Yes.
South Dakota officially designated chislic, a dish of fried or grilled salted cubes of meat sometimes served on skewers, as the official state “nosh” in 2018.
The bite-sized food has been a uniquely South Dakota dish since the late 1800s, when the German-Russian immigrant John Hoellwarth is credited with bringing it to the United States. The term “chislic” likely came from the Turkic “shashlyk” – a dish of skewered and grilled meat. In Russia, it consists of meat cubes grilled over an open fire.
Chislic is mostly found in southeastern South Dakota, and the town of Freeman is considered the Chislic Capital of America. It also can be found in other German Russian communities.
In 2018, Freeman hosted the first South Dakota Chislic Festival, and 8,000 people showed up after organizers expected 2,000. The 2025 event will be held July 26 and will move to an every-other year format.
This fact brief responds to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Argus Leader, Chislic as official state nosh? Legislators make it stick
Argus Leader, A history of chislic
Tri-State Livestock News, South Dakota town gains fame through first annual Chislic Festival
The Freeman Courier, South Dakota Chislic Festival returns
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