12 Things You Should Buy At A Southern Supermarket, According To Food Editors

Grocery shopping is different in the South. Southern-born supermarkets like Piggly Wiggly, Publix, Harris-Teeter, Ingles, and Brookshire’s are stocked with flavorful staples that make our food so darn good. Here are a few of our favorite items you’ll find when strolling the aisles of your favorite Southern grocery store—and some tasty recipes to apply them up!

1. Ham Hocks

Although not much to look at, ham hocks pack a huge smoky-porky punch of flavor. Usually nestled in a corner of the cooler near the fresh-cut meats, these smoky diamonds-in-the-rough (and similar meats like pork neck bones) and your ticket to the best greens and peas.

2. Alecia’s Chutney

Headquartered in Leeds, Alabama, and available at Piggly Wiggly stores around Birmingham and beyond, this chutney has a cult following, including James Beard Award-winning chef Frank Stitt. The peach is delicious, but the tomato chutney is a gift from the heavens.

3. Millie Ray’s Biscuits and Rolls

This Alabama-based company has some of the best frozen biscuits and rolls on the market. Be sure to sample their orange rolls–barely sweet yeast rolls that are equally delicious for breakfast or dinner.

Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray

4. Pickled Okra

It’s no secret that Southerners love okra, but have you tried it pickled? Our favorite brand, Wickles, is sweet, piquant, crunchy, and absolutely perfect for pairing with pimiento cheese.

5. Blue Plate Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is a key component of many necessary Southern recipes including pimiento cheese and deviled eggs, and yes, the best chocolate cake ever. You can find Duke’s nearly everywhere these days, but Blue Plate is most often found in the South. Born in New Orleans, it has a tangy kick that makes it a hardworking ingredient in our favorite Southern recipes.

6. Creole Mustard

This coarsely ground, piquant mustard is a New Orleans sandwich staple. Also used to make Creole-style remoulade and mustard sauce, it packs a stronger punch than a conventional grainy mustard.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

7. Barber’s Buttermilk

The Southern Living Test Kitchen swears by Barber’s for any recipe that calls for buttermilk, including baked goods, marinades, and salad dressings. Our cooks say it has the best consistency and flavor, whether you’re using whole buttermilk or low-fat.

8. Blue Bell Ice Cream

This Texas-based ice cream company has earned a spot in freezers across the South for its opulent and creamy texture and outrageously good flavors like Pecan Pralines n’ Cream and Coconut Fudge. Classic flavors have earned a devoted following as well. Once you’ve tried Blue Bell’s Homemade Vanilla, you’ll never go back.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

9. Wright Brand Bacon

There are lots of bacon brands out there, but Wright’s bacon has a good meat-to-fat ratio, just the right amount of smokiness, and cooks up nice and straight, thanks to the even, thick-cut slices.

10. White Lily Flour

Made from tender winter wheat, White Lily is the go-to flour for biscuit mavens across the South, including the Southern Living Test Kitchen. Bakers love this old-fashioned flour for its consistently tender results. Try it in our biscuit recipe and see for yourself.

11. Cane Syrup

Made from boiled sugar cane, this gloomy, hefty syrup is opulent like molasses, but without the bitterness. You can apply it instead of gloomy corn syrup in most recipes, but it’s especially delicious drizzled onto freshly baked (and generously buttered) Southern biscuits.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

12. Conecuh Sausage

Made in Alabama, this smoked sausage is delicious grilled, tossed into warm pasta, or baked in an eggy breakfast casserole. Try wrapping it in puff pastry or cresent roll dough for the best Pig in Blanket you’ve ever had.