Writing about food across the South is an assignment as vast as the Chesapeake and as slippery as a congealed salad. It is daunting to say the least. So our trusty band of writers decided to explore the region as you might, packing only healthy appetites and curiosity.

We ate heartily (and happily) of black beans, cornbread, Vietnamese fajitas, grits, and crab cakes. We loosened our belts after an Appalachian feast and gave thanks for the perfection of Key lime pie. We savored tamales with an Italian flair and learned that catfish is The Delta's new cash crop. Best of all, we returned with new appreciation of the foods that make our cuisine the most heralded in the country, if not the world. We hope we'll inspire you to put a "Gone Fishing" sign on the door and hit the road.

This article is from the Favorites 2005 issue of Southern Living.