Everyone loves their comfort foods. For some, it’s a special childhood favorite. For others, it’s something familiar, almost regional or having to do with ethnicity or culture.
If you live in or around New York, your favorite food might be the bagel. Wake up in the morning in a rush to get to work? Bagel. Only have time for a quickie lunch before a client meeting? Bagel. Want something light and fast in the evening before catching a show? Bagel. Want something to fill that late night hole in your stomach? Bagel! For New Yorkers, bagels are the number one pick when it comes to comfort food.
If you live in the South, your tastes run more to the hot and soft. Macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits and butter, and chocolate pudding are all good best for those down South!
It’s a different tale if you hang in California. Comfort food could mean a specific fish taco platter from a food truck, or take out from a Chinese restaurant that simply has the best soup in town. That said, a population of former New Yorkers has led to some ok bagel shops around LA.
Texas? It’s BBQ, hands down. Or a burger: plenty of melty cheese over a pure beef patty, on a toasted bun with all the trimmings can help you through a bad breakup, make you feel better about losing your job, or even offer a measure of comfort when your favorite pair of jeans shrinks in the dryer.
For Louisianans, it’s soul food and Cajun style seafood – from deep fried okra and jalapeño cornbread to gumbo, jambalaya and ribs soaked in sweet, tangy sauce and left in the smoker for hours. A whopping side of fresh made potato salad and some sweet iced tea tops off the comfort food session.
Up north, the fare may differ depending on cultural and ethnic histories. Polish food, German food, Swedish and Finnish dishes all vie for a place at the comfort food table. Across the water it gets even more varied – Brits may crave a “full English” after a hard night of drowning sorrows at a nearby pub, as opposed to those of us in the US who would rather down a Bloody Mary.
What’s our favorite comfort food? Are you a bagel lover or do you prefer pasta – or maybe Johnnie Walker more your style?