6 Sweet and Savory Snacks Concocted in Utah: 50 States of Wonder - Gastro Obscura

50 States of Wonder
6 Sweet and Savory Snacks Concocted in Utah

More than half of Utah’s population is Mormon, which translates to more than 1.5 million citizens who eschew coffee, alcohol, and cigarettes. Sugar, however, is not restricted. This may explain why the state’s candy-eating rate is twice the national average: Everyone needs a vice. Or perhaps it’s that Mormons’ proclivity for large families skews the demographics in favor of sweets and starches—more kids equals more unbridled sugar fiends.

Couple the state's bounty of confectionary with its proximity to Idaho, and you've got a wealth of potato-based treats to contend with, as well. In some cases, potatoes and dessert become one. Our advice? Don't knock it until you try it.

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An array of spudnuts in coconut, blueberry, and cinnamon. cvilletomorrow/Creative Commons
Doughnut Shop

1. Johnny O's Spudnuts

The first doughnut chain in the United States was not Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts, but a Utah-based franchise named Spudnuts. In the 1940s and 50s, the owners took potato-based doughnuts mainstream, opening hundreds of stores. Mr. Spudnut, their mascot, made it all the way to outposts in Japan. In 1968, three years into acquisition by a Canadian company, a bad investment destroyed the future of the franchise. Store owners were forced back into independent operation. In 1964, Spudnuts sold an estimated 400,000 doughnuts per day. Today, scattered across the United States, only a few outposts remain. (Read more.)

630 Main St, Logan, UT 84321

Variations include versions with bacon, jalapeños, potato chips, and gruyère. Heidi Larsen/used with permission
Restaurant

2. Tradition

Funeral potatoes hit all the marks of stick-to-your-ribs comfort food: shredded or cubed potatoes, cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup, sour cream, butter, and grated cheddar cheese, all topped with a crunchy layer of corn flakes. The dish is particularly popular in the United States’ “Mormon corridor" of Utah, western Wyoming, eastern Idaho, and southern California. Its long-lasting ingredients are almost always inside a Mormon’s pantry—a holdover from the Church’s post-Depression push for maintaining a three-month food supply at all times. Most sources attribute its spread to the Relief Society, a women’s organization within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

But funeral potatoes aren’t just for those in mourning. Mormons also serve the dish at church potlucks and alongside ham for Christmas and Easter. When Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, it not only honored the world’s greatest athletes, it also honored this treasured dish. Funeral potatoes feature prominently on commemorative pins from the Games. Try a hearty helping alongside your fried chicken or meatloaf at Tradition in Salt Lake City. (Read more.)

501 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84105

The all-natural “beer” tastes of spiced green apple and isn’t overwhelmingly sweet. rebmaanile/used with permission
Farm Market

3. Rowley's Red Barn

More than 100 years ago, a Bavarian chemist concocted the first batch of “apple beer” as a nonalcoholic alternative to boozy brews. Originally dubbed fassbrause, the refreshing beverage was treated like a beer. Brewed in barrels and distributed by horse-drawn carriage, it soon became popular on draught. When Larry Stillman, an American living abroad, got a taste of fassbrause, he wanted more. He secured the rights to the recipe and started selling it, rebranded as Apple Beer, in his home state of Utah in the 1960s. Caffeine- and alcohol-free, the soft drink took off among teetotalers, kids, and those seeking a decent mixer.

To appreciate the full spectrum of apple beer’s refreshing majesty, we recommend sipping one while surrounded by Utah’s finest apples and apple goodies. Rowley’s Red Barn, a family-owned fruit farm and cider mill with an outpost 70 miles south of Salt Lake City, provides exactly that. (Read more.)

901 S 300 W St, Santaquin, UT 84655

A tiny Utah town is behind pickle pie, a sweet and sour treat. Turtle Tells/used with permission
Restaurant and Motel 

4. Sunglow

Along State Route 24 in south-central Utah, the Sunglow Restaurant and Motel sells the same unconventional pies they’ve been known for since the 1960s. Located in the tiny town of Bicknell (population 321, as of 2017), this eatery is situated 13 miles west of Capitol Reef National Park. A full assessment of flavor choices might leave you wondering if you’re looking at the right menu. Apart from classics such as apple or blueberry, you’ll find oatmeal, sour cream, buttermilk, avocado lime, pinto bean, and pickle pies. 

