Detroit-style pizza's recipe nods to the Motor City

Legend has it that the rectangular pies were originally baked in blue steel pans intended to hold nuts and bolts in auto factories. The sauce poured across the top of the pies, meanwhile, is done so in straight lines called "tire tracks."

Texas' includes German, Mexican, and Polish influences

Beef brisket, served with white bread and pickles, and sausage—a holdover from German immigration in the 1800s—are two of the most popular dishes. The southern end of the state brings together Mexican barbacoa and fajitas.

Unique ingredients and preparations differentiate burrito styles

Examples include California burritos, which wrap french fries in with the other ingredients, and chimichangas, an Arizona specialty in which the burrito is deep-fried prior to serving.

Groundhog was once served as a dish in Punxsutawney, PA

The Pennsylvania town is known for Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who annually predicts whether spring will arrive early or winter will trudge on for another six weeks. But in the 19th and 20th centuries, the rodent was also a common dish throughout rural America, including Punxsutawney.

Smothered (or wet) burritos are drenched with sauce

A bar in Grand Rapids, Michigan, first put smothered burritos on the menu in 1966. The dish is usually topped with enchilada sauce, though other options, like mole, can also be used.

Disco fries are New Jersey's answer to poutine

The dish—french fries topped with mozzarella cheese and brown gravy—is a staple for New Jersey diners, where the dish was served to inebriated patrons who'd just left the disco club. There's no clear inventor responsible for the delicacy, though most people assume it's a variation of poutine, the similar dish that's popular in Canada.

New Haven 'apizza' nods to Naples and New England

The thin pizza, called "apizza," is crispier than the typical slice from New York or a national chain, and much more like the thin-crust pizzas associated with pizza's birthplace. It's also got some inspired toppings, with one popular pie that speaks to New England's love of seafood: the white clam pie.

The California Burrito is a french-fry filled spin on the Mexican staple

A California Burrito features carne asada and a generous heap of french fries wrapped in a flour tortilla. Its exact origin is unclear, but it's believed to have been invented in the San Diego area sometime in the 1980s.

View a map of America's regional pizza styles

It may all be pizza, but it's not all the same. From California to New York and from Quad City-style to Old Forge, this interactive map of the US lets you see the country's different takes on the classic dish.

One food history professor says pizza is more American than Italian

Alberto Grandi, a professor at the University of Parma, argues that Italians who left the country developed the food now considered "traditional Italian cuisine," thanks to abundant ingredients and opportunities that were not available in the impoverished country they left behind.

Burrito styles vary across the US and Mexico

Mexican burritos are typically simple, containing 1-3 ingredients. (One exception is Sonora’s burro pecheron, which includes additions like avocado and pepperoni.) American burritos are typically larger and have a wider range of ingredients.

The story of pizza in the United States

Pizza is a big deal in the US, and it has many proud regional iterations. From Chicago deep dish to New York thin crust, this video takes a slice out of US history to focus on this beloved entree. Begin with the documented first incidence of pizza in the US—believed to be by Gennaro Lombardi—and end with how old Pizza Huts are being converted around the country.

Frozen burritos made the dish widely available in the 1950s

California native Duane Roberts, who also pioneered the frozen hamburger patty, invented the frozen burrito in 1956 to be easily prepared at fast food restaurants. This innovation also allowed it to be sold in supermarkets.

Pizza became more popular in Italy after it took off in the US

Pizza was invented in Naples, though it wasn't particularly popular outside the region. As it grew more popular elsewhere—and as more American and European tourists visiting Italy began asking for it—restaurants across Italy adopted the cuisine. It's something anthropologist Agehananda Bharati calls "the pizza effect."

There are more than a dozen burrito types in the US

Different regions have different aspects, including Mission-style in San Francisco (and nationwide via Chipotle), the chile Colorado burrito, New Mexico’s breakfast burrito, and fusions like the Korean burrito.

Chihuahua, Mexico, is the birthplace of burritos

Ciudad Juárez is home to dozens of burrito restaurants and food stalls, each with its own signature preparation. In Villa Ahumada, typical fillings include chiles rellenos and local cheese.

The Hawaiian pizza was popularized by a Canadian chef

Hawaii's tiki culture was popular in North America through the mid-20th century, with canned pineapple a household staple. Sam Panopoulos, a Greek immigrant who operated a diner in Ontario, experimented with outlandish pizza recipes until he stumbled upon the idea for topping a pie with canned pineapple and ham.

‘Hang On Sloopy,’ Ohio’s unofficial anthem

The McCoys' 1965 single "Hang On Sloopy" isn't technically about the Buckeye State, but it became a fan favorite after appearing in the Ohio State Marching Band repertoire.

