10 Unmissable Foods to Try from South Carolina Cuisine

Pork dominates South Carolina barbecue. Sauces are crafted with mustard, tomatoes, vinegar and pepper. Follow the South Carolina BBQ Trail to taste all of the smoky, succulent possibilities.

South Carolina’s Lowcountry region is defined by scenic waterways and distinct delicacies such as this one: sweet shrimp, wild-caught off the South Carolina coast, ladled over creamy, buttered grits.

South Carolina’s native peanuts, raw with their shells on, are boiled in salted water. Pinch off and discard the shells, exposing a tender peanut bathed in briny juice. Look for these at roadside stands, shops and festivals.

This soup showcases the sweet meat and briny roe of female hard-shell blue crabs. The ingredients simmer in cream and sherry, creating a comforting taste that’s unique to the South Carolina coast.

At South Carolina barbecue, soul food and even upscale farm-to-table restaurants, collards are slow-cooked with ham hocks for a smoky pork flavor, then finished with just the right amount of vinegar.

Like collards, okra is a South Carolina staple. Its versatility makes every bite delightfully different. Try it pickled, stewed heartily with tomatoes or dusted in cornmeal and fried into crunchy bites.

Throughout South Carolina’s central Midlands, pecans – pronounced “pea-cans” – grow. Eat them raw by the handful, baked into rich pecan pie or as pralines, roasted and coated in brown sugar.

What South Carolinians call field peas, or black-eyed peas, are mixed with onion, bacon and rice – preferably homegrown Carolina Gold, a long-grain variety. Eat it year-round, but especially on New Year’s Day, when it’s believed to bring good luck.

South Carolinians like their tea ice-cold and sweet. Visit the Charleston Tea Garden to see tea plants growing on pristine Wadmalaw Island and pick up loose-leaf American Classic brand teas that are produced from the plants.

Also called Beaufort Stew and Lowcountry Boil, this local favorite is simple: fresh shrimp, corn on the cob, sausage and redskin potatoes, boiled and best enjoyed at newspaper-covered picnic tables outdoors.