18 Iconic California Foods And Drinks That Originated In The Golden State
Beaches and celebrities might steal the spotlight, but some of the most iconic foods and drinks in the world were actually born in the Golden State.
Thanks to a rich blend of cultures, incredible produce, and a knack for culinary innovation, California has cooked up everything from crave-worthy comfort food to global food trends.
These dishes and drinks aren’t just delicious—they’re a flavorful snapshot of the state’s one-of-a-kind food history.
1. San Francisco Sourdough
Gold Rush miners nicknamed early San Francisco bakers “sourdoughs” for the tangy bread they carried in their packs. The city’s unique foggy climate creates perfect conditions for wild yeasts and bacteria that give this bread its signature sour flavor.
Some San Francisco bakeries claim their sourdough starters date back to the 1850s! These living cultures are carefully maintained daily, passed down through generations of bakers.
The bread’s chewy interior and crackling crust make it perfect for dipping in clam chowder served in bread bowls along Fisherman’s Wharf – another iconic San Francisco tradition.
2. Cioppino
Italian immigrant fishermen working San Francisco’s wharves in the 1800s created this hearty seafood stew when returning from sea. They’d toss together whatever the day’s catch offered – Dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels and fish – into a tomato-wine broth.
The name likely comes from the Genoese word “ciuppin,” meaning “to chop” or “chopped,” referring to how the seafood was prepared. North Beach fishermen would “chip in” various seafood to create communal meals.
Today’s cioppino typically includes garlic, onions, herbs, and red wine or brandy, served with crusty sourdough bread for soaking up the flavorful broth.
3. Popsicle
An 11-year-old Oakland boy named Frank Epperson accidentally invented popsicles in 1905 when he left a cup of powdered soda and water with a stirring stick on his porch overnight. The mixture froze in the cold night air, creating the first “Epsicle.”
Frank initially made them for his friends, but in 1923 he began selling his frozen treats at Neptune Beach, an amusement park in Alameda. He patented his creation in 1924, later changing the name to “Popsicle.”
The twin popsicle with two sticks was created during the Great Depression so children could split them and share – getting two treats for the price of one!
4. California-style Pizza
Chef Ed LaDou revolutionized pizza in the 1980s while working at Chez Panisse in Berkeley and later at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Los Angeles. Breaking all traditional rules, he topped pizzas with gourmet ingredients like goat cheese, duck sausage, and smoked salmon.
The California-style pizza features a thin, crispy crust similar to Italian Neapolitan pizzas but with distinctly non-Italian toppings. Fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients are hallmarks of this style, reflecting California’s agricultural abundance.
LaDou later developed the original menu for California Pizza Kitchen, helping popularize creations like BBQ chicken pizza nationwide and turning this California innovation into a mainstream favorite.
5. California Roll
Sushi chef Ichiro Mashita created this inside-out makizushi at Tokyo Kaikan restaurant in Los Angeles during the 1960s. Noticing Americans’ hesitation toward eating seaweed and raw fish, he cleverly hid the nori inside and substituted avocado and crab for traditional raw fish.
The roll’s genius lies in its accessibility – introducing reluctant American diners to Japanese flavors through familiar ingredients. Its name celebrates both its birthplace and the avocado that gives it distinctly Californian character.
This culinary bridge between cultures helped spark America’s sushi revolution. Today, the California Roll remains the most popular sushi order for beginners, proving that cultural fusion can create enduring culinary classics.
6. French Dip Sandwich
Two Los Angeles restaurants claim to have invented the French Dip sandwich in the early 1900s – Cole’s Pacific Electric Buffet and Philippe The Original. Philippe’s story involves accidentally dropping a sandwich roll into hot meat drippings, while Cole’s claims their sandwich was created for a customer with sore gums.
Despite the name, there’s nothing French about this sandwich except possibly the roll. The “dip” refers to the jus (beef broth) served alongside for dunking the sandwich.
The classic version features thinly sliced roast beef on a French roll, dipped in meat juices before serving. Modern variations include adding cheese, onions, or serving the jus on the side.
