7 Iconic Foods From Baltimore

Baltimore, Maryland, is full of history, culture, and of course, some of the most amazing food in the country. The Charm City is known for its iconic and hometown fare, many of which had their start over 100 years ago. The next time you’re craving some local grub, be sure to try one or more of the legendary favorites listed below.

Maryland Blue Crab

You can’t talk about Maryland without mentioning its delicious blue crab. Baltimore is known for its blue crab as it harvests about half of America’s entire blue crab crop. This flavorful crustacean is excellent when steamed and served with melted butter, but there are also a wide variety of other ways it can be served. Crab cakes, crab dip, pan-fried crabs, Maryland crab soup, and crab-stuffed shrimp are a few of the many recipes you can create with this underwater delight.

Thames Street Oyster House, Locust Point Steamers, and Nick’s Fish House are all well-known for their mouth-watering and full of flavor Maryland blue crab dishes.

Snowballs

While snowballs go all the way back to the 1800s, they became popular during the days of the Great Depression. These delectable desserts are bound to fill your sweet-tooth craving. Snowballs are made of shaved ice soaked in flavored syrup and then served with a huge dollop of marshmallow fluff on top. They’re a combination between snow cones and Italian ice treats with a bit of a Baltimore kick. Some of the most popular flavors include egg custard, skylight, and tutti frutti. 

While you can likely find this sweet treat anywhere ice cream is served, Opie’s Soft-Serve and Snowballs and Original Hawaiian Island Snoballs are two of Charm City’s favorite snowball locales.

Smith Island Cake

Smith Island Cake is the official state dessert of Maryland and named after one of Chesapeake Bay’s islands. These homemade confections have been around since the 1800s. The women on Smith Island would make and send them with their husbands when they embarked on the annual autumn oyster harvest. The cakes were meant to be a reminder to the men of how much their families loved and missed them and were hopeful for a successful harvest and safe return.

The original recipe for Smith Island Cake consists of eight to 12 layers of vanilla cake covered in chocolate fudge icing and peanut butter cup pieces. Modern-day recipes now include flavors like coconut, red velvet, lemon, blueberry, and many other variations. You can find Smith Island Cake on the dessert menus of many Maryland area restaurants. When you want to try the original recipe or a unique variation, visit Smith Island Baking Company or Smith Island Bakery.

Berger Cookies

Berger cookies and Baltimore go together like peanut butter and jelly. You just can’t have one without the other. This shortbread cookie originated in the Baltimore area in 1835 when the Berger family moved to Charm City, bringing along their German chocolate recipes. A soft, vanilla shortbread cookie that is smothered in thick chocolate ganache icing, this cookie will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. Discover the amazing flavor of this Baltimore legend at Berger’s Bakery at the Lexington Market. You can also enjoy the sweet combination of vanilla, shortbread, and chocolate ganache when you try the Berger-stuffed Baltimore Bomb Pie at Dangerously Delicious Pies.

Pit Beef

Pit Beef is a staple among grilled dishes in Baltimore. While pit beef stands began to pop up along the Pulaski Highway in the 1970s, you can now find roadside stands serving this delicious fare all over the state. We’re not exactly sure how pit beef came to be a seriously savory snack, but we are certainly glad it did. 

Pit beef is a beef roast that is cooked over hot charcoal and then sliced paper-thin. It’s stacked on a roll, typically with onion, horseradish, and barbecue sauce. The iconic pit beef is grilled in many ways, from using wood-flavored barbecues, spicy sauces, or dry rubs. 

When you try this hometown sandwich, be sure to stop by Chap’s Pit Beef, as it’s known for its award-winning sandwiches and barbecue. In fact, it was named Guy Fieri’s favorite sandwich on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.”

Natty Boh

Natty Boh, or National Bohemian Beer, was first brewed in Maryland in 1885. The iconic hometown beer was purchased by Pabst Brewing Company in the 1990s and is still going strong today. Their motto is “Live Pleasantly,” and they view their brew as a complement to the laid-back and carefree lifestyle of Charm City locals. National Bohemian Beer proudly offers four different varieties including Original, Day Beer, Bohing, Bohing, Gone!, and Take It to the House.

Coddie

Known as the poor man’s crab cake, coddie became popular in the early 1900s and could be found in diners and delis all over Charm City.  Coddie is a hand-formed salt cod and potato cake mixed with seasonings, deep-fried, and served between two saltine crackers with a squirt of yellow mustard on top. 

Coddie was created by the Louis Cohen family in the early 1900s. The family was earning very little at their street-side stand in the old Belair Market, where they sold sandwiches, cookies, and candy. They wanted to create something different that would make them stand out from their competitors and draw in new customers. After a bit of experimentation, the Baltimore coddie was born.

As they sold this salted cracker snack, it became increasingly popular. The Cohens opened up a small manufacturing plant in order to mass-produce and market coddies. They also began delivering this satisfying treat all over Baltimore from the 1920s until the early 1970s. While it can be difficult to find coddie in today’s diners and restaurants, there are a few local favorites that still sell the iconic Charm City morsel. Attman’s Deli, Faidley’s Seafood, or Pappa’s Crab Cakes are a few of the places you can find these delicious delights.

So, there you have it. We’ve just listed seven of our favorite local, iconic foods in the Baltimore, Maryland, area. Which one of these foods will you try first? Are there any of your favorites that we missed? If so, let us know. We’d be more than happy to add it to our list!

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*Image via Flickr by vishpool

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