Brit Reacts to Southern Comfort Foods You Need To Try Before You Die

[@lebamadness]

Gizzards are not chicken balls, they are part of the chicken's stomach. You do realize that the outer casing of all sausages are intestines.

[@evilproducer01]

Sort of a stomach. Think of it a kind of a pre-stomach. Birds have no teeth, so they typically eat small stones that reside in the gizzard, when the chicken eats seeds or grains, the stones and seeds/grain are mashed around in the gizzard and the grain is ground up into smaller, digestible pieces that then go to the stomach. The gizzards are surrounded by tough muscles, which is the part that is eaten, while the inner part is cleaned/trimmed off.

[@TexasRose50]

@lebamadness, sorry, but you are wrong. I buy the skinless sausage. It may not be on your area but it’s in mine. Just saying….

[@o_krush67]

@@TexasRose50 Only "naturally cased" sausage and even then are pretty much not pig intestines.

[@reubenchester1217]

Teach him... every culture eats chittling Whether they like it or not.. Every type of sausage with natural casing is shitlands

[@vickiz6076]

Only natural casing sausages use the small intestines, chitlins are the larger intestines…that’s why the smell..yuck! If it’s not natural casing it’s using a plastic type casing…casing less ones are just removed from before packaging

[@dawnyoung2294]

Hush puppies don’t have potatoes in them . They’re like corn bread bites that are fried instead of baked . They are delicious

[@avidrdr5640]

Right, and more explicitly, hush puppies were traditionally corn bread batter with added minced onions and deep fried in oil, after it was used to fry catfish. Growing up near the Black Warrior River, which has some of the biggest catfish in the country, and being the daughter of an avid fisherman, I grew up on it.

[@bettyir4302]

@@avidrdr5640 Set out big bowls of hushpuppies for teens and see what happens.

[@avidrdr5640]

@@bettyir4302 Oh yeah

[@msj7872]

My mom made the best hush puppies. And, of course fried chicken.

[@hoodmistressreloaded]

​@@avidrdr5640 There are a lot of fish markets in my area that serve hush puppies just like this, with the minced onions. I used to get them with a cod dinner plate (before I had to drastically cut back on fried food), and they were plumb tasty 😋

[@tammycenter8757]

Red Eye gravy is made with the drippings of Country ham not just any old ham. Country ham is salty and delicious and red eye gravy with country ham and cat head biscuits is one of my favorite meals. My grandmother served it every Christmas morning for breakfast and I still follow that tradition today.

[@SuperFriendBFG]

The Gravy in Biscuits and Gravy is surprisingly good. You get that richness from the cream / milk while it also serves as a great absorber for that sausage flavor seeping into it as you cook. And any decent cook will make it hearty. The one in the video seems to use too much thickener for my tastes though.

[@laurendavis507]

Yeah, way too thick and the cheese slices threw me off

[@nininoona]

Some people have already said this, but I'll reiterate it: A lot of Southern cooking comes from the mentality of "Waste not, want not." When I was young, my parents taught me how to grow my own fruit and veg, hunt for my meats, make my own bread, care for farm animals, and even sew my own clothes. Not because they wanted to, or because they were niche skills to have, but because that was the only way we could survive. And I am not talking like in great depression times either, this was the 80s. This is why you get recipes like chitlins, potlikker, and bitter greens cooked for hours until their tender and sweet.

[@misslora3896]

Can't forget road kill stew.

[@nullakjg767]

It mostly comes from poverty.

[@kellyjo7280]

It's good stuff... poverty or not!

[@virginiaoflaherty2983]

A real true southerner will break up corn bread into the pot likker and eat it with a spoon. You can get great recipes and how to videos for all this delicious food on You Tube. Those biscuits and gravy looked terrible. I've never seen it with that much meat. Find videos made by middle aged southern women in their own kitchens. Like Celebrating Appalachia, as real as it gets.

[@5Gburn]

​@@virginiaoflaherty2983Also didn't the meat look undercooked? I'm used to darker sausage bits...or am I going crazy?

