The Most Iconic Dishes From Each Southern State That You Need To Try
From regional classics to historic desserts.
In the South, we can all agree that buttermilk biscuits should be fluffy, pimiento cheese hand-grated, and iced tea extra sweet. Those, you see, are a few of the non-negotiables of our cuisine. And even though we all unite under these dishes, we still allow certain regions to have their "thing." We know to ask an Appalachian about soup beans, but a Kentuckian about burgoo. Our Nashville neighbors have mastered hot chicken, but we'd never expect them to understand Alabama-style white barbecue sauce.
From the Cajun dishes you'll see in Louisiana to the Lowcountry fare you'll find in South Carolina, every state likes to put their own spin on Southern cooking. From the Blue Ridge to the Smokies, from Virginia Beach to 30A, the South is home to a diverse geographic and culinary landscape. Read on for the most famous foods from every Southern state—some just may surprise you.
Alabama: Barbecue Chicken with White Sauce
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Bob Gibson of Decatur, Alabama is credited with creating this mayonnaise-based sauce all the way back in 1925. Most folks like to serve Alabama white sauce with smoked or grilled chicken, but this Southern condiment goes with just about anything, in our opinion.
Alabama Dessert: Lane Cake
Hector Sanchez
More than 100 years ago, Emma Rylander Lane of Clayton, Alabama entered the annual baking competition at a county fair, and overwhelmingly won. The cake came to be known as The Lane Cake, and gained literary fame in 1960 when it was featured in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.
Arkansas: Fried Pickles
Because in this state, you'll find Fatman's Original Fried Dill Pickles. These fried pickles are the first of their kind.
Arkansas Dessert: Chocolate Gravy
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Also known as sopping chocolate, chocolate gravy is a classic sweet treat—whether served as breakfast, snack, or dessert—in the South, particularly in the regions of the Ozark and Appalachian Mountains. It's characteristically served with biscuits and makes for the perfect way to spruce up leftover biscuits for dessert.
Delaware: Cream Chipped Beef on Toast
A creamy, gravy-like white sauce rehydrates dried beef, and the dish is served over plain white toast. You'll still see this recipe as a breakfast item on many diner menus, but it originally started as a U.S. Military staple.
Delaware Dessert: Peach Pie
Delaware actually designated peach pie as the official state dessert over a decade ago. Not only does the fruit pie remain popular during peach season, but the state was once historically known as one of the largest producers of peaches. Though that title doesn't necessarily still apply, the taste for sweet, juicy peach pie is still thriving!
Florida: Cuban Sandwich
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
The Cuban sandwich became a South Florida mainstay after being popular in the communities of Cuban workers located in Key West and Tampa during the 1800s.
Florida Dessert: Key Lime Pie
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Named after the small Key limes you'll find throughout the Florida Keys, Key lime pie can only be considered real-deal when using specifically Key lime juice and not basic lime juice. Some Florida historians believe the pie was invented in the Florida Keys in the late 1800s.
Georgia Dessert: Peach Cobbler
Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
Georgia isn't known as the Peach State for nothing, seeing as it is consistently in the top three spot for most peaches produced nationwide. With our perfectly simple recipe, all you'll need is a short list of household ingredients—and fresh peaches of course.
Kentucky: Burgoo
The old saying puts it best: "If it walked, crawled, or flew, it goes in burgoo." Meet Brunswick stew's Kentucky cousin, the burgoo. It first became popular when chef Gustave Jaubert, employed by Frankfort's Buffalo Trace Distillery, made it in the late 1800s. Along with a variety of fresh vegetables, burgoos usually include a mixture of mutton, beef, pork, or poultry.
Kentucky Dessert: Apple-Bourbon Pie
This reader recipe, by Eugenia W. Bell of Lexington, Kentucky, was published in our November 1995 issue, and it's perfectly indicative of Kentucky's flavor profile, between crisp apples and Kentucky-made bourbon.
Louisiana: Gumbo
Dotdash Meredith
Few things are as integral to Creole and Cajun cooking as gumbo, which is one of those dishes that real Louisiana cooks can conjure with heart and whatever's on hand. Most will tell you that the roux is the most important aspect—and they're correct.
Louisiana Dessert: King Cake
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
King Cake is a frosted seasonal treat that Mardi Gras partygoers eat between January 6, otherwise known as King's Day or Twelfth Night, and Fat Tuesday. Typically, king cake is made of a rich, brioche dough and a wide array of fillings, such as cinnamon, chocolate, and cream cheese.
Maryland Dessert: Smith Island Cake
This officially designated state dessert consists of at least seven layers of yellow or white cake with cooked fudge icing spread in between. The Smith Island cake is said to have originated on an island by the same namesake along the Chesapeake Bay, and it's remained a popular Maryland delicacy since.
Mississippi: Fried Catfish
Frying up fresh catfish is something Mississipians do when feeling frisky—or just whenever. To do it right, serve it on a plate with pickled vegetables, cornbread, and greens. Additionally, coating the catfish in cornmeal is more traditional than other ingredients, lending a super crispy finish.
