Top 7+ things you’d only find in a southern pantry

If you’re nosy enough to take a peek in the pantry, that’s where you’ll find the real Southern gems.

From the magnolia tree in the front yard to the plate wall in the dining room, there are plenty of signs that let you know you’re in a Southern home. Perhaps nowhere is your Southernness more on display than in the kitchen. If you see a can of bacon grease on the counter, an heirloom cast-iron skillet on the stovetop, and a pitcher of sweet tea in the fridge, you’re definitely in a Southern house. And if you’re nosy enough to take a peek in the pantry, that’s where you’ll find the real Southern gems from the garden and the local Piggly Wiggly. We asked our Facebook audience, "What's the most Southern thing in your pantry?", and the 600+ comments exceeded our expectations. Here are some of the most popular answers: 

Grits

One word, "grits," was the most touted, with many readers specifically calling out Southern-made brands like McEwen & Sons from Alabama, Old Mill of Guilford in North Carolina, and Marsh Hen Mill in South Carolina. 

Home-Canned Goods

Remember every summer when it was time for Grandma to "put up" all those fresh peaches? So do our readers. Many Southerners have a stockpile of home-canned goods from their own gardens with specialties like pickled okra, muscadine and mayhaw jam, and apple butter. Homemade condiments like chow chow and pepper jelly will also line their shelves.

Cornmeal 

Cornmeal was probably No. 2 to grits as the most common answer to our query. As one commenter put it: "Cornmeal. Not 'cornmeal mix' or 'cornbread mix.' Actual, unadulterated cornmeal. Ingredients: corn."

Dried Beans And Peas

Whether they come from the grocery store or the farmers market, dried beans and peas are a suppertime staple in Southern pantries. Pinto beans and black-eyed peas got the most shoutouts, and Southern brands like Camellia Beans from Louisiana and Luck’s from North Carolina are most admired, of course. 

Alternative Sweeteners 

When a buttermilk biscuit or a warm slice of cornbread needs something drizzled on top, there are plenty of super-Southern ways to sweeten things up. Cane syrup, molasses, sorghum syrup, and local honey are all acceptable ways to add some sugar to a Southern plate, and most readers called out brands that are made right here in the South, like Golden Eagle Syrup from Alabama, Blackburn Syrup from Texas, and Steen’s Syrup from Louisiana. Of course, avid Southern bakers will always have a bottle of Karo Syrup for pecan pies and other homemade candies. 

Shortening

Shortening, most often referred to by our readers simply as the brand name Crisco, has been a Southern baking necessity for generations.

Cajun Cooking Essentials

Even if you’re not from Louisiana, you probably have at least one Cajun seasoning blend in your spice rack. Brands like Slap Ya Mama, Tony Chachere’s, and Ragin’ Cajun’s are beloved by our audience. Many people also mentioned other Cajun cooking requirements like crab boil (often Zatarain's) and filé powder for gumbo. 

Honorable Mentions

Though these pantry attendees didn’t get quite as many shoutouts as the ones listed above, they had enough love that we couldn’t leave them off the list completely: Community Coffee, Tabasco, Carolina Gold rice, Vidalia onions, pecans, benne wafers, and Luzianne Tea.