Each state boasts its culinary claim to fame and the Bluegrass State is no different. Some Kentucky foods get more attention than others, like our famous Kentucky Hot Brown but others are a better kept secret. If you are a Kentucky native or grew up with a Kentucky native, these foods are probably some of your favorites…but if you’re not from these parts, then it may come as a complete surprise that some of these delicacies are bred in the Bluegrass.

During the Kentucky Derby season and its build-up before, Benedictine is on everyone’s menu. This finger sandwich favorite is named for its creator Jennie Carter Benedict – a legendary Kentucky restauranteur, cookbook author, and caterer.  My favorite way to enjoy Benedictine is on a sandwich with cucumbers but it’s also so delicious as a dip with your favorite vegetables.

Another Louisville creation, Henry Bain Sauce, is one of the best-kept Kentucky secrets.  The story has it that Henry Bain was a waiter for more than 40 years at the famous Pendennis Club i in Louisville KY.  He created this sauce for some VIP guests to elevate the meat served at the club.  This sweet, tangy, and spicy combination of flavors pairs perfectly with beef, pork, and lamb.  It also makes the perfect appetizer served over cream cheese with crackers or veggies for a unique taste sensation.  

Bibb Lettuce, a sweet, buttery, tender, loose-leafed yet crunchy lettuce, was invented in Frankfort.  The John B. Bibb House, a lovely gabled home on Wapping Street, is the location of gardens where Mr Bibb, a highly skilled horticulturist and politician, developed this lettuce version in the 1860s.  If you have never tried it then think Boston lettuce only more flavorful and even more delicate.  He actually used  Boston lettuce seeds and acclimated it to the limestone-laced soil in Central Kentucky and the variety was first called “limestone lettuce.”  Pair this deliciously crunchy lettuce with In the Curious Kitchen’s Buttermilk Ranch Dressing for a lovely salad.

In the Curious Kitchen’s Beer Cheese has its original roots in the Bluegrass State. According to legend, it all started in the late 1930s on the banks of the Kentucky River near Winchester. Beer cheese, with its unique cheddar cheese and spicy taste combination, was created by Chef Joe Allman for his cousin Johnnie who owned the Driftwood Inn.  This was served as a complimentary appetizer to increase his customers' appetite for beer.  This must have seemed like a good idea because the idea (and recipe) took off.  Our beer cheese takes it just a notch above–flavor profile-wise and we use Garage Beer, a local beer made in Covington KY, close to my new house in Northern KY. There are a lot of varieties out there and our version is popular as one of our best-selling items.  A couple of years ago, we developed a Beer Cheese Soup using our very own Beer Cheese for a delicious soup to celebrate a Kentucky favorite.

Grits may not be a Kentucky invention but they are a Kentucky mainstay.  They can be found on breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus across the Bluegrass year-round. My favorite grits are Weisenberger Mill Stone-Ground Grits, produced on a lovely Woodford County, Kentucky farm.   There are many ways to prepare grits but I love Pimento Cheese Grits, elevating the everyday serving of grits by adding Pimento Cheese as they cook. The spices and mayonnaise that are a part of our Pimento Cheese recipe make for a creamy, delicious addition to a favorite Kentucky side dish. Top the grits with crispy bacon bits and sliced green onion for the added crunch and flavor.

Ale-8-One isn’t a food–it’s a soft drink.  It’s been around almost a century and has a bit of ginger flavor but it’s not ginger ale.  It is definitely not ginger ale. Of course, you can always drink at Ale-8 but why drink it if you can cook with it?  My friend, chef, restauranteur, and cookbook author Ouita Michel, features an Ale-8-One Sloppy Joe recipe in her cookbook, Just a Few Miles South.  She suggests using grass-fed beef and adding ½ cup of Ale-8 to the recipe to make it a true Kentucky version. 

Country ham is another one of those Kentucky-claimed foods.  It may have originally been developed and named for its preservation methods in Virginia but since Kentucky was originally part of Virginia, I am claiming it for the Bluegrass State. To back up by claim, some of the best country ham can be bought in Kentucky. Growing up, my Mom bought her country ham from the grocery store downtown and continued doing so for decades.  I traveled from my Northern Kentucky home back to that same Frankfort grocery any time I needed country ham until it closed a few years ago.  Luckily, I discovered Broadbent’s in Western Kentucky and also luckily–they ship.  It’s the curing process that makes it different (and in my opinion so much better) than regular ham.  It’s salty but oh so delicious. Have you tried our Ham Pate? It’s my uptown version of deviled ham and so delicious.  It makes a completely Kentucky addition to your charcuterie as well. 

All this about Kentucky foods has me inspired. I think I will make a Kentucky bourbon concoction, enjoy this rare summer cool breeze on my front porch, and think about some new ways to use the flavors I grew up with.