When talking about Buena Park, one cannot overlook the boysenberry. The very birth of this fruit is connected to Buena Park. In the 1920s, Rudolph Boysen created this new fruit variety by crossbreeding raspberries, loganberries, and blackberries, and Walter Knott and his wife Cordelia began commercially cultivating it on their farm in Buena Park. In other words, the boysenberry was the first fruit to be commercially introduced to the world from Buena Park.

Cordelia Knott started making and selling jams and jellies from this berry, and in 1934, she opened a restaurant that served fried chicken and boysenberry pie. This restaurant is the precursor to what is now Knott's Berry Farm. Thus, the history of America's first commercial theme park began with a slice of boysenberry pie. The 'Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant' at Knott's Berry Farm is still in operation today, and boysenberry pie remains a signature dish there.

Today, boysenberries are presented in various forms at Knott's Berry Farm. Boysenberry jam, jelly, and pie are the basics, and during Knott's Boysenberry Festival (held every spring), the creativity in cooking with boysenberries is on full display. Boysenberry barbecue sauce, boysenberry chutney, boysenberry cocktails, and even boysenberry meatballs make an appearance. This sweet and tangy berry is delicious on its own, but it adds depth of flavor when used in sauces or dressings.

Knott's brand boysenberry jam and jelly can be purchased online and in grocery stores. They are authentic local items to bring back as gifts when visiting Buena Park or Knott's Berry Farm. Among Korean tourists and families, 'Knott's boysenberry jam' often makes it onto souvenir lists. It holds significance beyond just being a food item, as it embodies a unique taste and the history of the area.

Another local culinary specialty in Buena Park is Knott's style fried chicken. Cordelia Knott's style of fried chicken has been a food culture in this area for decades, and the Knott's restaurant continues this tradition. It is a rare case where a food culture connected to a theme park has become a part of regional identity. While the Yamaha Corporation headquarters is also in Buena Park, linking it to music culture, when it comes to food, boysenberry is undoubtedly the taste of this city.