I’m heading into my second month as editor of the Herald, and I’m getting comfortable in Austin and Minnesota. It’s a lot different from my old stomping grounds of California, but it’s a good different, the kind that goes far beyond the obvious palm trees and snowdrifts.

For instance, brats are pretty much non-existent in California. I’m sure you can find them, but the staple in those parts are hot dogs and tri-tip.

I prefer brats. They seem to have a more intense flavor and are perfect for a football game tailgate. If you go to Chicago though, make sure you leave the ketchup off, or you’ll hear about it. I once attended a wedding where the rehearsal featured a barbecue lunch. As soon as I poured the ketchup on my brat, you could hear a pin drop. I thought I was going to be shunned for life from my friend’s family. Luckily, they gave me a second chance. In Minnesota however, I’ve noticed it’s OK to put whatever it is you want on a brat because it’s the brat that’s the important thing, not anything else.

Another difference I’m finding is the bakery section at the grocery store.

In California, you may find cakes and cookies and perhaps a donut or two. That’s about it. At one store in Austin, there must be at least a dozen or more varieties of bars in the display case that range from peanut butter to lemon. If you ask where the bars are in the Golden State, you may get a strange look or directions to the local tavern.

I’ve enjoyed bars for a long time. My stepmother is from northern Minnesota, and my two sisters now live in the state as well. All three can whip up some mean bars, especially the pumpkin and the banana variety.

Cheese curds are another Midwest specialty.

In California, it’s all about the fries or the mozzarella sticks. You can get cheese curds at the A&W chains out West, but good luck finding them in restaurants, grocery stores and in places like Wal-Mart.

Every region in the country has its own unique traditions and its own special qualities.

Some of them are well-known nationally such as sweet tea in the South or non-stop rain in the Pacific Northwest. But it’s the little things that I think help make a community or a part of the country its own great place.

And for me, it’s all about the brats and the bars.