The Most Popular Food Brands in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin

Who doesn't love food?! Each state has its unique flavor or famous food items. Sweet corn and bacon from Iowa. Cheese curds and brats from Wisconsin. And one of my favorites, that deep-dish Chicago-style pizza that so many love in Illinois. Even local areas have their favorite food dishes: like Dubuque with their turkey dressing sandwiches. Despite our cuisine favorites, each state has numerous things they are "famous" for, but what food brand is biggest in each state?

Thankfully Taste of Home put together a list of the most famous food brands in each state. May I say that I was surprised by each brand as none of them specifically scream, "I'm (insert state here) through and through." Either way we 've got some winners on this list for sure and our Tri-state area seems to have the market cornered on sweets. Let's get in to it.

Illinois' Most Popular Food Brand

Illinois is home to one of the most iconic snack cakes of all time: Twinkies. Created in Schiller Park, Twinkies were originally filled with banana cream. However, during World War II, banana imports became scarce, leading the company to switch to the now-familiar vanilla cream filling. That change stuck, and Twinkies went on to become a lunchbox legend. Twinkies were always one of my favorites growing up.

Iowa's Most Popular Food Brand

In Iowa, the small town of LeMars has made a big name for itself thanks to Blue Bunny Ice Cream. Despite having a population of just 10,000 people, LeMars produces more ice cream than any other place in the world, earning it the title of Ice Cream Capital of the World. Blue Bunny has become a go-to dessert for households across the country. I still like to enjoy a bowl of Blue Bunny ice cream at the end of the day.

Wisconsin's Most Popular Food Brand

Wisconsin rounds out the list with Swiss Miss, based in Menomonie. The well-known hot chocolate mix was not originally made for store shelves—it was first created for airline service. The powdered milk formula made it easy to prepare on flights with just hot water, making it a favorite for in-flight service before it ever hit grocery stores. Sometimes, I am convinced that my kids are fueled by Swiss Miss hot cocoa mix all winter long.

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I always knew the Midwest had killer cuisine. I just didn't realize we were all so sweet in the Tri-States. Our area of the U.S. has quietly contributed some major players to the world of comfort food. While these brands may not immediately scream "home state", they each have deep roots — and chances are, they’ve made their way into your kitchen at some point too.