Fall in love with Tennessee’s culinary classics
Missing Tennessee? It hits you right in the gut, and all you can think about is the food that feels like a warm embrace from home.
Whether it’s your mother’s chess pie or the perfectly smoky pulled pork from the restaurant down the street, these dishes are part of growing up in the Volunteer State.
Nashville Hot Chicken
Every Tennessee kid remembers their first bite of hot chicken (and most likely secretly crying a little).
It’s almost like a rite of passage now, and we all have that one friend who claims to be able to handle “extra hot.” They can’t.
Memphis Dry-Rubbed Ribs
Your out-of-state friends may boast about their BBQ, but they just don’t get it. These ribs aren’t completely covered in sauce. They’re perfectly seasoned and smoked slowly, just like your uncle used to do in his backyard.
Country Ham Biscuits
Sunday mornings involved waking up to the salty aroma of country ham frying in the skillet. Mom’s biscuits were always delicious, and even fancy restaurants can’t quite match that memory.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Topping
Every potluck, every holiday, there it was: that orange casserole topped with perfectly browned marshmallows. You’ve always tried to get the corner piece with the extra crispy marshmallows, and you still do.
Goo Goo Clusters, Tennessee’s Original Candy
Do you remember begging for these at the checkout counter? Every Tennessee kid remembers the excitement of biting into that messy mix of chocolate and caramel, and how your mother would fuss about the chocolate on your face.
Fried Catfish with Tartar Sauce
Friday night’s fish fry was more than just dinner. It was an event. The entire family would pile into the car and drive to the local catfish house, where they would compete to see who could eat the most hush puppies.
Chess Pie
Your aunt most likely claimed to have the best chess pie recipe in the family, and everyone knew better than to argue. The first sugary, buttery bite still brings back memories of summer potlucks and church socials.
Banana Pudding with Layers of Vanilla Wafers
No summer cookout was complete without banana pudding. The best part was always fishing out those perfectly soft Nilla wafers, which you still can’t stop doing when no one is looking.
Barbecue Spaghetti, a Memphis Specialty
This strange but wonderful dish probably perplexed your out-of-state friends, but you grew up believing it was perfectly normal to serve pulled pork over pasta. It’s still your go-to example of why Memphis food tastes so different.
Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Cocktails
Even if you didn’t drink it, having a bottle of Jack in the house was simply part of being a Tennesseean. Your father most likely had a special rocks glass reserved exclusively for his Jack and Coke.
Moonshine Cocktails in the Smoky Mountains
Everyone has at least one uncle with a moonshine story. These days, it may come in fancy flavors from legal distilleries, but those mason jars still remind you of family stories told quietly around the holiday table.
The post 12 Tennessee Foods That Taste Like Home If You Grew Up Here originally appeared on When In Your State.
