Jibarito sandwich: Start your Chicago food tour with an item that traces its origin to the neighborhood of Humboldt Park. In the mid-90s, restaurateur Juan Figeroa had the idea to replace the bread on a steak sandwich with smashed fried plantains to give locals a taste of Puerto Rico. Sample the jibarito at Figeroa’s restaurant in North Center, Borinquen, along with other delicious Puerto Rican plates like stuffed plantains or shrimp with tostones.

Chicago popcorn: A typical last-minute airport souvenir, Garrett’s Mix may not be on too many Chicagoans’ daily shopping lists, but it still holds a special place in many residents’ hearts. Named “Chicago Mix” until the company lost a trademark lawsuit regarding the name, the classic is a blend of caramel and cheddar cheese popcorn the perfect blend of savory and sweet. You can find Garrett’s at Wrigley Field or one of three tourist-friendly Garrett Popcorn Shops in the Chicago Loop.

Ukrainian pierogies: Chicago has one of the largest populations of Ukrainians in the US, and you’ll find the community’s fingerprints throughout the city’s culinary offerings. Varenyky is the Ukrainian name for pierogi, a potato and meat-stuffed dumpling topped with sour cream and green onions. Tryzub Ukrainian Kitchen makes theirs with an eye for color—the shells are dyed with beet, mushroom, and carrot. The restaurant also serves muffed-up versions of classics like chicken Kiev and borscht.

Chicago hotdog: A traditional Chicago dog features a list of toppings: yellow mustard, relish, sliced tomato, a pickle spear, white onion, peppers, and celery salt on a poppy seed bun. Certain vendors may advise swapping all of the above for sauerkraut or beef chili instead. But one thing that’s never acceptable is ketchup. Sample one at the Wiener's Circle, which stays open until the wee hours of the morning, perfect for appeasing those late-night hunger pangs.

Tamales: Tamales have been around Chicago for decades as a fixture of the city’s Mexican American culinary output. But one man in particular gained recognition for his direct-to-consumer business model. Claudio Vélez made his name hawking tamales out of a red cooler outside popular bars. These days, you can visit his physical storefront in Avondale if you don’t want to play the game of chance—or the Oaxacan restaurant Kie-Gol-Lanee in Uptown if you’d prefer the banana leaf version.

Deep dish pizza: New Yorkers are quick to protest that Chicago deep dish “isn’t even pizza,” but that doesn’t stop locals and tourists alike from seeking out this gooey source of local pride. Bring your fork and knife and come with an empty stomach—each pie is a bathtub of cheese and sauce with a delicious, buttery crust, enough to satiate even the hungriest diners. One classic spot is Pequod’s Pizza, but you can also venture north for a refined take at Burt’s Place in the northern suburbs.

Italian beef sandwich: Perhaps a bit more under the radar than deep dish pizza and Chicago dogs before the release of The Bear, Italian beef sandwiches are on their way to superstardom. Skip the fancy knockoffs trying to capitalize on the show’s success and head to an old-fashioned beef stand—the good ones make their own giardiniera, an Italian pickled mix of vegetables. Check out a few on a food tour, or head directly to West Town, where the deli Bari Subs makes a killer Italian beef sandwich.

Flaming saganaki: Birthed in an effort to attract clientele, the flaming saganaki came out of the Parthenon restaurant in Greektown in 1968. That year, a server decided to flambé the traditional Greek cheese saganaki tableside. With a shout of “Opa!,” a Greek phrase expressing excitement, what could have been a fiery disaster became a staple of the neighborhood. It’s best to enjoy it at one of the many Greektown restaurants in the Windy City.

Rib tips: Chicago has a deep soul food heritage, as African American chefs brought their recipes to the city during the Great Migration and have iterated on them since. You won’t find rib tips in Kansas City or Charlotte: They’re the ends of spare ribs that are often thrown away. In Chicago, though, locals like the contrast of the burnt outside and cartilaginous interior. The South Side has plenty of places to try them but start at Lem’s Bar-B-Q.

Malört: Much maligned and deeply loved, Malört is something Chicagoans will insist you try before spitting it out themselves. It’s a masochistic tipple—the herbaceous taste doesn’t even begin to describe it—that includes ingredients like wormwood, anise, gentian root, and many more of the most controversial flavors in the world, all mixed up into a slime-green spirit. Make sure you drink the real stuff (Jeppson’s), preferably at a dive like Richard’s Bar.