Do you know what these are?
 

And have you ever had any?

Okra

Boiled Peanuts

Grits


If you say you don't know any of these (without looking them up) will you please give your location? If in the USA, give the state. If from another country please state where.

I'm curious. It always amazes me when no one knows what these are. :D

Born and raised in CA. Just moved to FL about 1 1/2 years ago. My step-mom is from NC, so we've had okra, I know what grits are, but am not too familiar with boiled peanuts. I don't know if I'd know as much as I do if my step-mom and her mom weren't around me growing up. It's just a regional thing.

I've had all 3, don't like okra very much though. I like to put sugar in my grits (it's so good.) I used to get boiled peanuts all the time when I went to the MLK Jr parade in downtown St. Petersburg, but I stopped going because people seem to like to start randomly shooting every year. I live in the Palm Harbor area of FL, but I lived in southside St. Pete til I was about 15.

I have all of those frequently:) SC resident here...

northeast my entire life but my travels have had me tasting all three

okra is kinda nasty by itself -but it's quite good in gumbo
boiled peanuts- eh - i like 'em roasted better
grits - no no no no and no... wall paper paste would be more appealing - thoughi do love polenta.. so maybe it's just a name thing.

OHHHH MAN

Fried Okra is the best food on earth, and grits (when made right) are EXCELLENT. My dad loves boiled peanuts but I can't stand them.

Born and Raised in Ashe County, NC :D

okra - tolerable but not desireable - but does work in stew or gumbo, as maleficent says.
boiled peanuts - they're alright. I don't go out of my way to have them
grits - I love grits

Northeast ignoramus here....
Never had okra-heard it was kinda nasty.
Never had boiled peanuts, only hot roasted
Grits, I've had twice. First time, greasy sand would be the best description.
Second time, (in CO), they were smooth and was told they were probably really hominy, not real grits. I'm guessing there's a reason they're called 'grits'.

Yes to all three. As Sage said, friend okra is the way to. I can't even fathom not liking grits. Boiled peanuts seems to be an aquired taste for a lot of people. From SC.

all of the above
boiled peanuts goes great in chili - trust me
grits i like fried
okra - gumbo with jumbo shrimp like a paella

try chocolate dipped plantain slices frozen

Okra I know - but I knew it first as Bhindi (or Ladies Fingers) used as a vegetable in Indian cooking (India, not First Nations ;)).

I've never had Okra cooked in the way that is common in the Southern States though.

Bhindi Bhajai is a great way to cook them with spices and so on. Yum.

Grits I had once - not a fan, but they weren't foul.

Boiled peanuts I'd never heard of until this thread, althouhg I've had plenty of Satay (Malaysian food that uses peanuts and chillies to make a spicy paste/sauce).

I'm from Southern England, and have been to the Pacific Northwest, but ate all of these things at home.

I've had Okra, and Grits, but never boiled peanuts. Also, the grits were at a chain restaurant so I doubt they were proper; but then I'm from Canada eh.

Are boiled peanuts still crunchy?

Thanks everyone. So far some of you at least know what those items are or have atleast tried them. This is good. :D

Hanxter: Boiled peanuts in chili? REALLY? Wow. Okay, give me your recipe for chili. Hey, I'll try anything once! :D


Boiled peanuts here in the southern states(USA) are like what roasted peanuts is to the northerners here.

We use to always have boiled peanuts(Peanut Boils---family get togethers) in the old sugar cane bowl (large skillet for making syrup) over at my grandfather's house. That is on a large scale with a large family! :D

But, it's where you take fresh peanuts from the field, wash them and boil them in salted water. You have to make sure you don't over cook/boil or under cook them.

My grandma fried okra and chunks of green tomatos together. Best stuff I ever had.

I dont like boiled peanuts....but I cant imagine life without okra (fried or in soups) and grits

born SC raised in GA

No, as I just posted you boil them fresh from the field. I suppose you would say you buy the green ones and then boil them in salted water.

They can be hard and the real young ones are kinda mooshie. I personally like the soft....not too hard ones. I think it really depends on their age.

I'm sure it's too cold in Canada to grow them as in most things there. However, do you guys have them packaged as green fresh up there in the stores?

