I’ll Show You Mine, If You Show Me Yours

There are obvious regional dessert specialties. The black and white cookie is nothing short of a phenomenon in and around New York City, while remaining distinctly off the radar in much of the rest of the country. Banana cream pie is a staple of the Los Angeles area restaurant and bakery circuit, yet it makes only brief and lackluster appearances elsewhere. Booze, especially the likes of Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee rye, is prominent in Southern desserts. Local fruits and produce are often directly tied to a regional specialty (i.e., blueberries in Maine, peaches in Atlanta). These observations are interesting, but it is the lesser-known regional subtleties that make my head explode. Dig a little deeper and unearth the treasures.