It's no secret to Chicago-area residents that Chicago is a food city through and through, but the Windy City is far from the only place to find a unique meal or snack in the Prairie State.
Food website Tasting Table took a dive into Illinois cuisine and listed 15 uniquely Illinois foods that readers should try at least once, with several Chicago staples included.
Of the familiar tourist favorites, Chicago popcorn, deep dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs led off the list, paying recognition to foods long associated with the cuisine of Chicago.
While those classics are familiar to many in the Chicago area, downstate Illinois also brings plenty to the table when looking at the cuisine of the state.
Chief among those is the Springfield favorite horseshoe sandwich, an open-faced sandwich with plenty of hearty ingredients stacked high.
From horseshoe-shaped ham and potato wedges to generous portions of cheese, this central Illinois classic is beloved by locals.
The love for Chicago doesn't end there though, with recognition given to both Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago thin-crust, or "tavern-style" pizza and the Windy City's most notorious spirit, Malört.
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Chicago classics that are perhaps not as widely known also shared the spotlight, including jibaritos, Maxwell Street Polish sausages, rainbow cones and Palmer House's original brownies.
The horseshoe sandwich isn't all that the rest of Illinois has to offer, with the oversized pork tenderloin sandwich from central Illinois not being for the faint of heart.
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The tenderloin is often much larger than the bun it's served on, meaning you'll need a fork and a knife to get through this Prairie State classic.
Snacks are also part of any culinary expedition, and the same applies for Illinois, where the list mentions Mrs. Fisher's Chips and Beer Nuts as two of the state's most iconic small bites.
Perhaps the most unique item on the list is one found in Chicago though, with Tasting Table highlighting the Flaming Saganaki as one of the state's most unique eats.
The dish contains fried Kasseri cheese topped with brandy and lemon juice before being lit ablaze.
Served with crackers on the side, the dish can be found at Greek restaurants throughout the city.
A full list of the foods named as some of Illinois' most unique can be found here.
