As any true blue Yankee can tell you, people in the South eat some weird crap.
No trip into old Confederate country is complete without a tour of abandoned plantations and a feast of foods that no self respecting northerner would have any idea how to prepare. You haven’t really experienced The South until you’ve tasted the local cuisine.
6 Southern Foods You Have To At Least Attempt To Eat When You’re Traveling Down South
6. Fried Green Tomatoes.
Fried Green Tomatoes in the South
Start off easy. Green tomatoes are fairly bland. I’m almost positive the only reason Southerners fry green tomatoes as opposed to normal, orange to red ripe tomatoes is because they are harder and hold up better to the frying. In fact, feel free to use that as a fun fact at parties. I’m pretty sure it’s true.
The taste experience is going to come from the batter and whatever you get to dip it in. If you’ve eaten any kind of fried vegetable (think fried cauliflower especially), you’re not in for a big culinary shocker here. You are, however, going to gain street cred with your friends back home the next that movie with Kathy Bates comes on TNT.
5. Boiled Peanuts
Boiled Peanuts - doesn't that look good?
If you’re one of those people who sucks on the peanut shells and throws away the inside nut because you don’t like the nutty flavor, boiled peanuts are perfect for you. Also? You are not weird. Other people do that too!
Boiling the peanut makes the inside kind of soft and buttery. A boiled peanut tastes very much like a boiled potato. But shrunken and slightly more salty. You still have to spit out the shells, which makes for just as charming table behavior as the unboiled variety. (Read: for God’s sake, don’t order these on a first date.)
4. Southern BBQ – Ribs
Southern Barbeque - Ribs and side salads
Yeah, OK. You have barbeque in the north. Kind of. But you haven’t really eaten barbeque until you’ve had it made by people who dig holes in their backyards and stick the meat on sticks over those holes. Northerners do not build homemade pits in their backyards. Northerners buy grills and slow cookers and bottles of barbeque sauce from the grocery store. I think Southerners are just laid back enough to sit and watch meat cook for two days.
Listen. You go down South, you eat barbeque. And you eat it in a barbeque joint. That’s just the way it is.
3. Cheese Biscuits
Cheesy Biscuits or Cheese Biscuits or Nirvana
Two months ago I didn’t even know there was such a thing as Cheese Biscuits, and now I’m declaring them number 3 on the list of things you have to eat when you’re in the South. They are that good.
No. They are better than good. God is good. These are the perfect marriage of bread and cheese and awesome and heaven and a little dash of something almost resembling corn bread. I don’t even like cornbread, and I would trade you my first born for a lifetime supply of these babies.
The only place I’ve seen these served is in a barbeque joint. Now you have two reasons to go.
2. Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp and Grits. It doesn't get much more southern than that.
Northerners like to giggle about Southerners eating grits. Most of them don’t even realize that there is such a thing as Shrimp and Grits, or how integral it is to the southern diet. In other words, you’ll sound very seasoned and cool when you go home and tell your friends that you had Shrimp and Grits for breakfast, lunch and dinner while you were down South.
However, before you order your first dish of Shrimp and Grits, you should know that Southerners like to go a little crazy with a plate of grits. They’ll throw damn near anything in with it. If you’re ordering at a restaurant, read the menu carefully so you know everything that’s being tossed into your meal. And don’t be afraid to ask to have something excluded.
In fact, I recommend you hold the brown gravy. Order it on the side if you want to try it out, but you’ll want to taste test your shrimp and grits concoction without the brown sauce that some places drown them in. The gravy can be a little overpowering (and nasty, if you ask me).
And now… for our finale… the number one food you have to eat when you’re in the south…
DRUMROLL PLEASE…..
1. Fried Oysters!
FRIED OYSTERS! MMMMMM!
That’s right, ladies and gentleman. As the dear, sweet waitress that works the weekend afternoon shifts at Hyman’s Seafood in Charleston will tell you, “Fried oysters is a very Southern thing. It doesn’t get much more local than that. And we just love ‘em down here. They’re mah favorite. I eat ‘em every day!”
You cannot say you have eaten southern cuisine until you’ve enjoyed an entire plate of fried oysters. And if you’d like to go crazy southern, splatter those puppies with hot sauce!
