The Hoosier state may grow a whole lot of corn, but the dish we're known for is corn-free!

Get our free mobile app

Corn in the Hoosier State

Indiana is known for being a large producer of corn. In fact, according to World Population Review, Indiana is the 5th biggest producer of corn in the country producing around 981.8 million bushels of corn annually (or roughly 6.9% of the country's corn).  So with these staggering corn numbers, you'd think Indiana's most iconic dish would have corn in it, right?  Wrong.

Indiana's Most Iconic Dish is Kernal Free

Recently Food Network named the most iconic dish that comes from each state. Every state and region has its quirks and foods that make that area unique.  For instance, Illinois is known for the iconic Chicago deep-dish pizza, and Kentucky is known for the Hot Brown (though some argue that the answer for Kentucky's most iconic dish should be burgoo).  So what is Indiana's most iconic dish?  

The Breaded Tenderloin Sandwich

Did you think for even a second that the most iconic dish from the Hoosier State wouldn't be the tenderloin sandwich?  I mean Indiana is home to THREE Tenderloin Trails to celebrate this Hoosier Delicacy.

Here is what Food Network has to say about the tenderloin sandwich being the most iconic food in the state:

If the Hoosier state had an official sandwich, this would be it. The deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is big in Indiana — literally. The pork is pounded out, breaded, deep fried and typically served on a bun that looks conspicuously small compared to the meat, but that’s part of the appeal. At The Mug, a "farm-to-curb" drive-in in Greenfield with a second location in Indy’s Irvington neighborhood, that pork is pasture-raised on local farms.