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About This Quiz
Have you got soul? Get ready to explore some of the most satisfying culinary creations on the planet!Â
Soul food desserts tend to be the ultimate in comfort food. Many of them make full use of in-season fruits and timeless recipes to create delectable sweet treats. Some of these desserts are associated with the holidays, but there's no need to wait a whole year to enjoy them. Any reason is good enough to start dicing, mixing and baking your favorite soul-food-inspired deserts! Are you wondering if we have your favorite one in the quiz?
When it comes to soul food, it's definitely time to pig out! It seems no cut of pork is wasted, as every little bit gets incorporated into something savory and totally filling. Just take a moment to think of all those porky soul food dishes you know -- bet you never realized there were so many of them! Good thing is, we have a bunch of the most mouthwatering ones waiting for you in this quiz -- so you had better start chomping away at it!
If you are a connoisseur of down-home soul food cooking, then you will certainly savor working your way through this quiz. Stop drooling already and dive in!
Cornbread dressing
Peach cobbler
Black-eyed peas
Black-eyed peas get their name from their distinctive coloring. They tend to stand out when used in soul food rice-and-peas dishes such as Hoppin' John. Black-eyed peas are also often paired with meats such as ham hocks.
Mustard greens
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Caramel cake
Hush puppies
Cat head biscuits
Chicken-fried steak
The roots of the chicken-fried steak are said to lie in German-American cuisine. Soul food connoisseurs know that there is no chicken in this dish, nor was it fried by a chicken! It gets its name from the fact that it is cooked like and resembles pan-fried chicken breasts.
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Seafood gumbo
Gumbo can be made with several different types of meat, but seafood gumbo is among the most popular. The characteristic thickness of the dish is quite often a result of okra being added, but other thickeners can be used as well.
Hog jowl
Offal
Chicken and dumplings
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Cornbread dressing
Macaroni and cheese
It’s fairly obvious that macaroni and cheese is not a soul food creation – the dish actually originated in England. You would be hard pressed, however, to find a soul food family feast that does not include a heaping helping of this classic dish.
Banana pudding
Peach cobbler
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Sweet potato pie
Cornbread
Corn has grown in abundance in the Southern states for centuries, and it is no surprise that it makes its way into much of the food from the region. Cornbread is one such food. It is prepared in many variations, including being cooked in a skillet and having crackling (roasted or fried pork rind) added.
Cat head biscuits
Sour cream pound cake
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Chicken and dumplings
Hoecake
The hoecake is another soul food item with Native American roots, said to be based on a type of Native American corn fritter. Other names for the hoecake (or hoe cake) are johnnycake and Shawnee cake.
Grits
Hush puppies
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Mustard greens
Chitterlings
Okra
Okra enters soul food cuisine from West African origins. It is typically slimy and is thus added to stews (such as gumbo) as a thickener. It is also often served sautéed or fried.
Seafood gumbo
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Monkey bread
The distinguishing feature of monkey bread is that it is many different loaves that are easily pulled apart by hand. The effect is achieved by dipping individual balls of dough in butter before coating them in cinnamon, raisins, nuts, etc. The balls are then overlapped in a pan for baking.
Pecan pie
Peach cobbler
Creamed corn
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Pork ribs
Chicken and dumplings
Fried fish
Fried foods are fairly common in soul food, with deep frying being a popular cooking method. Fried fish is typically battered with a cornmeal mixture before frying.
Chicken-fried steak
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Blackberry cobbler
Cobbler makes its way into soul food cuisine via the English settlers from early European colonies in the Americas. It is typically made with sweet fruits such as blackberry or peach, cooked with both an upper and lower crust and then served with a scoop of ice cream.
Caramel cake
Sweet potato pie
Hoecake
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Collard greens
Collard greens, or simply collards, are related to both cabbage and broccoli, but they get a special place of honor among soul foods. This green leafy vegetable is often prepared with smoked, salty and typically fatty meat added in.
