15 Archetypal Southern American Foods
Published on March 29, 2008 - 171 Comments
The American South has a rich and varied food history. From Old World food supplies brought over on voyages of discovery, to New World foods shipped back with both distrust and acclaim, to African slave innovations and the influences of countless immigrant settlers, arose a truly American melange of cuisine steeped in history and the necessity of invention.
It’s also what the list author grew up on, and makes for some mighty tasting eating… somehow retaining a recognizable and homogeneous Taste of the South in spite of its disparate origins. For the purposes of this list, the South is defined as north of the Gulf of Mexico’s northern coast, west of the Altantic Ocean, south of the Mason-Dixon line, and east of the western Arkansas border (suck it, Texas and most of Florida). Some of the foods are prepared, end-product dishes and some are base ingredients (foodstuffs). We aren’t that big on distinction in the South; it’s either Southern or it’s not — it either tastes good or it doesn’t — we either cook it often or we don’t. ‘Nuff said.
Right off the bat there is certain to be controversy, because of the inclusion of two completely different Cajun dishes under the same heading that speaks of a Trinity while otherwise ignoring an entire genre. It happens to be true that a good list of Southern food must include Cajun cuisine… yet the author is not from anywhere near New Orleans, and Cajun food has never been a staple.
Anyway, Jambalya is a paella-like rice-based dish with French, Spanish, and Carribean influences — and its variations are endless, especially when it comes to what vegetables are used. Most often it does include what are known as the “trinity” of Cajun cooking — onions, celery and green peppers, made famous by that blustering idiot Emeril. Stock of some sort is used to get “wet” rice, often approaching a risotto in texture. The most typical meats used are Andouille sausage (a quite spicy Cajun variety) and/or shrimp.
Gumbo, on the other hand, is essentially a thick (but not “beefy”) stew. Again, it almost always includes the trinity of onions, celery, and green peppers… hence the list entry. When most people think of gumbo, they think of okra, a highly nutritious vegetable brought over from Africa during the slave trade. Gumbo does not have to include okra, but it will certainly be mucilaginous to a greater degree if it does. Accomplished chefs can use immature okra pods, cut thickly with VERY sharp knives, and not stir the stew much, thus decreasing the amount of okra slime that interacts with the stock. Other people, when hearing the word “gumbo,” often think of “file gumbo.” File is mainly dried and powdered sassafras leaves, used as a flavoring and thickener. Sassafras has a unique flavor that is instantly recognizable to anyone who has tried it; sassafras can be overpowering as a spice even though it is not that intense in and of itself.
Sigh. We cannot leave New Orleans for a bit, but we’re on our way to Georgia. Legend has it that the French developed pecan pie after settling in Louisiana and introducing the tree to the natives. However, the Southern pecan pie will forever be inextricably linked to the introduction of Karo syrup in 1902. More importantly, in the early 1930s, a wife of a Karo executive made a pecan pie with the almost sickenly-sweet corn syrup and the company publicized it. In many parts of the pecan-growing South, such as Georgia, people just say they made a “Karo pie” and everyone knows it’s a pecan pie made with Karo syrup. If made right, Southern Pecan Pie will only be palatable to those with a serious sweet tooth.
Ah, we can now talk about new influences. First, “cobblers” were made in England long before the Pilgrims decided to take their religion and go elsewhere. But the ingredients were different, with the British version typically featuring meats. Also, many sources will state that “cobbler is a western U.S. cuisine innovation, made necessary by ubiquitous Dutch oven cooking during the opening of the American West. It is unlikely that they predated the cobblers of such previously settled places as the Carolinas though, given the preponderance of readily available ingredients.
For the purposes of this list, a Southern cobbler must feature what might be called an “interior dumpling” — as amply demonstrated by the image, a Southern cobbler has a doughy substance within its middle. There is a biscuit-like crust, and there may or may not be a bottom crust. If there is, no attempt will be made to make it flaky. The English version, even when made with fruit, typically aims to keep the crust totally separate from the filling — as is also true in some northern U.S. pretenders to the throne. Southern cobblers don’t care about that and just come out as a doughy-crusty-fruity-sugary whole.
Author ruefully admits that this classic should probably be ranked much higher, perhaps in the top five, only it segues so perfectly from talk of cobblers. That’s because the concept of wet-dough-within-the-food applies, even though this is a salty meat dish rather than a sweet fruit dish. People have been making dumplings basically as long as they have had a grain to grind for flour and liquid with which to form a dough. And chickens certainly did not originate in the American South. How then, has chicken and dumplings come to be so identified with Southern cooking?
It is possible that no one knows for sure. However, truly Southern chicken and dumplings will be a thickened stew-like dish, with interior (not just on top) dumplings that are fairly close to a non-sweet “wet” dough as in a cobbler. The taste is utterly different, of course, but the science is relatively close. If you ever experience a biscuit-like crunchiness in a bowl of chicken and dumplings, sorry, but that is not what has propelled real Southern c&d to a pedestal far taller than similar dishes in many other cuisines over the centuries. The primary flavor signatures should be chicken fat with salt and pepper to taste..
It is the adoption of a food, not its origination, which controls definition of food cultures. And the tomato had to cross the ocean twice before the American South finally fell in love with this summer staple of home veggie gardens. Native to the Andes, Spanish conquistadores took it back to the Old World. We all know that southern Italians took to the tomato quite well, but it was Spanish and French influences coming back across the Atlantic that established the oft-reviled plant in the South. And certainly the long, hot summers of the American South are perfect for this fruit-like vegetable. Southern cooking regarding the tomato is unique in that it is not used all that often an an ingredient (some forms of BBQ or soups excepted), but rather as a dish unto itself. Very easy to grow, generations of Southerners have discovered the joy of simply placing a thick slice of vine-ripe tomato on a plate next to a sandwich during summer. The slice is usually salted, often heavily.
But the most original Southern contribution to the uses of the ubiquitous red orb isn’t even red: Fried Green Tomatoes. Archetypal enough to become the title of a movie set in the South, this dish lends verisimmilitude to the fact that only the Scots rival southern Americans in frying foods. FGTs are always pan-fried, not deep-fried. There may or may not be a binder wash of egg & buttermilk, and the coating is either corn meal, flour, or a combination of the two. Note: this is also the most common way Southern cooks utilize eggplant — an aunt’s recipe for both FGTs and Fried Eggplant often differs only in the main ingredient.
Special mention is now made of another crop that flourishes under specific Southern growing conditions: the Vidalia onion. By law — both state and federal — an onion cannot be sold as a “Vidalia” unless it it grown in a VERY specific region in Georgia near the town of Valdalia. The laws literally define the boundaries by a bewilderment of county roads. And that’s because the sandy, very-low-sulphur soil in that area produces an onion of exceptional sweetness and low “bite.” A properly grown and stored Vidalia is mild enough for the majority of people to eat as unadorned raw slices. They are planted in the fall, grow throughout the winter, and then storehoused until just the right time — hitting East Coast markets in early April as a welcome celebration of spring.
Drive the byways of many medium-sized towns in the South, and you will encounter “catfish joints” just like the more common BBQ joints. You can be absolutely certain that EVERY catfish joint will serve hush puppies. Several religious dietary restrictions will preclude a number of people (most notably, observant Jews) from enjoying this classic Southern combination because the catfish feeds on bottom and has no scales. But its meat is firm, white, and sweet. Perfect for breading up and deep-frying. Almost all of the rivers of the South contain channel catfish, and that is the species most commonly served. In restaurants nowadays, though, you are most likely to be served farm-raised catfish, as that fish is the leading aquaculture industry in the United States. Four Southern states — MS, LA, AR, and AL — account for 94% of the production (source: Mississippi State University Extension Service, 2003 statistics).
