Flavors of South Carolina

Contributing Author: Mattison McWhorter

• South Carolina has multiple dishes it’s known for including:
  • Carolina Barbecue Sauce
  • Grilled Peach Salad
  • Boiled Peanuts
  • Lowcountry Boil
  • Fruit Cobbler

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Nothing says Southern comfort like food — and South Carolina is no exception. When people think of South Carolina fare, they think of barbecue, fruit, and seafood. With these traditional recipes, you can immerse yourself in Southern culture and cuisine.  

Carolina BBQ

Barbecue is a Southern delicacy, but it varies by region. Each side of the South has its own version of barbecue and, more importantly, its own version of barbecue sauce. South Carolina claims mustard base as its novelty and deems it Carolina Gold. This tangy sauce has a slight sweetness for balance, and it pairs perfectly with whole-hog barbecue. Try this recipe from A Southern Soul. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• ¼ cup brown sugar 
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper 
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch of salt 
• Optional ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions: 

Add all the ingredients to a small pot over medium-high heat. Whisk together and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally. After, let the sauce cool and serve immediately or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It is good for up to two weeks if you can make it last that long. 

Grilled Peach Salad

South Carolina is renowned for its fruit. As the seasons change, so do the crops—everything from strawberries to blueberries and even peaches. Even though South Carolina’s sister state, Georgia, may be known as the peach state, South Carolina actually out-produces and out-ships Georgia in the peach market. Furthermore, multiple places around Columbia have U-Pick Farms, so you can go and pick your own peaches. One of those farms is Bush-N-Vine Farm in York, South Carolina. And what better way to use those fresh-picked peaches than a delicious side salad? This recipe from Southern Living is sure to impress the pickiest of guests. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 ripe peaches, quartered
• 2 (5 oz.) packages of baby arugula
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¾ cup torn fresh mint leaves 
• ¾ cup roughly chopped toasted pistachios
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
• 1 teaspoon honey 
• Dash of Salt 
• Dash of Black Pepper 

Instructions: 

Preheat your grill to high, 450–550 degrees. Place your peaches, cut side down, on an oiled grate. Grill the peaches uncovered until well charred, about four minutes on each side. Toss the arugula, feta, mint, and pistachios together in a large bowl. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl until combined. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad mixture and serve with grilled peaches laid over the top. 

Boiled Peanuts 

Boiled peanuts are a  quintessential South Carolina snack. It may sound odd to those who have never heard of them, but taking green peanuts and boiling them in salt is a right of passage in the South. If you’re looking to make your own, you’re in luck! Take a trip to the South Carolina State Farmer’s Market in West Columbia to find all kinds of vendors of green peanuts and more. Clayton Rawl Farms Inc. is one of many vendors at the market that offers raw peanuts for purchase. Use this recipe from Taste of Southern and give this salty snack a try.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of raw peanuts in the shell
• ¼ cup of Morton Table Salt 

Instructions:

Clean the shelled peanuts by placing them in a bowl of water and rinsing off the dust and dirt. Transfer peanuts into a colander and continue to rinse. Fill a large pot ¾ full of water. Add the washed peanuts, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and boil for three hours. Add the salt and more hot water if needed. Let the peanuts sit for half an hour. Taste at 30 minutes for salt content and texture preference. Should you prefer a saltier or softer texture, continue to cook and taste in 30-minute increments until it’s to your preferred palette. Finally, remove from heat and let cool. 

Lowcountry Boil

Having a Lowcountry boil is an event in South Carolina and a seafood lover’s paradise. It has evolved and changed from family to family, and each person can make a Lowcountry boil all their own. Traditionally, it features shrimp, corn, potatoes, and sausage. Designed to be shared, comfort food is best eaten amongst friends. This recipe comes from Food Network’s Trisha Yearwood. 

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup concentrated Louisiana-style shrimp and crab boil seasoning
• 4 lbs medium red potatoes
• 2-3 medium sweet onions, peeled and quartered 
• 2 ½ lbs smoked pork sausage, cut into links 
• 8 ears of corn 
• 4 lbs medium shrimp 

Instructions:

Fill a seven-gallon pot halfway with water. Add the seasoning and bring to a rolling boil. Add the potatoes and return to a boil. Cook alone for five minutes. Next, add the onions and sausage. Bring the water back to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Add the corn and bring back to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. With everything in the pot, add the shrimp and bring to a boil. Cook the shrimp until they turn pink, about three minutes. Drain and serve on a platter or even a newspaper-covered picnic table. 

Fruit Cobbler 

No meal is complete without a delectable dessert. Although South Carolina has a plethora of desserts it’s known for, cobbler is at the top of the list. Put simply, a cobbler is a fruity, deep-dish pie. You can use almost any fruit, or mix of fruit, to bake a cobbler, but fresh and local fruit will make your dish taste like home. Blueberries are one particular fruit you can get locally in Lexington, South Carolina! Berry Hill Farm offers U-Pick blueberries and its own recipe for a blueberry cobbler. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups fresh blueberries 
• 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
• ¾ cup sugar 
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened 
• ½ cup milk 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½-1 cup sugar, to taste
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 
• ¾ cup boiling water 

Instructions:

Line a well-greased 8x8x2 inch pan with blueberries. Sprinkle lemon juice over the blueberries. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cream together sugar, butter, and milk. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix. Spread this batter over the blueberries and pour the boiling water on top, but do not mix. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour, let cool, and serve. 

South Carolina’s food culture — comforting, nostalgic, and decadent — is a paragon of Southern cuisine. So buy local and try one of these beloved South Carolina recipes today!