Uniquely Jersey Eats: What Newcomers Need to Know
By: Lauren Melville
New to the Garden State? Get caught up to speed on quintessential New Jersey food. Whether your food is farm fresh or hot out of the oven, you’ll never go hungry. Here are four foods that are uniquely New Jersey.
What’s Your Go-to Bagel Order?
Bagels and bagel sandwiches are delicacies that cross county lines from Sussex to Cape May. If you ask any New Jerseyan what place has the best bagel sandwiches, you’ll get a different answer every time. Bagel shops are a dime a dozen in this state. Read NJ Realtors® staff picks on their favorite bagels in New Jersey. Head north to grab a hot everything bagel from G&A Hot Bagels in Butler, travel to Metuchen to purchase a delicious bagel sandwich at Bagel Pantry, and head south to visit Bagel University in Vineland for a variety of options.
The Great Taylor Ham v. Pork Roll Debate
Once you’ve settled in, you’ll have to join either team Taylor Ham or team pork roll. For decades, this has been a hot topic among Jersey residents—what’s the correct name for the uniquely Jersey processed meat? That depends on where you reside, North Jersey is team Taylor Ham and parts of Central Jersey but, the farther you travel south, you’ll start to hear pork roll.
Head South for a Salty Option
If you make your way down the shore, you’ll see loads of candy shops with shelves filled with salt water taffy. Now, you may have heard or even tried salt water taffy before moving to New Jersey, but did you know how it got its famous name? Originating in Atlantic City, taffy was a boardwalk staple. According to taffytown.com, one day in 1883, a candy shop flooded and soaked the owner’s taffy. Joking with a customer, the owner claimed it was his “salt water taffy” and the name stuck. Visit Fralinger’s Original Salt Water Taffy in Atlantic City, Jenkinson’s Sweet Shop in Point Pleasant Beach, and Shriver’s Salt Water Taffy & Fudge for a sweet treat.
Farm Fresh
Want a healthier option? New Jersey is called the Garden State for a reason. From the famous Jersey tomatoes, blueberries, cranberries, peaches, bell peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, apples, spinach, sweet corn, and squash, New Jersey is a top producer of several crops sold, according to Rutgers University New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and The Packer. Many farm stands and markets are located across the state; visit Dutch Country Farmers Market in Flemington for a variety of local produce and baked goods, pick your own blueberries at DiMeo Farms in Hammonton, or purchase sweet corn sold at Ort Farms in Long Valley. Read NJ Realtors® guide on where to find the freshest produce.