[@DarrellPursiful]

A lot of these "unusual" meats are actually fairly rare even in the South, but they're often the "comfort food" of families that grew up in conditions of great poverty or even enslavement. You eat what you can catch (squirrel, alligator, etc.) to supplement what you grow on the farm-which you stretch as far as you can, even chicken gizzards and chitlins. Pinto beans with corn bread still reminds me of home. I'd probably eat it three times a week if I could.

[@patclark3024]

I love cornbread and pinto beans, with homemade hot chow chow and onions. I make it several times a year. We pretty much lived on fried potatoes, beans and cornbread when I was a kid

[@kennethvaughan8195]

I don’t know…. Them meats are still served quite regularly amongst my kinfolks. Extra incentive to go visit right about supper time.

[@urstrulypalmer83]

Hush puppies is bread and I love them❤

[@DarrellPursiful]

@@kennethvaughan8195 I understand, but he doesn't need to assume they'll be on the menu at restaurants--unless a local knows where to take him. 🙂

[@kennethvaughan8195]

@@DarrellPursiful no I’ve not seen any wild game at restaurants. In fact, under the lacy act it is very illegal to sell wild game or a game fish. Hunting has been a way of life for our family. Also we were a very poor family when I was a kid growing up. I will say that because my income is a lot better I don’t eat as much game as I use to but I surely won’t turn it down. Lol. I sure enjoy his videos and wouldn’t want to misguide him. :)

[@elysegnade9967]

The UK waged a 400+ year war on spices and ya'll don't even use them 😂 But on a side note: you'd love these foods. I've had almost every dish mentioned and it's difficult to determine which one is my favorite. However, the one I tend to have more often is biscuits and gravy. It's just so comforting and tasty 😋 Edit: I can't believe the video didn't include chocolate gravy. That's a staple in certain areas of the south.

[@brittanyteague1008]

Chocolate gravy is amazing!

[@jeremyjones8663]

FYI: Chicken fried steak is actually beef deep fried with gravy. If you want heavenly goodness in your mouth opt for chicken fried chicken. The difference is amazing!! Hope to meet up with you in America!

[@cynthiawofford-wc1mf]

Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy is high on my comfort food list. Heavy on the gravy...

[@proxyminer6876]

Isn't chicken fried chicken just fried chicken 😂😂😂 just teasing cause I couldn't help myself

[@alankemper4068]

I am not a fan of tomatoes but FRIED GREEN TOMATOES are A-MAZ-ING.

[@nativetexan9776]

I am from Texas and my girlfriend is from the north (Oregon). I made some fried green tomatoes and she is addicted to them now. That and fried Okra.

[@jodiroth5934]

I'm the same way! Can't stand regular ones but, give me all the fried green tomatoes!

[@bamachine]

Yeah, I don't really like raw tomatoes, like cooked tomatoes/sauce and love fried green tomatoes.

[@alankemper4068]

I'm 70 and like you all my life hated raw tomatoes. Suddenly at age 60 I found I like raw tomatoes, sometimes craving them. Still blows my mind.

[@rachelkrumpelman5131]

Try sprinkling a little cumin on sliced tomatoes 🍅 of course salt too

[@nativetexan9776]

I could eat fried okra all day and all night and never get tired of it.

[@TexasRose50]

As long as it’s nice and crispy.

[@tammycenter8757]

Burgoo is a dish that originated in Kentucky. It is made with Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Peas and 5 different types of meat along with copious amounts of Bourbon. It is cooked until the meat falls apart. It usually has Chicken. Pork. Beef. Rabbit and Venison. It is served with white non sweet corn bread baked to perfection in a cast iron skillet with bacon grease. We even have several Burgoo festivals each year.

[@howshows888]

Ambrosia, and jello salads in general are more popular in the south, but to most people in the U.S, they're something we left in the 1950s. I can't comment on the taste, though I've seen a lot of people try it who really like it. It's the sort of thing that's really easy to mess up, also proven by countless youtube videos, attempting to recreate the weirder recipies, so if you are interested, I'd research before buying, (or making.)