And as long as you are deep-frying, make some hush puppies. There are as many hush puppy recipes as there are hush puppy cooks, but you simply must start with corn meal… and if you keep reading this list, you’ll come to realize that true southern cooks always keep corn meal on hand — usually within easy reach in the cannister set. From the starting point of corn meal, other dry or dryish ingredients are added: some flour maybe, usually some onions or onion flavoring; many recipes call for whole kernel corn and/or sugar. Then liquid (milk, eggs, water, beer are common) is added to form a batter. The batter is scooped into balls and deep-fried. The author believes that a good hush puppy will not be dry and crumbly on the inside; it should have a rich, almost caky consistency while the outside should of course be Golden Brown And Delicious.
A single “named” stew scores high on this list because it is so Southern that many other cultures would not even contemplate making it. If you have had Brunswick stew, the chances are extremely high that you have never had the “real” version, unless you are from the South — and maybe not even then. That is because the good stuff is made with the meat of the grey squirrel. It is impossible to discuss this dish without discussing the ubiquitous squirrel. It may be a rodent, but its meat is velvety in texture, flavorable, and as lean as you can get. It tastes like squirrel. But, squirrels which have been feeding off of pine sources are considered very inferior throughout the South, as are fox squirrels that are not feeding almost exclusively on corn. The good old American oak-and-hickory-feeding grey squirrel shines in this stew, which is further distinguished from other stews in its reliability on generous numbers of corn kernels simmered for a long time.
Did it originate in Brunswick County, Virginia or the town of Brunswick, Georgia? Or even Brunswick County, North Carolina? Regardless, it’s a true Southern fall classic of harvest season combined with squirrel season, though nowadays most people make it with chicken or pork (as in the image)… more’s the pity.
And we will in passing dismiss (without ranking) another uniquely Southern stew, known as “burgoo” and being the main draw at more than one cooking festival, especially in Kentucky. Typically heavily spiced, it could almost be defined as a chili using chicken, mutton, or other whitish meats rather than beef. Most winning burgoos are “thin” in character and quite bold in their spiciness. Note: burgoo is subject to many spelling variations, and is both identifiable yet different from bowl to bowl as is chili.
Many people are aware of the contributions of the former slave turned agronomist, George Washington Carver, to the uses of the peanut. Fewer are aware that he never came up with peanut butter, a food that can only be defined as “American without regionalism” because its development history ranges from Battle Creek, Michigan by famed health-food guru John Harvey Kellogg to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair to becoming an early national-distribution item, once shelf-stability was solved by J.R. Rosefield in California in 1922.
Southerners, however, grow lots and lots of peanuts and use them for many purposes, including food for world-quality hams and the only-in-the-South Boiled Peanuts pictured in the image (a dish truly hated by the list author). Thomas Jefferson was an early adherent, experimenting with the legume in Virginia. Commonly called “goobers” in some states, a drive through the state of Georgia is almost guaranteed to pass large commercial peanut farming operations. And of course, it is common knowledge that former president Jimmy Carter was a Georgia peanut farmer before entering politics (though few remember that by education he was a nuclear physicist who pursued a career in the U.S.’s “nuclear navy” prior to his father’s death).
“Greens” are the leafy parts of numerous plants. The quintessential “greens” of Southern cooking is collard greens, a type of loose-leaf cabbage similar to kale. But many other greens are used, including kale, turnip, spinach, mustard, and that no-one-else-eats-it green, the leaves of the poke plant. A popular song of 1969, “Poke Salad Annie” by Tony Joe White, has led to the erroneous belief that Southerners eat poke leaves raw in salads. Not true, as uncooked pokeweed leaves are extremely bitter and possibly toxic. The confusion arises from the Old English term “sallet” or “salit” which refers to boiling and discarding initial waters to remove bitterness.
“Greens” are a staple of Southern Soul Food, having been a food of necessity for black slaves and poor blacks after the Civil War. The dish is usually flavored with bits of fatty, salty meat such as fatback from a hog. In many grocery stores throughout the South in modern times, fatback is sold (at a per-pound price comparable to what the average consumer would consider not cheap for “desirable” hog products) almost exclusively for use as a flavoring agent. The process of cooking genuine Southern greens is basically simple, being that of stewing freshly washed greens with seasonings and some fatty meat, but of course everyone has their particular take on it. An initial water may or may not be discarded, based on the bitterness of the greens used and how much of said bitterness the cook wants to retain. Regardless, the final remaining water — which stews the longest– is reserved and known as “pot likker” and often sopped up with cornbread (which see).
Corn is a New World food that is now grown all around the world; more total tons of it are now produced than are of either wheat or rice [source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2006 statistics]. And while the northern states also have several varieties of “cornbread” made from corn meal, they are nowhere near as famed as those of the South — mainly because they are also nowhere near as good. Cornbread may be baked or fried (or a combination of the two), but for authenticity the cooking vessel must be a cast-iron skillet… one that has been in use a long time and is thus properly “seasoned.” It is more than possible to see cornbread served at any southern dinner (in some homes, at every dinner!), but it is often paired with one of three signature accompaniments: black-eyed peas or pinto beans, a bowl of greens (which see), or crumbled into a glass of cold buttermilk and eaten with a spoon.
If you have only tasted okra that was not fried, you must understand that the stuff becomes literally a whole different food when breaded and dropped into hot oil or fat. The truly amazing sliminess that so many people object to disappears entirely. And the unique “soft-green” flavor of the pods, something like a cross between avocado and zucchini with mild notes of thyme but better, fares extremely well with a good corn meal-based breading. Two images are provided because there are two schools of thought towards Southern fried okra. Both pictures are of okra that is perfectly cooked for its style. The darker one was panfried in a cast-iron skillet, using a fairly light dusting of just corn meal and salt. The second was deep-fried after using a buttermilk and egg wash as a binder, then coated with flour (note: more commonly, the dry coating will be about a 50-50 mix of corn meal and flour).
The pan-fried okra has a crispy, almost crunchy mouthfeel and every single bit of sliminess has been cooked out of it; the overall taste will be homogeneous. The deep-fried okra will — bearing in mind it won’t be slimy — nonetheless have a wettish interior, and the taste will noticeably include separate notes of that interior, the pod fiber, and the breading. Restaurants will almost always serve the second type, because if you already have a deep fryer going, clean-up is much easier. The list author enjoys both types, with a slight prejudice towards pan-frying.
Another Old World introduction, from back in the days of the voyages of Columbus. Even with numerous dietary restrictions against it, more pork is consumed worldwide than any other meat (source: National Food Review). And the South certainly downs it share: from the snout to the tail, pigs are almost revered. And the world has embraced the exceptional quality of Southern hams. As Nero Wolfe author Rex Stout once had the famous sleuth declare, “Poles and Westphalians have the pigs, the scholarship, and the skill; what they do not have is peanuts.” Pigs fed peanuts during their growing lives do indeed produce a distinctively sweet ham.
And although the famous hams of Smithfield, Virginia have been made since the town’s founding in 1752, a 1926 Virginia law amptly illustrates the importance of pairing swine with peanuts: “Genuine Smithfield hams [are those] cut from the carcasses of peanut-fed hogs, raised in the peanut-belt of the Commonwealth of Virginia or the State of North Carolina, and which are cured, treated, smoked, and processed in the town of Smithfield, in the Commonwealth of Virginia.” The peanut requirement was repealed in 1966, and most hams today are fed a corn-based high-protein scientific diet… too bad.
There are two main types of hams: country and city. Southerners devour them both by the ton. Country ham is dry-cured and very salty. City ham is what you get from the deli. There are also combination curing methods. Regardless, “baking a ham” is a ubiquitous event in the South, and the varieties of “glazes” are endless, although pineapple and brown sugar are probably the most popular glaze ingredients.
Although almost every culture that has raised chickens has fried them, for many people the very term “fried chicken” conjures up visions of the South. The initial influence was probably immigrants from that previously-mentioned Frying Capitol, Scotland. But frying chickens southern-style undoubtedly owes its greatest debt to the slaves. Chickens represented an economic no-brainer to slave owners, as those in bondage could raise the birds themselves next to their quarters, providing them with eggs and meat with little or no additional capital outlay required. As is common to most foods on this list, it must be repeated once again: there are as many recipes as there are cooks. Both pan-frying and deep-frying have their adherents, but for pan-frying one needs that old and seasoned cast-iron skillet.