Candied yams
Seafood gumbo
Cabbage rolls
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Peach cobbler
Blackberry cobbler
Candied yams
Caramel cake
Caramel cake is a classic Southern dessert. It often includes a simple caramel frosting or may have other flavors and textures blended in, such as cream cheese. Some recipes call for a whipped cream frosting instead.
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Banana pudding
This layered dessert ranks high among the comfort food dishes in soul food cuisine. It is traditionally made with ripe bananas, vanilla custard and vanilla wafers, and is sometimes prepared and served in mason jars.
Creamed corn
Sour cream pound cake
Cornbread
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Black-eyed peas
Mustard greens
Mustard greens, collard greens and turnip greens each have their own distinct flavor and are often prepared in similar fashion. It is also not unusual for all three to be combined in one dish.
Cabbage rolls
Okra
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Hoecake
Chicken-fried steak
Hush puppies
Hush puppies are another example of the many Native American contributions to soul food cuisine. They are a common side dish but are most popularly served with seafood or barbecued meats.
Southern-fried potatoes
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Cornbread dressing
Sweet potato pie
Southern fried potatoes
Candied yams
The term "candied yams" refers to sweet potatoes that have been boiled, have spices added and are then baked. Although the dish is called candied yams, the yam is actually a different plant and unrelated to sweet potato.
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Ham hocks
Black-eyed peas
Grits
Soul food is influenced by the cuisine of several different cultures. This can be seen by the inclusion of grits, which has Native American origins, as one of the staple dishes among soul foods.
Hoecake
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Red beans and rice
The red beans in this dish are typically kidney beans that have been slow cooked. They are not mixed into the rice but served over and alongside it instead. The dish is classic Louisiana Creole fare.
Black-eyed peas
Cat head biscuits
Hoppin' John
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Monkey bread
Sweet potato pie
The sweet potato features prominently in soul food cuisine. They can be served fried, as candied yams or made into the iconic sweet potato pie, which gets a place of honor on most Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables.
Hash browns
Southern fried potatoes
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Fatback
Just as its name suggest, fatback is fat found under the skin on the back of the pig. It can be served breaded and fried or used to add seasoning and unique flavor to other dishes, such as vegetables and beans.
Southern fried catfish
Giblets
Offal
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Jambalaya
Jambalaya is associated with traditional Louisiana cooking and bears some resemblance to gumbo – minus the okra and with rice added. Its roots are found in the Mediterranean, particularly in the Mediterranean regions of France and Spain.
Pork ribs
Fried fish
Smoked pork shoulder
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Creamed corn
Cornbread dressing
Cornbread dressing might be referred to as cornbread stuffing in some northern states, but either way, it’s certain to be just as great! It is hardly ever actually cooked inside a turkey or chicken, though it is used as a side dish instead in many Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts.
Southern-fried potatoes
Turnip greens
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Banana pudding
Pecan pie
Pecan pie is another soul food classic that you are certain to find around Thanksgiving and Christmas. The most popular toppings for this distinctly Southern dish are vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.
Red velvet cake
Blackberry cobbler
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Seafood gumbo
Fried chicken
Southern-fried catfish
Several types of fish are referred to as catfish, thanks to their whisker-like barbels. Regardless of the type, however, catfish is popularly coated with a cornmeal batter and fried. The common accompaniment for Southern-fried catfish is a batch of hush puppies.
Chitterlings
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Hash browns
Hash browns were originally known as “hashed browned potatoes.” Over the years, the name became shorter (and easier to say), so today we have “hash browns.”
Candied yams
Cornbread dressing
Caramel cake
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Southern fried catfish
Hush puppies
Red beans and rice
Fried chicken and waffles
Breaded and deep-fried chicken is popular throughout the Southern states. Fried chicken and waffles, however, is a distinctly soul food variation. The two items may seem mismatched at first, but their unique combination is beloved by fans of soul food cuisine.
