Exploring Different Cultural and Regional Dishes: American Southern

To add spice and variety to the dinner table, you may want to explore different cultural dishes that are specific to a certain part of the United States. In the Deep South, states like Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Georgia prepare an array of delicious dishes ranging from Southern Fried Chicken to Boiled Peanuts to Swamp Cabbage. When they settle down for a meal, a heaping serving of sweet tea usually accompanies a plateful of heavily spiced food with lots of flavor.

Below are a few suggestions to get you in the right direction when you wish to explore recipes of the Deep South:


Fried Catfish:

This dish is heavily associated with the Deep South, as it came a long way from being referred to as the "food of the poor." Today, small-town and large-scale eateries showcase fried catfish on their menus, which is coated in a batter and fried. A typical fried catfish meal is usually served with hushpuppies and coleslaw. Pan-fried catfish is often prepared using a batter made of cold milk, yellow cornmeal, salt, ground black pepper, and red cayenne pepper.

Hushpuppies:

The dumplings that often accompany fried chicken and catfish are deeply fried and are a favorite throughout the South. To prepare hushpuppies for your Deep South dinner, you will need to gather vegetable oil, yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, eggs, milk, and water.


Collard Greens:

The history of collard greens dates back to prehistoric times, making it the oldest member of the cabbage family. Ancient Greeks were known to grow collards and kale side-by-side with the ancient Romans utilizing the vegetable in their meals as well. Today, collard greens are grown year-round and are best when purchased between January and April. In the Deep South, the Southern style of preparing collards came when African slaves became part of the southern colonies. A common approach was to cook the greens with ham hocks, salt, and add a variety of toppings, such as gravy.


Hoppin' John:

Most states in the South (especially in the Carolinas) serve Hoppin' John, which consists of black-eyed peas. The original dish was a product of African slaves, who worked the rice plantations and created the bean dish including highly spiced sausages, ham hocks, rice, tomato sauce, and fat pork. Typical ingredients of Hoppin' John include dried black-eyed peas; cold water; lean slab bacon or meaty ham hocks; chopped onions; crushed red pepper flakes; chicken broth; uncooked long-grain white rice; salt; and black pepper.

Chess Pie:

As a Southern specialty, you will find that it is quite simple to duplicate the sweet taste of this popular dessert in the Deep South. A typical chess pie consists of eggs, sugar, butter, and a small amount of flour. There are also many variations, as some use cornmeal, while others rely on vinegar as an ingredient. The basic recipe is also elaborated upon with the addition of flavorings, such as vanilla, lemon juice, or chocolate.