Fried chicken came to be so associated with Southern culture that social mores developed around it. It was the quintessential Sunday dinner (an afternoon meal, not an evening one, yet the largest of the day) entree. It would be surprising if ANY church pot-luck dinner did not include fried chicken… giving rise to the idiom “disappearing faster than fried chicken at a pot-luck dinner.” Then, fried chicken really took off. The phenomenal success of the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain spawned dozens of competitors — virtually all of which came out of the South using Southern recipes. And even that could not stop fried chicken from becoming the most common home-cooked meal in the late 20th century, eaten more often than even hamburgers. That trend has declined; the author feels this is attributable to both the ease of take-out and the time required to prepare and clean up after a genuine home-cooked fried chicken dinner.
Let the, uh, fireworks begin! In the South, pork is barbeque, period. Along with the marrying of Mexican food into the cowboy trail tradition to create what is known as Tex-Mex or Southwestern cuisine, Texas’ insistence on using beef (which is what they had, after all) for its barbeque is why that state is NOT represented on this list. Hog-pickin’ goes way back in the true South, and was even a super-popular way for politicians to try and impress the voters as far back as the 1700s: they had pit masters cook a hog or two, and broke out the whiskey. Barbeque itself traces its roots to the Carribean, where indigenous people impressed white explorers by smoking meats over a wooden rack called a barbacoa.
But again, it was African-Americans who turned pig, woodsmoke, and time into phenomenal succulence. It could be said that barbeque, (along with WWII overseas service), greatly helped to integrate Southern society… at a time when whites were loathe to drink from the same water fountains as blacks, they cheerfully bellied up to the cinderblock ‘que joints run by black pit masters who were masters indeed.
But we cannot get away from controversy, even across so arbitrary a boundary as an adjoining county line. The image shown is North Carolina pulled pork barbeque — specifically, Eastern North Carolina. There (and in hundreds of places nationwide serving this style), the sauce is very thin, vinegar-based, with red pepper flakes and very little else. To the uninitiated, the meat appears not to be sauced at all — just seems to have a wettish sheen and a few flakes of red. But rest assured, it will have a bite to it. Travel just a little bit to the west, however, and in the same state the same pulled pork shoulder — perhaps even cooked with the same dry rub and in the same manner — will be doused with an obvious red sauce using tomatoes and/or ketchup. While the list author definitely prefers the Eastern NC style, he points to the fact that if you buy a “Carolina style pulled pork sandwich” at a joint IN ANOTHER STATE, you will likely be served the Eastern style, and thus that style must be considered more “archetypal” for the purposes of this list.
Of course, pulled pork is only one dish in the Southern pork barbeque pantheon. “Going whole hog” is the phrase of art denoting the all-day process of barbequing an entire pig to feed many people at once. Both an art and a science, it represents an awesome undertaking and responsibility for Southern pit masters, as there is no recourse should either the art or science fail. Also, those who aren’t pulled pork freaks usually think of ribs when they hear the word “barbeque.” And they are indeed good. But when sampling the food of an unknown ‘que joint, one should probably start off with a pulled pork sandwich. If they can’t do that well, it doesn’t bode well for other pig parts. Ultimately, though… we’re talking swine here, not beef or poultry.
No one really owns a claim to either biscuits or gravy. Biscuits are a type of baked, leavened bread. Gravy is officially a “sauce,” albeit it usually a fairly thick one. The ingredients for both have been around for a long, long time. But the South invented the beaten biscuit, and using that 1850’s “technology,” America moved pell-mell into the realm of Bisquick-style mixes and canned grocery store doughs. Doesn’t matter. What matters is the pairing of a favored biscuit with sausage gravy as a hearty, belly-filling breakfast item — often the only course but no less hearty and filling therefore. First, let us mention and thus be rid of red-eye gravy, which is undoubtedly Southern but uses coffee as its base liquid. Enough of that. The archetypal biscuits and gravy from the South is a white sauce, using milk and/or cream. It can be made either from fat left from frying sausage or from a roux of butter and flour with sausage crumbles added later. But even though other types are certainly possible, what we are talking about MUST be a sauce for and/or from sausage. Pork sausage, of course.
Using either pan drippings or a roux, all-purpose flour is cooked at least until no chalky taste remains, then liquid from a cow is stirred in to create a smooth and thick gravy. Salt and pepper, (plus the sausage flavor) are all that are required in terms of seasonings. The color of the gravy will vary by region and recipe. Generally, the longer the flour is cooked, the darker the color — and the “nuttier” as opposed to “creamier” the final taste will be. The list author does not like to see any shade of brown in gravy used for this purpose (other than sausage chunks), although a light grey as in the image is usually ok. World-class gravy makers will tell you that it’s a simple thing to do, with only a few ingredients and a couple of steps, but are uncomfortable in writing said down as a recipe… because in the final analysis, making gravy is a process rather than a recipe, and you have to stand there and make it “on the fly” as it were.
Note that few words have been devoted to the biscuits. That’s on purpose. Barely acceptable biscuits and great gravy will be wonderful; great biscuits and barely acceptable gravy will be barely acceptable. There is absolutely nothing wrong with popping a can of store-bought biscuits and making an excellent gravy to slather over them; however, flaky-layer biscuits tend to yield poorer results than biscuits with unlayered centers.
Contributor: grubthrower
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1. Jono - March 29th, 2008 at 4:06 am
Great list!
I really didn’t expect a lot of this stuff though, expected like, boiled crawdads. Thanks for opening my eyes, I’ll be trying some of this stuff later on.
2. heavybison - March 29th, 2008 at 4:11 am
Lots of stuff i gotta checkout. And boy do i hate boiled peanuts too!! Probably has to do with all that fried peanuts and beer that i’m so used to.
Cool list..We sure could do with plenty more local cuisines from around the world.
3. RocknRollRehab - March 29th, 2008 at 5:20 am
A lot of these Southern foods also qualify as “country foods.” My mom grew up on a farm in the Catskill mountains in New York, and a lot of these are common foods in our family too.
4. Rob - March 29th, 2008 at 6:02 am
What about “Mello Yello”?
5. ElleMNOP - March 29th, 2008 at 6:23 am
Excellent list, made for good reading. Unfortunately now I am hungry and nowhere near the south.
6. teacherman - March 29th, 2008 at 6:55 am
I have been getting cans of Brunswick Stew every Christmas from friends in NC. Amazing!
7. Tngolferguy - March 29th, 2008 at 6:56 am
Great List!
I’m was born and raised in Tennessee and still live there. You ID’ed some of the best food we have to offer. It’s 9:00 a.m. here and I’m “fixin” to make some biscuits and gravy. YUMMY!!!
8. NestorV - March 29th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Gumbo is good, if done right (like mosts food)
You know what Gumbo stands for?
“Yea, put that in too”
9. conni - March 29th, 2008 at 7:20 am
We had biscuits and gravy for dinner last night =). Good stuff! My momma was from the south and we often had many of these foods, minus anything even slightly like squirrel….ick. Her cornbread went faster than she could make it in her great grandmas cast iron skillet. Gotta have cast iron! I have a cast iron griddle from 1865 that I use almost daily. I think you forgot one of my favs.. smoked hamhocks and beans. Delightful. Great list!
10. Ghoti - March 29th, 2008 at 7:23 am
it’s kind of nitpicky, but I don’t think gumbo is cajun. It’s probably creole.
11. Santiago - March 29th, 2008 at 7:47 am
When you said south american, I expected a list from Chile, Argentina, Paraguay,….
I have to admit that I hate when people from USA usa the name “America” for their country, and forget that America is a whole continent.
12. stormy617 - March 29th, 2008 at 7:51 am
Great list!!!