Mississippi Dessert: Mississippi Mud Pie
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
This chocolate-heavy pie originated in Mississippi, and its name comes from the fact that out of the oven, the first layer looks like the muddy banks of the Mississippi River. An Oreo cookie crust is a necessity, followed by more fluffy and indulgent layers.
Missouri: Kansas City-Style Barbecue
This state hosts its fill of tangy and sweet sauce-glazed ribs and thin-sliced brisket. Tip: Be sure to get "burnt ends" and a side of BBQ beans.
Missouri Dessert: Gooey Butter Cake
The origins of this cake are rumored to have been a total accident. It all started in the 1930s when a St. Louis, Missouri, baker botched the proportions of butter while baking a coffee cake. The best gooey butter cakes have the most delicate layer of crispiness on the top with an utterly decadent center.
North Carolina Dessert: Sweet Potato Pie
Rob Culpepper; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Assistant Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
As the top supplier of sweet potatoes, North Carolina is known for its love of sweet potato desserts, namely sweet potato pie and sweet potato sonker. With a tender, custard center and warmly spiced flavors, sweet potato pie is a particular holiday favorite.
Oklahoma: Cowboy Steak
Just ask Ree Drummond—who happens to live on a bonafide cattle ranch in Oklahoma. This state is the place to get a steak. Whether at a restaurant or by the campfire, a cast-iron "cowboy" steak is the way to go.
Oklahoma Dessert: Fried Pies
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Karen Ranking; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Nestled south of the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma, the tradition of fried pies was born with the emergence of the famous Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies. The fillings might vary, but fried pies are characteristically hand-held and perfectly crisp.
South Carolina: Shrimp and Grits
This simple entrée has Lowcountry origins, with the earliest makers stirring fresh catch into the day's first bubbling pot of grits. Consider us indebted. Melted Parmesan and cheddar, the Lowcountry bounty of briny shrimp, and creamy grits are a dreamy combination.
South Carolina Dessert: Coconut Cake
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Even though Charleston's Peninsula Grill wasn't the first to serve coconut cake, it certainly serves the ultimate and famous one. How ultimate, you might wonder? Try 12 layers of moist, buttery cake held together with fluffy coconut filling.
Tennessee: Nashville Hot Chicken
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
It all started in Nashville in the 1930s with Thornton J. Prince III cheated on his lover. In response, she decided to teach him a lesson by making an incendiary version of fried chicken that she hoped would burn up his mouth. He took one bite and loved it. The rest is a fiery-mouthed history. The orangish red, crispy, incredibly juicy chicken is traditionally served on top of white bread and garnished with dill pickle slices.
Tennessee Dessert: Apple Stack Cake
Photo: Victor Protasi; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox
According to Appalachian folklore, whenever there was a wedding in the community, women would bake single layers of this regional dessert that has been historically popular in parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and other Appalachian areas—and then bring them to the reception. There, they would stack the collected layers with a filling made from dried apples to make one tall cake big enough to feed a wedding party.
Texas: Chicken-Fried Steak
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Oklahoma and Texas both lay claim to this comforting, gravy-laden dish, and it goes back to German immigrants who settled in the region over 100 years ago. Similar to fried chicken, these steaks are breaded and deep-fried for a tender cut of beef surrounded by a thick, crispy coating.
Texas Dessert: Texas Sheet Cake
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Texas claimed this sheet cake recipe as its own in the mid-20th century, perhaps because of the pecans, an ingredient that grows in abundance throughout the Lone Star State. The defining elements are its shape and icing, which has to be heated and poured on the warm, just-out-of-the-oven cake. The result is a rich, chocolaty treat that's iconic in Texas.
Virginia: Ham-and-Bean Soup
Virginia is known for its salty cured hams, and a bowl of this soup will tell you why. A variation of this hearty ham-and-bean soup has been on the menu in the Senate's restaurant every day since at least 1903.
Virginia Dessert: Chess Pie
Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly
Many say that this dessert evolved into the Southern classic we know today from the cheese pies and custard pies that the English and early American colonists brought over when settling in New England and Virginia specifically. Classic chess pie pairs a traditional butter pie crust with a sweet, custardy filling made with sugar, butter, and eggs.
West Virginia: Soup Beans
Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
This is how you know someone is an Appalachian: Ask about soup beans. Because it's no soup, and if they think so you've found a phony. Soup beans are pinto beans that have been simmered with water, salt, pepper, and—if desired—ham. In those parts of the South, it's given that soup beans are served with cornbread and chow chow.
West Virginia Dessert: Shoofly Pie
Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
While this "Desperation Pie" is thought to have originally been invented by the Pennsylvania Dutch, the main ingredient in shoofly pie is molasses, a popular ingredient throughout West Virginia. It has long been a popular dessert in West Virginia, and it entails a homemade pie crust filled with a gooey molasses base and topped with buttery shortbread crumbles.
For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Southern Living.
Solve the daily Crossword