Pickle pie is no gimmick; it’s a menu staple. Tasters say the initial impression reads like a mince pie. As you continue chewing, however, the spiced overtones fade into a distinct tanginess. The pie starts with a base of ground, sweet pickles, which get turned into filling by adding eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon extract, cream, and margarine. It’s then baked in a classic pie crust and served with a side of whipped cream. (Read more.)

91 E Main St, Bicknell, UT 84715

These gummies are taking over Utah. mikelann/used with permission
Candy Shop

5. Sweet's

Chocolate-covered cinnamon bears are so popular that the bookstore at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, regularly runs out of its supply of one-pound bags. Salt Lake City’s Sweet Candy Company began selling the cinnamon-flavored red gummy—spicier, waxier, and significantly bigger than the average gummy bear—in the 1920s, but the chocolate-covered edition wasn’t born until the 1990s. Sweet’s president says the creation was inspired by one of their guiding principles: to cover things in chocolate. Utahns can’t get enough of the flavor pairing, and the gummies have recently become something of a state signature. (Read more.)

3780 W Directors Row, Salt Lake City, UT 84104

A match made in the Beehive State. Authalic/Creative Commons
Fast Food

6. Arctic Circle

Mayonnaise and ketchup. Put them together and you have a condiment that is known by a number of names across the globe, including Russian dressing, hamburger sauce, and salsa golf. But all of those sauces are just imposters, if you ask someone from Utah. They'll tell you that the combination goes by one name: fry sauce. 

According to local history, fry sauce was created in the late 1940s by Don Carlos Edwards, founder of the Utah-based fast-food chain Arctic Circle. Originally called “pink sauce,” the recipe included ketchup, mayo, garlic, and a mix of other spices to create an instant hit condiment that was perfect for french fries. The sauce quickly became a cultural institution that continues to be a source of fierce local pride. (Read more.)

1680 Red Cliffs Dr, St. George, Utah 84790

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Who doesn't love an old tree?

11 Wholesome Spots in Nevada

Here at Atlas Obscura, we have a fondness for the forbidden, a hunger for the hidden, a gusto for the grim. (You get the point.) But it wouldn’t be so intrepid to simply highlight Nevada’s underbelly, would it? There’s more to the state than extraterrestrial-themed brothels and nuclear bomb test sites. Kids and grandparents might enjoy enormous Ferris wheels, unusual geysers, or pristine parklands. Even Nevada—home to Sin City—has a family-friendly side.

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All aboard for a plate of pancakes.

7 Places to Glimpse Maine's Rich Railroad History

Maine is widely known for its mottled red crustaceans and stony-faced lighthouses, as well as bucolic towns and the top-notch hiking outside of them. But before all that, Maine was all about one thing: trains. As America industrialized in the 19th century, there was an insatiable demand to build and a hunger for lumber. Maine had plenty of it, and the state’s rivers became swollen with the fallen bodies of pine and spruce, much of which was hauled by rail. Trains did the heavy lifting to coastal hubs including Bangor and Ellsworth, and by 1924, there was enough railroad mileage in Maine to get from London’s King's Cross station to Mosul, Iraq. Over the years, some of the old cars were fashioned into eateries, but many were simply abandoned in the woods. Now, relics of Maine’s railroad history are scattered in museums, restaurants, and more.

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At Glacier Gardens, the tree canopies are flowers in bloom.

11 Places Where Alaska Bursts Into Color

Picture Alaska. You might see in your mind's eye the granite and stark white snowcaps of Denali National Park, or the dark seas that surround 6,000-plus miles of coastline, or the muted olive of its tundra in the summer. But as anyone who's been there knows, the country's largest, most sparsely populated state can absolutely burst with color, from the luminous green of the Northern Lights, to the deep aqua of its glaciers, to the flourish of wildflowers fed by its long summer days. Here are some places to see the full spectrum of The Last Frontier.

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Workers assess the exterior of the Washington Monument after an earthquake in 2011.

9 Places in D.C. That You're Probably Never Allowed to Go

The District of Columbia is home to a number of places that you need to flash the right ID to access. From restricted rooftops to government storage facilities and underground tunnels, the city is filled with places that are off-limits to the average visitor. What’s more, many of them are hidden within popular tourist destinations and densely populated neighborhoods—so you might catch a glimpse of them, but never get any closer. These are a few of our favorite restricted spots in D.C., and the stories behind them.

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