Nottingham's most famous delicacies like mushy peas and mint sauce, Bramley apples, Stilton cheese and HP Sauce are iconic flavours that have been around for decades, if not centuries.
But the explosion in the county's food and drink scene means there are so many more gourmet delights that at one time or another should really pass your lips. It's a well-known fact that Bar Iberico's crispy chicken with spicy Jerez sauce is one of the best dishes you'll ever eat.
Annie's Burger Shack is famed for its huge range of burgers, Doughnotts is the place for doughnuts and Pizzamisu has fast gained a glowing reputation for serving authentic Neapolitan pizzas. But there's so much more to relish.
Read more: Nottingham's best places to eat - from Michelin-starred to fish and chips
You may not even know of their existence - they're not necessarily main dishes but sides, starters or sweet treats from out in the suburbs. But they all have one thing in common - they'll stick in your memory long after you've finished the last crumb and will leave you craving a repeat performance.
It's time to give these unforgettable tasty gems a shout-out and let the world know just how good they are. You'll find them at shops, restaurants, cafes, markets and bars.
Furikake prawn toast
Forget the standard prawn toast from a Chinese takeaway. This is unreal - everyone who has ordered it off the menu at Japanese restaurant Kushi-ya has been blown away by the flavour. The Guardian's food critic, Jay Raynor, gushed over it in his recent review, describing it as "a sweet inversion."
It puts the usual flat triangle of bread with whizzed up prawn mixture to shame. This is a chunky golden cylinder that is packed with whole prawns and topped off with Japanese mayonnaise and a generous sprinkle of furikake seasoning with notes of seaweed, bonito and sesame seeds.
This incongruous mix of deep fried yet fresh flavours can be discovered at the intimate backstreet restaurant in Cannon Court, Nottingham. You'd better believe the hype.
Cheese bomb
Here is a perfect example of a starter, rather than the main event, that really captured our hearts (and taste buds) at Pizza Punks. It's a twist on garlic bread which brings so much more to the taste party.
Cheese bomb is a very apt name as the flavour really explodes in your mouth. The dough is topped with the oozy cheese but what really takes it to the next level is hot honey. You can add spicy Italian sausage 'nduja and we would imagine that is off the scale.
There's a vegan version too and confession time, I tried it and it was so good I'd eat that as a non-dairy alternative without a single grumble. It's surprisingly filling, too.
Basque burnt cheesecake
Just to set the benchmark I never order cheesecake as a dessert. I'm really not a fan. But it must have been a sixth sense that persuaded me to order this at Binks Yard, the new bar and grill at the Island Quarter, off London Road, in Nottingham.
It's no exaggeration to say it was divine. The Spanish speciality is creamy, silky and rich on the inside, while the outside has a delicate crispness after being cooked in a wood-fired oven. Served with tiny chunks of seasonal fruit, it changed my opinion.
While normal cheesecake is still off the list, I'm won over by the Basque variety. Every spoonful left me oohing and aahing.
Pie'wich
I first discovered these on a stall at Ruddington Village Market. Not your average pie made from puff or shortcrust pastry, they are much lighter since the filling is encased brioche making them a cross between a pie and warm sandwich.
The origin is slightly confusing. We bought them from a company called Cossack Pies but we've since seen them at Beeston food market under the banner of Scandinavian pies. Whatever. They're attractively decorated and delicious.
There are plenty of savoury fillings to choose from. We've tried chicken and chorizo, cod, lamb and apricot and beef. Fillings are generous and the soft doughy casing is like a comfort blanket that is rich with a hint of sweetness.
Crunchie millionaire slice
Got a sweet tooth? Get yourself down to Coppice Road in Arnold to the Sweet House Bakery. It's a tiny shop with a big passion for cakes.
The display counter is packed with sugary goodies - traybakes, cookies, brownies, blondies and more. We fell in love with the Crunchie millionaire slice, which has layers of cakey goodness, with gooey caramel and crisp honeycomb in the middle, topped off with a thick chocolate layer decorated with chocolate sprinkles.
I think I'd have been comatose if I'd eaten it all in one sitting, as it's so generously-sized. You could share - or save it until another day. You can tell a lot of love has gone into these bakes.
