Unearth The Voyage
Southern cooking is famous for fried chicken and biscuits, but there’s a whole world of regional dishes hiding in plain sight. Many Americans have never heard of these traditional foods, even though they’ve been passed down through generations in kitchens from the Carolinas to Louisiana. Get ready to discover twenty incredible Southern dishes that deserve a spot on your table.
1. Charleston Red Rice
Imagine fluffy white rice simmered slowly in crushed tomatoes, bacon drippings, and a colorful mix of celery, bell peppers, and onions. That’s Charleston Red Rice, a signature dish from the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina known as the Lowcountry.
When you taste it, you’ll notice flavors that remind you of West African jollof rice—and that’s no accident. This dish carries the heritage of the Gullah people, whose ancestors brought rice-cooking traditions from West Africa centuries ago.
Families in the Lowcountry serve this at Sunday dinners and community gatherings. It’s comfort food with deep roots and a story worth knowing.
2. Yaka Mein
Walk into the right New Orleans diner and you might find a bowl of yaka mein waiting—beef brisket stewed until tender, wheat noodles (sometimes just spaghetti), a halved hard-boiled egg, and bright green onions floating in savory broth.
Locals call it “Old Sober” because it’s rumored to cure hangovers after a long night on Bourbon Street. The Creole spices give it a kick that wakes you right up.
Despite its fame in New Orleans, hardly anyone outside Louisiana has heard of it. That makes it one of the South’s best-kept culinary secrets, beloved by those in the know.
3. Spoonbread
Is it bread? Is it pudding? Spoonbread exists somewhere in between—a soft, custardy dish made from cornmeal, milk, eggs, and butter, baked until it holds together like a soufflé.
Native American cooking techniques, European baking methods, and African American culinary traditions all come together in this humble side dish. You scoop it with a spoon (hence the name) and serve it warm alongside roasted meats or greens.
Its texture surprises first-timers: creamy, delicate, and slightly sweet. Once you try it, you’ll understand why Southern cooks have treasured this recipe for generations.
4. Livermush
North Carolina has a breakfast specialty that sounds unusual but tastes surprisingly good: livermush. Pork liver gets mixed with cornmeal and spices, pressed into a loaf, then sliced and fried until the edges turn crispy.
The result is savory, rich, and hearty—perfect alongside scrambled eggs and toast. It’s similar to scrapple from Pennsylvania but has its own distinct flavor and texture.
Many Americans outside North Carolina have never encountered it, which is a shame. This dish represents the resourceful spirit of Southern cooking, where nothing goes to waste and everything becomes delicious.
5. Lane Cake
Harper Lee mentioned this cake in To Kill a Mockingbird, and for good reason—Lane Cake is one of the South’s most decadent desserts. Layers of tender white cake get sandwiched with a boozy custard made from egg yolks, butter, sugar, raisins, pecans, and bourbon or brandy.
The filling is so rich it almost tastes like candy. Traditional recipes call for generous amounts of liquor, giving the cake a grown-up flavor that makes it perfect for holidays and special occasions.
If you love history and dessert in equal measure, this cake delivers both beautifully.
6. Tomato Pie (Southern Style)
Summer in the South means gardens overflowing with tomatoes, and cooks needed creative ways to use them all. Enter tomato pie: thick slices of ripe (or sometimes green) tomatoes layered in a buttery crust with mayonnaise and cheese, then baked until bubbly.
Yes, mayonnaise—it keeps the filling moist and adds a tangy creaminess that balances the tomatoes’ acidity. Some versions use white sauce instead, but mayo is traditional.
This isn’t the sweet fruit pie you might expect. It’s savory, satisfying, and utterly Southern, perfect for potlucks and Sunday suppers.
7. Shucky Beans (Leather Britches)
Before refrigeration, Appalachian families preserved green beans by stringing them up to dry, creating wrinkled pods they called “leather britches” or “shucky beans.” Come winter, those dried beans got simmered for hours with fatback until tender and flavorful.
The texture is different from fresh beans—softer, almost meaty—and the flavor is concentrated and earthy. It’s mountain cooking at its most resourceful and honest.
Few Americans outside Appalachia know about this tradition anymore. But it’s a delicious reminder of how people made do with what they had and created something wonderful.
8. Boiled Peanuts
If you’ve never had boiled peanuts, you’re missing out on one of the South’s most beloved snacks. Raw peanuts get boiled in salty water for hours until they turn soft and bean-like, completely different from the crunchy roasted peanuts most Americans know.
Roadside stands in Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas sell them by the bag, still warm and dripping with brine. You crack open the shell, slurp out the salty peanuts, and toss the shell aside.
They’re addictive once you develop a taste for them. Southerners grow up eating them at ballgames and festivals.
9. Okra Cornmeal Cakes
Okra gets a bad reputation for being slimy, but coat it in cornmeal and fry it into little cakes, and suddenly everyone becomes a fan. Sliced okra mixed with cornmeal batter, then fried until crispy and golden—that’s okra cornmeal cakes.
The cornmeal adds crunch and a slightly sweet corn flavor that complements the okra perfectly. These cakes make a fantastic side dish for fried fish or barbecue.
Many non-Southerners have never encountered this preparation. It’s a shame because it’s one of the tastiest ways to enjoy okra, even if you think you don’t like it.
10. Pineapple Sandwich
Yes, really—white bread, mayonnaise, and pineapple slices. That’s it. The pineapple sandwich sounds strange to outsiders, but Southerners have been making them for generations, especially at tea parties and ladies’ luncheons.
