18 Food Dishes That Are Absolute Symbols of Missouri

When you think of Missouri, a few things likely come to mind: St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, jazz music, and baseball.

But what about all the delicious popular Missouri food dishes that have become symbols of the Show-Me State?

Because of Missourians, we can all enjoy mouth-watering barbecue (in its many forms); crispy, thin-crust pizza; Chinese cashew chicken; crisp, fizzy, thirst-quenching craft beer, root beer, and soda; and ooey gooey butter cake.

And let’s not forget that we’d still be eating ice cream out of bowls were it not for the invention of the ice cream cone at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

Here’s our list of the 18 iconic foods and beverages that are absolute symbols of Missouri.

Snacks

1. Toasted Ravioli

Introduced in the 1950s at a St. Louis restaurant called Angelo Oldani’s, toasted ravioli isn’t toasted at all. Toasted ravioli is breaded pasta that’s been deep-fried. Ravioli fillings can include eggs, cheese, spinach, and beef.

Missourians enjoy toasted ravioli with parmesan cheese and marinara dipping sauce as an appetizer.

2. Red Hot Riplet Chips

Salty, sweet, and spicy: the Red Hot Riplet chip is unique to St. Louis. Invented in the 1970s, the ridged Red Hot Riplet has a smoky barbecue and spicy hot flavor. Operational since 1936, Old Vienna of St. Louis makes the Red Hot Riplet, which accounts for 80 percent of the company’s sales.

Meat and Main Dishes

3. Kansas City-Style Barbecue

Barbecuing meat using the Kansas City style traces its roots back to Henry Perry. Many consider him the “father” of barbecue.

According to this method, the meat is first dry-rubbed with spices. It’s then slow-smoked over a variety of woods and slathered with a thick, sweet sauce made of brown sugar, molasses, and tomatoes.

Most types of meats, including pork, beef, chicken, and turkey, can be barbecued in this way.

4. Burnt Ends

Burnt ends — another iconic and popular Missouri food dish — owes its birth to Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque Restaurant in Kansas City.

Burnt ends are the trimmings from a smoked brisket. Often enjoyed as an appetizer, they are also added to other dishes, including gumbo, chili, or baked beans.

5. St. Louis-Style Ribs

A few distinguishing characteristics are hallmarks of St. Louis-style ribs. The pork spare ribs are grilled and not smoked. They are typically first seasoned with a spicy rub and then later brushed with a sticky sweet tomato-based barbecue sauce.

St. Louis ribs can also be recognized by their distinct shape. They are cut in a special way so that the final rack is a rectangle.

6. Pork Steak

Wander into a St. Louis backyard in the summer, and you’ll likely see pork steaks sizzling on the grill.

That’s right. Pork — not beef — steaks are summer staples in St. Louis, having become popular in the 1950s. The steaks are a thick cut of the pork shoulder or Boston butt. They are typically slathered in barbecue sauce before serving.

7. St. Louis-Style Pizza

Even though St. Louis-style pizza features many different toppings, it uses a special type of cheese that’s also popular with Missourians. Provel, a processed cheese that combines provolone, Swiss cheese, and white cheddar, tops the pizza. It also has a thin and crispy crust and is cut into squares.

Imo’s, a popular St. Louis pizza chain, is credited for inventing this type of pizza in the area.

8. Cashew Chicken

Chinese cashew chicken seems like an odd addition to our list that’s otherwise filled with smoky, savory, and saucy meat.

Cashew chicken, however, is the unofficial dish of Springfield, MO. Chef David Leong, a Chinese immigrant, introduced it in 1963 at the Grove Supper Club. Leong was attempting to create a Chinese dish that Springfielders would love.

They did, and now it’s known as a classic Missouri dish. The battered, deep-fried pieces of chicken are coated with a mix of soy sauce, chicken broth, and oyster sauce. It’s then served over rice with crushed cashews and chopped green onions.

9. Slinger

The slinger looks like something you’d expect to eat in a Midwest diner. Touted as a great hangover cure, the slinger is usually served for breakfast or lunch.

Although the dish can vary, the typical ingredients include:

• fried eggs
• two hamburger patties
• fried potatoes or hash browns
• chili (with or without beans)
• grated cheese
• chopped onions
• hot sauce on the side

The slinger is a menu staple and a popular Missouri food dish.

Sandwiches

10. St. Paul Sandwich

The St. Paul sandwich is another Missouri dish that can trace its origin back to Chinese cuisine.

Sandwich inventor Steven Yuen is believed to have named it after his hometown of St. Paul, MN. Yuen was the owner of Park Chop Suey, a St. Louis restaurant, and began featuring it on his menu sometime between 1940 and 1960.

Traditionally served on wax paper, the St. Paul sandwich is an egg foo yung patty, tomatoes, pickles, mayonnaise, and lettuce between two slices of white bread.

11. Gerber Sandwich

The Gerber sandwich features ham and Provel cheese on top of a half section of Italian or French bread that’s spread with garlic butter. The sandwich is sprinkled with paprika and then toasted.

Dee and Tom Ruma named this sandwich after their customer and neighbor, Dick Gerber. Gerber owned the tire store next to the Ruma’s Deli in St. Louis, and the Rumas allowed him to create his own sandwich in their kitchen for a small fee.

They loved it so much, they named it after him and added it to their menu.

Beverages

12. Perennial Abraxas Beer

St. Louis is synonymous with spice, but it’s not just in the barbecue.

Brewed with ancho chiles, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and cinnamon, Perennial’s Abraxas craft beer is an imperial stout. It tastes dark and chocolatey and is a popular choice for cold Missouri nights.

13. Fitz’s Root Beer

St. Louis soda, Fitz’s Root Beer, is more than 75 years old and one of the best root beers in the country.

The St. Louis root beer is made from an original recipe dating back to 1947. It features natural roots, spices, and barks, and is sweetened with pure cane sugar.

14. Vess Soda

For more than 100 years, Vess Soda has been slating the thirst of Missourians. Even though they have classic flavors like cola, their unique flavors are what set them apart from their competitors.

Whistle Orange is a popular choice. Others include grape, strawberry, pineapple, black cherry, and peach.

15. Norton Wine

Having originated in Missouri in the 19th century, the Norton grape is believed to be the first and oldest grape cultivar produced for commercial use in the United States.

Wines made from the Norton grape are medium-to-full-bodied. They have red and back fruit notes with hints of chocolate and coffee.

Sweets

16. Ice Cream Cone

Although some disputes remain, most regard the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair as the birthplace of the ice cream cone.

When an ice cream vendor ran out of paper cups, another concessions vendor named Ernest A. Hamwi offered a rolled waffle cookie as a container solution.

Hamwi went on to launch a cone-making company a few years later.

17. Gooey Butter Cake

Happy accidents make some of the most memorable treats, as is the case with the gooey butter cake.

When a St. Louis baker in the 1930s added too much sugar and butter to the yellow cake he was making, he created a gooey, sticky mess. Because it was during the Depression, he couldn’t throw it out and decided to sell it instead. Surprisingly, it was an instant hit.

Today, the gooey butter cake is an iconic symbol of Missouri. Resembling a brownie in texture, the flat cake consists of wheat flour, butter, sugar, and eggs with a dusting of powdered sugar on top.

18. Concrete

Frozen custard is denser than ice cream and is made with egg yolks. Even though frozen custard is not uniquely Missourian, the frozen custard milkshake — a “concrete” (so thick it can be served upside down) — is.

For almost 100 years, St. Louisians have visited Ted Drewes Frozen Custard for icy-cold concretes. Eating concretes at Ted Drewes is a favorite summer pastime that’s a Missouri tradition.