Arkansas isn't quite Southern, nor is it quite Midwestern. Tucked between such culinary heavyweights as Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee, the smallest state west of the Mississippi is a frontier of iconic foods. Its culinary contributions far outweigh its well-known favorites of cheese dip, fried pickles and chocolate gravy. With a diverse ecology that includes a healthy slice of the Mississippi Delta, the heart of the Ozarks and a wealth of rivers, lakes and streams crisscrossed by a wealth of great highways and byways, Arkansas has a lot of cuisine to explore.

Illustration by Hello Neighbor Designs