7. Hangtown Fry
Gold Rush legend says this luxurious scramble of eggs, oysters and bacon was created in Placerville – nicknamed “Hangtown” for its swift justice by hanging. A newly-rich miner walked into the El Dorado Hotel demanding the most expensive meal possible, resulting in this unusual combination of the priciest ingredients available: eggs (rare in mining camps), oysters (shipped from San Francisco), and bacon.
Another story claims a condemned man requested it as his last meal, knowing the ingredients would take time to gather, delaying his execution.
Whatever its true origin, this decadent breakfast became a California classic, representing the extravagance and resourcefulness of Gold Rush era cuisine.
8. Monterey Jack Cheese
Franciscan friars first brought cheesemaking to California’s missions in the 1700s, but it was businessman David Jack who made this mild white cheese famous. In the 1880s, Jack began marketing the cheese made by Mexican Californio farmers around Monterey.
The cheese was originally called “queso blanco del país” or “country white cheese” by Spanish settlers. After Jack began selling it, people referred to it as “Jack’s cheese” or “Monterey Jack.”
This semi-hard cheese has a buttery flavor and melts beautifully, making it perfect for quesadillas and burgers. Aged versions develop a firmer texture and sharper flavor, while Pepper Jack incorporates spicy jalapeños for a distinctly Californian kick.
9. Chinese Chicken Salad
Madame Wu’s Garden in Santa Monica popularized this fusion dish in the 1960s after Cary Grant requested something similar to a salad he’d enjoyed elsewhere. Though various chefs claim to have invented it, the salad represents California’s talent for blending cultures through food.
Traditional ingredients include shredded chicken, crispy wontons, almonds, and a dressing blending sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger. The combination of crispy and soft textures with sweet-savory flavors reflects Asian influences filtered through California sensibilities.
While not authentically Chinese, this salad exemplifies how California chefs reimagined ethnic cuisines with local ingredients, creating entirely new food categories that honor multiple culinary traditions.
10. Tri-tip
The triangular bottom sirloin cut known as tri-tip was typically ground for hamburger until Santa Maria butcher Bob Schutz decided to cook it whole in the 1950s. This once-overlooked cut became a Central Coast sensation, perfect for the region’s oak-fired barbecue tradition.
Traditionally seasoned simply with salt, pepper, and garlic, tri-tip is grilled over red oak wood to a rosy medium-rare. The magic comes from its varied texture and marbling – with different levels of tenderness throughout the triangular muscle.
Locals typically slice it thin against the grain and serve it with pinquito beans, salsa, and buttery garlic bread. This humble cut’s transformation shows California’s knack for culinary innovation.
11. Santa Maria–Style Barbecue
Long before California became a state, Spanish rancheros in the Santa Maria Valley hosted community feasts featuring beef cooked over native red oak coals. This distinct barbecue style evolved from these traditional gatherings into a celebrated regional cooking method.
The signature preparation uses a specialized grill with an adjustable grate that can be raised or lowered to control cooking temperature. The beef – traditionally tri-tip – is seasoned only with salt, pepper, and garlic, allowing the meat and smoke flavors to shine.
A proper Santa Maria barbecue includes pinquito beans (small pink beans native to the region), fresh salsa, green salad, and grilled sourdough bread brushed with garlic butter.
12. Ranch Dressing
Hidden Valley Ranch near Santa Barbara became the birthplace of America’s favorite dressing in 1954. Plumber-turned-cowboy Steve Henson developed the creamy mixture of buttermilk, herbs, and spices while working in Alaska, then perfected it after purchasing the California ranch with his wife.
Guests at their dude ranch went crazy for the dressing, requesting bottles to take home. The Hensons began packaging dry seasoning mixes in envelopes that customers could combine with buttermilk and mayonnaise.
Clorox purchased the brand in 1972 for $8 million, later developing a shelf-stable version. Today, ranch reigns as America’s most popular dressing – appearing on everything from salads to pizza – all thanks to a California cowboy’s culinary creativity.