Some of my favorite foods are on here. I taught myself how to make gravy years ago and even though I am a *Yankee* I make an awesome sausage gravy!!!
I hardly ever order it in restaurants though, I was turned off of that when i got an order once that was almost sickly sweet. WTF Sausage gravy should not be SWEET, what ever were they thinking
13. BrotherMan - March 29th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Here in Kentucky we pronounce pecans like PEE-KAHNS. When I go down south I hear the word PEE-CANS…as in a can of peas. Either way as long as someone can make a good pecan pie I don’t care how they pronounce it!
Great list grubthrower! And I am so glad to see biscuts and gravy as the first!
14. stormy617 - March 29th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Santiago the list is titled Southern American foods not South American foods!!
15. christopherborne - March 29th, 2008 at 8:02 am
10 should definitely be 1. And boiled crawfish should be on the list. And by the way, I am a Cajun.
16. Santiago - March 29th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Still “American”, why not souther USA?
17. stormy617 - March 29th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Well the continents are called North and South America not North and South American.
18. FifthSonata - March 29th, 2008 at 8:21 am
RocknRollRehab,
Same here. I’m lucky to live in a state where half may be “southern” and half may be “city” (which often translates into idiot rednecks trying to start a gang)
Either way, the southern culture of cooking can be influencial to ANY state. My grandma’s idea of cooking was “Hey, add 3 cups of Crisco to that chili” and she lived to be 90!
19. MethodMan - March 29th, 2008 at 8:27 am
I would have enjoyed this more if the author hadn’t left out Texas!
20. stormy617 - March 29th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Santiago, let me ask you this?
If people from Mexico are Mexican, and people from Canada are Canadian, why can’t the people of the United States of America be called Americans.
All three seem to be derived by modifying the actual name of the country by adding/deleting letters and/or adding “an” or “n”
21. reid1201 - March 29th, 2008 at 8:30 am
I miss all the food on this list. I grew up in the Texas (and while Texas is supposedly not in the south according to this author, we sure eat a lot of these foods) but now live in Europe. I make as much of this stuff as I can here. I agree that you need a good solid biscuit (not a flaky canned biscuit) for biscuits and gravy. And biscuits are easy enough to make, you’re better off making them yourself instead of popping open a can.
Great list, but now I’m hungry.
22. Einstein217 - March 29th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Poke Salad is so popular Tony Jo White wrote an enitre song about a girl making it.
23. stevenh - March 29th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Texas isn’t southern - Texas is in a class by itself.
24. Trinitrotoluene - March 29th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Since moving to Atlanta I have not been able to escape the grit. I would have put grits on this list very near the top. Everyone that eats them has their own special way they like them seasoned and insist I will love them if I just try it their way. I still think they are nasty
25. Annie - March 29th, 2008 at 9:04 am
I’m from Alabama, which is more Southern than I really care to admit, and I’m extremely disappointed that you left off grits. They are a huge staple down here. We’ll cook them for breakfast, let them sit through the day in a pan, and then fry grit cakes for dinner. Amazing.
Also, we call it Camp Stew instead of Brunswick Stew, but that’s probably just an Alabama thing.
26. Yogi Barrister - March 29th, 2008 at 9:07 am
I’m a die-hard, vegetarian, New England Yankee with high blood pressure. Just looking at this list nearly gave me a stroke. I do love Southern cooking though, so long as you remove the fat, the salt, and the sugar. Of course if you do that you are eating what’s known as California cuisine. I never understood the impulse to take healthy foods like sweet potatoes and greens and then tart them up with marshmellows or salt pork. Is it any wonder that people in the South have the highest rate of obesity and the shortest life spans?
27. Yogi Barrister - March 29th, 2008 at 9:09 am
I just saw Annie’s comment. Come on now, you’ve got to have grits on that list.
28. Jen - March 29th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Great list!
I grew up in GA, so everything non-Bayou in this list I totally relate to. I agree that grits should be on the list, though. Those people love their grits so hard.
Best dinner ever: fried okra, pork barbecue, and dumplings, with pecan pie as desert. mmmmmm. High cholesterol. mmmmmm.
29. islanderbst - March 29th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Great #1! I gotta get me some now!
30. JB - March 29th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Although the list is very good, how could a list of Southern foods and not include grits?
31. 666 - March 29th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Santiago,
When you say “America” it is common knowledge and usage that you mean The United States of AMERICA.
The america you refer to is only relevent when you use North preceding it.
North America is the continent you refer to, not America.
32. 666 - March 29th, 2008 at 9:16 am
South America…I mean. North America is where I live.
33. mitchsn - March 29th, 2008 at 9:24 am
If you’ve never had boiled peanuts, you should make it a priority to do so asap!
34. Yarr - March 29th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Yogi- These recipes were developed back in the day when people worked their ever-lovin asses off from before dawn to after dark. These are hearty meals that could provide a LOT of energy to a hard-workin’ man. Knocking back some of these and sitting in a cubicle all day before sitting on a couch watching TV will definitely make you fat. However, though I was born and raised in Texas, (Suck it Texas? Really?) My family is from Louisiana. They ate this stuff every day and drank enough whiskey to drown a horse and they all lived well into their 90’s. The women too.
35. big_bro_shane - March 29th, 2008 at 10:08 am
I have lived in the Deep South all of my life (so far) and while I do respect the opinions of others regarding foods of all regions and nationalities–HOW CAN ANYONE NOT LIKE BOILED PEANUTS?!?!?!?!? If boiled with crab boil they not only have a good texture but a spicy flavor. Oh, and I have eaten everything that’s on this list at one time or another and quite possibly all at one meal (nothing like a Baptist church pot-luck). And one last loving nit-pick–if it’s going to be about foods in the south, it HAS got to include grits.
36. goof_ball - March 29th, 2008 at 10:22 am
What about Kool-Aid?!?!?!
37. Miss Destiny - March 29th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Great list! I want some chicken and dumplings now, definitely one of my very favorite meals. I’ve tried collard greens once and I expected to hate them - I actually liked them a whole lot. Ham, fried chicken, and of course barbeque are all favorites of mine as well. I’m a “Yankee” but I grew up around some good cooks who must have had some Southern influences. When I go to South Carolina later this year to see my dad I’ll see what I can find down there.
About Southern food being so unhealthy: Southerners are so noted for being hospitable and kind, maybe it’s because they they eat stuff that makes them happy! The so-called “California cuisine” is enough to make anyone miserable, unless of course they don’t have taste buds. Life is about enjoying yourself, not seeing who can make it to the grave in the fittest, leanest body. I’d rather die early, knowing I lived life happy, than live to be really old and miserable!
38. PJMurphy - March 29th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Americans are called Americans, what’s the big deal? What did you expect? Statians? Unitians?
Of course, the rest of the World has an astonishingly large variety of things to call Americans, and surprisingly, not all of it is complimentary.
More on point, although I haven’t had the chance to sample much more than Gumbo, Pecan Pie, and Fried Chicken, the majority of the dishes sound like the simple, delicious, filling cuisine that I love. You can take your fancy fine-dining and stuff it. I’ll take a simple bowl of gumbo and a slab of fresh-baked cornbread, any day.
39. Jen - March 29th, 2008 at 10:44 am
goof_ball: Kool-Aid is not a “Southern” thing. Sweet tea is (and should probably be on the list).
40. BrotherMan - March 29th, 2008 at 11:03 am
My most memorable experience, south of KY, is the famous Belgian waffle and deep fried chicken leg with maple syrup smothering the platter!
Great list!
41. BrotherMan - March 29th, 2008 at 11:06 am
grubthrower: I shall chisle a statue for you! Would you prefer your name welded in brass or steel?
42. Yogi Barrister - March 29th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Miss Destiny, I assume your comment was directed at me. I agree that life is too short, even for a long-lived vegetarian, so you might as well eat, drink, and smoke whatever makes you happy. But you are dead wrong about fat, unhealthy people being happier. You are also wrong about California cuisine. The best thing I ever did for myself was to move away from the clam chowder and boiled dinners of New England to the luscious fruits and vegetables, and Asian influenced cooking of California.
