Foods That Taste Better in the South

Have you ever searched high and low for a good recipe online and you came across one that says “Southern Style”? That’s because everyone loves food from the South, it just tastes better. I’m not saying all Southern food is better than Northern food but there are some Southern foods that just are.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some up North foods that they don’t get quite right in the South but that’s not what we’re here for. We can argue about it or I could tell you exactly what foods taste better in the South. I think I’ll go with the latter.

Stay with me until the end of the article and I can guarantee you’ll be shaking your head in agreement if you’ve ever had some good ole’ Southern food.

• Cornbread

You know I didn’t come to play when I put cornbread first. Cornbread is a family favorite here in the South. I’ve had cornbread from up North and let me tell you, cornbread definitely tastes better in the South.

Cornbread can come in all forms. There’s regular cornbread made with cornmeal. Then there’s Jiffy Cornbread which is so soft and sweet. It puts you in the mind of a slightly sweet cake. We now have Honey Jiffy which is even sweeter than the regular Jiffy. Last but certainly not least, there is what we like to call Mexican cornbread and it features cheese, corn and ground beef.

If you’ve never had any of these Souther Style cornbreads, you better get you some!

• Rotel Dip

I know what you’re thinking, “it’s just dip, how hard can it be?” The thing here is that Rotel dip is not hard to make at all but it is one of those dishes where you can tailor it and make it your own.

Originally, Rotel dip was always just ground beef, Velveeta Cheese, and of course Rotel in a can. Today, however, people have gotten very creative with this dip. Now, you may find Rotel dip that is made with shrimp, chicken, Queso cheese, and even ground sausage or turkey.

I remember visiting family up North over a decade ago and they had no clue what Rotel was. It wasn’t even sold in their stores. So it’s only right that the South is killing it when it comes to making Rotel dip.

• Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits are amazing when cooked the right way. Half cooking your grits or making them too thick or too runny can ruin the entire dish. Whipping together shrimp is not hard but those grits have to be on point. Okay!

I remember when my grandma use to make grits. They were the best. She made real grits, not those instant grits. But hey, if you want to use instant grits to make shrimp and grits go right ahead.

Shrimp and Grits are believed to have originated in South Carolina where they were called breakfast shrimp. No wonder it’s a Southern favorite!

• Fried Chicken

Anyone who has tried to fry chicken knows it is not easy. You can cook it too fast and burn the outside while the inside is half done. Chicken has to be fried with the right amount of heat for however long it takes it to get done.

There are no clear instructions on how long to fry chicken. Those grandmas in the South can fry chicken with one hand tied behind their back and their eyes covered. They are just that good. I’ll never forget that fried chicken my grandma used to cook when I was a little girl. I thought it was the best tasting and best-seasoned chicken in the world.

Everybody can’t fry chicken. Fried chicken is definitely a win for the South!

• Peach Cobbler

Southern-style peach cobbler is nothing to play with! Peach cobbler is not peach cobbler unless it was made in the South or by someone from the South. There are recipes all over the internet but none of them hit home like grandma’s southern-style peach cobbler.

I absolutely adore peach cobbler! That is why it breaks my heart whenever someone attempts to make it and falls short. I’ve been guilty of this myself a time or two but I got it in the bag now.

My favorite part of the peach cobbler is not so much the peaches but the soft, flaky crust covered in peach juice. Here in the south, when we order peach cobbler we’ll let them know we need mostly crust. Why? Because that’s the best part.

This is why you have to know what you’re doing when making peach cobbler crust. One mistake and your peach cobbler won’t be peach cobbler at all. It’ll be a peach mess, just saying!

• Banana Pudding

Southern-style banana pudding is where it’s at! My granny makes the best banana pudding I have ever tasted, no lie. Her pudding is so good people will literally lick the pans once it’s all gone. I’ve actually witnessed a close friend do this!

A lot of people buy instant banana pudding and throw some vanilla wafers in it, mix it up and call it banana pudding. Banana pudding is so much more than just cookies and pudding. You need cooked pudding because it tastes better and what’s more, it is easier to spread across your layers of vanilla wafer cookies.

You can top it all off with whipped cream if you like but this is totally optional. And even though it’s banana pudding, we don’t always put real bananas in our pudding because they often turn too fast.

Southern-style banana pudding is the best, hands down!

• Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of those desserts that people make in all kinds of ways. If you do an internet search for a cheesecake recipe you are going to come across all kinds of recipes.

Here in the South, we make our cheesecake with sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, cream cheese, and vanilla extract. We put it in a crust and let it chill. Then we add a fruit filling on top or leave it plain.

The cheesecake recipe we use was passed down to me by my mom and she got it from her mom, my grandma. I love this recipe so much! It is delicious!

Truth is, you haven’t had cheesecake until you’ve had it southern style!

Final Takeaway

Am I saying that everything tastes better in the South? Nope, not at all. What I am saying is that the South is known for its delicious cuisines and that’s for a very good reason. There are some great cooks in the South dating all the way back to our grandparents and their grandparents even.

Cornbread, Rotel dip, shrimp and grits, fried chicken, peach cobbler, banana pudding, cheesecake, oh my! It all tastes better in the South! Now, go get you some.

I am going to do part two of this article and discuss the foods that taste better in the North. With that being said, no one does it quite like the South!