A FOOD TRADITION
Southern cuisine
Southern cuisine encompasses the foodways of the American Southeast outside the more specifically Louisiana-focused Creole and Cajun traditions. It draws on Indigenous, West African, European, and Caribbean influences, with staples such as cornmeal, rice, beans, greens, pork, chicken, and seafood. Characteristic techniques include smoking, braising, frying, pickling, preserving, and slow simmering. The tradition varies substantially between inland, upland, and coastal areas. Representative examples include fried chicken, biscuits with sawmill gravy, and collard greens with pork. African American soul food and Lowcountry or Gullah Geechee cooking are related but have distinct cultural histories and deserve separate consideration.
Dishes linked to this cuisine
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Southern banana pudding
A layered Southern comfort dessert of banana slices, vanilla custard, wafers and cream.
Southern buttermilk biscuits
Fluffy, layered quick breads served hot with butter, jam, honey or sorghum.
Southern fried chicken
Seasoned chicken coated in flour or batter and fried until crisp outside while remaining juicy within.
Southern pecan pie
A sweet Southern pie with pecans set in a rich egg-and-syrup filling inside a wheat pastry crust.
Southern shrimp and grits
Wild coastal shrimp served over creamy cooked maize grits, a celebrated Southern pairing.
Southern skillet cornbread
A crisp-edged, crumbly maize bread baked in a hot skillet as a Southern table staple.
Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.