43. bad news - March 29th, 2008 at 11:31 am
What a great list! As good as any on LV. If you wanted to understand southern culture, start at the top of this list and eat your way down.
Grits probably belongs on here, but hard to quibble with anything else.
I’m a displaced southerner, and I would near-bout sell a kidney to enjoy a good meat-and-3.
44. SonOfMyFather - March 29th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I feel dissapointed, being southern, having never had four of these. Awesome list as always.
45. Steve T. - March 29th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Ghoti is right. Classic New Orleans dishes are creole, not Cajun. Cajuns are country folk and Cajun food is country food, even if it is brought into the city sometimes.
Fun story: Some years ago I was managing a mini-festival venue in New Orleans and hired the Cajun swamp pop supergroup Lil’ Band O’ Gold. Reading their standard contract, I was amused to see that one rider stipulated that the food provided for the band must NOT be Cajun food unless the venue is actually in Southwest Louisiana. Anywhere else, people think “Hmm, Cajuns,” dump on so much hot pepper and Tabasco that the food is inedible, and think, “There! They’ll LOVE that!”
They don’t.
46. Cedestra - March 29th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
When I hear “southern food” I immediately think of fried chicken, and thought that’s what would be first. But, yeah- biscuits ‘n’ gravy- I agree there. And BBQ, of course.
I always imagine these foods being served at an church picnic.
47. Cedestra - March 29th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I also agree with Yogi #42. Eat what makes you happy, but I don’t think I could be happy eating meat and high-fat foods everyday. That’s just me, though. I used to eat whatever I wanted to, gained a lot of weight, and was depressed. I started controlling what I ate- no more pigging out on ice cream and cake and buffalo wings. And I feel better for it.
In fact, I may move from New England to California, too! Damnit! I love Asian cuisine- especially sushi.
48. Ravyn - March 29th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I love this list… It is basically my grama’s kitchen… not to mention that I can make an awesome Biscuits and gravy (my fav on the list)
mmmmmmmmmmm
49. Nelia - March 29th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Very cool list, but somehow cheerios don’t seem like a filling breakfast now…
Now someone has to do one about the North East. I love my New England food
50. Crimanon - March 29th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Not a big fan of biscuits and gravy but I make a sausage gravy you can stand a fork up in. Great stuff. Why is everyone hating on boiled peanuts all you need is a bucket (For the shells) and some cheap beer. Who doesn’t like ham and fried chicken? Ham came over on the boat and fried chicken is just tasty no matter where you are from. Add on the Corn bread and you have my list. Greens suck, Brunswick stew looks like a bad taco night, and Okra has to be one of the worst things on the planet. I think i’d rather eat a Durian.
51. SoCalJeff - March 29th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
YES! Biscuits and gravy! Yum.
52. D Holmes - March 29th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
@goof_ball:
Kool-Aid was invented in Nebraska.
53. KatrinaTamica - March 29th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I love boiled peanuts. Mmmm.
54. Yogi Barrister - March 29th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Nelia, here you go: Cranberry Sauce, Lobster, Clam Rolls, Maple Syrup, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. That’s about it. If you smoke enough Vermont Skunkweed though, it all tastes good.
Oh yeah, a little known fact, New England produces the tastiest corn in America.
55. DaisyMae - March 29th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Another favorite in the South (I live in Tennessee): Chocolate gravy and biscuits! People that haven’t tried it think it’s gross, but it’s just like eating a little bitty individual chocolate pie.
You just take 1/4 cup cocoa, 1/4 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix it up, then add 1/2 cup milk and stir to make a paste. Then add another 2 cups of milk (or water) and stir. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick,like gravy. Then add about a tablespoon of butter and stir. Pour over hot biscuits or pancakes. Mmmmm, good!
56. Mom424 - March 29th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Great List, I love food. I make damn fine dumplings and I have actually eaten stewed squirell. Don’t know if it was Brunswick stew but it was squirell. I cannot even imagine boiled peanuts, are they like other legumes? Mealy and disgusting? Like Chick peas?
Good to know there is a way to prepare Okra without producing copious quantities of snot. I can’t eat raw oysters for the same reason. Shouldn’t eat stuff that has the same texture as stuff your body discards.
My hubby gives you kudos for the teeth achingly sweet Karo Pie.
ps; interesting tidbit about Jimmy Carter, didn’t know he was a nuclear physicist.
57. nikki - March 29th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
omg i could live off of fried okra. and fried pickles. . .
58. Santiago - March 29th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
666: you forgot Central America, you bloody ignorant
59. Santiago - March 29th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
666: America is the whole continent: South America, Central America and North America (Mexico, USA and Canada), and not just your country,”United States of America”.
I know that by “America” you mean USA, if am not such an ignorant, but you can’t deny that it just isn’t correct.
60. Crimanon - March 29th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
America is the country, North and South America Are continents, Central America is just geographic semantics. America anywhere in the world IS the USA. 666; was not wrong, maybe a little excited with the keyboard.
61. Brian Moo - March 29th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Ho snaps, thought this was going to be about South American foods.
62. Nelia - March 29th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Santiago, you seem to be missing the fact that the USA actually has “America” in the NAME of our country. Chile is Chile, therefore people don’t generally call you “Americans.” All over the world, you say the word “American” and people think of the USA because that is the name of our country. No one would say American and expect someone to say “by American, do you mean Chilean?” They would just call you “Chilean.”
This is why there is a difference between the terms Southern American and South American. There is a reason the distinction developed in English, because otherwise there would be confusion. It is not “arrogant” for Americans to call themselves American, that is what our country is called. It is a unique position because our country shares a name with our continent.
And just because this is annoying me, you don’t call someone “an ignorant.” You can say they “ARE ignorant,” or “I am ignorant.” Your version would be correct if you said “you are an ignorant person.” Forgive me, I happen to really like grammar, I can’t help it. You should hear me when my fiance says “on accident.”
63. Nelia - March 29th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
oh, and you can call someone “an ignoramus.” Just for fun
64. J. Coustark. - March 29th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Would someone please tell me. What are grits and how are they prepared and eaten?.
65. Crimanon - March 29th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Brian Moo: Or Central???
66. Nelia - March 29th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
They are a bit like cream of wheat, only grittier and often quite salty. I believe there are both white and yellow grits, but I’ve only tried the yellow. They are often eaten with hot sauce. Now i am a Bostonian who has only had grits a couple times, so my description is based on Southern friends of mine who eat grits on a fairly regular basis.
I can’t enjoy them because they are too much like cream of wheat, and it weirds me out that they aren’t sweet. But I’ve been informed that this makes me a flaming idiot, so I’m working on it.
67. StinkyTheCat - March 29th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
HELLLLOOOOO?!?! Grits? come on, i’m not from there, but we ALL know that grits is #1 in the South.
ps- that peach cobbler looks absoloutely terrible! i make better!
68. StinkyTheCat - March 29th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
reading above posts, Santiago needs to read more about geography and needs to jump off that “americans are so self-centered bandwagon”. he needs to read what Nelia wrote since, she exlpains it best. True, i was thrown off by the title and was expecting Brazillian and Bolivian, then saw it said ’southern america’and realized MY mistake. santiago, i hope you can realize that too, instead of attacking America.
69. D - March 29th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
“It is a unique position because our country shares a name with our continent.”
Nelia, one minor correction The United States of America is not the only country that shares it’s name with a continent, there is also Australia.
If I was a real pedant than I’d have to say that the country is The United States Of America whereas the continent is called North America, that leaves Australia in the unique position you spoke of.
Don’t even get me started on the “World Series”
70. goof_ball - March 29th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Kool-Aid isn’t southern, I KNOW!!! But not meaning to be stereotypical, a lot of black people (in the south) drink Kool-Aid. Sorry if I offend anyone, too.
