Top 15 South Carolinian Foods

Brunkow Cheese of Wisconsin, located in Darlington, has been producing cheese since 1899. They specialize in crafting artisan cheeses, including varieties such as cheddar, gouda, and their notable Brun-uusto, a baked cheese.

Brunkow Cheese collaborates with local dairy farms to source their milk.Expand

Split Creek Farm LLC is located in Anderson, South Carolina, and specializes in producing goat cheese and other dairy products. The farm operates as a Grade A goat dairy and also offers educational tours focusing on sustainable farming practices.

Their cheeses have received national awards, underscoring their commitment to quality and craft.Expand

Westbrook Brewing is an independent craft brewery founded in 2010 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and has since grown into one of the most recognizable names on the American craft beer scene. It was established by Edward and Morgan Westbrook with the goal of creating innovative and flavorful beers that push the boundaries of style while remaining drinkable and appealing to a broad audience.

Their philosophy revolves around experimenting with different hops, malts, and adjuncts, resulting in a highly diverse portfolio. They are best known for their sour and gose ales, which have earned them a strong reputation in the craft beer world, but they also produce hop-forward IPAs, Double IPAs, lagers, stouts, and special seasonal releases.

Their taproom in Mount Pleasant offers more than 20 beers on draft, along with bottles, cans, and crowlers to-go, all within a space that combines an air-conditioned indoor area with a spacious outdoor patio. Westbrook is also recognized for its collaborations with other breweries, through which they produce limited and experimental releases.

Over the years, they have earned the trust of beer enthusiasts not only in South Carolina but across the United States, thanks to wide distribution and a consistently high level of quality.Expand

South Carolina barbecue is mostly based on pork. Sometimes it's pulled from a whole hog and sometimes the meat is chopped from a shoulder or ham. The meat is traditionally cooked and smoked over hardwood such as oak or hickory. What sets apart South Carolina barbecue from North Carolina-style barbecue is the yellow Carolina Gold sauce in the Midlands, consisting of cider vinegar, yellow mustard, spices, honey, and brown sugar, while the Pee Dee region uses a fiery sauce based on vinegar and pepper.Expand

Pimento cheeseburger is a traditional version of a cheesburger originating from the South, and it's especially popular in South Carolina. It consists of soft burger buns, grilled burger patties, and pimento cheese spread. The pimento spread is made with a base of grated cheddar, mayonnaise, and pimento peppers. Once assembled, the pimento cheeseburger can be eaten as it is, although some people prefer additional toppings such as lettuce, fried onions, or tomatoes, but those are completely optional. Expand

Although the name suggests otherwise, Frogmore stew does not contain any frogs nor is it a stew. It is a classic low country South Carolina dish where the main ingredients are fresh shrimp and freshly shucked yellow corn which are simply boiled, while additional ingredients like potatoes, crabs, or even sausages can all be added to suit one’s preferences. This is a messy meal to eat, so it often comes served on paper plates, accompanied by ice-cold beer or similar beverages. It is believed that the first iteration of the dish was made by a National Guardsman called Richard Gay who used it as a way to feed a hundred hungry soldiers. The dish was named after his hometown, but once the town by the name of Frogmore was no more (it's more of a community nowadays), it started to get called Lowcountry boil.Expand

Belonging to the Brassica oleracea family, collard greens are a type of green leafy vegetable that is characterized by thick leaves with tough stems and a slightly bitter flavor that is eliminated through cooking. This vegetable has long been appreciated in the traditional cuisine of the American South, and it has been recognized as the official state vegetable of South Carolina on June 2, 2011. Even though collard greens are commonly eaten raw and can easily lend themselves to various cooking methods - steaming, frying, or sautéing - the most traditional way to enjoy them in the South is slow-cooked in water or broth along with smoky cured meats such as ham hock, bacon, ham, pork jowl, or smoked turkey wings or legs. Other common ingredients used for flavoring the greens include onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, currants, vinegar, salt, and pepper. The long braising results in tender Southern-style collard greens, without any hint of bitterness in their flavor, and drenched in an intensely-flavored broth known as pot likker. This dish has been attributed to African slaves, and it is one of the specialties that are part of the so-called soul food cuisine. Southern-style collard greens usually accompany various meat specialties, although they can also be eaten on their own, and are often served with cornbread or cornbread muffins, pepper vinegar, and sliced tomatoes. They are also traditionally enjoyed as part of the Southern New Year’s Day good-luck dinner, along with other traditional dishes such as black-eyed peas and hoppin’ John.Expand

