1. Cornbread dressing
   Peach cobbler
2. Black-eyed peas
   Mustard greens

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.

1. Caramel cake
   Hush puppies
2. 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.

1. Seafood gumbo
   Hog jowl
2. Offal
   Chicken and dumplings

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.

1. Cornbread dressing
   Macaroni and cheese
2. Banana pudding
   Peach cobbler

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.

1. Sweet potato pie
   Cornbread
2. Cat head biscuits
   Sour cream pound cake

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.

1. Chicken and dumplings
   Hoecake
2. Grits
   Hush puppies

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.

1. Mustard greens
   Chitterlings
2. Okra
   Seafood gumbo

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.

1. Monkey bread
   Pecan pie
2. Peach cobbler
   Creamed corn

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.

1. Pork ribs
   Chicken and dumplings
2. Fried fish
   Chicken-fried steak

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.

1. Blackberry cobbler
   Caramel cake
2. Sweet potato pie
   Hoecake

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.

1. Collard greens
   Candied yams
2. Seafood gumbo
   Cabbage rolls

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.

1. Peach cobbler
   Blackberry cobbler
2. 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.

1. Banana pudding
   Creamed corn
2. Sour cream pound cake
   Cornbread

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.

1. Black-eyed peas
   Mustard greens
2. Cabbage rolls
   Okra

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.

1. Hoecake
   Chicken-fried steak
2. Hush puppies
   Southern-fried potatoes

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.

1. Cornbread dressing
   Sweet potato pie
2. 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.

1. Ham hocks
   Black-eyed peas
2. Grits
   Hoecake

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.

1. Red beans and rice
   Black-eyed peas
2. Cat head biscuits
   Hoppin' John

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.

1. Monkey bread
   Sweet potato pie
2. Hash browns
   Southern fried potatoes

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.

1. Fatback
   Southern fried catfish
2. Giblets
   Offal

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.

1. Jambalaya
   Pork ribs
2. Fried fish
   Smoked pork shoulder

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.

1. Creamed corn
   Cornbread dressing
2. Southern-fried potatoes
   Turnip greens

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.

1. Banana pudding
   Pecan pie
2. Red velvet cake
   Blackberry cobbler

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.

1. Seafood gumbo
   Fried chicken
2. Southern-fried catfish
   Chitterlings

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.

1. Hash browns
   Candied yams
2. Cornbread dressing
   Caramel cake

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.”

1. Southern fried catfish
   Hush puppies
2. 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.

1. Cabbage rolls
   Okra
2. Turnip greens
   Creamed corn

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.

1. Creamed corn
   Chicken and dumplings
2. 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!

1. Cornbread dressing
   Red velvet cake
2. 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.

1. Giblets
   How maw salad
2. 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.

1. Red velvet cake
   Hoecake
2. Sour cream pound cake
   Pecan pie

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.

1. Giblets
   Ham hocks
2. Pickled pig's feet
   Chicken-fried steak

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.

1. Blackberry cobbler
   Candied yams
2. 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.

1. Ham hocks
   Cat head biscuits
2. Hush puppies
   Cornbread

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.

1. Cabbage rolls
   Mustard greens
2. Southern fried potatoes
   Fatback

Cabbage rolls are popular in Louisiana Creole cuisine. The stuffing is typically made from ground pork, rice and vegetables.

1. Chicken and dumplings
   Red beans and rice
2. Smoked pork shoulder
   Hoppin' John

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.

1. Grits
   Pecan pie
2. Southern-fried potatoes
   Peach cobbler

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.

1. Turkey neck bones
   Hog maw salad
2. Pickled pigs' feet
   Chitterlings

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!

1. Chitterlings
   Jambalaya
2. Smoked pork shoulder
   Pork ribs

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.

1. Jambalaya
   Fatback
2. 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.