When you first think of Massachusetts fare, you probably think of seafood – lots of seafood. From lobsters to oysters, we just can’t get enough. But carnivores will be relieved to know that meat is also kind of a big deal here in the Bay State. At least, according to Slate.

The site recently released their “United Steaks of America” map, naming the official (unofficial) meat for every state. And it looks like Massachusetts has unofficially been dubbed the roast beef state.

But why? Well it could have something (or everything) to do with the fact that Kelly’s Roast Beef, “a venerable Massachusetts institution,” actually “claims to have invented the roast beef sandwich,” according to Slate. While the invention of the roast beef sandwich remains somewhat debatable (I mean, how hard is it to slap bread on roast beef?), we do have quite a few sandwich shops selling roast beef.

Slate asserts that “Bay Staters love debating the relative merits of the commonwealth’s many roast beef sandwich shops—Kelly’s, Harrison’s, Nick’s—almost as much as they love talking about the Sox and the Pats.”

While I’ve certainly never heard anyone in Boston debating roast beef (really?), I suppose it is true that we love our food (almost) as much as we love our sports.

Apparently, roast beef barely edged out steak tips for the win as Massachusetts’ unofficial meat. What do you think – agree or disagree that roast beef should really be our state meat?