Eat Like a Texan: 5 Foods Everyone New to Texas Should Try

Photo of author

Texas is renowned for offering lip-smacking, fabulous food to its visitors. A perfect merger of different cuisines, food in Texas indeed stands apart from the crowd. What makes the food unique is a pinch of flavors ranging from native Indian to scrumptious Mexican cuisine, which adds to the diversity of Texan dishes. 

With technological inventions and improved aviation facilities, food has traveled to different corners of the world. Thus, it is no wonder if you can find Korean BBQ in Houston or British Sunday Roast in California offering the same taste and flavors. However, there are certain signature food items of every place that every person should try.

5 Foods Everyone New to Texas Should Try

Well, here are some Texas food items that every visiting person new to the state should try.

Backyard Barbeque

Backyard Barbeque is a dish of which every Texan is proud. This is a food type that can be prepared in various ways. Cooked slowly to perfection: the primary Barbeque dish is cooked over a charcoal grill during which different meat types are ‘smoked.’ 

This meat smoking lends a smoky and authentic flavor to the plate, unmatchable in the whole world. However, as you move around the state, you may find slight differences in the dish’s preparation. However, no matter the extent of the difference in the preparation, beef always remains the star of Texan Barbeque.

Cowboy Stew

Another magnificent Texan dish is Cowboy Stew. As the name suggests, it is a complete meal in itself with an exclusive merger of meat, vegetables, and broth. A dish perfect enough to keep you full for an entire day.

The dish is quite famous in the Lone Star State, and it would be safe to say that your visit to the state is incomplete without tasting the dish.

As per chefs, Cowboy Stew is a soup loaded with sausage, beef, corn, beans, vegetables of your choice, and a tomato broth. The broth used in the dish is seasoned with rich Southwestern spices. 

Anyone seeking a flavorful dish whose taste can stay with them for a long time should definitely go for this Cowboy Stew.

Kolaches

Kolaches is a dish that was introduced to Texas by the Czech settlers in the state quite a long time ago. With time, the Texan community lent their own touch to the cuisine, making it all the more wonderful.

Kolaches can be defined as pastries that are filled with sweet creams or fruits, sausages, and cheese. Found easily at donut shops, Kolaches are a must have food item when you are new to Texas.

Kolache’s name has been derived from the Zech word ‘Kola,’ which means ‘wheels,’ referring to the shape of the pastry.

Made from yeast dough, this is a dish to have for anyone who has a sweet tooth and loves to have delicious sweetness in breakfast!

Tex-Mex

One popular street food, Tex-Mex, tops the list of Texan food that every person should try once. Though many people believe Tex-Mex to be a distorted Mexican dish, it is actually a Texas-born cuisine.

Though its inspiration came from a foreign land, Texan culture has greatly influenced it. In fact, as per cuisine experts, Tex-Mex is one of the oldest American cuisines available to date. 

Tex-Mex is a blend of ingredients such as Yellow cheese, beef, black beans, cumin, canned vegetables, and wheat flour. Every other restaurant boasts of offering scrumptious Tex-Mex cuisine to enable the visitors to enjoy a delicious dish that can be remembered for a long time.

Chile con Queso

If you love cheese, this is a Texan dish to go for to savor that soft and creamy texture in one single dish. Chile con Queso accompanied with tortilla chips is counted among the most-asked-for dishes in Texas restaurants. 

The dish emerged on the Texan restaurant menus in the 1900s. However, with time, chefs added their touch to grant new flavors to the dish. Thus, you can find simple versions of this dish with melted cheese and pieces of tomatoes and chili pepper to more refined versions accompanied with guacamole, beans, ground beef, or pico de gallo.

Final Words

Various authors have described food as a universal language. Thus, whenever you visit a new place, the best bet to enjoy its fragrance is through its food. The same goes for Texas, which has some awesome signature dishes to serve its guests. 

Texas has a dish for every taste bud, be it sweet or sour, spicy or cheesy! The need remains only to taste these signature dishes to get closer to the Texan culture. So, if you are planning a recent visit to the Lone Star state, ensure to try these above mentioned dishes. Happy eating!