The Best Southern Food You Need to Try in the South

Shrimp and Grits — Shrimp and grits. Flickr/Tom Noe

2016-06-21T19:36:17.000Z

Most people think there's nothing more to Southern cuisine than fried chicken and barbecue.

However, lowcountry meals are so much more than that: they're unpretentious, flavorful, and will make you feel right at home. They're the reason Southern hospitality is a thing.

Although mimicked across the country, the authentic culinary experience of the South cannot be recreated, and the area reigns champion to some of America's favorite foods.

We've rounded up the top 25 things you need to try when you're down South.

Oysters Rockefeller — half-shell oysters broiled with a layer of bread crumbs, herbs, and butter — are a must-try. Get them at their birthplace: New Orleans' Antoine Restaurant.

In attempt to "hush the puppies," Southerners originally fried morsels of cornmeal and fed them to their dogs. Now, hushpuppies are a common side dish, especially to fried seafood platters.

Of course, no trip to the South is complete without some barbecue. Memphis BBQ in Atlanta, Georgia, makes the ultimate barbecue platter, which comes with smoked sausage, pork ribs, baked beans, mac and cheese, and cornbread.

New Orleans is famous for its po' boys, which are made with large Louisiana oysters. Some say the city's French baguettes are crispier than elsewhere because of the natural yeast in the air.

Catfish is a Southern delicacy, and often served blackened and covered in a generous heaping of Cajun seasoning.

Is it a main course? Is it dessert? Either way, the donut burger, a sweet and savory food mashup, is popular in the South.

Deviled eggs are a common hors d'oeuvre at Southern events. The smashed yolk is dressed up with mayo, mustard, and paprika, and stuffed back into the egg white shell.

Gumbo, a Southern Louisiana signature stew, is made with a mixture of meats and thickened with okra, a gelatinous vegetable.

Pecan trees are ubiquitous in the South, making pecan pie a prized and classic dessert there.

Fried green tomatoes are salty, crunchy, and tart.

Okra is a common dish in the South, and Paula Deen makes some of the best — served fried — at her restaurant The Lady & Sons in Savannah, Georgia.

Fried Okra — Cindy P. / Yelp http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-lady-and-sons-savannah?select=8AEvx9JBXo-_bAgzg94JIw

Chicken fried steak, which is, in fact, breaded beef, is a Southern favorite and usually topped with a hefty pour of gravy.

Biscuits are a common side dish or snack. The buttery carb goes perfectly with sweet fruit preserves or savory gravy.

The Hot Brown is a Louisville, Kentucky, icon. The open-faced turkey sandwich is decorated with slabs of bacon and covered in Mornay sauce.

Southerners like dousing their chips in blue cheese, and Atlanta's Buckhead Diner is the mastermind behind that concoction.

Bread pudding is a classic Creole dish, and made by dousing French bread in a vanilla and heavy cream bath.

A Sunday brunch favorite, fried chicken and waffles are the salty-sweet combination you can't go wrong with.

Café du Monde is a site of pilgrimage for anyone who knows a thing or two about beignets. The New Orleans institution serves the pillowy, sugar-covered squares in sets of three.

What would Southern cuisine be without crispy, fried chicken? In Nashville, Tennessee, Hattie B's raises the temperature with their "hot chicken," a local favorite.

Normally stewed in with ham hocks, garlic, and onion, collard greens are a mainstay side dish to fried chicken.

Crawfish étouffée is another down-country, Louisiana staple. Rice gets doused in a briny crawfish gravy.

Shrimp and grits is a classic food combo Southerners eat on the regular.

Known as the "Triple Coronary Bypass" The Vortex in Atlanta, Georgia, stacks up layers of bacon, hamburger patty, and cheese into one behemoth sandwich.

Jambalaya combines meats like Andouille sausage and shrimp with the "holy trinity" of Creole vegetables: bell peppers, onion, and celery.

To get the true Texas experience, visit The Salt Lick BBQ, a barbecue institution in Driftwood, Texas.

25 ridiculously tasty foods that the South does best

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

25 ridiculously tasty foods that the South does best

Oysters Rockefeller — half-shell oysters broiled with a layer of bread crumbs, herbs, and butter — are a must-try. Get them at their birthplace: New Orleans' Antoine Restaurant.

In attempt to "hush the puppies," Southerners originally fried morsels of cornmeal and fed them to their dogs. Now, hushpuppies are a common side dish, especially to fried seafood platters.

Of course, no trip to the South is complete without some barbecue. Memphis BBQ in Atlanta, Georgia, makes the ultimate barbecue platter, which comes with smoked sausage, pork ribs, baked beans, mac and cheese, and cornbread.

New Orleans is famous for its po' boys, which are made with large Louisiana oysters. Some say the city's French baguettes are crispier than elsewhere because of the natural yeast in the air.

Catfish is a Southern delicacy, and often served blackened and covered in a generous heaping of Cajun seasoning.

Is it a main course? Is it dessert? Either way, the donut burger, a sweet and savory food mashup, is popular in the South.

Deviled eggs are a common hors d'oeuvre at Southern events. The smashed yolk is dressed up with mayo, mustard, and paprika, and stuffed back into the egg white shell.

Gumbo, a Southern Louisiana signature stew, is made with a mixture of meats and thickened with okra, a gelatinous vegetable.

Pecan trees are ubiquitous in the South, making pecan pie a prized and classic dessert there.

Fried green tomatoes are salty, crunchy, and tart.

Okra is a common dish in the South, and Paula Deen makes some of the best — served fried — at her restaurant The Lady & Sons in Savannah, Georgia.

Chicken fried steak, which is, in fact, breaded beef, is a Southern favorite and usually topped with a hefty pour of gravy.

Biscuits are a common side dish or snack. The buttery carb goes perfectly with sweet fruit preserves or savory gravy.

The Hot Brown is a Louisville, Kentucky, icon. The open-faced turkey sandwich is decorated with slabs of bacon and covered in Mornay sauce.

Southerners like dousing their chips in blue cheese, and Atlanta's Buckhead Diner is the mastermind behind that concoction.

Bread pudding is a classic Creole dish, and made by dousing French bread in a vanilla and heavy cream bath.

A Sunday brunch favorite, fried chicken and waffles are the salty-sweet combination you can't go wrong with.

Café du Monde is a site of pilgrimage for anyone who knows a thing or two about beignets. The New Orleans institution serves the pillowy, sugar-covered squares in sets of three.

What would Southern cuisine be without crispy, fried chicken? In Nashville, Tennessee, Hattie B's raises the temperature with their "hot chicken," a local favorite.

Normally stewed in with ham hocks, garlic, and onion, collard greens are a mainstay side dish to fried chicken.

Crawfish étouffée is another down-country, Louisiana staple. Rice gets doused in a briny crawfish gravy.

Shrimp and grits is a classic food combo Southerners eat on the regular.

Known as the "Triple Coronary Bypass" The Vortex in Atlanta, Georgia, stacks up layers of bacon, hamburger patty, and cheese into one behemoth sandwich.

Jambalaya combines meats like Andouille sausage and shrimp with the "holy trinity" of Creole vegetables: bell peppers, onion, and celery.

To get the true Texas experience, visit The Salt Lick BBQ, a barbecue institution in Driftwood, Texas.

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

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