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Cabbage rolls
Okra
Turnip greens
Turnip greens are cooked in the same fashion as mustard greens and collard greens. They can be bitter, however, which prompts some people to add sugar to the dish. Most people cook their turnip greens in bacon fat and add some sort of salted pork as well.
Creamed corn
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Creamed corn
Chicken and dumplings
Hoppin' John
Chitterlings
This dish makes its way into the realm of soul food by way of European cuisine. It is pork intestines that are cleaned, cooked and served in a variety of ways. Calling it “chitterlings” might make you sound all fancy – much more down-home to say “chit’lins” instead!
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Cornbread dressing
Red velvet cake
Banana pudding
Peach cobbler
Like other types of cobbler, peach cobbler originated as a trail-friendly version of pie. Peaches, which were introduced to the Americas in the 16th century by Spanish explorers, are the state fruit of South Carolina, and Georgia is popularly known as the Peach State.
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Giblets
How maw salad
Ham hocks
Pork ribs
Pork ribs can be cooked in several ways, but they are more often than not barbecued when part of a soul food meal. This is traditionally done over a barbecue pit, but oven-baked barbecue ribs are also quite popular.
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Red velvet cake
Hoecake
Sour cream pound cake
Sour cream pound cake is like regular pound cake but with a whole heap of extra goodness added in, thanks to the sour cream! It is a rich, buttery and tender dessert, recipes for which are passed down through families just as with many other soul food dishes.
Pecan pie
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Giblets
Ham hocks
Pork is a very popular meat within soul food, with various cuts of pork being used in distinctive dishes. Ham hock (or pig knuckle) is covered in skin and has plenty of ligaments and tendon, making it ideal for stews. It is often accompanied by black-eyed peas.
Pickled pig's feet
Chicken-fried steak
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Blackberry cobbler
Candied yams
Red beans and rice
Creamed corn
Like many other corn dishes in the Southern states, creamed corn has its roots in Native American cuisine. The corn may be roasted first, and some recipes call for the addition of both milk and sugar.
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Ham hocks
Cat head biscuits
Cat head biscuits are said to get their name from their size – roughly about the same as a cat’s head. They are prepared from cold ingredients so that as they bake, the outside forms a thick crust while the inside remains soft and fluffy.
Hush puppies
Cornbread
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Cabbage rolls
Cabbage rolls are popular in Louisiana Creole cuisine. The stuffing is typically made from ground pork, rice and vegetables.
Mustard greens
Southern fried potatoes
Fatback
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Chicken and dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is a simple yet hearty meal considered by many to be a perfect example of both comfort food and soul food. The complexity of the dish can be increased by adding vegetables to the chicken broth and by incorporating herbs into the dough used to make the dumplings.
Red beans and rice
Smoked pork shoulder
Hoppin' John
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Grits
Pecan pie
Southern-fried potatoes
Sweet potatoes are very versatile and are incorporated into many soul food dishes. When deep fried, they are often served sprinkled with salt, sugar or a combination of both.
Peach cobbler
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Turkey neck bones
Hog maw salad
Pickled pigs' feet
Pigs' feet can be cooked in a variety of ways, but pickling them holds a special place in Southern cuisine. Once prepared and locked inside the jar, there is usually no need for the pickled pigs' feet to be refrigerated until you open the jar to have a snack!
Chitterlings
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Chitterlings
Jambalaya
Smoked pork shoulder
Soul food very often consists of smoked pork meats, such as ham hocks and hog jowls. Another favorite is pork shoulder, which is often smoked with hickory wood chips for flavor and used as pulled pork.
Pork ribs
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Jambalaya
Fatback
Chitterlings
Hoppin' John
Hoppin’ John is typically made out of black-eyed peas and rice with some sort of salted meat added. The dish originated along the South Carolina coast and spread throughout the other Southern states.
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