Kentucky Known Foods!

Kentucky has had some very unique new foods to try! Even before we moved to Kentucky I had a lot of these on my list since they were so popular for the state. My little sister had lived here for eighteen months for a church mission so she was able to help make our to try list. Everything I have had so far has been good. We have made some at home and have gone to the original places for some of the items on this list. Here are the Kentucky known foods that I have tried so far! 

Derby Pie: You can get Derby Pie in a few restaurants in town and at every major grocery store around the state. The pie is a pecan pie with chocolate chips. We got our first pie at Kroger on the day of the Derby. It was such a fun memory. We have seen them at Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart, and Kroger so far. I would say this pie is one that we would get when visitors come into town to try, but not one we would buy just for us since we don't need a whole pie for two. It is good though and a fun thing to have in Kentucky. 

Fried Pickles: This is a highly suggested food item by my sister for Kentucky and Indiana areas. She had fallen in love with them here, so we have had to try them. We ended up getting some from Porky's BBQ in Paoli, Indiana. We have seen them on the menu at all sorts of restaurants in Kentucky, too. The breading is so flavorful and crispy with a dill pickle in the middle. I didn't mind them when I tried them! 

Ale81: When my husband moved to Utah he was set on finding Ale8-1 sodas and the only place we could find them was at Cracker Barrell when they had them in stock. Here in Kentucky, they are everywhere, restaurants, gas stations, and the grocery store. They have a few different flavors to choose from along with some seasonal flavors. My favorite out of the ones I have tried are the orange flavored ones. We always have them in our fridge now! 

Please and Thank you Chocolates Chip Cookies: These are stated to be the best Chocolate Chip cookie in Kentucky! This was the first place we tried when we visited Kentucky our first time here. The chocolate chips are one's I have never seen, the cookie is soft and chewy, a little salty, and sweet. They really are good cookies and it's a plus that the coffee shop is adorable and has good hot drinks, too. 

Majeska's: A Majeska is a soft marshmallow covered in homemade caramel. It is so yummy. The cutest store called Muth's Candies which is located downtown in Louisville created the Majeska candy. They have an option of a chocolate covered Majeska, which is my absolute favorite. They are also known for their bourbon balls there, too. I go for the Majeska's, Pecan Turtles, Mint Patties, and the Caramel Ribbon candies. 

Grippo's: My husband was so excited to show me Grippo's chips when we moved to Kentucky! Grippo's are a Bar-B-Q chip that have a ton of flavor and spice. They have rows of these at the grocery store and have been found at the gas stations here as well. I love these chips! They are pretty spicy, so you can't eat the whole bag in one sitting. 

Yum Yums Donuts: A Yum Yums is a twisted cinnamon glazed donut with chocolate and vanilla frosting. It is actually quite good! There is a little bakery in downtown Bardstown that make these donuts called Hadorn's Bakery! The donuts are always fresh and they are a good size. They have donut holes that are my favorite and lots of options to pick from. We also have tried their cookies and cinnamon rolls that were good too! I haven't seen Yum Yums at any other donut shop that I have been to, so go to Hadorn's Bakery to give them a try! 

Pizza Crust Mix: Kroger has a local brand they use for their pizza dough mix. It is the best dough I have found! It comes as a powder mix and you just add water! We use this packet to make homemade pizzas and breadsticks. The dough works really well for pizzas and has a good flavor. It cooks well and is super easy to make! I like that this a local company too! We can usually make one or two pizzas per pack. This is my favorite go-to homemade pizza dough. 

Blue Bell Ice Cream: This isn't necessarily a Kentucky known food, but it was a new ice cream for me when we moved here! I had heard about it, but Utah doesn't have this brand. It is a pricey ice cream but so worth it! Kroger has deals on it every so often, so that does help! We have gotten a few different flavors so far and have enjoyed all of them! The Peanut Butter Chocolate is one of my favorites. We like the Mint, Neapolitan, Banana Pudding and Strawberry flavors too! I want to try the Cookies and Creme or Cookie Dough next time! 

Big Red Soda: We love Big Red! I think this was more of a Texas drink for my husband, but they have it in Kentucky too! It is very similar to a Red Creme Soda, but way better! The flavor is a little sweet and it's fizzy. There are a few restaurants that have this on tap too which is fun! They have a few different flavors too! We have tried the Big Blue flavor and the Big Pineapple flavors. They all are good! 

Gas Station Soft Serve Cones: The first thing the locals suggested to us was to grabbing an ice cream cone from Thompson's Food Mart in Bardstown. I have seen a couple of gas stations that have ice cream machines, but the one in Bardstown is the Kentucky known one! They have four machines with a total of eight flavors and then options to twist the flavors on each machine. They are known for their banana flavor which is my absolute favorite flavor. They have a really good orange flavor too. Anytime I have family in town they request to go at least once a day while they are in town. So good! 

Hot Brown: A Hot Brown is a famous dish here in Kentucky. It was created in 1920 at the Brown Hotel. It is an open faced sandwich that has toast, turkey, bacon, Mornay sauce and tomatoes. You can get the original dish at the Brown Hotel still today! It is on my to try list still, but we have made a homemade version and tried the pizza version. The homemade ones turned out pretty good, but I didn't love it on the pizza as much! You can get the pizza at the Pizza Parlour and seems to be pretty famous. It is worth a try for sure! 

Heine Brother's Coffee: Heine Bro's Coffee shop is a local Kentucky coffee shop. They have a lot of little shops throughout Kentucky. I really like their holiday drinks and the Hazelnut Hot Chocolate. The drinks hot drinks are a pretty good price, but their Frappuccino's seem a bit pricey. The Frappuccino's from Heine Bro's are my absolute favorite though! They are really creamy and the flavoring is just right! Don't forget to download their app for some good rewards! 

Quill's Coffee: Another popular Kentucky known Coffee shop is Quill's Coffee. They have a few different locations and all have unique and cool shops. They have a house made Bourbon Caramel for their drinks that is a popular option. I have really liked their seasonal drinks like a pumpkin steamer and a White Peppermint Hot Chocolate. My husband really likes their coffee beans from there! This is a great local Kentucky spot! 

Caramel Frosting: One of the first things I noticed when we moved to Kentucky was the caramel frosted treats. All the bakeries and donut shops have caramel frosted items. I have ordered a few times what I thought was a maple donut, but it was really a caramel frosted donut. Luckily, it tastes good too! They have caramel frosted cakes here too!

What is your state known for?