I was going to eventually get to that Dad. :D Yes, my grandma made the best of that too. What was it about those iron skillets and how anything tasted good in them? And fried??? Oh my! I rarely eat fried foods now, but I was thinking of my granny's fresh cream corn in the skillet today. She would fix that, fresh tomatoes and okra, along with fried pork chops or chicken. OMG.........so much grease/oil...............no, LARD! :eek: :D

I like dill pickled okra. Have any of you tried that? It's in the grocery stores. :D

Okra, my favorite vegetable. Fried is fabulous, if not too much batter. Boiled is good also, but I'll admit that I'm the only one in my family who will eat boiled okra. Pickled okra is a great snack. Okra is also good in gumbos, etc. I've never had an okra I didn't like.

Cheese grits are the best. Grits are also good topped with bacon bits. You have to be very careful when seasoning grits, because just a little too much salt and you can't eat them. I've known people from other parts of the country who put sugar on their grits. I really don't understand that. Salt, butter and cheese is about it for me.

Boiled peanuts are too slimy ......

Alabama here..

Shani, do you like grits with cheese in them? When the Boss and I make them, they are really called cheese grits.

oh yeah, those are my fav....I have them at LEAST twice a week.....My parents preferred cheese grits over plain ones. Have you ever let them get cold, cut them in to squares and fried them in a frying pan?

My grandma was as good at threatening a skull with a cast iron skillet as she was at cooking in them. Tiny little old woman of about 90 pounds. And she used bacon grease for everything in that skillet. We were all skinny as rails too even eating that. But that was before the days of sitting in front of the TV under the AC.

Born in Texas, spent plenty of time in the South. Had all three, like fried okra, love boiled peanuts.

People who don't like grits must be eating them plain. You put in butter, salt, and bacon crumbs. Or red-eye gravy.

Oh, and you left scuppernongs off your list.

Mmm...cheese grits. And yes, I've had okra. I like a lot of Southern food; it's comfort food at its core. It also doesn't pretend to be good for you :p

I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest.

California born, lived in Missouri, North Carolina, and the UK. I had grits almost every morning when I was in NC, I had them with a bit of butter, salt, and maple syrup (similarly to how I eat oatmeal). I love grits, and I can't get them here in California.

I've cooked with ladies finger (a.k.a. okra) several times when attempting to make a stir fried gumbo when visitng family down South (I used it to try and make the sauce thicker, and to get that authentic gumbo taste). I don't have the recipe quite right yet, though.

Boiled peanuts?

From Ireland and have never had any of the three.

my great grandmother did corn in the iron skillet too....oh yum....YOU'RE MAKING ME HUNGRY

when we went to her house we could always count on corn, okra, biscuits, fried ham, green beans and potatos and fried apple pies and home made coconut cake

I miss her

Yeah, my theory is that they're confusing grits with cream of wheat. They think it's a breakfast food, and therefore should be sweet.

Not a big fan of okra, but I'm willing to consider that I've never had it properly prepared. Shani--next time I'm down there, you wanna whip me up a batch and show me how it's done?

Love grits, but it took a while. A good friend of mine is the neice of Bill Neal, who is the god of Southern cooking, especially in central NC, and they have a family recipe for cheese grits with shrimp that just totally fucking takes no prisoners.

Boiled peants--not so much. Too slimy. They gross me out.

yeah boiled peanuts are as gross to me as boiled okra lol

and of course...next time your here I will whip you up a dinner of my famous fried chicken, okra and potatos :)

I Love fried okra, grits are good, but i've never had boiled peanuts. I also Like collard greens, and sweet potato pie :D

I grew up in Southern California, but my Mom is From Spiro Oklahoma.

Okaaay Marv, what the heck is that???? :D Maybe we call it somethin' else over here in North Central FL?

Gimmee Gimmee. :D

Wow. So many different ways to do your grits. Syrup? EGADS!

Redeye gravy.........wow, hadn't had that in a LONG TIME. I guess we all miss grandma. I see some foods are a lost art already. That's a shame.

