Every true baseball fan knows that the stadium experience isn’t just about the game — it’s about the food. America’s other true pastime, eating, always shines at baseball stadiums, from field-specific snacks to the classics. And even though there’s some excitement in scouring stadiums for their one-of-a-kind grub, you can’t go wrong with your classic ballpark treats. With baseball season finally upon us, let’s rank the top five classic stadium snacks, and see which eats go best with the cracking of bats.
5. Peanuts
One half of the iconic “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” line, it’s no secret peanuts are a classic at stadium events — but why? According to the National Peanut Board, “eating peanuts is part of a nervous habit,” and while race track betters were busy counting cash, baseball fans were left biting their fingernails in anticipation. Alas, the stadium peanut was born. And while we appreciate the historic sentiment, alongside this list’s other contenders, peanuts simply can’t compete. Simple, salty, and snackable, but starving you by the seventh inning stretch — no thanks.
4. Cracker Jack
A more notable Gene Kelly mention is that of Cracker Jack, a mixture of popcorn and peanuts slathered in caramel and hardened into delicious clusters, all packaged with a prize inside. And while peanuts weren’t quite up to par on their own, when they enter this sweet and salty mix, it’s hard to complain. In fact, the slang phrase “crackerjack” itself indicates “something pleasing or excellent,” which is exactly what the snack has been for ballpark-goers for nearly 120 years. This combo is the perfect all-around snack for any stadium, except for the fact that the prize inside has been replaced by a piece of cardboard, prompting eaters to play online games instead of winning real prizes — lame, Cracker Jack, lame.
3. Soft Pretzel
There are few things better than a jumbo, warm, drenched-in-salt, soft pretzel (except for the final two entries on this list). While it may be in your taste buds’ best interest to brush off a bit of the blanket of salt that drowns these giant twists, there’s no denying that in the middle of a game, they hit the spot. And soft pretzels are long beloved by baseball fans and players alike; in the 1880s, Detroit Wolverines’ player Charles Getzien earned the nickname “Pretzels Getzien” for the shape of his wild curveball. How could you hate a ballpark snack with that rich of history?
2. Soft Serve (but only in a commemorative plastic baseball cap)
Why can’t we have soft serve in anything but a team-specific plastic cup? We aren’t sure. But do we need it? Absolutely. These combination dessert-souvenirs began long before you might think. In 1969, just 17 years after the reinforced plastic helmet models were developed by baseball innovator Branch Rickey, Laich Industries in Ohio began producing souvenir-sized helmets with MLB logos. It was only another decade before they were sold and used as ice cream cups. And in the throes of a sweltering, mid-summer baseball game, there’s nothing better than nosh and novelty.
1. Hot Dog
You had to know this would make the top of our list. The humble hot dog is THE ballpark food, and while baseball may be America’s pastime, the game’s favorite snack is a foreign one. The hot dog’s baseball origins are contentious, a centuries-long battle between German immigrant Chris Von de Ahe and Brit Harry M. Stevens regarding who marketed the hand-held sausages as game food first. No matter the origin, hot dogs remain a ballpark staple, both for their portability and customizability; have your wiener with all the fixin’s or none of them, we don’t mind. It’s still the ultimate ballpark treat, and for many Americans, goes hand and hand with their favorite sport.
Whether you opt for the peanuts, pretzels, or popcorn mix, we have no doubt you’ll be satisfied; watching America’s pastime, you’ll never go hungry.