An iconic staple food of South Carolina, boiled peanuts are a simple snack consisting of raw, semi-mature peanuts in their shells that get boiled in salty water for a long time, with the optional addition of a piquant spice mixture. Peanuts arrived in the South in the 18th century on slave ships, when they were known as ground-nuts, ground peas or goobers. Numerous theories claim that the practice of boiling peanuts began with Confederate soldiers in the time of the Civil War, when they were hungry because the food was scarce, so they dug up raw peanuts and boiled them. The first recipe was published in 1899 by Almeda Lambert. Today, boiled peanuts are so popular that they are declared as South Carolina's official snack food since 2006, consumed wet, by cracking the softened shell open and eating the peanuts along with the salty brine.Expand

Oyster roast is a traditional event originating from the Low Country, an area along the South Carolina coast. Similar to a clambake in the Northeast, the oysters are placed into a roasting kettle, covered with a burlap sack, then placed over hot coals until fully cooked. Once done, they are traditionally served on picnic tables lined with newspapers and pried open with special knives. The oyster roast has some standard accompaniments such as crackers, cocktail sauce, hot sauce, and sometimes horseradish. When hosting an oyster roast, it's recommended to have a few bottles of cold beer on hand, or gin and whiskey-based cocktails.Expand

Hobotee is a traditional dish originating from Charleston. Although there are many variations and recipes, it's usually made with a combination of chopped meat (veal, beef, or pork), onions, curry powder, almonds, lemon juice, eggs, bread soaked in milk, butter, salt, sugar, white pepper, half-and-half (equal parts whole milk and cream), and bay leaves. The onions are sautéed in butter until soft and mixed with the curry powder. The onions are then blended with the meat, almonds, bread, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and eggs. The meat mixture is placed into buttered ramekins and topped with a mixture of eggs, white pepper, and half-and-half. The tops are garnished with bay leaves and the dish is baked until golden before it's served hot as an appetizer. Hobotee is often paired with a glass of semidry sherry.Expand

Chicken bog is a traditional dish originating from South Carolina. Although there are numerous variations on the dish, its three staples include chicken, sausage, and rice. A traditional recipe from the Loris Chamber of Commerce lists the following ingredients: water, salt, onions, chicken, long-grain white rice, smoked sausage, chicken bouillon, and Italian-style seasonings. The name of the dish is believed to come from its wetness, but some claim that it might come from the bogginess of the region of its origin. In Loris, chicken bog has been prepared at the Loris Bog-Off Festival since 1979. The dish is ideal for large gatherings with family and friends.Expand

Benne wafers are traditional American cookies originating from Charleston, South Carolina. They are made with a combination of butter, sugar, flour, eggs, baking powder, and benne – the Bantu word for sesame seeds. In the past, they were a good-luck parting gift for guests at plantation parties. The cookies are crispy and light, with a nice nutty flavor. Nowadays in Charleston, benne wafers are traditionally sold as souvenirs for visitors and locals alike.Expand

Clemson Blue is an American blue cheese produced at Clemson University since the late 1950s. The cheese dates back to 1941, when it was matured in a railroad tunnel under Stumphouse Mountain. It's made from cow's milk and ages for 6 months. The texture is slightly clumpy and medium-grained, but it becomes creamy and very smooth on the palate. The flavors are piquant and tangy, well balanced with a buttermilk sweetness. It's recommended to pair it with sweet wines or fruity red wines such as Merlot.Expand