Ancient Rome had an early version of macaroni and cheese

Called placenta (with a hard "c"), the holiday dish consisted of sheets of rolled-out dough layered with cheese. It is the first recipe documenting the combination of the two elements. While there is debate about whether the dough can be called pasta because it's not boiled, many scholars view the dish as a proto-lasagna.

Mapping Michigan's shipwrecks

For centuries, the Great Lakes have provided vital access to the Midwest from the Atlantic Ocean, allowing the establishment of key trading outposts and ultimately the growth of major cities in the region. An estimated 6,000 vessels were lost on the Great Lakes with approximately 1,500 of these ships located in Michigan waters. Explore the deadly legacy of the region with resources pulled together by the Michigan History Center.

A fresco from ancient Pompeii featured an 'ancestor of modern pizza'

A team of archaeologists discovered a fresco from 79 CE featuring what appears to be a proto-pizza: a pita topped with fruit, spices, and other toppings. One archaeologist in the PBS documentary below calls it an "ancestor of modern pizza in the sense that it's a very simple, poor kind of food."

New Mexico is home to a 'breakfast burrito byway'

Santa Fe's Tía Sophia's was the first restaurant to offer breakfast burritos in the 1970s, a heritage New Mexico has fully embraced. Look no further than its "breakfast burrito byway," a state-sanctioned trail that allows visitors to check out some of the best morning bites in the country.

A Connecticut man claims he invented the wrap

Bobby Valentine, a Connecticut-based restaurateur, claims that the burrito-inspired item was invented because someone requested a club sandwich on a day when his toaster was broken. Improvising, Valentine threw all the ingredients into a tortilla and put it on a $4 grill.

Three Oklahoma athletes were penalized for eating too much pasta at a team banquet

In 2013, Oklahoma athletes lost NCAA eligibility after exceeding a pasta limit at a team banquet—regaining it only after repaying $3.83 each—highlighting how difficult it was to navigate the NCAA’s old amateurism rules.

Italian immigrants brought pizza to Argentina in the late 19th century

Two million Italians emigrated to Argentina between 1880 and 1920, many of them the poor who regularly ate pizza. In Argentina, they were pleased to find that mozzarella was plentiful, allowing them to make cheesier pies. By 1882, Italians owned 126 of the 198 bakeries in Buenos Aires, as well as the majority of shops selling butter, cheese, and pasta.

Tex-Mex is its own distinct cuisine with roots in the Texas borderlands

The cuisine emerged from Tejano cooking, blending northern Mexican ranch food with ingredients such as yellow cheese, beef, and wheat flour. Dishes now considered staples, including chili con carne and fajitas, were Tex-Mex inventions rather than traditional Mexican dishes.

A chopped cheese sandwich is a New York culinary staple

The sandwich is a cross between a hamburger and a cheesesteak, featuring ground beef, cheese, and seasoning on a roll. Its fans add whatever other fixings they like, including lettuce, tomato, onions, mustard, and more.

College football bowl games boast some of sports' most absurd names

From the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to the Pop-Tarts Bowl, college football's postseason is filled with quirky, sponsor-driven names.

The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry has roots in a 19th-century border dispute.

Chicago deep-dish pizza arrived in 1943

Pizzeria Uno was the first establishment to sell the concoction, which turned more traditional pizza upside down, with cheese as the base and sauce as the topping. Soon, Uno employees went out on their own, sparking a citywide deep-dish phenomenon.

Are burritos sandwiches?

In this video, we trace the burrito's origins, explore the legal and culinary battles around its classification, and break down why this seemingly simple food raises such a complicated question.

Pizza is believed to have been invented in Naples

Flatbreads were eaten by ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks, but historians trace pizza—flatbread with toppings, including present-day staples like tomatoes, cheese, garlic, oregano, and oil—back to 18th-century Naples, where the food was loved by its working poor, who appreciated a cheap, tasty meal. Naples formally became a part of Italy in 1861.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl ends with its mascot being eaten by the winning team.

Memphis-style barbecue emphasizes pork

The cuisine's signature dish is dry-rubbed ribs. Before smoking, the meat gets a spice rub with paprika and chili powder. Some restaurants also offer their ribs “wet” (with sauce) or “muddy” (a mixture of sauce and rub).

The South prefers the term 'cookout'

A 2016 Eater poll showed that folks from the South generally prefer "cookout" to describe a backyard event centered around barbecued meat. In fact, that preference extends to much of the country, with 65% of Americans saying they prefer the term.