Boiled peanuts are NOT slimy! What in the heck are you all doing to them? :eek: Jeeze! Learn how to cook'em! They are not suppose to be slimy! Okra can be boiled and slimy but not the peanuts!!!! Gracious this is downright disgustin'! Oh man, you guys have got to do it right or find someone that does! :D

**mutters** Slimy peanuts. Well, I never!

In case anyone is wondering, here is basically what I have so far, based on a gumbo recipe from Emmmmeral.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._31296,00.html
Get the wak HOT. Oil it. Bag the bay leaves, basil, and thyme, and throw the whole list above in the wak, minus the rice and onion tops. Cook until cooked. Oh, and you'll need more than 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. If you really want to go for that New Orleans/Asian fusion (a.k.a. the thing I haven't worked out yet), try experimenting with ginger, soy sauce - in place of salt, not addition to - and peanut oil.

I've enjoyed pickled okra back in the day. Haven't had that in a long time though.

Grits: ummm, I can't take the consistency. I've only recently been able to eat oatmeal--with lots of brown sugar and raisens. Hubby loves it, but I never make them. Poor hubby. :(

Boiled peanuts: Love them! I make them at home every once in a while--I tend to eat them when it's cold. Mmmm!

Never had grits, don't know what they look like

Never had okra, don't know what it looks like

I prefer poutine if I'm going to punch my heart

Fried okra is one of my favorite sides. I also like okra in gumbo.

I'm not a huge fan of boiled peanuts, but a lot of my relatives love them.

I really like grits. I prefer grits over oatmeal.

Love th peanuts and boil my own when I can find them raw.

Love fried okra but it's too slimy any other way for my taste.

Grits are great! Some salt and butter. Mmmm! And take some coffee, add it to fried ham grease (country cured ham is best) with a touch of flour and you've got some great redeye gravy.

scuppernongs = Green grapey looking thing...

Thanks for those recipes Willravel!

Maleficent: A green grapey thing? But, not a grape? Ummm......

I thought the history on Boiled Peanuts went back to the Civil War, where I remember that or heard it, I don't know! :D

But, here it is:

If you want to read more: http://www.whatscookingamerica.net/H...utsHistory.htm

Oh yeah........those that said the boiled peanut was slimy. :D

Ewwwwww............come on guys........don't be doin' that!!! GROSS!

:D :D :D

I looked them up!!! :D

http://overstated.net/03/08/25-thing...n-scuppernongs

I have never heard them called that! I was going to ask if they were muscadine grapes. :D I like the purple ones but the green ones are the bomb!! Very good. My grandmother made jelly with them. And blackberry jelly!

Yes, I know those and love those grapes, but I've NEVER heard them called that and I'm pretty darn southern. Oh well........learn something new everyday! :D

Never had 'em, only know of them from references on TV so I think that just about counts and not having heard of them.
Born and raised in Arizona.

Use to live in Ohio where I had all of those... never really cared for any of them.

I'm in Australia and never heard of the first two, grits I havew heard of but never seen nor tried.

A huge yes to all three. If you haven't tried fried okra you truly don't know what you are missing. Grits with scrambled eggs are also a must try. With boiled peanuts you either love them or hate them. (not much middle ground here)

exactly what ryfo said in #39

Erm... Who doesn't know what those are?

Of course, I live in Pensacola (Florida) so that could have something to do with it.

I'm from Lancashire, England and I've heard of grits but never had them. I haven't heard of the other two.

I've heard of okra and grits, I still have no idea what they are, and from what I've heard I'm not missing out on much.

Pennsylvania born and bred, of a transplanted Floridian for a mother.

I now live in Nebraska.

Okra? Yes, I'm familiar with it. It's nasty.
Boiled peanuts? Not so much.
Grits? Oh, yeah. Mom was forever trying to foist that nastiness in a bowl on me. And failed.

While Mom did manage to raise me with the manners of a good southern gentleman, she failed to impart upon me a southern pallette. Except, perhaps, for some good sippin' whiskey.

I love southern people, as a whole. Very colorful language and customs. But...DAMN...y'all eat some nasty assed food. Perhaps, Sherman is to blame?

I grew up in the Philadelphia area and I ate grits many times as a kid since my parents made it at home ...even though they emigrated here from Hungary, I guess something like grits was common there, too. I like it, as a kid I put sugar and cinammon on it. Now I put all sorts of stuff on it, either sweet or not; last week I had it with salt, pepper, good olive oil and hot sauce.

