The South is known for delightfully comforting cuisine, but what exactly goes into these recipes that make Southern dishes so special? There are several ingredients that are found in grocery stores in the South that may not be readily available in the rest of the United States. These are items that Southerners claim are integral to keeping their recipes as authentic as possible in a cultural sense.

One example is Duke’s Mayo, which is a favorite here in the South. To the people of the South, other brands of mayo such as Hellman’s pale in comparison to the taste and consistency of Duke’s. The tangy flavor and looser consistency of Duke’s provides the optimal taste for Southern dishes like Deviled eggs, pimento cheese, tomato pie, and – believe it or not – cake! Duke’s can be used to replace the oil in cake recipes that call for it, and Southerners will tell you it’s well worth trying.

Speaking of pimento cheese, a popular version of this delicious dip was created right here in Pawleys Island. Palmetto Cheese is a favorite pimento cheese dip among locals and visitors to the area. And while Palmetto Cheese uses Hellman’s Mayo, which may be seen as a sin by some Southerners, people seem to really enjoy this cheese spread. Palmetto Cheese is wonderful on its own with some crackers, or used as an addition to other recipes like burgers, biscuits, stuffed peppers, on top of avocados, in Buffalo chicken dip – the list goes on and on!

As mentioned above, Palmetto Cheese is a delicious addition to biscuits, and many Southerners agree that White Lily Flour is the best flour for biscuit recipes. White Lily Flour is made from 100% soft red winter wheat, and is blended with leavening and salt. This flour is ideal for making fluffy & flaky light biscuits.

Biscuits can be eaten any time of the day, but are often a breakfast item, like grits. While each Southerner has their own preference for grits, we love delicious stone-ground grits from Palmetto Farms. Palmetto Farms has been serving South Carolina since 1934 and has been the number one producer for old-fashioned, natural, stone-ground grits. If you’re searching for these grits, try looking at Lowes Foods!

Along with grits, rice is another important staple in Southern cuisine. Carolina Gold rice is a long-grained rice that was first cultivated in South Carolina after the American Revolution. It is a non-aromatic rice that is neutral in flavor and is great for dishes such as chicken stews, chicken bog, risotto, and more.

Every good meal is concluded with a delicious dessert, and a Southern favorite is Blue Bell Ice Cream. Found in stores in the Southern region of the United States, Blue Bell is easily found in shops around the Pawleys Island area. This ice cream company offers a variety of classic flavors such as Homemade Vanilla, Dutch Chocolate, Cookies ‘n Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. They also have more unique flavors such as Southern Blackberry Cobbler, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Cookie Cake, Butter Crunch, Cotton Candy, and many other delectable flavors.