The South Isn’t Afraid
You can’t go anywhere in America without sinking your teeth into some kind of Southern cooking. The South has given us fried chicken, barbecue, and plenty of dishes that have comfortably crossed state lines, but some specialties are a harder sell. With so much food coming from one place, you have no idea how many questionable-sounding dishes could wind up on your plate, and we’re here to break down 20 that the rest of the country would be too scared to try!
1. Chitlins
Chitlins sound innocent enough, but they’re actually cleaned pig intestines. They’re then boiled, stewed, or fried, and they're a huge part of Southern food traditions. The smell can be enough for some inexperienced chefs, but plenty of devoted fans will tell you the product is worth it! Convincing a first-timer to take that first bite is a struggle, though.
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2. Livermush
Western North Carolina's livermush combines pig liver, pork parts, cornmeal, and seasonings into a loaf that's commonly sliced and fried. If that didn’t bump you enough, it’s also commonly served for breakfast! Locals happily put it beside eggs, while outsiders usually stare in awe.
3. Pickled Pig's Feet
Pickled pig's feet are exactly what they sound like: pork feet cured in a brine with seasonings. You’re then left with something tangy and distinctly chewy. There's no clever wording to hide what you're getting, so if unfamiliar cuts of meat make you nervous, this favorite probably won't be the one that changes your mind.
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4. Hog Head Cheese
Despite its name, Louisiana hog head cheese isn't dairy. It’s actually a chilled preparation made from meat taken from the pig's head and other parts after butchering. It makes sense; wasting meat wasn't an option in the South, and you’ll learn that with this dish.
5. Slugburgers
Don’t worry—this Northern Mississippi plate doesn’t have real slugs! It does, however, traditionally stretch ground meat with bread or cornmeal before the patty gets fried. Corinth restaurants typically serve them on buns with mustard and onions, and they’re a big enough deal down there that the town has even celebrated them with a festival.
Southern Foodways Alliance on Wikimedia
6. Chicken Bog
Chicken bog is a South Carolina rice dish in which chicken, sausage, and spices get cooked until everything becomes rich. Its biggest fans are in the Carolinas, so if you ever head there, expect something akin to a soft rice pilaf. Don’t question the texture, either; that's the quality generations of fans appreciate!
7. Burgoo
Kentucky's burgoo has a funky name, but all it is is a thick stew served at large gatherings. Multiple meats and vegetables spend hours cooking together, and older versions really earned their rep for using whatever was locally available. That hasn’t helped it stay predictable to newcomers, but today's bowls are much less mysterious.
8. Lumbee Collard Sandwich
Around Pembroke, North Carolina, Lumbee traditions include collard sandwiches. The tradition runs deep, too; it’s a specialty served during the Lumbee Homecoming! The idea is that rather than treating collards as a side dish (or simply stuffing them in bread), you cook collard greens with pieces of fried cornbread, sometimes along with fatback for extra richness.
9. Calas
Calas are traditional New Orleans rice fritters, and their roots stretch back through the city's African American street-food culture! Believe it or not, vendors were selling them there by the nineteenth century, so it’s hard to knock it. It’s a famous plate of leftover cooked rice worked into batter and fried.
10. Yaka Mein
Speaking of New Orleans, yaka mein is another huge deal over there, and it combines noodles or spaghetti, seasoned beef broth, chopped meat, onions, and a humble hard-boiled egg. It's often nicknamed "Old Sober," and it’s worth chowing down at least once! We know that an egg floating in spaghetti might seem weird, but New Orleans has never let us down before.
11. Tomato Aspic
Long story short, tomato aspic turns seasoned tomato juice into a chilled gelatin mold. You can even go hog wild by sometimes adding celery, olives, or other veggies. Don’t roll your eyes—savory gelatin had way more social confidence back in the day, and it still holds up on plates nowadays!
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12. Southern Pear Salad
This traditional salad can be made a few ways, but it mostly consists of a canned pear half topped with mayonnaise and shredded Cheddar. Oh, and it’s usually left atop lettuce with a maraschino cherry for good measure. Call it crazy, but sweet fruit, sharp cheese, and mayonnaise actually work weirdly well together.
13. Chicken Mull
Georgia's chicken mull is a pale stew made with just about anything you’d find in your kitchen: chicken, broth, milk, butter, seasonings, and cracker crumbs. There's nothing especially offensive about the flavor, either, so there’s no harm in trying it!
A Healthier Michigan from Detroit, United States on Wikimedia
14. Squirrel Pot Pie
We hate to break it to you, but squirrel once appeared regularly in American cooking, particularly in the South, where the meat could be creatively stretched into stews and pot pies. Okay, you won’t see them in grocery stores now, but hunters and traditional cooks may see perfectly usable game meat, so don’t be too surprised if it winds up on your plate.
15. Poke Sallet
Poke sallet is an Appalachian preparation made from young pokeweed leaves. It’s not your everyday plant; it requires serious prep because it can actually be toxic when handled poorly. That alone is enough to remove the dish from some bucket lists, but generations of experienced cooks have maintained the tradition.
16. Koolickles
In the Mississippi Delta, Koolickles are really just dill pickles soaked with Kool-Aid and sugar. You do that until the cucumbers absorb both the sweetness and the color, which admittedly can make them look a bit odd. That said, the combo creates a snack that's simultaneously sour, salty, and sweet.
17. Chocolate Gravy and Biscuits
This is your grandmother’s gravy and biscuits! Chocolate gravy is a breakfast specialty where cocoa, sugar, flour, and butter are whipped up into a sauce and poured over fresh biscuits. The best thing about this one is how versatile it is, and families often make their own versions ranging from thin and silky to surprisingly thick.
18. Cornbread in Buttermilk
For this old-fashioned Southern snack, all you need to do is crumble leftover cornbread directly into a glass of buttermilk. You then eat it with a spoon! The cornbread softens almost immediately, while the buttermilk gives it a distinct flavor, and for many Southerners, it’s less of a “dish” and more of a comfort food.
19. Alligator Sauce Piquante
Oh, yes—you read that correctly. Louisiana's alligator sauce piquante cooks alligator meat in a heavily seasoned tomato-based sauce. It might knock your socks off to hear, but in Louisiana, alligator is a legitimate local ingredient, and their danger isn't going to stop anyone from making another pot.
20. Boiled Peanuts
Forget ice cream trucks. Across Georgia and the Carolinas, roadside stands sell raw (or green) peanuts that have been simmered in salty water until the whole thing is softened. You won’t get the crisp crunch of a roasted peanut, but you’ll be able to peel shells without concern and enjoy a quick snack.
