FOOD NEWS
There's An Entire Festival Dedicated To One South Dakota Food
BY Michelle Welsch
South Dakota declared chislic as the official state nosh in 2018 and held a festival honoring the food the same year, which has now become an annual occasion after its success.
Chislic is prepared in various ways, including grilled or fried. Some chefs may marinate the cubes or flavor them with salt.
While chislic can be presented pierced on a stick, other restaurants may pile the chunks of meat onto a plate. Cooked chislic can be served with sauces or crackers.
The term chislic traces to the shish kebab – the Turkish and Arabic words for skewered meat. The dish is credited to an Eastern European immigrant who arrived in the 1870s.
The festival's organizing group identifies with Germanic migrants who previously originated from Russia before settling in southeastern South Dakota and introducing the snack.
In addition to chislic, the festival is packed with activities, including bean bag and frisbee golf tournaments, bingo, numerous vendors, community barbecues, and live music.