Foodie Website: Illinois Foods You Have To Try Before You Die

I'm grateful to my parents for several things, but one thing in particular has made life so much better for me, both when I was growing up and all throughout adulthood.

My parents flat-out refused to allow their kid (me) to become a picky eater. One of the biggest mistakes you could make in my childhood home was to declare that you didn't like something that you had never even tasted before.

I tried that a couple of times before realizing that the quickest way to ensure that you were going to get a plateful of something you didn't want was to say you didn't like it without ever having a bite.

Because my parents were like that, I ended up trying all sorts of things that I wouldn't have on my own, and I also have a large variety of different foods that I eat and enjoy that I would never have known about...like some certain Illinois-centric foods.

Other Than Chicago-Style Pizza, You Might Have Trouble Naming Another Illinois Food

Hot on the heels of our recent piece on all of the Illinois restaurants and food joints that Guy Fieri has visited on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives, we're going to take another look at food. This time, it's several different Illinois-invented, or Illinois-centric foods that those who know and love food (foodies) say you've got to have at least once before you check out.

You'll notice right away that there are definitely some foods on the list that pretty much everyone, Illinois residents or not, have had at least once, if not multiple times over the course of their life.

There's even a very Rockford-centric food that makes the list, and I think you'll agree that it belongs there.

A Digital Media Company That Provides Really Cool Content For Those Who Love Food And Drink Says That Illinois Has A Lot To Offer When It Comes To Unique Foods

That would be TastingTable.com, who recently published a piece that's quite complimentary to Illinois' wide-ranging food offerings. I liked how they pointed out that great Illinois food can actually be found outside Chicago: "the Windy City is far from the only place where its treats are available — and some bonafide culinary treasures can be found throughout the Prairie State. You'll find specialties further north in Rockford, while a handful of delightful foods can be found in central Illinois, as well."

You're probably wondering what Rockford specialty TastingTable.com is referring to. Okay, I'll give you a quick hint.

Here's one more.

TastingTable.com describes Mrs. Fisher's potato chips as being popular throughout the state, and calls them the perfect chips to have when you're knocking back a Chicago-style hot dog, or hanging out at a summer cookout.

Now, Let's Take A Look At Some Of The Other Illinois Foods You've Got To Try Before You Die

Let's get two of the most obvious choices out of the way here. There's this:

And we have to have this, too.

Next, we move on to a big favorite in the central part of Illinois, the Horseshoe Sandwich. The Food Network explains that a Horseshoe Sandwich is "two slices of thick-sliced toasted bread, meat, cheese sauce, and french fries, and often includes a dash of paprika for color. The meat can be a hamburger patty, ham, or turkey. The sandwich is typically served with the french fries circling the platter, like nails in a horseshoe."

Since I'm Running Out Of Space, Here Are Some Other Illinois Foods You Should Experience At Least Once, According To TastingTable.com

• Chicago-Style Popcorn
• Italian Beef Sandwich
• Chicago-Style Tavern Pizza
• Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
• The Original Rainbow Cone
• Beer Nuts
• Maxwell Street Polish Sausage
• Flaming Saganaki
• Jibarito
• Brownies (invented at Chicago's Palmer House)
• Malort