Do you know all of the RI state symbols? Take a look at what we chose to represent the state

Have you ever tried to answer the questions of what makes Rhode Island, Rhode Island? The state symbols are a good place to start.

There's the obvious, like the nickname the Ocean State that pays homage to the coastline for which so many people live here or visit. And there's the less obvious, like the ferocity of the battle to name coffee milk as the state drink or the quirkiness of choosing a chicken breed as the state bird. All of it gets summed up rather nicely in the state song.

Take a look at Li'l Rhody's state symbols and the stories behind them:

RI State Drink: Coffee milk

Dubbed the Great State House Drink Battle of 1993 by The Journal, the debate made The Wall Street Journal's front-page. By the time it was done, even the Rhode Island Ethics Commission had to weigh in on the debate and whether it was a conflict of interest for a lawmaker who owned a Del's franchise, state Rep. Bruce Long of Middletown, to speak against coffee milk on the chamber floor. Coffee milk's competitor for the title was, of course, Del's Frozen Lemonade. Del's took the loss well, sending the State House a cooler of frozen lemonade to help the lawmakers chill out.

Coffee-syrup maker Autocrat had asked Rep. John Barr of Lincoln to put forward legislation for coffee milk to be named the state drink because Rhode Islanders had been drinking coffee milk for generations.

Feds coming for coffee milk in schools? They might not even find it on the menu.

RI State Nickname: The Ocean State

Technically, the state never voted to make "The Ocean State" the official state nickname. Instead, it came into popularity when it was put on a billboard welcoming visitors to the state of Rhode Island because the governor thought the old billboard was ugly. Then, when the General Assembly voted to use "The Ocean State" on the state's license plates instead of the previous motto of "Discover," it sealed the deal.

RI State Appetizer: Rhode Island-style calamari

Famously or infamously, depending on your opinion, the Rhode Island State Appetizer stole the show at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Calamari was named the state appetizer in 2014 in a bid to promote the Ocean State's plentiful squid fishery. Some believe the stuffie was robbed.

How calamari became state app: ‘Crucial’ R.I. industry gets some positive ink: Calamari is official state appetizer

RI State Flower: The violet

In 1968, Rhode Island became the very last state to designate a state flower, picking the humble, native violet. The flower had been unofficially designated by public schoolchildren in 1897, but it took more than 50 years for the adults at the State House to make it official, according to The Providence Journal archives. In the vote in 1897, the violet received 10,013 votes followed by the rose, pansy, pink, arbutus, golden rod, water lily, lily, daisy, and, in last place, the buttercup.

Native RI plants: Once considered weeds, these 7 plants are garden beauties — and good for the ecosystem

RI State Tree: The red maple

Back in the 1890s, Rhode Island's schoolchildren voted to pick a state tree and selected the maple. The one problem with that was, there are a lot of different types of maple trees. In 1964, the state legislature picked up where the kids left off, determined to narrow it down to a specific tree. They went with the red maple, because it was both native to Rhode Island and beautiful. As nature book author and one of the red maple's advocates Rutherford Platt told The Journal in 1964, "The red maple is the tree to know if you were condemned to know but a single tree."

Fall colors: Rhode Island isn't known for its fall foliage. Here's why, with a caveat.

RI State Fruit: The Rhode Island greening apple

In 1991, the Rhode Island Greening apple was named the state fruit. As the name implies, the apple has Rhode Island origins. There are a few theories out there about the origins of the tart green apple, but according to our archives, it grew from a seed planted near Newport in 1748. The other story out there, shared by the New England Historical Society, is that the tree was a gift from a Persian prince to a boat captain, who then regifted it to Metcalf Bowler. It's said to have come from the tree of knowledge. As an aside, Bowler, who lived in Newport, was a spy during the Revolutionary War, but no one is sure for which side.