Focaccia
Lovers of this Italian bread don't need to travel to San Remo or Genoa for an authentic slice. Mansfield Road in Sherwood is the place to go.
Bakers at Good Honest Bakery make it fresh on-site next to the cafe area. It's a good job I don't live nearby or I would be there every few days buying a piece to take home and pop in the oven to eat as a snack.
The crust is lightly crisp and the bread satisfyingly chewy and very moreish. I'd recommend cheese and chorizo and my favourite, tomato and olive.
Hot chilli fish
This is one for spice lovers. Whilst there's nothing wrong with onion bhajis, samosas and pakoras, this Indian starter at Mewar Haveli in Radcliffe-on-Trent is a game changer.
It's well worth a trip down the A52 for that alone (though the curries and service are very commendable too). Chunks of white fish are fried and are smothered in a sticky, hot chilli sauce, which I wish they'd bottle to take home. Ten out of ten for flavour and very memorable.
If you're more the west side of Nottingham, sister restaurant Lagan in Beeston also has it on the menu. You won't be disappointed.
Reuben
There are sandwiches and then there are sandwiches like the Reuben sold at the Origin Cafe, part of The Beeston Social. Its take on the traditional American grilled sandwich is slightly off-piste as it contains pastrami rather than corned beef.
And when I say contains, I mean it's packed. I don't think I've ever had such a chock-full sarnie. Gooey cheese, sauerkraut and mustard, enveloped by crusty sourdough, flood the taste buds.
Eating in, there's no upselling with crisps, chips or salads like so many sandwich offerings. It's just a hearty sandwich which is how I like it. As well as eating in, they do takeaway, which is dangerous as I've already had two this week. I'm hooked.
Macarons
Macarons are French sweet treats made with finely ground almonds, not to be confused with coconutty macaroons. Nottingham-based Macaron Marlo sells the best-tasting, most aromatic macarons (even better than the real deal in Paris, in my humble opinion).
They're not cheap at £9 for six but as a once-in-a-while treat, they're worth every penny. Raspberry is a must every time. Pistachio, chocolate and hazelnut, blueberry, salted caramel, lemon, chilli and chocolate... it's so hard to choose.
Last October Macaron Marlo opened a shop in Carlton Street, Hockley, they can be found at markets including Beeston, and you can buy online too.
Philly steak baguette
If Castle Rock ever take this off the menu at the Canalhouse, I will personally stage a one-woman protest to bring it back. But I probably wouldn't be alone. Anyone who has ever had the good fortune of trying this delicious baguette is sure to agree.
It was the personal recommendation of the manager that led me to order it - and he was bang on. The steak is so succulent, (no dodgy chewy bits here) and there's umami earthiness from the mushrooms, all topped off with melted cheese in a rather large baguette.
It's probably the best lunchtime option at the pub, in Canal Street - in fact the best lunchtime option of any pub in the whole of the city centre. A close second is the fried chicken baguette with tangy Carolina mustard BBQ sauce, so we usually end up ordering one of each and sharing.
Tandoor roasted duck tikka
It was love at first bite when I first sampled this Indian starter at Masala Junction in Carrington. Sadly I hadn't ordered it, my husband had, so I had just one bite which left me with food envy.
Marinated with mustard, lemon, green chilli and ginger, there was a lovely heat pinging around my mouth like a pinball arcade game, but what really struck me was just how tender the meat was. I've never had such melt-in-the-mouth duck before.
It was two months ago that we visited the restaurant and here I am still raving about it now. I think that proves the point.
Fish and chip amuse bouche
A slightly unusual one as you can't just go in (sadly) and order this without having a proper meal at the fine dining restaurant La Rock, just over the Notts border in Sandiacre, Derbyshire. Served as an appetiser, or amuse bouche, to diners at the start of their dining experience this little morsel is exquisite, bursting with the vinegary, salty flavour of fish and crispy scraps.
Every time I've had it I've said "I could ditch the starter and eat ten of these." The amount of punchy flavour packed into that tiny bite is incredible and certainly heightens the senses, of both smell and taste.
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