Southern Soul Food

Soul food is the heart of Southern cooking, a tradition rooted in African American history and resourcefulness: crisp fried chicken, slow-cooked collard greens, black-eyed peas, mac and cheese, cornbread and sweet potato pie. Rich, comforting and deeply flavoured, it is served in family restaurants across the South and carries a whole cultural story on the plate.

What to look for

• Fried chicken - the crisp, seasoned Southern classic.
• The sides - collard greens, mac and cheese, black-eyed peas and cornbread.
• Sweet tea and pie - the sweet tea and the sweet potato and pecan pies.
• The family restaurants - the soul food kitchens where the tradition lives.

When to go

Year-round; a hearty, comforting cuisine good any time, and Sunday after church is a traditional soul food occasion. Family-run restaurants serve it best.

Practical notes

It is rich, heavy comfort food, so come with an appetite rather than expecting light fare. Quality is best at long-running family kitchens rather than chains. It carries a real cultural history worth understanding, not just a meal.

Nearby

Atlanta, the Carolinas, the Mississippi Delta and the wider South are its heartland.