71. Dana - March 29th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Oh my goodness…as a good ole Southern gal, these foods make my mouth water. And none of these foods are good for you…hehe!
72. Wally - March 29th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
The South is one of the fattest parts of the world with astronomical caloric intakes. The food is amazing, but evolution might give it a healthy make-over in years to come.
73. Shay - March 29th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
It is a great list, but I agree with Ghoti. Gumbo is cajun, which is a completely different genre! Everything else is perfect
74. sam - March 29th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Living in south florida all my life i grew up on a lot of these food. My favorite being the biscuits and gravy, which are a great breakfast when your nursing a hang over.
75. Phillies - March 29th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Mmmmmmmm, what a great list…
I never had jambalaya before about 2 months ago. I had it as cafeteria food from my university. Knowing this, it was absolutely delicious, and I cannot wait to taste real jambalaya someday.
76. drmos - March 29th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
GREAT LIST!!..best meal ever…fried chicken, cornbread, fried okra, turnips, and pecan pie…oh don’t forget the sweet tea.
Annie: Hi I from LA..that’s lower Alabama to you unfortunate souls that have never been in the south.
Santiago: dude..its a list about food…grow up.
77. big_bro_shane - March 29th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Coustark: Grits is basically coarsely ground corn that is mixed in boiling water until it becomes as thick or thin as you prefer. Thicker is better {at least to me)so I use more ground corn; those that prefer it thinner will use more water when boiling. Cream of ‘what’ is similar, but doesn’t really compare to grits {grits is better}.
Offense apologies (if needed)–cream of what is a good description from my personal point of view, but it was also the ad slogan for that meal for quite some time, so those who enjoy it, please do enjoy
And ‘grits is’ is correct as grits is singular even though spelled plural
Ya’ll come back now here
78. big_bro_shane - March 29th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
oops, hear
79. drmos - March 29th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
ooooh!!! grits..you people are torturing this poor boy…I’m going to the kitchen.
80. Nelia - March 29th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
D - Sorry, when I said unique I really meant “one of the few,” but since that isn’t what unique means, I should have chosen my words better. I actually originally wrote that America was the only country with this distinction, then thought “oh wait, stupid, what about Australia?” lol. My bad.
81. DiscHuker - March 29th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
i read the list and had one that was left off that made me think the list writer did not grow up in the south. so i diligently searched and saw that many, many people have already screamed at the ommission of grits.
grubthrower: excellent list, with the above obviously noted. thank you for shining a light on part of the the good of the south. i get sick of the stereotypes and bashing. just curious, where did you grow up that didn’t have grits?
82. Miss Destiny - March 29th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Yogi - I suppose it’s all a matter of personal opinion. I’m fat and unhealthy and perfectly happy. Seriously. I’m from just outside of Buffalo, NY. I live on pizza and wings, steak hoagies, and all sorts of other junk that currently resides in my arteries. If I die tomorrow, I’ll go satisfied in the knowledge that I lived my life the way I chose. I shudder at the thought of having to live on a diet of rabbit food, devoid of all flavor and variety. That’s just me though. What’s cool for me isn’t cool for everyone, and vice versa. When it comes to food, do what makes ya happy! (As long as you’re not eating people! That’s just sick and weird…)
83. Annie - March 29th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Drmos: Hello! I always love running into another ‘Bamian on the inter-web. If you’re from LA, are you talking Baldwin county area or more like Dothan?
J. Coustark and Nelia: Grits are what I consider the rice of breakfast. Most people put cheese with them or some other flavoring, and they’re almost always a side dish. Steak and grits is my father’s go to breakfast when he has leftovers. I personally love to eat them with no extras, especially when I’m hung-over. Try it sometime. As for preparing them, it really depends on what kind you use (yes, there are many different kinds of grits), but you basically just boil the grits until they’re tender. If your grits are too salty, something ain’t right and don’t bother eating them. If you’re still curious you can either rent My Cousin Vinnie, starring Joe Pesci where grits are frequently discussed, or just go buy a box of quick grits and try them with some sharp cheddar mixed in.
This is the 3rd time this year I’ve explained grits to a Northerner/ Northerners. I’m still surprised how little people know about grits.
84. Nelia - March 29th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Big_Bro_Shane - Don’t worry, I am not a devotee of Cream of Wheat or anything, it is just what I am used to. I actually haven’t eaten CoW in years, I moved on to oatmeal
Thanks for the more thorough explanation.
85. Yogi Barrister - March 29th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Miss Destiny, you need a little fat in your diet to survive the Buffalo winters, and you can’t die tomorrow, you must hang on until the Bills win a Super Bowl.
86. NoPunyNerd - March 29th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
J.Coustark: grits are basically polenta, if that helps. Coarsely ground corn, boiled with water or milk and salt, until creamy and tender. Grits can be made from white corn or yellow. I’m partial to yellow, but white are more common. You can buy instant grits in any grocery store in the southern states - extending to Texas, I might add - but slow-cooking, stone ground grits are sooooo worth the extra bit of effort! I just discovered them a couple of years ago.
87. bwmyers18 - March 29th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Savannah, GA here. 3 words are missing … fried pork chops. Period.
88. NoPunyNerd - March 29th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Movie tribute to grits, informative and funny at the same time: in “My Cousin Vinnie,” Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei in an Alabama diner asking the short order cook “What exactly is a grit?” Between the question and the accent, the cook clearly thinks aliens have landed, but he tells him what it is and how to cook it. One of my favorite comedies.
89. ChrisG - March 29th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Wow. I am soooo hungry now. The only complaint I have is that ham should be replaced with grits. Ham is NOT a specifically southern food, it is universal. There are cultures who love ham just as much as southerners, and it was hardly invented in the south, so it cannot be an “archetypal” southern food, whereas grits are associated with nowhere BUT the south.
Damn. Now I want a pulled-pork sandwich in the worst way.
90. David - March 29th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Great list!!!
It’s hard to get this stuff done right in a restaurant though.
91. Yogi Barrister - March 29th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
“This is the 3rd time this year I’ve explained grits to a Northerner/ Northerners. I’m still surprised how little people know about grits.”
Annie is too right. The first time I ordered grits the waitress asked, ” You want hominy?” And I replied, ” I don’t know, how big are they?”
92. Anastasia - March 29th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
hey yogi, my boyfriend is still hangin’ on
93. heavybison - March 29th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Anyone know the recipe to making homemade biscuits? I think i’ll try my hand at making some today..
94. loseitbonkers - March 29th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
great list.
i’m totally not from the deep south, but my father is.
definitely noticed the omission of grits, a major staple for southern eaters, however.
95. Arkz_Archduke_of_Geeks - March 29th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
im not from the south im from the west California to be exact, sorry texas is southern not western i just had to put that out, a few years back i got to spend my summer in the south, ozark alabama while there i sampled the foods, a few were better then others one was boiled peanuts they were awesomely good, espically warm, chicken and dumplings are amazingly good, hard to explain the flavor, and gumbo is great to crab gumbo is my favorite, the flavors there are very aromatic
96. J. Coustark. - March 30th, 2008 at 2:37 am
Thanks to all who answered my question (#64) regarding grits. I had heard of them but never bothered to find out anything about them. In New Zealand they are not part of our diet.
97. drmos - March 30th, 2008 at 4:40 am
Annie: We consider everything south of Montgomery LA down here. I live in the wiregrass area dear…southeast near Troy. And I love Alabama…you can wake up in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains and go to sleep that same day with the sound of the waves on the Gulfcoast pounding the shore.
bwmyers18: Go to the Foodnetwork website and look for Paula Dean’s biscuit recipe. I swear I believe that woman took cooking lessons from my mother. She also has a great special grits recipe that uses cheese, garlic butter, and tomatoes. I made these as part of a special breakfast for my wife on the morning of our twentieth wedding anniversity. They were great and so is my wife :)…BTW, I agree, fried pork chops ranks right up there with the fried chicken.