Take a big mouthful of fried oysters!
You can be confident knowing that you’ve got the recommendation of a real southern waitress and an authentic travel blogger who has experienced this unique fried food first hand! Go ahead. Dive in!
And then you can tell everyone you’ve eaten real southern food.
You’re welcome.
Pictures by Britt Reints and Becky Zigmond.
Brave display of culinary experimentation by Britt Reints.
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33 Responses
I don’t live in the real south, even though I’m way farther south than the south your were in. We have gefilte fish and conch fritters. And the occasional boiled (pronounced bald) peanut (yuck).
But I’m right there with you on the cheese biscuits. Oh. My. God.
I grew up in Florida and have never had a fried green tomato. Or shrimp ‘n grits. (I eat my grits like a Yankee though, with sugar — got that from my New Yorker dad.) I’m also not a fan of oysters.
But I can destroy some spicy bald peanuts and ribs. (Ribs must be eaten with mashed potatoes, collard greens, corn on the cob and sweet potatoes. Sadly, not a lot of places realize this.)
I grew up in TX where fried green tomatoes where a staple in the summer. Now that I live in CA i get to introduce my friends to these. I use Panko crubs and mix in a little dry ranch seasoning to the mix, it makes them SOOO much better than the traditional ones.
All great choices.
Chicken fried steak, deep-fried turkey, fried pickles and sausage gravy are also some of my favorites.
And soup beans with fat back and corn bread WITHOUT sugar in it.
Mmmmm, cheese biscuits. You can’t go wrong with bread and cheese. And I have to agree with B.E. Earl; chicken fried steak is a definite favorite.
As a born and bred Southerner, I (and my stomach) totally agree with your picks! Also, I wanted to give a shout out to one of my personal Southern faves: the hush puppy! Those little things can be seriously addictive….
I’ve heard of “Mountain Oysters” – those things are southern. Not so sure about just plain ol’ fried oysters though.
I love grits but I’ve never had them with shrimp, I’ll have to try that.
Because you are dying to have your theory confirmed and I figured you’d like a little history/agriculture lesson – yes, green tomatoes are fried because they are hard and hold their shape better. A red tomato would just turn to mush. FGT’s started because sometimes, no matter how much time you give them, they just don’t ripen. As is with most southern concoctions, these were first made out of necessity – there’s no way they could’ve just let them go to waste.
A friend of mine grew up in New Orleans and she makes cheese biscuits that are to die for. I love them so much that I would even admit to a crime I didn’t commit just to have one. I also love fried oysters and things like jambalaya, black-eyed beans. But shrimp and grits? Not sure about that one. Looks a little bit nasty. I haven’t tried fried green tomatoes but that is definitely next on my list. Hey, great article, hon!!
Well, shoot. I’m about as southern as you can get! I live one hour outside of New Orleans. I’ve NEVER heard of shrimp & grits and have never eaten fried green tomatoes. Cheese biscuits are not common here. But I do agree with one of your readers…hush puppies are to die for! You need to try those!
A real southern plate would have to have some crawfish! LOL And gumbo….and don’t forget jambalaya!
Now that’s SOUTHERN!!! Yummmmmmmm!
Tookie makes a good point but, as a Louisianian born and bred, I suppose we should stipulate that there is a big difference between Southern and Cajun. Crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya, boudin—all Cajun.
Oh, you just had to go and mention cheese biscuits, didn’t you? All week long, I’ve had folks on the restaurant blog commenting about my photo of Red Lobster’s cheese biscuits. I swear to God I’ve gained 5 pounds just looking at the pictures. Now I come over here and you not only start up the craving again … you add in cheese grits and slow-cooked, pit style BBQ ribs.
It’s enough to drive this Yankee insane with jealousy.
They look mouth watering foods . I have never tried these kinds of foods .I think they are good options . thanks for sharing us. Nice photos.
Cheese biscuits = pure awesomeness.
Bless your heart, you still haven’t had real boiled peanuts, if that picture is any indication. You had stored boiled peanuts. You can tell by the black shell on the inside.
