Of course, we know that Minnesota is the home of the Jucy Lucy. Also the bundt cake, or, at least, the bundt pan. Pronto Pup claims to have invented the corn dog. We’re reportedly the birthplace of the cosmopolitan. Cheerios comes Golden Valley, along with dozens of other General Mills products. Pearsons in St. Paul invented the Salted Nut Roll. And now Secret’s of the City’s own Jeremy Iggers reveals the extraordinary fact that Minnesota’s own Leeann Chin invented the cream cheese won ton. Any other local creations that I am forgetting?
Food Invented in Minnesota
Jan 5 2009 — 12:18am
21 Reader Comments
12:26 am
Oh man, I already forgot Spam.
7:08 am
Besides the Pronto Pup (which has a wheat batter, not corn, if I recall correctly), I’m sure there are some other State Fair fare unique to GopherNation, but I can’t think of any examples…
7:44 am
Yeah, I always thought the Pronto Pop and the Corn Dog were mutually exclusive; one used corn flour and the other used wheat flour for the batter.
8:16 am
Hence the Pronto Pup’s famious moto: “Weiner dun in a bun”
It is also known as a “Banquet on a stick”
10:08 am
I hate Leeann Chin, but I love the cream cheese wonton. Torn!
10:20 am
Isn’t a cream cheese wonton just like crab rangoon without the crab? I formally declare that Leann Chin is not the inventor of the cream cheese wonton!
10:39 am
Frozen pizza, believe it or not.
10:41 am
Lutefisk Sushi
11:05 am
Frozen corn on the cob.
12:55 pm
brocolli cum salad.
1:59 pm
Oh yeah, Jeno Palucci and the frozen pizza!
Robert Mondavi was born on the Iron Range. Since he moved away to make wine (and didn’t even invent it in the first place), that really has very little to do with this thread, but I can’t think of anything else right now.
2:03 pm
Are any MN original foods prepared with a vacuum cleaner? Because David Orek is from Up North, too.
2:50 pm
Deep-fried Twinkies? Butter-and-white-sugar sandwiches? Crescent rolls?
3:10 pm
A video gem from the vaults — 59 Minnesota State Fair foods on a stick.
10:40 am
Re: Jeno Palucci.
Don’t forget La Choy chow mein! It was home-cooked (from a can) “Chinese food” to a whole generation of Minnesotans when Moo Goo Gai Pan was but a gleam in the eye.
10:50 am
La Choy chow mein is a Minnesota invention?
wrong. wrong. wrong.
But, there is a really bad, but funny joke there somewhere.
11:06 am
@Cat is Still Cat: Opps. Meant Chun King, not La Choy.
Still, pretty much the same thing.
The Michelina brand of frozen foods is also a Palucci creation:
Luigino’s, Inc. Company History
11:23 am
@noodleman: Chun King? I don’t know why, but that’s even more annoying.
I see one of their brands is Yu Sing.
*bangs forehead on desk*
9:13 pm
Lest us not forget the honeycrisp apple.
9:20 pm
I invented the Sailor Martin. It’s made like a gin Martini and served with a contempt for vodka.
9:13 am
If we’re going to bring up Jeno’s empire, we should also mention Totino’s.