98. drmos - March 30th, 2008 at 4:47 am
Sorry bwmyers…got you mixed up with heavybison on the biscuit recipe thing.
heavybison: see above post
99. Kiribub - March 30th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Peanut. Butter. Pie.
/I gained weight thinking about it…
100. copperdragon - March 30th, 2008 at 11:23 am
although i’ve never been to the Southern US, i love jumbalaya, fried chicken, biscuits and gravy and pulled pork.
was kinda expecting shrimp or crawdads on this list (bubba gump shrimp anyone?).
was also kinda thrown off by the pompous, thesaurus-swallowing text of the author. verisimmilitude? ubiquitous? preponderance? archetypal? quintessential?
101. DiscHuker - March 30th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
being that it is a regional thing, and that i was born and raised in louisiana, if you call them anything other than “crawfish” you reveal that you aren’t local.
crawdads, craydads, crayfish are all wrong.
ohhh, so tasty.
102. BrotherMan - March 30th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
#88 NoPunyNerd:
I remember that part in My Cousin Vinny! Another funny part(s) is how Joe Pesci keeps being awakened by loud noises during the wee hours of the morn…every damn day!
A memorable part for me is the screech owl in the woods while he and his fiance’ stayed in the cabin owned by the prosecuting attorney.
He was once again awakened by a loud noise, took that huge long barreled revolver from the gun case, then ran out the front door and fired all 6 shots into the woods rapidly.
The owl looked towards him and stayed quiet until Pesci went back inside the cabin and then it started screeching again.
103. Csimmons - March 30th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Speaking as a fat man, I truly love everything on this list, except okra, nasty shit.
104. BrotherMan - March 30th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Csimmons: You’re hurting me here, my friend…hurting me. A fellow Kentuckian doesn’t enjoy some good fried okra? What is the world coming to?
105. Csimmons - March 30th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
brotherman:I only like it with ketchup, but thats the only time I love it, don’t lose hope
106. Csimmons - March 30th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I would have expected crawdads or shrimp, but this is a good list otherwise.
107. BrotherMan - March 30th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Csimmons: you said crawdads so you are good to go!
108. DiscHuker - March 30th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
lol. am i talking to a wall?
109. Diogenes - March 30th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
wrapped in newspaper/ steaming hot red crawdaddies
po boys
canabilism, (just foolin)
coleslaw
mud pies (foolin again)
some sorta fruit encassed in jello.
mashed potatos
110. Miss Destiny - March 30th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Yogi - I hope someone discovers a fountain of youth, I might be around for a long time if I’m waiting for that!
111. Diogenes - March 30th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
see Diskhusker, I grew up in TN and lived in LA for some years. In TN, we called them crawdads, but we knew them also as crawfish. But I never ate them in TN, we only made them fight one another. When I lived in LA, I ate them.
112. Diogenes - March 30th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
p.s.
my thought is ,as long as “craw” is in there, it’s more southern. I dont think it’s “wrong” as you say, but
Crayfish would seem outa place
and I never heard “craydads” it was always “craw”
craw craw
113. Diogenes - March 30th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
p.p.s.
ok ok
so Crawdads are out of the creek
Crawfish are what you eat
114. Diogenes - March 30th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I thought it was supposed to be in Florida, Miss Destiny
or in a lab underground
115. souxieq - March 30th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
I was also raised on these foods. Lots of my favs. A fight once broke out over some leftover pecan pie at my ex’s house on thanksgiving.
Matter of fact, we had bicuits and gravy and fried taters for supper tonight. I can feel my arteries hardening, but I’m pretty sure it’s worth it.
116. Mr. Mojo - March 30th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I’ve lived in the southern US my entire life…mostly in Texas, but with some stops in Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina. Out of everywhere I’ve been, I have to say Texas and Louisiana have the best food by far.
Texas has taken barbecue to a whole new level - no one is as obsessed with barbecue as a Texan. I have the good fortune to live in the western half of the state, so I have easy access to all the Mesquite I want…it’s simply a matter of taking the chainsaw out to the back yard. We barbecue at least once a month, usually once a week in the summer.
Texas also has the best Chili I’ve ever tasted. Chili cook-offs are a common event at most local fairs and you can find everything from “mild enough for a small child” to “ignite your hair and melt your clothing”. I prefer something in between…I like it to have some kick, but I don’t want the peppers to drown out the flavor.
Louisiana is of course the home of Cajun cuisine. I can’t say I like it all, but some of it is pretty good. You listed both Gumbo and Jambalaya - which are a couple of my favorites, but you forgot about Boudin and Red Beans and Rice which are also excellent.
117. suzi - March 30th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
My step father was from Oklahoma and taught me to make everything here but that squirrel stew. You did a good job describing everything. Good call on biscuits and gravy making #1. Done right, that’s a mouthful of heaven!
What I wouldn’t give for a plate of his catfish and hush puppies, and somd fried green tomatoes, and uuummm…cornbread.
That was interesting about the pigs eating peanuts, didn’t know that.
118. Grumpus - March 31st, 2008 at 6:28 am
Mr. Mojo- I’m not arguing against the excellent cuisine of Texas, but it’s not Southern. It has developed it’s own wonderful style known commonly known as Southwest or TexMex or just Texan. For example, no “Southern” BBQ would use mesquite - it wasn’t a native tree. The best Southern BBQ is made using wood from fruit or nut trees (mainly apple, cherry, or hickory). I can also guarantee that the best BBQ in a restaurant setting is served in a run-down, dive-looking joint by the roadside, usually with a family member’s name (Aunt So-and-So, Uncle Whatever, etc.). As for chili: chili belongs o Texas and Texas alone. No one else can make the quality chili they do.
119. Grumpus - March 31st, 2008 at 6:32 am
As for grits: a lot of us don’t eat them, but they are archetypically Southern. The few people I know who do eat them load them up with so much butter, salt, syrup, you name it, that I don’t think they actually ever get to the grits. My grandfather used to eat them with calf or pig brains (!), which, while supposedly tasty, have about 1000% of your daily intake of cholesterol (and BSV).
120. troyfamu - March 31st, 2008 at 7:05 am
Annie and drmos: Wow…Dothan and Troy were both mentioned. Are either of you Trojans?
Grubthrower: Great list. I live in the area of north Florida that Alabama has come up with the money to buy yet and formerly lived about 60 miles from Nawlins. All of these foods are excellent. Hopefully, the people who see the list try the homemade versions and not the sacreligious microwave versions.
121. Jennifer - March 31st, 2008 at 7:09 am
I come from the good ole’ south….and I can garentee yall….that all the food mentioned on this list is 100% FABULOUS!
but my big fat ass tends to disagree….
Yes….there is a downfall….but…everything on this list is OH SO WORTH trying for all you northerners…
Don’t hate!
122. DiscHuker - March 31st, 2008 at 7:17 am
jennifer: you should say that your big fat ass DOES agree. you just don’t like that it agrees so readily.:)
123. SlickWilly - March 31st, 2008 at 7:30 am
Being born in the North and raised in the South has given me a unique perspective on this food. Personally, I love southern food in general (all except collard greens…..yeeech. I’m not a big fan of grits either, which I catch flack for *all* the time down here) but being originally from the chesapeake bay area, northern food holds a special place in my heart. Someone should do a Top 10 Best Northern Foods list, with lobster, blue crab, clam chowder, etc. etc. (There might be more to northern food than seafood but none I quite pay as much attention to.
)
124. SlickWilly - March 31st, 2008 at 7:34 am
Grumpus: The hands-down BEST bbq I have ever eaten was a beat up, run-down old shack on the side of I95 in Georgia called The Georgia Pig. The restaurant was an old log cabin that they never bothered to restore, with a leaky trough for a urinal. But the bbq was so good, every bbq I’ve had since then just can’t even compare. I’m talking epiphany, revelation-having, flatten-your-balls good. *Real* good.