You want fresh GREEN boiled peanuts if you want to have real southern ones. Come thru ‘Bama around October and I’ll go pull you some up out of the ground of my family farm and boil ‘em up for ya. Heehaw!
Interesting list. However, as a southern boy (both of my parents are from Mississippi), I have to say that , other than the boiled peanuts, I never ate any of that stuff growing up. I love the cheese biscuits at Red Lobster, but that’s the only place I’ve ever seen them. Barbeque ribs are great, but once again — restaurant food. And I’ve never even HEARD of shrimp and grits (although grits with salt and butter were a common breakfast food in my family).
shrimp po’ boys and hush pupppies with honey butter – need I say more? Don’t forget to wash it down with sweet tea!
check out this book: Queen of the Turtle Derby by Julia Reed for a great chapter on southern cooking!
Very Interesting to see a Northern point of view on the Southern foods. Though, I have to say that, the shrimp grits and cheese biscuits are something that I wouldn’t consider traditional Southern food. Really, the digging a hole in the ground thing, is pretty weird, we cook on pits just like everybody else. If your serious you probably have a nice wood burning pit, but most families have gas/charcoal grills. We cook BBQ all the time, and my yard isn’t full of holes.
Maybe the next time you come down South you’ll get some of the real stuff. Ask someone to make you a Chicken Fried Steak w/gravy. Now that’s Southern!
Hands down, best southern food ever… Carolina BBQ.
It’s not red, it’s vinegary and peppery and delicious.
And you can’t eat Carolina BBQ without some hushpuppies and tartar sauce…
Melt.
Southern cooking, here I come! (And you thought spring break was about the sun and sand? hahhaha)
Now I’ll be honest in saying I didn’t read the whole thing, just skimmed over it. I almost didn’t want to read it, I’m from the south and the first lines about “self respecting Northerner would know how to prepare” besides you haven’t been in the real south until you’ve eat deer meat and road kill.
Shrimp and Grits are to die for. But for those who never had em, they are more like a Carolina/Georgia thing, not a Bama/Mississippi thing. And My family is Cajun, and Cajun is not Southern, not the same thing. I can make a good roux, and put away 10lbs of crawfish in no time, but its a different world than the food mentioned above.
I was born and raised in Charleston, SC. Best place in the world. I especially love the good ol’ fashioned low country cookin’. shrimp and grits, gumbo, okra, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, collards, steamed/raw/fried oysters. man i’m gettin hungry just thinkin about it. nothin beats goin to the local high school football game and getting some boiled peanuts courtesy of tony the p-nut man.
I love cheese biscuits. I also love boiled peanuts. I have never had any of the other things. I would not eat grits if someone paid me. I am a New Yorker as well but you can not visit the south or live there and not enjoy the food. What is a vacation if you do not try the local food? Happy Eating
Cheese biscuits are good. Last time I had them was at my aunt’s. She brushes the tops with a mix of melted butter, garlic, and chopped parsley when she takes them out of the oven. This makes them 10 times better. I ate six. Yummiest bread-type thing ever.
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ive lived in south carolina my entire likfe and ive never heard of chneese buiscuits or shrimp in my grits, mabey eggs! cornbread and buttermilk, fried chicken, why arent these included? poke salad…omg.
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I’m born n raised in Alabama.. And I’ve NEVER had shrimp & grits… But all the others r definately awesome foods. Boiled peanuts are my weakness- u can get em at most country convenience stores.. but u forgot 2 things… Fried Okra & Fried Squash!! Yum yum yum yum I loooove those two- everyone needs to try fried okra.. [[home style]] which means NOT the kfc kind
@Cali …. It’s poke sallet honey, not salad. It’s actually poisonous plant that grows wild… But you gotta boil it three times n strain to get the poison out. It’s REALLY good I love it. Me and my mom used to pick poke sallet all the time off the side of the road, and blackberries. For those who don’t know.. Poke sallet is similar to spinach n collard greens but has a diff flavor
If you want TRUE southern taste. Get a pulled pork (aka barbeque) sandwich with vineger based sauce (Runny, not the thick ketchup based) and put slaw on it. On the side baked beans, fried pork skins and boiled peanuts… mouth watering and the perfect meal!