California has always been a culinary frontier — home to immigrants, gold-rush fortune-seekers, Hollywood dreamers, and tech-world disruptors who all brought their appetites with them. The result is a state where innovation meets abundance, producing dishes that have spread far beyond its borders.
Below is a list of the top 25 dishes originating in The Golden State.
1. California Roll
Region: Los Angeles, Southern California.
Invented in the 1970s by Chef Ichiro Mashita, this sushi roll swapped out raw tuna for avocado and crab, wrapping the nori inside the rice to appeal to American tastes.
2. Cobb Salad
Region: Hollywood, Southern California.
Created in 1937 at The Brown Derby restaurant by Bob Cobb, this chopped salad became iconic with its mix of bacon, chicken, avocado, blue cheese, and hard-boiled eggs.
3. Cioppino
Region: San Francisco, Northern California.
Developed in the 1880s by Italian fishermen, this tomato-based seafood stew was traditionally made with the day’s catch, including Dungeness crab.
4. Fish Tacos
Region: San Diego, Southern California.
Inspired by Baja flavors, Ralph Rubio introduced the beer-battered fish taco to American diners in the 1980s, launching a new coastal classic.
5. Avocado Toast
Region: Los Angeles, Southern California.
While avocados have long been a California staple, cafés helped popularize this dish in the 1990s and 2000s by pairing ripe avocado with artisan sourdough and seasonal toppings.
6. Sourdough Bread
Region: San Francisco, Northern California.
This tangy bread, made with a natural starter, has been a San Francisco staple since the Gold Rush era.
7. Santa Maria-Style Barbecue
Region: Santa Maria, Central Coast, California.
This barbecue tradition began in the 1930s with tri-tip beef grilled over red oak and served with pinquito beans, garlic bread, and salsa.
8. Chinese Chicken Salad
Region: Los Angeles, Southern California.
Served in the 1960s at Madame Wu’s Garden, this salad combined Eastern and Western flavors with crispy wontons, roast chicken, and sesame dressing.
9. Mission-Style Burrito
Region: San Francisco, Northern California.
Originating in the 1960s in the Mission District, these large burritos are filled with rice, beans, meat, salsa, and guacamole, tightly wrapped in foil.
10. Date Shake
Region: Coachella Valley, Southern California.
A signature roadside treat since the 1920s, this creamy shake blends Medjool dates with milk and ice cream, celebrating the region’s date farming heritage.
11. Hangtown Fry
Region: Placerville (formerly Hangtown), Northern California.
This 19th-century dish of fried oysters, eggs, and bacon reportedly originated during the Gold Rush when a miner ordered the most expensive ingredients available.
12. Artichoke Dip
Region: Castroville, Northern California.
Castroville, known as the “Artichoke Capital of the World,” inspired this creamy dip made with artichokes and cheese in the mid-20th century.
13. Orange Chicken
Region: California Fusion Cuisine, Southern California.
Developed in 1987 at Panda Express, this sweet and tangy fried chicken dish quickly became a staple of American Chinese takeout.
14. Hawaiian Pizza (West Coast Style)
Region: Southern California.
Although Hawaiian Pizza (with pineapple and ham) wasn’t invented in California, its unique variations and popularization in California’s pizza scene helped cement its legacy.
15. Green Goddess Dressing
Region: San Francisco, Northern California.
Created at the Palace Hotel in 1923, this creamy herb dressing includes anchovy, tarragon, parsley, and chives, and was named after a popular stage play.
16. French Dip Sandwich
Region: Los Angeles, Southern California.
Created in the early 20th century, this sandwich features thinly sliced roast beef served on a French roll and dipped in jus, with two rival LA restaurants claiming its invention.
17. Ghirardelli Chocolate Sundae
Region: San Francisco, Northern California.
The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company began serving decadent sundaes in the early 20th century, cementing San Francisco’s association with chocolate.
18. Hass Avocado-Based Guacamole
Region: California, Statewide.
While guacamole is a Mexican dish, the California-grown Hass avocado transformed this dip into a staple in Californian cuisine during the 20th century.
19. Grilled Peach Salad
Region: Central Valley, California.
Inspired by the abundant peaches of California’s Central Valley, this salad features grilled peaches on a bed of mixed greens with goat cheese and balsamic dressing.
20. Margherita Pizza (California Style)
Region: Berkeley, Northern California.
Known for a crisp crust and light, fresh toppings, California-style margherita pizza often incorporates heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, and artisanal cheeses, reflecting Berkeley’s focus on organic and sustainable ingredients.
21. Crab Louie Salad
Region: San Francisco, Northern California.
Popularized in the early 1900s, this composed salad of Dungeness crab, hard-boiled eggs, tomato, and creamy Louie dressing became a West Coast favorite.
22. Fortune Cookie
Region: San Francisco and Los Angeles, California.
Although often associated with Chinese cuisine, the vanilla-flavored fortune cookie was developed by Japanese-American bakers in California in the early 1900s.
23. Ranch Dressing
Region: Santa Barbara, Central Coast.
Invented in 1954 at Hidden Valley Ranch, this buttermilk and herb dressing grew into the best-selling salad dressing in America.
24. The Cheeseburger
Region: Pasadena, Southern California.
Lionel Sternberger is credited with inventing the cheeseburger in 1926 when he added a slice of cheese to a hamburger “just to see what would happen.”
25. The Popsicle
Region: Oakland, Northern California
Invented in 1905 by 11-year-old Frank Epperson when he left a flavored soda outside overnight with a stick in it, eventually becoming a frozen dessert icon.
Check out my list of the Top 20 Produce Items From California.