Chislic: Meat on a Stick, South Dakota-Style

Chislic: Meat on a Stick, South Dakota-Style
Chislic is typically skewered cubes of lamb or mutton, either deep-fried or grilled, served with garlic salt and saltine crackers. Jeremy Waltner/Waltner Media + Studios
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Chislic is the most delicious traditional dish you’ve never heard of ... unless you’re from South Dakota, in which case, it’s the center of your social life. In 2018, the state legislature passed a bill, subsequently signed by the governor, to make chislic the state’s “official nosh.”

Within the southeastern corner of South Dakota lies the Chislic Circle, which has the small town of Freeman as its center, and encompasses the area that falls roughly within a 30-mile radius. Freeman is commonly believed to be the point of origin of the dish in the U.S., and now holds an annual festival in its honor.

Kevin Revolinski
Kevin Revolinski
Author
Kevin Revolinski is an avid traveler, craft beer enthusiast, and home-cooking fan. He is the author of 15 books, including “The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey” and his new collection of short stories, “Stealing Away.” He’s based in Madison, Wis., and his website is TheMadTraveler.com
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