I like ocra, but didn't eat it until I was an adult and cooking for myself. I knew the word "ocra" and when I saw it in the market, I bought it to try. Basically, if I see something new in the market, I buy it to eat ...that's my "see food" diet. I eat ocra steamed and cook it into stewish things, and of course I love it fried too.

Boiled peanuts I first had about ten years ago since the guy who owns the company I work for is from Texas and he turned me on to it.

So, now that we've established that most people know what you're talking about, for all us non-US people out there, some clarifications would be nice!

I have heard of all 3 but never tried any of them. So what are they? Can we see a pciture? What do they taste like? I can offer you several portuguese foods I'm sure you've never had and you're definitely missing out on! :thumbsup:

Born and raised in Ontario eh? (Canada).

never heard of boiled peanuts (sounds like a good way to ruin 'em!)

- Okra: yes, my wife learned from her mother how to cook okra with greens and ox-tails in a stew. It's called Calalloo (she was born in Trinidad) and has a slimy consistancy wish requires a bit of time to get used to.

- the Harvey's burger chain here in Canada also experimented with battered and deep fried okra slices a few years ago. These were magnificent, too bad they are no longer part of the menu.

- Grits: Yes, ever since I was a wee lad, making the annual Christmas trek to Florida, my dad would pull into a Holiday Inn in Kentucky, and we would order us up a mess of grits. Other than the first time when we were stunned that there was no brown sugar and cream for our 'cream of wheat' cereal, we started to enjoy putting butter and salt/pepper on Grits.

Now it is my favourite way to gain weight while visiting the US. Just a coule of weeks ago, I was heaping a platefull of sausages mixed in with the grits at the Washington DC Marriott (on F at 9th). MMM .... Next week I'll be in Houston. I wonder if I will have to spend extra time on the treadmill there???

OK...strap yourself in. Here we go:

http://www.grits.com/

Grits are small broken grains of corn. They were first produced by Native Americans centuries ago. They made both "corn" grits and "hominy" grits. Falls Mill produces "corn" grits.


Corn Grits
Falls Mill mills locally grown whole white hybrid corn. The corn is dried to a 14% moisture content, then each kernel is cleaned with forced air. The kernels of grain are run through the mill stone where they are ground to a certain texture and then sifted through two wire mesh screens. The three products sorted are white corn meal, white corn grits and the bran that pops off. There is a fine bran still in the grits product. This bran will never soften up with cooking. Depending on personal preference, the bran can be left in or removed by rinsing the grits before cooking.

Yummy!

Hominy
Is made from field corn that is soaked in lye water (potash water in the old days) and stirred over the next day or two until the entire shell or bran comes loose and rises to the top. The kernel itself swells to twice its original size. After the remaining kernels have been rinsed several times, they are spread to dry either on cloth or screen dryers.

How Corn Grits are made at Falls Mill
The first step in the production of our whole corn grits is the purchase of hybrid white corn from a local farmer. We pull a small grain wagon to his storage bin and auger out about 125 bushels of corn at a time. We weigh the corn and then bring it to the mill for unloading and cleaning. We auger it from the wagon into the mill building, where it is deposited in a floor bin. An elevator, running off our water wheel, picks up the corn a bucket at a time and carries it to the second floor grain cleaner. The cleaner has two shaker screens and a bottom blast fan, which operate to remove stalk, cob, unwanted seeds, cockleburs, and other field trash from the corn. The cleaned corn then drops into a basement auger, which moves it to a second elevator, where it is again carried upstairs and may be conveyed to one of four grain storage bins (usually the grinding bin above the millstones). It takes about five hours for us to unload and clean the 125 bushels.

