I came across this article the other day while scrolling social media and, in this time of self-quarantine, I know we’re all cooking, eating and trying new foods to break up the monotony. The two things combined got me thinking about local foods we’ve eaten all our lives, never realizing everyone around the country didn’t have the same specialties. These are the foods we’d miss if we moved to a different state or city.

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For me, I’d really miss two regional foods if I ever left the Philadelphia area. And no, they aren’t included on the nine-block chart in the article. Those foods are a Philadelphia cheesesteak, soft-serve ice cream with sprinkles in a Phillies helmet cup, Tastykake, Chickie’s & Pete’s Crabfries and cheese (crinkle-cut fries dusted with Old Bay), a soft pretzel, tomato pie, scrapple, square pie and water ice.

Don’t get me wrong, I like most of those foods (I’ll skip tomato pie and scrapple), but the two for me I’d miss most? Taylor pork roll and Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews. What about for you? What regional specialties from your area do we need to know about? Tell us at [email protected]!

— Kim Krol, editor in chief