Bison, huckleberries and Scandinavian baking all season Montana's frontier table. Montana's identity was forged on the open range, and its culture still carries that stamp.

Homesteaders adapted old-country recipes to prairie ingredients.

What sets it apart

Bison and game remain part of many Montana kitchens. That detail is easy to overlook, but it helps explain the pull this place has on Montanans and visitors alike.

Huckleberries flavor everything from pancakes to pie.

Why it matters

In the end, the story here is really a story about the northern Rockies and the people drawn to them. It is a heritage still very much alive in the towns and gatherings of today's Montana.