125. Asher - March 31st, 2008 at 8:24 am
Texas isn’t the South…and everyone on both sides is cool with that.
And Texas is all about the steak, Tex-Mex and brisket. And a little seafood as well. But mostly the taquerias.
You could do a whole list on just Texas foods if you wanted to. Personally, though, I don’t think you can get good baraboca north of San Antonio. And I don’t know what I’d do without chorizo…probably lose 10 pounds or so, but I digress.
126. SlickWilly - March 31st, 2008 at 8:28 am
I believe Texas and Texans think of themselves as the “Southwest,” along with Arizona and New Mexico. Not the “South” as one would typically think of it.
127. joel - March 31st, 2008 at 8:38 am
What about the Moon Pie?
128. Joss - March 31st, 2008 at 8:50 am
1) I want to eat all of that.
2) Grits?
129. Niamh - March 31st, 2008 at 8:54 am
Great list. I do disagree on one count though–opening up a can of biscuits is not acceptable. Those things taste like margarine and chemicals and are an insult if you have really wonderful gravy. Biscuits are a snap to make and the dough freezes just fine if you’re in a hurry. Do yourself a favor(and your gravy a favor) and make real biscuits!
(Grew up in Monck’s Corner, SC. Would also like to concur about the grits.)
130. TheDragon - March 31st, 2008 at 9:31 am
As a lifelong, born and bred Southerner (though I certainly don’t “act” like one) I am proud to say I’ve had every food on this list and I love our cuisine. A few things I am not keen on, like greens, but all in all we have a very flavorful food history down here…
And, high cholesterol *ahem*…
131. Burrito - March 31st, 2008 at 9:39 am
I’m from the South and I’m very familiar with most of these dishes…except that I’ve never had Brunswick Stew. I didn’t even know what it was until I read this list. It surprised me that there was something on the list that I wasn’t familiar with.
132. grubthrower - March 31st, 2008 at 10:06 am
1. Grits were left off of the list on purpose — to give you guys an omission to champion! Jamie can verify that when submitting, i mentioned that the grits were gonna fly. I like mine with about an entire stick of real butter melted on top.
2. I’m in agreement with some folks here that Texas, to encompass Tex-Mex and Southwestern, is simply an entirely different cuisine.
3. In light of that, you’ve got me thinking about the whole Creole-Cajun thing.
4. The submitted title was actually “15 Archetypal Southern Foods (U.S.)” which could have saved us all a geography lesson.
5. I once spent a year (exactly 365 days) as a vegetarian when a friend of mine quite rightly pointed out that I could not dismiss something with which I had no personal experience. From two weeks to a month I felt great, as flushing the meat residues was actually a good thing. Most of the rest of the year I was simply missing good food and spending WAY too much time trying to find something to eat… there are only so many cheese pizzas a man can consume. The final month I was protein-starved, feeling logy, unable to concentrate, etc. But I stuck it out and that first double cheeseburger was AWESOME. Bottom line is I am convinced that our denttition is right — we’re designed to be omnivores, and some animal protein is necessary.
6. BrotherMan, about that statue… just chainsaw it from a big old stick of hickory.
133. Grumpus - March 31st, 2008 at 10:11 am
SlickWilly-
I’m glad someone else knows what I’m talking about. The absolute best BBQ I had was off of Rt. 460 in VA in a dive that didn’t even have a name on the building. It looked like it was in an old service station-like something from the beginning of a horror movie. The tables were the giant wooden spools used for power line cables. Come to find out the cook was a Swiss cordon bleu trained chef who got tired of city life.
BTW- A northern foods list sounds great, minus scrapple. What is that anyway?
134. cyberfreak77 - March 31st, 2008 at 10:12 am
Now that i know what you must eat over there I am appreciative to the fact of the “bringing the war to the terrorists” thing. Eating this everyone in the world would get really, really angry and for me as beeing german just watching at these pictures makes me want to invade poland…
135. chershey - March 31st, 2008 at 10:22 am
I’m so GD hungry now.
136. nolamomma - March 31st, 2008 at 10:29 am
Ghoti is correct, gumbo is Creole. Also, Creole cooking refers to the style of cooking developed in New Orleans with African, Carribbean, Western European, and native Indian influences. Cajun cooking is the country cooking of South Louisiana that was the main style of cooking used by the Acadians who settled in So. LA from Nova Scotia.
That said, both styles are awesome and fabulous and mmm, mmm good.
137. SlickWilly - March 31st, 2008 at 10:43 am
cyberfreak77: Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I dare say Germany has some pretty foul-looking national dishes as well, but I’d be willing to bet anything that they taste amazing. And American cuisine, while simple, rustic, and generally unhealthy, is not nearly as terrible as the national cuisine of some other countries. Like England, for instance. Or some parts of the orient.
138. skeev - March 31st, 2008 at 11:08 am
How about some Country Fried Steak and gravy?
Or better yet….grits!
139. MzFly - March 31st, 2008 at 11:34 am
mmmm mmmmm good list! I miss Pete’s Barbecue in Aiden, NC!!! and Also Bea’s Barbecue. It’s a close race between the two of them, for The Absolute Best barbecue ever.
I love living here in upstate NY but a few things I miss are true NC bbq and a nice big ol’ pot of mustard greens. I agree with you on the biscuits and gravy. I never could make a good biscuit, but the gravy always made up for it.
140. MM - March 31st, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Funny…I always thought it was barbecue, with a ‘c’…
141. Amanda - March 31st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
You forgot the chcolate gravy and biscuts, HOw can you forget that.
I must admit this list is very accurate though.
142. CK - March 31st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
All I have to say is - YUM! =)
143. Mr. Mojo - March 31st, 2008 at 9:41 pm
I get what you’re saying about Texas not being “south”, but I guess it depends on your perspective. I grew up on the TX/LA border. I don’t know what I’d call it, but there is a thing they do there where they combine cajun/creole with tex-mex. It’s a pretty interesting combination which is different from, but greater than, the sum of its parts.
I do agree though that the southern and western cooking is completely different than traditional southern cooking. There is a north-to-south line at about DFW that separates the state. Everything to the east is more traditional southern, with the western part being all tex-mex. You can actually see the difference in the landscape. Driving west through the state, everything east of Dallas is green and covered with trees (except the million hay fields). Once you get past Ft. Worth and into Weatherford, the ground flattens out, the trees dissapear for the most part, and the grass turns brown.
144. Adam - March 31st, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I would KILL for a bowl of Jumbalaya right now!!!
145. Maxx_the_Slash - April 1st, 2008 at 11:02 am
What about roadkill skunk and beer?
146. Wolfgang - April 1st, 2008 at 11:03 am
Would someone please be kind enough to explain to me what it is that “grits” are and what are they made from ?
147. Lisa - April 1st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I so live in Smithfield, VA. I know, I know… I’m lucky!
148. Gman - April 2nd, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I love pretty much all things on this list EXCEPT Eastern Carolina BBQ. Growing up in Mississippi, Memphis BBQ was the norm, and for my taste the two can’t compare.
Wolfgang,
Grits are made from ground hominy, which is corn with the germ removed. Many Northerners think cream of wheat is comparable. It’s not. The best way to eat grits is to fry and egg over light and mix them together. I would love to have my grandmother’s grits and eggs just one more time.
149. smiff - April 3rd, 2008 at 8:47 am
Being from South Carolina, I’ve eaten the entire list!. But I don’t like okra, and I hate greens. they’re like different flavors of spinach. My wife makes cornbread in a 30 year old cast iron frying pan from her grandmother.
150. Kit - April 3rd, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Oh, I’m in love with this list! I have eaten every single one of these, even authentic Brunswick Stew. My gran’pappy (that would be “grandfather” to most people) used to make it.
Really good research!
151. MissFirecracker - April 4th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Wolfgang-Grits is a coarse ground cornmeal that’s usually cooked with butter and milk and served a breakfast dish.
i despise it.
anyway, i honestly didn’t realize Brun