When ready to mill, we belt up the millstones, fan suction system, and grits separator, and step up the speed of the water wheel, which drives all the machinery through a series of gears, flats belts, line shafts, and pulleys. The millstones we use are a set of 42-inch horizontal granite buhrs manufactured by the R.D. Cole Company of Newnan, Georgia, around the turn of the century. The granite was quarried at the Esopus Quarry in New York state. The millstones rotate about 125 revolutions per minute, and the upper (runner) stone weighs more than 1,500 pounds. Corn is fed into the stones via the hopper and shoe, from the upstairs storage bin. The stones are separated wider than when milling pure corn meal to obtain a coarser product. However, the milled product is a mixture of cracked corn, grits, and corn meal, so must be separated in a sifter (grits separator). As it comes off the stones, it falls into a pipe where the fan suction carries it to the second floor and drops it into the sifter. The corn meal is first sifted through a #20 screen and drops into a bagging bin on the first floor. The coarser product travels over this screen and grits drop through a #12 screen next, into a second bin below. The cracked corn tails off the end of the sifting drum and we regrind it to obtain more grits. The final yield is roughly 55% corn meal, 40% grits, and 5% light bran. The grits, however, will still contain a little bran or chaff. This is usually skimmed off prior to cooking.

http://www.boiledpeanuts.com/

NEW! The Deluxe Lee Bros.
Boil-Your-Own Peanuts Kit


We provide the raw peanuts and the know-how you need to make boiled peanuts at home (you furnish the salt, water and heat). Fun and easy. Packaged in our popular presentation tub, suitable for serving and storing.

3lb boiled peanuts kit in tub (makes 6lbs) $15.75
additional raw peanuts $4 per lb

http://www.dianaskitchen.com/page/veggies/ffokra.htm

Fried Okra

((Scroll down the page for more okra recipes, including fried okra, okra with tomatoes, and other recipes. ))

1 pound okra
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 cups self-rising cornmeal
vegetable oil

Wash okra and drain well. Remove tip and stem end; cut okra into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle okra with salt; add buttermilk, stirring until well coated. Let stand at least 15 minutes; then drain okra well. Dredge in corn meal. Deep fry okra in hot oil at 375F until golden brown; drain on paper towels.

Serves 4 to 6.

Have fun, ya'll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yes, yes, and yes. I love okra, *sometimes* like grits, and don't really care for boiled peanuts.

Oh, and born in LA, now live in NC.

You have to love grits. Like any good starch, they are simply a medium to transport some flavorfull fat (butter or cheese) through your lips in way that has good texture and fills you up. Don't forget plenty of salt and pepper.

Okra is required in any gumbo. It is ok fried. It may be ok pickled in some cases. It is never palatable as a stewed veggie.

People can not believe I have lived in Atlanta on and off for more than two decades, yet I have never had boiled peanuts. I can not bring myself to try the canned variety, and I have never had the inclination to stop for the roadside offerings. But with every other food I can think of except eggs, the roasted version is superior to the boiled food. So why go out of my way to try them.

My dad visited a few days ago and went with my wife to a local farmers market. He bought a bunch of okra because, apparently, I like it. News to me.

My mother-in-law also visited shortly after my dad left. We still had the okra, still in the paper bag. There was talk of "fried okra". You southern folks know exactly what I'm talking about. My mother-in-law, though she has lived in Tennessee for the past decade and a half, was born in Tehran. Her idea of "fried okra" was to take the okra and submerge it in hot oil.
It was better than I expected.

I've also had pickled okra... a Texas thing, as I recall. Also better than you might think.

Grits... I've lived in the South my entire life (excepting less than a year in upstate New York for prototype) and I do not particularly like grits. I like farina, which is basically just grits using a different plant... but grits... meh. Seems overcooked.

Boiled Peanuts... saw them for sale whenever we were driving through Georgia to visit a brother in Florida. I'm sure we bought some. I'm sure I ate some. I have no comment, though- made no impression.

I know what they are, and I absolutely love canned boiled peanuts. My mom's family lives in Florida and Georgia, so whenever we go down to visit, I stock up on peanuts. :)

Not only do I know what they are, I've eaten all of them, although I really don't care for boiled peanuts.

Born and raised in Knoxville, TN, although I migrated to Chicago years ago.

yes. yum. I'm hungry now.

I'm a big fan of grits and okra (fried, pickled, or otherwise) and I'm sure I've had boiled peanuts, but I can't recall my impressions of 'em.

I'm from West Virginia, so I'm well acquainted with most southern food. Ophelia783 is from Montreal, however, so I've had the priviledge of introducing her to grits (salted or sweet, depends on the mood), okra, cat's head biscuits (damn good!), cornbread and beans, proper sweet tea, fried mush, funnel cakes, deep-fried catfish, pickled sausage, beef jerkey, venison, hushpuppies, and other southern delicacies.