Some versions add a slice of cheese or ham, but the classic keeps it simple. The sweet pineapple and creamy mayo create a surprisingly pleasant contrast.
It’s one of those “weird but cherished” Southern foods that makes people either curious or skeptical. Try it once with an open mind—you might just become a believer.
11. Hoppin’ John
New Year’s Day in the South means eating Hoppin’ John for good luck. This hearty dish combines black-eyed peas, rice, and pork (usually bacon or ham hock) into a savory, satisfying meal.
The black-eyed peas symbolize coins, and the collard greens served alongside represent dollar bills—eating them is supposed to bring prosperity in the coming year. It’s tradition and superstition mixed with good eating.
Even if you’re not superstitious, Hoppin’ John tastes wonderful any time of year. It’s comfort food with history baked right in.
12. Okra Fritters
Similar to okra cakes but shaped into little fritters, these crispy bites combine sliced okra with a cornmeal batter and get fried until crunchy and irresistible. Each fritter is packed with okra flavor and has a satisfying crunch.
They’re perfect as a side dish or an appetizer, especially with a tangy dipping sauce. The frying eliminates any sliminess, leaving only the okra’s mild, earthy taste.
Okra fritters are a lesser-known Southern side that deserves more attention. They’re proof that okra can be absolutely delicious when prepared right.
13. Green Tomato Pie
While savory tomato pie uses ripe red tomatoes, green tomato pie takes the opposite approach: unripe green tomatoes get sliced, tossed with sugar and butter, and baked into a sweet-tart pie that tastes surprisingly like apple pie.
The green tomatoes have a firm texture and tangy flavor that works beautifully with sugar and spices. It’s an ingenious way to use tomatoes that didn’t ripen before the first frost.
This pie is unusual even by Southern standards. But it’s delicious, creative, and a testament to Southern resourcefulness in the kitchen.
14. Tomato Sandwich
At the height of summer, when tomatoes are perfectly ripe and bursting with flavor, Southerners make the simplest sandwich imaginable: thick tomato slices, a generous smear of mayonnaise, and soft white bread. That’s it.
The key is using tomatoes picked at their peak—sweet, juicy, and still warm from the garden. The mayonnaise adds richness, and the white bread soaks up all the tomato juices.
It’s not fancy, but it captures summer in every bite. Many people outside the South don’t understand the appeal until they try one made with a truly great tomato.
15. Pear Salad
Pear salad looks strange to outsiders: a canned pear half sitting on lettuce, topped with mayonnaise, shredded cheddar cheese, and a maraschino cherry. But at Southern cookouts and church potlucks, it’s a classic.
The combination of sweet pear, tangy mayo, and sharp cheese creates an oddly satisfying flavor. It’s retro, quirky, and totally Southern.
Many people balk at the idea until they taste it. Then they understand why generations of Southerners have kept this tradition alive at family gatherings and community meals.
16. Country Ham with Red-Eye Gravy
Country ham is salty, cured, and intensely flavorful, but what really makes it special is red-eye gravy. After frying the ham, cooks pour strong black coffee into the skillet, scraping up all the browned bits to create a thin, dark gravy.
The gravy tastes salty, slightly bitter, and utterly unique. You pour it over grits or biscuits, and the combination wakes up your taste buds like nothing else.
Red-eye gravy remains mostly confined to Southern kitchens. It’s an acquired taste, but once you acquire it, nothing else quite compares.
17. Fried Green Tomatoes
Thanks to the movie, fried green tomatoes have become more widely known, but many Americans still haven’t tasted them. Unripe green tomatoes get sliced, coated in cornmeal, and fried until crispy and tangy.
The green tomatoes have a firm texture and tart flavor that holds up beautifully to frying. They’re usually served with a creamy remoulade or ranch dressing for dipping.
They’re a Southern staple that turns an unripe vegetable into something absolutely delicious. Once you try them, you’ll understand why Southerners have been making them for generations.
18. Buttermilk Pie
Buttermilk pie is the South’s answer to chess pie—a simple custard pie made with buttermilk, eggs, sugar, and butter, baked until it sets into a creamy, tangy filling. A little nutmeg or vanilla adds warmth.
The buttermilk gives it a subtle tang that keeps the pie from being too sweet. It’s smooth, comforting, and perfect with a cup of coffee.
Many Americans have never heard of buttermilk pie, even though it’s been a Southern favorite for generations. It’s proof that simple ingredients can create something truly special.
19. Comeback Sauce
Comeback sauce isn’t a dish, but it’s so essential to Southern eating that it deserves mention. This tangy, creamy sauce combines mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and spices into a versatile condiment.
Southerners drizzle it over fried fish, dip fried pickles in it, and use it as salad dressing. It’s called “comeback” because once you try it, you keep coming back for more.
Outside the South, hardly anyone knows about it. But in Mississippi and neighboring states, it’s on every table and in every kitchen, beloved for its bold flavor.
20. Persimmon Pudding
When wild persimmons ripen in the fall, Southern cooks transform them into persimmon pudding—a dense, moist, spiced dessert that’s somewhere between a cake and a pudding. The persimmons give it a unique, sweet flavor with hints of honey and spice.
You have to wait until after the first frost to pick persimmons, or they’ll be too astringent to eat. That patience makes the pudding even more special.
Persimmon pudding is a seasonal treat that many Americans have never experienced. It’s a taste of autumn in the South, warm and comforting.
