After spending some time in Cheyenne, you'll notice that this city still retains a lot of the typical American West ranch culture.

The food is no different. You can't talk about Wyoming without mentioning beef. This area is known for its vast pastures and ranches, where cattle have been raised for a long time. So, when you visit a restaurant in Cheyenne, it's natural to find meat dishes like steak and barbecue on the menu.

Another highlight is bison. It might be a bit unfamiliar to Koreans, but it's commonly referred to as the American buffalo, a significant animal in the history of the American West and Native American culture.

Bison meat looks and tastes similar to beef but generally has less fat.

There are places around Cheyenne that serve bison burgers, so if you're visiting Wyoming for the first time, it's worth trying one.

If you think of it as a hamburger, it's not too intimidating of a dish.

However, if you come across a menu item called Rocky Mountain Oysters in Cheyenne, you should be a bit cautious.

The name translates to 'Rocky Mountain oysters,' which might lead you to think it's seafood, but it has nothing to do with oysters.

It's a traditional American West dish made from the testicles of bulls, prepared by frying. This practice originated from the culture of cooking the parts that were not discarded when castrating bulls on the ranch. You can think of it as a unique local delicacy, similar to what you might find in Korea.

I would also pause for a moment if I saw the name and thought it was an oyster dish, only to find out what the ingredients actually are.

Trout is also available. It's called trout in English, and in Korean, it's 송어.

Wyoming is a region with many mountains and rivers, making trout fishing famous, and you can find trout dishes in local restaurants.

But to truly understand Cheyenne's food culture, you need to know about Cheyenne Frontier Days. It's a large rodeo festival held every summer.

Rodeo is a traditional American West competition where cowboys showcase their skills riding horses or bulls. The cowboy culture that might seem like something out of a movie in Korea is still celebrated as a major festival in Cheyenne.

During this time, the term Chuck Wagon often comes up. It refers to the mobile cooking wagons that cowboys used to carry food while driving cattle over long distances in the 1800s. You can think of it as a food truck for cowboys. Frontier Days features cooking events that recreate this tradition, allowing you to enjoy barbecues and various meat dishes.

If you end up living in Cheyenne, it's worth checking out the Farmers Market. The Farmers Market is a marketplace where local farmers or producers sell products like vegetables, fruits, honey, and bread directly. It's similar to Korea's direct sales markets for agricultural products. It's fun to browse local honey, herbs, and handmade foods.

In summary, the characteristic of Cheyenne's food can be described as 'food that reflects the American West' rather than being flashy.

Ingredients like beef, bison, and trout are prepared relatively simply, and the ranch and cowboy culture is deeply embedded in the food. It's a completely different experience from the variety of international cuisines you might find in New York or LA.

If you're a Korean visiting Cheyenne for the first time, start with a steak or a bison burger.

And once you feel a bit more adventurous, challenge yourself to try Rocky Mountain Oysters. At the very least, you'll have a story to tell later about how you tried that in Wyoming.