I haven't been able to serve her head cheese, pig's feet, fried green tomatoes, or a few of our more "acquired" flavors. :)

I adore fried okra
Never had boiled peanuts
Grits..... well that would make a good adhesive but not good food for my tastebuds.

proper sweet tea and hushpuppies...you become more endearing every day majik lol

pickled pigs feet...used to eat those with my grandfather when I was little, along with cornbread and milk

A must-have in any fridge, in my opinion, especially in summertime.

Well, her being from MTL, she should be well versed in pork hocks and head cheese, as there are many, many fine delicatessans there.

Same goes for beef jerky, as this is a staple amongst the many Chinatowns grocers.


can you explain? what is 'proper sweet tea'? and 'hushpuppies'? I'll tell you what I think and tell me how close I am:

proper sweet tea: Iced tea, made from tea bags rather than a powdered mix and then with the sugar adjusted to taste

hushpuppies: hotdogs rolled in Pillsbury crescent dough?

this is how I make my tea

2 luzianne tea bags (the smaller size not the big ones)
fill up coffee pot with 12 cups water and pour in, put tea bags in the pot and turn it on. Let the bags steep in the hot water for about 30 minutes

In a one gallon tea pitcher I add 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Pour in the tea from the pot and stir til sugar is disolved (it is impossible to get the sugar to disolve right if the tea is not hot, hence adding sugar to cold unsweetened tea is NOT proper lol) fill the rest of the pitcher with cold water and serve over ice.

What you described are pigs in a blanket lol hush puppys a deepfried mixture of cornmeal, egg and butter milk (kind like frying your cornbread mixture instead of baking it) dropped by the tablespoon into hot oil

You forgot the chopped onions. As a former Cap'n D's (A Great Little Seafood Place!) employee, I can tell you that onions are absolutely required. Our recipe, which I actually still use, was 1 part flour, 1 part cornmeal, enough milk to make a paste and diced onions.

The tartar sauce recipe will make you nausous. The fact that it required literal mixing by hand should be enough to curl your toe hair.

lol yes I forgot the onions....I was just trying to give a general sense of what they were....I LOVE captian d's puppies....they are better than long john silvers...but homemade is best!!

Ottawa, ON, Canada

Grits are gross - had is at Denny's once.

you poor thing...anything at Denny's is gross IMO

goddam. those hushpuppies sound good. I'm hungry and i just ate supper! (which was butter chicken on rice pilaf by the way).

I'm going to Houston next week. I'll see if there's any Hushpuppies on the local menus.

here's what i found on hp:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hushpuppies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Hushpuppies)
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Hush puppies.
Hushpuppies or Hush puppies is an American term for small cornmeal breads that are deep fried in a spherical or oblong shape. The usual ingredients include cornmeal, flour, eggs, salt, baking soda, milk, and water, and can include onions and pepper. Sometimes, pancake batter is also used. The batter is mixed well, adjusting ingredients until it is suitably thick. Then the batter is dropped into hot oil (such as vegetable oil). The cook is able to tell that the oil is hot enough when the hushpuppy floats to the surface. The hush puppy is typically fried until golden brown, and then set on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil before it is consumed. They are often eaten with catfish, seafood, or barbecue. They are usually made at home or served in restaurants that advertise "Home Cookin'" as opposed to fine dining establishments. Captain D's is a well-known franchise that serves hush puppies. They are a hearty heavy food that can easily be eaten outside of the home.

Hushpuppies are a distinctly Southern food, associated with cajun dishes and soul food. One story dates them back to 1727, claiming they were created by Ursuline Nuns who came to New Orleans from France. The Nuns named them croquettes de maise. An older,far less common term for them is 'dough boys'. The name hushpuppy is explained by various stories involving the central theme of throwing this cornmeal goodie to a dog (puppy) with the command 'quiet!' or 'hush!'.

Outside of North American English speaking world, these terms are not known. For example in England the word 'hush puppies' refers to the popular and well known brand of suede shoes, Hush Puppies, whose name was inspired by the food. But see the other entry "Hush Puppies" which gives a different explanation of the brand name given to the shoes.

