Each region has its peculiarities, and Colorado has many. Some of them might land on your plate in the form of a menu item.
If you are looking for a new culinary adventure, or a challenge, here are some of the strangest foods you can find in Colorado, and where to try them for yourself. If you are feeling adventurous.
1. Rocky Mountain Oysters.
Coloradans know this is a fact for the top of the list. If you don’t know what they are, er, they’re not from the sea. They are also not a special breed of shellfish raised in alpine lakes.
They are fried testicles of bull, pig or sheep.
We will pause so that you can sink into your understanding. Yes. So. That’s one thing
This so-called delicacy is traditionally dipped in cocktail sauce and served as an aperitif. You can also see them cut off (this different shape helps mental hurdle). Rumor has it they taste like squid (maybe that’s where the name comes from?), But we confess: we don’t know firsthand.
Although these are a Colorado staple, you won’t find them on many menus. (Whoops.) But you can find them served with horseradish sauce at The Buckhorn Exchange, “Denver’s oldest restaurant.” This was Denver’s original steakhouse and has been serving Old West food since 1893.
2. Bone marrow.
Why not? Euclid Hall, in Denver, serves meat marrow bones cut into the brule center for gnawing. Eat them with a house XO sauce, Thai herbs and grilled sourdough.
Don’t you feel bony? Try the Pad Thai Pig Ears, served with a tamarind chili sauce, chives, peanuts, egg, sprouts, mint and coriander.
3. Pizza dough with honey.
Colorado natives will be surprised to learn that this is not how everyone eats their pizza. Drown the remaining crust in honey and you have Colorado Mountain Style Pizza.
Beau Jos Pizza is best known for this tradition. In fact, they even make honey-flavored crust pizza in white or whole wheat. You’ll find bottles of honey on each table, along with the parm and peppers.
Beau Jos has locations throughout the state, but a visit to the original Idaho Springs location is a must.
Many other Colorado pizza joints also put honey on the condiment table, right next to the parm cheese and crushed red bell peppers.
3. Smoked rattlesnake.
Rattles are common in the Front Range and in the foothills, so it’s not surprising that some cowboy made them a meal. Find the smoked rattlesnake served over a cream cheese sauce and chipotle chips at The Buckhorn Exchange in Denver.
At the exchange, you can also find buffalo and alligator tail sausages (not that Colorado can claim to be a local staple, although there is an unexpected alligator farm in the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado).
4. Weird waffles.
The Waffle Lab in Fort Collins calls their waffles “highly evolved.” Alone, these are Belgian-style waffles (not Colorado-style), even made with imported Belgian pearl sugar, which melts on the inside and caramelizes to a crisp on the outside, so no need for syrup.
But only in Colorado can you find these weird waffle combinations, like a grilled cheese sandwich made between waffles or a waffle topped with Noosa honey yogurt, fruit, granola, and Colorado-made maple syrup. Everything you can imagine in a waffle is worth it.
5. All peach.
Palisade takes its peaches seriously, and when they’re in season, you won’t believe what the creative chefs did with them. Peach jelly, jam, sauce, soap.
The Peach Street Distillery even makes peach brandy, made with 26 pounds of local peaches in each bottle. Visit the distillery for a tour and a taste of the goodness of the peach. It is the oldest local distillery in the state and is worth a visit for that reason alone.
6. Green chili in everything.
Coloradans love our chili. We call green and red mixed “Christmas.” Apply it to your omelette, hamburger, chocolate cake (for real), or even your pizza. It is not unusual to order a side of green chili to eat with a spoon as soup.
Get green chili on your pizza at Dion’s Pizza in Colorado Springs. Order the special: Italian sausage, mushrooms, black olives, red onions, smoked ham, pepperoni, ground beef, and green chili. Who Needs Red Sauce?
Blank & Booth Distilling Co., in Denver, makes a chili-flavored green whiskey called Hot Mess. Drink it alone on the rocks or as a cocktail, like Hot Mess Poison Ivy – the spicy whiskey mixed with Sauvignon Blanc, lemon juice, and maraschino liqueur with a wormwood rinse and garnished with a hint of lemon and parsley. Find the poison ivy in the corner office in Denver (that’s a bar, not a workplace).
