First of all, if they’re pronounced “chitlins,” why would you spell it like that? While you might be confused by the name, what it actually is will confuse you even more.
There’s nothing so wrong about eating intestines considering that most of us are eating hot dogs on the reg, but there’s something so unfortunate about a dish that actually looks like intestines. Like, at least disguise them to look like something else. People in Tennessee must not have Instagram.
South Carolina -- Fried Pig Ears
America loves pork and for good reason. There are many delicious parts of a pig that can be turned into a stunning dish. But who in the world looked at a pig's ears and thought that it would be a nice idea to deep fry them? That's literally disgusting.
We want to love South Carolina for giving us shrimp and grits, but this kind of sours things for us.
South Dakota -- Chislic
While we aren't surprised that Chislic comes from South Dakota, we are still disappointed. Basically, it's greasy dice-sized chunks of meat on toothpicks. That's about all that they are. And somehow, it's a regional delicacy.
Sorry, I don't know why I said it somehow. Considering that it's from South Dakota, it makes perfect sense.
Texas -- Frito Pie
We have absolutely nothing against Fritos. They are perfectly salty and a great chip for some dip. But, Texans like to act like their state is a bastion of haute cuisine. Austinites in particular will poo-poo a taco from literally anywhere but Austin. So, we'd like to take the time to so graciously remind them that they've also given us the wild Frito pie.
It's basically a casserole made with processed corn chips. And there you have it. That's all it is. We're just a bit surprised that it originates in Texas and not Missouri, to be honest. We did have higher hopes for Texas.
Utah -- Jell-O Salad
If you ever dream of taking a step back to the 1950s and don't want to wait around for a time machine to be invented, then you might want to visit Utah. Utah residents eat more Jell-O per capita than any other state in America. They love the gelatinous dessert so much that they even have Jell-O-themed legislation and a Jell-O week is a thing. When the Olympic Games came to Salt Lake City in 2002, there was an officially licensed Jell-O pin.
If you consider that 62% of Utah's population is Mormon, you can safely assume that a lot of Mormons are eating Jell-O. What other dessert is better to bring to large church gatherings where you need to feed plenty of mouths on a tight budget? Some Jell-O here and there (like when you're barfing and can't stomach anything else) is okay. But Utah goes overboard in a major way.