HUSHPUPPIES! Heh. I didn't think anyone would not know what that was! LOL!

Okay, anyone for swamp cabbage? :D

Born and reared in Louisiana, of course I know what those are :) I was shocked to discover in my teens years not everyone did.

I've had #1 (blech) and #3 (yum)....MA, US

Leto: She tends to shy away from certain foods, especially if they're gelationous masses of cranial butcher's remnants, preferring more of the traditional Jewish foods that she was raised on in the West Island, such as brisket, smoke meat, and karnatzel. Once she figured out what head cheese was, I wouldn't have been able to convince her to try it if it'd been the most Canadian thing since beavertails and maple syrup! :)

She said that they have SOME beef jerky in her suburb now that she knows to look for it, but it's a brand she doesn't care for and that it's not as common of a snackfood as it is in the southern US (hell, I'm a vegetarian and I can still give a pretty good rundown of most brands, flavors, and styles after 5.5 years of not eating meat).

And "proper" sweet tea, is to be served in a pitcher, and made quite like Shani recommended. If, for some reason, you desire an unsweetened tea to be sweetened to taste, it's best to use a simple syrup, as it dissolves in the cold tea better. That being said, any southerner worth their collard greens will go ahead and add CUPS of pure, delicious sugar to the strong, hot brew before icing and (if necessary diluting) the tea. When my grandmother (who lives on a farm and used to make TRUE apple butter over a fire) makes it it tastes something like tea-flavored Karo syrup...simply amazing. If you'd like, you can always add a few sprigs of fresh mint (we've usually got some growing wild in the yard) for garnish and just a hint of refreshing flavor.

It sounds to me like you need to get a glass of sweet tea, some fried catfish, and a heaping basket of hushpuppies STAT! :)

The only one I've tried of the three is grits. I used to be friends with a family and the father was from the South and he often made wonderful southern dinners... and I had grits once at their house... I didn't like it very much and said it reminded me of cream of wheat... He laughed and said that's why most Notherners want to put sugar in it instead of butter. :)

I never had any of the above when I lived up North, but now that I am living in the South we eat them quite often. It is a regional thing.

Trick I have learned anytime I go somewhere up north that doesnt have sweet tea in an eating establishment (because people do NOT seem to understand that adding sugar to tea that is already cold DOES NOT WORK)

Order the ice tea but ask then to not fill the glass up to the top, also oder coffee cup 1/2 full of HOT water. Disolve sugar packets in that and then pour into your tea glass and stir and viola!!

**and for people that say why dont you just use equal or something...#1 it makes tea taste like shit IMO #2 Artificial sweetners are an immediate migraine trigger for me and I cannt ingest anything containing them

Oh don't you know it! I've been in Houston since monday (it's thursday evening now) staying at the Hilton. I have not seen a single helping of grits, or hushpuppies. I did get some decent meat (surf and turf ) and some Tex Mex.

During the lunches at this hotel, we were given iced tea, without sugar, just lemon. It was really refreshing. NOt that we needed it, even though it is about 90 degrees outside, the locals maintain their air conditioning to such frigid levels that I'm sure I'm catching a cold...

Don't know what grits are. Don't know what okra is. Boiled peanuts I'll bet are peanuts boiled, never seen 'em or heard of 'em. I'm from Canada, eh.

It's been mentioned, grits is a starch that you work with and add other things to eat in it or with it, not necessarily just eat plain by itself; though I also like it quite plain with salt & pepper & butter or olive oil or even bacon drippings.

I think this thread needs pictures of appetizing versions of these things ...not my pics or recipes, I'm picking these off the webworld since they look good

Shrimp & grits = how could you NOT like this? Lots of shrimp, little chunks of bacon, cheesy grits, scallions or onions, maybe celery if you like
http://justinsomnia.org/images/shrimp_and_grits.jpg
OR
Gorgonzola grits cakes, lightly fried, I like a teeny bit of fresh oregano in it or other herb to your taste:
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...gon20grits.jpg
OR
Broiled Salmon over Parmesan grits:
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...k-222306-l.jpg

Vegetarian delight? Fried okra, mashed potatoes, collard greens, skillet cornbread:
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...27acae8967.jpg
or Thai style fried okra with chili fish sauce, maybe a little rice
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ried20Okra.jpg
or country fried steak with greens and fried okra:
http://home.earthlink.net/~white_and...oders_meat.jpg

Boiled peanuts ...plain, or you can add any spice you like to the boil
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...kjt/i11433.jpg

Korean style boiled peanuts with sesame seeds and sauce
http://www.johnhbradley.com/photos/0...n/img_1215.jpg

I've lived in FLorida my entire life.

