Only Southerners Will Understand These "Strange" Food Combinations

By Hannah Hayes
July 21, 2017
Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Boston has its Fluffernutter sandwiches (peanut butter and marshmallow fluff) and Minnesota its lingonberries and meatballs. While counterintuitive food combinations are not unique to one region, it’s safe to say that this list of unique Southern food pairings is an illustration of our eccentricity and resourcefulness, our curiosity and our ingenuity.
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Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy

Southern Living

While the debate over the origin of chocolate gravy still rages on, there is no arguing that this sweet roux poured over biscuits in the morning trounces any French toast.

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Peanut Butter and Mayo

Reddit.com

Cobbled together during the Depression, peanut butter and mayo was a recommended combination not only for its affordability but because mayo made rougher peanut butter more spreadable. Appalachian Chef Travis Milton is known to wear a t-shirt advertising the sandwich’s nostalgia factor.

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Kool-Aid and Pickles

Instagram @fancynavajo

Better known as “Koolickles,” jars of these Kool-Aid-brined pickles sit on gas station counters across the South, especially in the Delta. While you’ll find plenty of Koolickle experiments on the Internet, the preferred flavor is Cherry for a sweet-salty-tangy trifecta.

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Potato Salad and Gumbo

Instagram @tiffanymcenteephotography

A Cajun oddity, bowls of gumbo in the Acadiana region of Louisiana are served with a dollop of potato salad in the middle like a castle surrounded by a savory moat.

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Peanuts and Coke

Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

While dropping legumes in soda might sound nutty to those above the Mason-Dixon, you would be hard-pressed to find a Southerner who doesn’t have memories of doing just that with peanuts and Coca Cola for a salty-sweet treat.

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Coleslaw and Hot Dogs

Instagram @meatloafingatl

While coleslaw and hotdogs are a natural American pairing, in the South coleslaw isn’t served on the side but rather on top of both hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches. The “slawdog” is a favorite in Alabama where vinegar-y slaw offers a piquant, crunchy counterpoint to the squishy bun and savory frank.

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Hot Sauce and Fruit

Instagram @hayeshannah

More seen in Texas, slices of mango, papaya, and pineapple are drenched in thick hot sauce and sprinkled with Tajin, a seasoning salt spiked with dehydrated lime.

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Tomato Aspic and Mayo

Southern Living

While funeral food in the South is a separate culinary craft, bordering on performance art, there is one item mandatory for burying an self-respecting Deltan according to author Gayden Metcalfe. "Chief among these is tomato aspic with homemade mayonnaise—without which you practically can't get a death certificate."

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Sorghum or Maple Syrup and Grits

andreasrecipes.com

Although this pairing would seem logical given their essential places on the breakfast table, it still separates Southerners into two camps. We love this recipe from Andrea Meyers.

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Fried Pickles and Ranch

Ralph Anderson

Southerners are liable to dip just about anything short of cardboard in Ranch, but for hot and tangy fried pickles, a cup of this cool and creamy dressing is imperative.

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By Hannah Hayes