garlic City Café. Bored of eating the same old things? Get yourself a cone (or a bowl) of this creamy dairy delicacy!
Pie with apples
California is renowned for numerous dishes, but apple pie is one of its most well-known sweets.
Julian Pie Company in Southern California is a family-owned business known for creating the tastiest apple pies on the West Coast! These delectable, hand-made pies come in so many types that you won’t know where to begin when selecting a dessert.
Liz Smothers established the company in 1986 when she claimed her place in the pie industry. They later purchased an apple property and planted 17,000 apple trees.
You won’t find a finer apple pie elsewhere these days, and after you sample it, you’ll understand why this Santa Ysabel bakery ranks apple pie among California’s most renowned meals!
The most popular is a traditional Dutch Apple with a crumb-top, but the Original Apple is just exquisite. My fast recommendation is to get it with ice cream on the side!
Toast with Avocado
Although avocado toast is a relatively new dish, it was a mainstay of California cuisine long before it became a global craze.
Avocados are no exception to the availability of high-quality vegetables cultivated in California’s bountiful environment. Mash avocados on crusty toast create for a creamy-green sensation!
To make the topping, combine mashed avocados with salt, pepper, and (sometimes) citrus juice. This recipe may be flavored with salmon, tomatoes, onions, eggs, garlic, cheese, olive oil, or red pepper flakes, but keeping it simple can be just as tasty!
While the meal is relatively basic and easy, the location of its origin is not certain. Some believe that it is an Australian innovation, while others claim that it was created in Los Angeles.
Regardless of its roots, avocado toast resurfaced on Instagram in the current day and has been trending internationally ever since!
The Cobb Salad
I couldn’t end this list without including the Cobb salad! This is a must-try in California, and it’s intriguing to learn why.
Cobb salad was created in the 1930s at The Brown Derby, a well-known Los Angeles restaurant whose owner, Robert Cobb, uncovered leftovers in the kitchen, which included hard-boiled eggs, salad greens, chicken breasts, avocados, bacon, tomatoes, and Roquefort cheese.
He combined everything with salt, pepper, and an olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic vinaigrette to make this beautiful (and wonderful) platter!
Each component is properly prepared, and their varied textures, ranging from juicy to crunchy to creamy, are what have propelled this dish to popularity!
If you don’t like salads but still want to consume your leafy greens, the Cobb salad is a great option. So, the next time you’re in California, try this salad with a little bit of everything!
Last Thoughts
The state of California is vast, with a varied people and environment. As a result, it should come as no surprise that California’s food is just as varied.
It seems to reason that the cuisine extends from Mexican to Italian to Asian, but it also goes much beyond. If you like California-style cuisine, I hope this list of the top 10 meals from the Golden State helps you eat your way across the nation.
Visiting other places in California? Check out our other tasty guides:
- 11 Must-Try Tustin Restaurants
- 8 Best Fort Bragg, CA Restaurants
- The 7 Best Oceanside, CA Restaurants
- The 21 Best Restaurants in Costa Mesa
- 11 Must-Try Vallejo Restaurants
- 9 Must-Try Pier 39 Restaurant
- 7 Must-Try Ventura Restaurants
- 8 Must-Try Paso Robles Restaurants
- 10 Best Berkeley Restaurants
- 8 Best Livermore Restaurants
- 7 Must-Try Restaurants In Dublin CA
- 10 Must-Try Petaluma Restaurants
- 10 Best Restaurants In Downtown Santa Rosa
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- 5 Fun Things To Do In Dunsmuir CA
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- 5 Must-Try Buellton Restaurants
- The 6 Best Restaurants In Lake Arrowhead, California
- The 5 Best Concord California Restaurants