The Surprising Rise Of Oklahoma’s Iconic Foods Beyond Borders

Whether you're simply sharing a meal with the family or going out to treat yourself, Oklahoma has more than a few iconic foods that have spread across the country like wildfire.

Take the Oklahoma onion burger for instance. On the initial thought, a burger piled high with onions sounds like a little much, but grill one up the Oklahoma way with a heaping of caramelized onions, and it's on menus as far as Europe these days.

We're starting to see this with Braum's ice cream too, though on a smaller scale. On a recent trip through North Texas, I was shocked to see so many locations across the border. It's like Texas is slowly realizing that Blue Bell is super-sub-par compared to Braum's.

While some OK originals have spread far and wide, other Sooner State favorites have not.

I was so excited to finally try the barbecue down in Mississippi and Alabama when we passed through. While the ribs were good, if not a little too sugary, the brisket was akin to a Sunday roast. It was eye-opening.

Same thing with the bologna sandwiches in the Midwest. They don't even cook the bologna, they just slap it between two slices of bread with mayonnaise. I thought unlocking the flavor with a hot cast iron pan or smoker was general knowledge across the US.

Regardless, we do seem to share some of our favorite foods with other states. The South can pull some ridiculously good pork, but only the Sooner State holds it in the highest regard to deem it a state meal staple. Texas also makes some pretty good brisket, even though their salt and pepper base is a little lackluster and occasionally assaults the tastebuds. That mesquite wood sure makes bitter smoke.

Whether you've lived here forever or moved to Oklahoma recently, here are the agreed-upon mandatory Sooner State foods you should explore in your own kitchen.