13. French Onion (California) Dip
This party staple was born in 1954 when an unknown Los Angeles homemaker mixed Lipton onion soup mix with sour cream. The simple yet addictive combination quickly spread through neighborhood gatherings and potlucks across Southern California.
Lipton caught wind of the trend and began printing the recipe directly on their soup mix packages in 1958, launching the dip into national popularity. The name “California Dip” appeared in early marketing, though most people now know it as French onion dip.
Despite containing nothing French, this creamy, savory dip became inseparable from potato chips at American gatherings. Its invention shows how California’s casual entertaining style influenced national food trends.
14. Garlic Ice Cream
Only in California would someone think to combine garlic and ice cream! This unlikely pairing originated at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in the 1980s, celebrating the town known as the “Garlic Capital of the World.”
Contrary to what you might expect, the ice cream contains roasted garlic, which develops a sweeter, more mellow flavor than raw garlic. The subtle garlic undertones complement the sweet vanilla base, creating a surprisingly balanced treat.
While definitely a novelty, garlic ice cream exemplifies California’s agricultural pride and culinary fearlessness. Festival-goers line up each year to try this conversation-starting dessert that’s become a quirky symbol of California’s food innovation.
15. Rocky Road Ice Cream
During the Great Depression, William Dreyer of Oakland’s Dreyer’s Ice Cream used a pair of scissors to chop marshmallows and walnuts, adding them to chocolate ice cream. His business partner Joseph Edy suggested naming it “Rocky Road” to give people something to smile about during those difficult economic times.
The original 1929 version used walnuts, though almonds later became the standard. The combination of smooth chocolate, fluffy marshmallows, and crunchy nuts created an irresistible texture contrast that revolutionized ice cream.
As America’s first commercially available ice cream with mix-ins, Rocky Road paved the way for countless creative flavor combinations. This California creation remains one of the nation’s most beloved ice cream flavors.
16. It’s-It Ice Cream Sandwich
In 1928, George Whitney created this beloved treat at San Francisco’s Playland-at-the-Beach amusement park. He sandwiched vanilla ice cream between two large oatmeal cookies, then dipped the entire creation in dark chocolate.
After exclaiming “It’s it!” upon tasting his creation, the name stuck. For decades, It’s-Its were only available at Playland until the amusement park closed in 1972.
Thankfully, the ice cream sandwich lived on when a new factory opened to continue production. Today, the company makes multiple flavors including mint, cappuccino, and pumpkin, but the original vanilla remains the classic San Francisco treat that generations of Bay Area residents remember from childhood.
17. Double Rainbow Ice Cream
Before becoming an internet meme, Double Rainbow was a premium ice cream brand born in San Francisco in 1976. Founders Michael Sachar and Steven Fink named their company after seeing two actual rainbows over Grandview Park in the Sunset District.
Their mission was creating ultra-premium ice cream using local ingredients with higher butterfat content and less air whipped in than commercial brands. Flavors like Vanilla Swiss Almond and Cappuccino Chocolate Chip developed cult followings throughout the Bay Area.
The brand gained unexpected fame in 2010 when a YouTube video of a man emotionally reacting to a double rainbow went viral. Though unrelated to the ice cream, the coincidental name connection brought renewed attention to this California classic.
18. Avocado Toast
Before becoming the symbol of millennial brunch culture, avocado toast emerged from California’s abundant avocado harvests and health-focused cuisine. Chef Bill Granger claims to have put it on his Sydney café menu in 1993, but Californians had been mashing avocados on bread for decades.
The dish gained mainstream popularity around 2013 when it began appearing on trendy café menus throughout Los Angeles and San Francisco. Its photogenic appearance made it perfect for Instagram, helping fuel its rapid spread across the country.
While the basic version features mashed avocado, salt, pepper, and lemon juice on toasted bread, California chefs elevated it with additions like poached eggs, microgreens, radishes, and red pepper flakes.