TACOMA — When we think of Thanksgiving, it’s safe to say that almost everyone’s mind goes directly to thinking about the array of food that awaits you.
Whether you’re sticking to the traditional turkey Thanksgiving dinner or you switch it up depending on your cultural background, Thanksgiving dinners are filled with delicious side dishes. Popular Thanksgiving side dishes include mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
Although these are some of the more popular side dishes in America, side dishes definitely change depending on where you are in the country.
Stacker, a content distribution platform, recently published a roundup highlighting every state’s signature side dish. According to the list, Stacker researched multiple side dishes from each state that “felt like home to residents,” and chose the side dishes that everyone should try at least once.
Stacker highlights many side dishes that could be considered uncommon unless you live in the state where it’s from.
So which side dish did Stacker choose as Washington’s signature side dish?
According to Stacker, Walla Walla sweet onion rings are Washington’s signature side dish.
This dish consists of mild and sweet onions grown in the Walla Walla Valley that are cut into thick rings, coated in seasoned batter and then fried.
“This dish begins with the fertile soil of the Walla Walla Valley, where these onions have been cultivated since the late 1800s,” according to Stacker. “Variations include different coatings, such as panko or cornmeal, but the onions’ natural sweetness always shines through.”
Walla Walla sweet onions are usually only harvested between June and August and are known for their large size and for having less of a “bite,” according to the National Onion Association.
Other staple side dishes across the rest of the Pacific Northwest, such as in Oregon, include marionberry pie. Marionberries are a cultivar of blackberries that were developed at Oregon State University in 1956. The staple side dish for Idaho is finger steaks which are beef strips, battered and deep fried.