RI State Rock: Cumberlandite

Rocks were thrown (metaphorically) in the debate to name Cumberlandite the state rock. The advocates for Westerly granite thought Cumberlandite was little more than an "obscure, igneous material for a lot up in Cumberland," but even so, it still managed to carry the vote. There were a lot of reasons why this rare rock was picked. One, it's only found in Rhode Island. Two, it's unique in that it's magnetic. And three, the rock, which has a high concentration of iron, was important during the Colonial period and was even used for cannon balls in the Revolutionary War.

Where to find Cumberlandite: Walking RI: Hunt for RI's rare state rock at Cumberland's Blackall/Ballou Preserve

RI State Mineral: Bowenite

A serpentine-like mineral that is a close relative to jade, bowenite was proposed as the state mineral at the same time as Cumberlandite was proposed as the state rock. The mineral was discovered in the 1800s by geologist George Bowen and is found in northern Rhode Island.

RI State Bird: The Rhode Island Red

In 1954, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the start of the Rhode Island Red, which was bred in the Little Compton village of Adamsville, the Rhode Island Red Centennial Committee had an idea to get the Rhode Island Red named the state bird. The fowl faced stiff competition from ospreys and hummingbirds, and some lawmakers mocked the bird, saying the legislature was "laying an egg" with this choice. Ultimately, the bird's Rhode Island roots won the day.

What and Why RI: Why did RI choose a chicken as the state bird? The history of the Rhode Island Red

RI State Fish: Striped bass

When she was asked by students why there was no state fish, Sen. Donna Walsh decided they had a point, and introduced a bill in 2000 to extend the honor to the striped bass. She picked the striped bass to underscore its remarkable comeback against overharvesting. In the 1960s, she said, Charlestown was known as the "striped bass capital of the world." Overharvesting and pollution nearly wiped out the fish in Rhode Island, however, until it was saved through conservation efforts in the 1990s.

Where to catch a striped bass: Looking for the best fishing spots in RI? Here's what fishermen have to say

RI State Shell: Quahog

Saying that a quahog is synonymous with Rhode Island, the Coventry Junior High Shell Club advocated for the quahog to be named the state shell in 1987. Clams, scallops and even lobster were tossed around as the debate got a little fishy, but ultimately the quahog claimed the title.

RI Shells: 15 seashells you can find on Rhode Island beaches. Good luck!

RI State Insect: American burying beetle

Block Island is home to the only remaining naturally occurring population of the beetle east of the Mississippi River. It is also the largest documented population in the nation. In 2015, a campaign by third-graders from St. Michael’s Country Day School convinced the state to name this large orange-and-black beetle the state insect. The insect is known as "nature's undertaker" because it drags dead birds and rodents underground to their nests as a shelter and food source for its larvae.

How the RI state beetle is doing: R.I. state insect moved off endangered species list, but not everyone sees it as a victory

RI State Marine Animal: Harbor seal

In 2016, the state named the harbor seal as the state mammal. Rhode Island has several hundred harbor seals that winter offshore every year and the bill was introduced in part to raise awareness of the seal populations.

The harbor seal: It's official: Harbor seal is R.I.'s state mammal

RI State Symbol of American Folk Art: Charles I.D. Looff Carousel

Better known as the Crescent Park Carousel, the Charles I.D. Looff Carousel was designed and hand-built in 1895. Still functioning today, it was added to the National Register of Historic Sites and Places in 1976, and nine years later it was named as the state symbol of American Folk Art.

How to ride: Iconic Crescent Park Carousel in Riverside is open again.

RI State Song: "Rhode Island, It's for Me"

North Providence comedian Charlie Hall — also known as the guy behind the Ocean State Follies — made a career out of poking fun at Rhode Island, which, we have to acknowledge, provides plenty of material, but you make fun of what you love. "Rhode Island It's For Me" is essentially a love song to the state, declaring "that Rhody stole my heart." Hall wrote the lyrics to the song, Maria Day the music and Kathryn Chester arranged. It became the state song in 1996, usurping "Rhode Island" by T. Clarke Browne, which was redesignated as the state march.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI state symbols and the at-times hilarious stories behind them