Though Washington, DC, doesn’t have an official food, the Council of the District of Columbia declared the humble cherry its official fruit in 2006 — and you’re likely not the only one scratching your head about the decision. Perhaps the Council was anticipating cherry-blossom season around the capital’s Tidal Basin?
In Washington, DC, famous food options—such as mumbo sauce, half-smoke sausages, and Peruvian chicken—are worthy of wider recognition, not to mention all the fabulous Salvadorian and Ethiopian food scattered about the city. Here are five of Washington, DC’s most iconic dishes to tickle your tastebuds.
Is Washington, DC, a Foodie City?
Frequented by diplomats and visitors from across the globe, it’s no wonder the food scene in the nation’s capital is so diverse. Across Washington, DC, much like landmarks and monuments, famous food abounds, which is why we should not only be looking at the city as a top tourist destination, but a one-of-a-kind foodie destination too!
The city has a lot to offer foodies looking to chow down, from seafood to soul food, spicy Korean noodles and kimchi ramen to fennel-sausage ragù and margherita pizza. In DC, the world is your oyster — and if it’s a Chesapeake Bay oyster, it might just be on your plate.
For a taste of DC with unique views from the water, hop aboard a signature City Cruises lunch or dinner cruise, or upgrade to one of our premier brunch or dinner cruises on the Potomac River, where you can savor DC out on the water in style. It’s one of the few experiences where you’ll enjoy a delicious chef-prepared meal, creative cocktails, and live entertainment while sailing the Potomac River, seeing all the sights that the nation’s capital has to offer from a whole new perspective.
What Food is Washington, DC, Known for?
Much like deciding which monuments are considered a signature symbol of DC, topic of DC’s signature dishes is fiercely disputed. We’re calling it a toss-up between mumbo sauce and half-smoke hot dogs, with pupusas, oversized pizza slices, and Chesapeake blue crabs and oysters hot on their heels. These famous DC foods that will have you “cised” (local slang for “excited”) to grab a bite in the nation’s capital.
Head to Ben’s Chili Bowl for an Original Chili Half-Smoke
DC의 시그니처 요리에 대한 강력한 경쟁자는 겸손한 반 연기입니다. 약간의 고추와 맹렬히 보호되는 비밀 향신료가 들어간 쇠고기와 돼지고기 소시지, 반쯤 연기가 나는 핫도그는 케이싱으로 인해 부분적으로 펀치를 포장합니다.
You’re likely to find vendors on any given corner offering grilled half-smokes on a bun, topped with onions and classic yellow mustard or smothered in chili and cheese. But any visit to the nation’s capital is a miss if you don’t stop by the delightfully kitschy Ben’s Chili Bowl to chow down on an original chili half-smoke, washed down with the DC institution’s best-known dessert, Virginia’s favorite banana pudding. Don’t forget the french fries!
Douse Everything on Your Plate with Mumbo Sauce
Similar to barbecue sauce but a touch sweeter, mumbo sauce is a delicious, tangy, red-orange condiment that’s smothered over just about anything you can smother, from french fries and fried rice, to ramen noodles and fried chicken. You’re likely to find it at restaurants and food trucks — and anytime you open a local’s fridge.
2018년 DC 시장 Muriel Bowser는 페이스북에 뭄보 소스를 "전형적인 DC"로 생각하는 사람들에게 얼마나 "짜증이 났는지"에 대해 호언장담하면서 분노를 불러일으켰고, 심지어 그녀는 "뭄보 소스 에 대해 들어보기 전에 완전히 성장한 여성이었습니다!"
시장의 언론 비서관에 따르면 명백한 홍보 스턴트는 지역 주민들에게 "중간 선거, 백업 쿼터백 및 휴일 쇼핑 거래를 넘어 추수 감사절에 대해 논의 할 무언가"를 제공하기위한 것이었으며 확실히 건전한 논쟁을 불러 일으켰습니다. 오, 그해 DC 추수 감사절 저녁 식사에서 월플라워가 되려면....
Seek Out a Jumbo Slice After a Big Night Out
Tell a DC local you need a fix after an epic night out on the town, and they’re likely to send you out to find a jumbo slice of pizza, so big it’s served on two paper plates. Ask that same local for the best place to eat a jumbo slice, and they’re certain to send you to Pizza Boli’s, where the slices are bigger than your head — and sometimes even bigger than your headache the next morning.
Sample the Pupusas at Spots Across the City
DC has a sizable and vibrant Salvadoran immigrant community, so it’s no surprise that cuisine has had a major impact on the culture and local food scene, an influence seen most visibly in the ubiquity of pupusas across town.
One of the city’s more affordable dishes, pupusas are essentially pancakes made with corn flour, which generally come stuffed with chicharron, refried beans, Oaxacan cheese, and crispy pork-skin cracklings, and served with a side dish of curtido cabbage slaw, made with grated onions and carrots, Mexican oregano, apple cider vinegar, and a touch of hot pepper sauce.
자신에게 호의를 베풀고 El Tamarindo 에 들러 비건 및 채식 옵션을 포함하여 DC가 제공하는 최고의 푸푸사 중 일부를 맛보십시오.
Chow down on Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs and Oysters
조개류와 이매패류는 시그니처 요리라고 부르는 것은 아니지만 체서피크 베이 블루 크랩과 굴은 테루아 특유의 풍미를 가지고 있으며 기술적으로 이 목록에 있는 DC의 유일한 토종 식품 중 일부입니다.
Once steamed and coated in Old Bay seasoning or baked into a crab cake, the blue crabs here take on a distinctive flavor, one you’ll forever associate with the U.S. capital after you’ve had your first taste.
최고급 게를 먹는 가장 좋은 방법은 메인 애비뉴 해안가에 있는 캡틴 화이트(Captain White's )로 가서 이 지역의 또 다른 토종 조개류인 굴을 비롯한 모든 종류의 신선한 해산물을 맛볼 수 있는 것입니다.
More Than Monuments and Museums
Washington, DC, is more than just a top destination for museum-goers and history buffs. This melting pot of a city is ready to be viewed as a top foodie destination! Now that you have an idea of where you need to go, and what experiences you need to try, the next step is making a plan. And what better what to get around DC than the Potomac Water Taxi? Whatever you plan to do, just plan to bring an appetite too!
Original post date: November 17, 2022
