A ‘handshake,’ a Mother-in-Law and other distinctly Chicago foods

When you search online for Chicago’s most iconic foods, you’re likely to find the Chicago-style hot dog, deep-dish pizza and Chicago beef.

But there’s much more than meets the eye, food historians David Hammond and Monica Eng say. For locals, the city’s more distinct cuisine is a reflection of its rich immigrant history.
Take, for instance, the Mother-in-Law.

The delicacy starts with a corn roll tamale in a sesame seed bun and topped with chili and the usual dressings of a Chicago-style hot dog – tomatoes, sport peppers, and other delights. Anthony Bourdain once called the sandwich “the evil step-brother of the hot dog.”

“But he also called it the most uniquely Chicago original food,” Hammond said as the piping hot, chili-filled heart attack in a bun sat on the table at The Hat in the city’s Wicker Park neighborhood. “And I think there's something to that. I've never seen it anywhere else.”

The blending of flavors in the Mother-in-Law is a reflection of the immigrants from across the globe that have come through the city.

But, why the name “Mother-in-Law”? “Because like a mother in law,” Eng said, “this one also gives you indigestion.”

Hammond and Eng walked us through some of the city’s most distinct culinary offerings, including a drink combination called a Chicago Handshake – a shot of Jeppson’s Malört that is chased with a can of Old Style Lager.

Watch the video above to learn more about the unique foods of Chicago and how they came to be. Deema Zein, Tim McPhillips, Dan Cooney, Erica R. Hendry, Yasmeen Alamiri and Julia Griffin produced and edited this post.

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