I love grits. Not sweet grits, that's an abomination. Grits with cheese. Grits with garlic and smoked gouda and scallions. Low country grits... Yum.

Okra is abhorrent. It's like a pregnant, alcoholic dragonfly sneezed and all its eggs came flying out its ass... bitter and snotty seeds. I don't like it.

Boiled peanuts have not been on my "like" list but I've tolerated them a few times.

Ohhhh.. okra homa.

I love okra, but just like strawberrys- it makes my mouth and lips itch a little.

Sometimes I crave the foods I am slightly allergic to.

Grits are a thang unto themselves, or a base you can ' Culture'.

I have used anything from pure maple syrup, sesame oil, ginger, and barbecue sauce.(not all at once.)

My favorite though is grits fried in bacon grease with baby portabella mushrooms.

"Do you know what these are?"

yup...nasty stuff

okra is a weird looking green vegetable, grits are a creamy, goopy vegetable food from the south, and i'm assuming boiled peanuts are peanuts that are boiled

i've had grits once, but i can't say i've consumed the other two. i'm a north-easterner from the US

grits = excellent. cheese grits = even better.

boiled peanuts i've had once, i remember them being pretty tasty but can't remember much else.

okra i've heard of but had no interest in trying.

it probably helped that i grew up in the south, specifically metro atlanta. you could also ask the same question with "sweet tea". i got a confused look when i naively tried to order that on a trip out to california.

Not only have I never tried them, I've never heard of them until I read this post. I'm in Illinois.

Here is one that most probably haven't heard of... I've met few who know other than the people around my state.

Trail bologna!

Not that it is particularly relevant one year later, but I've heard the words 'grits' and 'okra' but never seen them, and don't quite know what they are (grits always conjures up an image of bad oatmeal) and definitely never had any of the three.

Born and raised in AZ.

I'm from Oregon. I have seen okra, but passed because it looked slimy. I have heard of grits, but never seen it. I have never heard of boiled peanuts.

mmmmmmmmm trail baloney (I think you have to spell it this way, since its not really bologna)

good stuff

Not knowing what this is, I looked it up. It looks very edible, just like any good sausage.

NY - I know what each of those are but I doubt I've had any... though Okra seems familiar to me...

it looks that way, but its about 10 times better than sausage =)

You don't cook it either (well its cooked I think at the butchers) but you eat it cold. Most people do at least.

slam off a hunk and tear into it, or get some swiss and make lil ritz sammies MMMM!!

Thats just for trail bologna!! I get about 20lb of venison trail bologna made every year and its even MORE MMMMM!!!

I've eaten grits and okra, in different forms, but I've never had boiled peanuts, though I've heard of them.
Born and raised Texan.

Anyway, Shani, have you ever made tea from those cold brewed tea bags?
I usually use those, then make a simple syrup using 2 parts sugar + 1 parts water, brought to a boil enough to dissolve the sugar.

I do it this way so I don't have to boil the tea bags. (I always mess that part up) ;)

I have never heard of cheese grits, but I would love a recipe. I bought some grits today and I'm open to new ideas, grits and honey sounded pretty good though.

New Zealand here.
I haven't the faintest idea what okra is. (The word sounds like its some kind of tofu)
I've heard of grits maybe once, very fleetingly, somewhere on american tv.
Never heard of anyone boiling peanuts, and don't know why you'd want to.

I lived in Nashville for several years...so I know what they are.

However, being born and raised in South Africa, moving to Connecticut first, I had NO IDEA until moving South.

Because it can never be said enough: Fried Okra is amazing! Whole, boiled okra is too slimey for me, but I like it in soups, gumbo, etc.

Hate grits, never tried boild peanuts.
Born and bred Arkansan.