[@emmcccllkk7780]

Biscuits with sausage gravy when done the right way is sooooo good. Chicken pot pie, peach cobbler, hushpuppies, pecan pie, southern mac and cheese, and sweet potato casserole are also must tries No thanks on gizzards, chitlens though lol. I'm from the south and have never tried them. Also, ambrosia is something I've only ever seen my grandmother from north carolina make; it's a pretty old school dish.

[@chrispavlich9656]

Gizzards, if fried right are very good. I draw the line at chittlings though😖

[@ErinStev64]

I’ve had fried chicken gizzards and livers with white gravy. It’s good. I draw the line at chitlins! Lol

[@geekasauruswreks8789]

My best friend grew up in Ohio and Florida and makes an ambrosia that's amazing. It's pineapple, mandarins, min-marshmallows and also has sour cream. Those are just the ingredients I remember. I'm sure there are others. She makes it a lot because everyone that tries it loves it.

[@dannyzuko420]

Gumbo isnt always made with seafood. Chicken and Sausage Gumbo is an alternative that bangs as well and some people prefer it over seafood.

[@tvc1848]

Yeah, I have eaten 10 times more chicken and sausage gumbo that seafood. They are both good but it seems like chicken and sausage is way more common.

[@miguelserna793]

Chicken and sausage is my preferred version too. Andouille combines with chicken very well and makes the best Gumbo.

[@laurahayes8784]

Chicken pot pie does look strange, but if you imagine that you’re eating a chicken puff pastry baked sandwich with thick cream of chicken stoup (between soup and stew thickness) and you’ve broken up the sandwich, put it in the bottom of the bowl and poured the stoup over it to get both flavors in each bite. It’s delicious and filling and love in a cup.

[@BucketOfFail]

I think part of the reason a lot of people in the US don't like the idea of beans on toast is because our baked beans are different than the ones in the UK from what I've seen on British cooking youtube channels. I will also say that you do want good chunks of sausage in the gravy, but that was almost all sausage and no gravy! You want it to soak in to the biscuits and add all that flavor to every bite.

[@southernwanderer7912]

I live in the U.S. but when I do beans on toast, it's usually lima beans or field peas cooked with bacon in them over toast. Never did baked beans over toast.

[@BucketOfFail]

I live in TN and you can get cans of the British Heinz baked beans at Publix grocery stores. In the international aisle they usually have a tiny UK section with different kinds of British biscuits and candy, marmite, Irnbru, and a few other popular foods from the UK.@@southernwanderer7912

[@bettyir4302]

@@southernwanderer7912 We were eating out once in Waco, TX and I ordered the lima beans. There I was, bawling my eyes out because it was just like grandma's. Yes, I make lima beans but it was a shock to have it at a restaurant.

[@reginairvine3919]

I live in Louisiana but grew up with a yankee dad so he always made me pork and beans between two slices of white bread. I still eat it to this day. Also...that "white" gravy had too much sausage in it.

[@virginiarobbins7539]

Big overkill on that sausage

[@paigeharrison3909]

Fried green tomatoes don't taste anything like red tomatoes. And if you hate tomatoes you probably are getting them from a grocery store. Get fresh ones, vine ripened, from a farmer's market. Or better yet, grow your own. Easy to grow in containers. Lucky to be from Texas (food wise, anyway) Southern, BBQ, Cajun,Tex-Mex. And in Houston you can get killer Vietnamese food. One of the first thing I learned to cook was biscuits and gravy. Gravy from scratch, but I was taught to make biscuits with Buis-Quick (sp?) mix.

[@mellycook]

Ya I’m not huge on tomatoes so I was scared to try fried green but there good. Biscuits and gravy are great but that gravy was way to thick

[@jameydupuy9280]

Bis-quick. My husband's family even makes the strawberry short cake recipe on the box [cajun country] back home, we layer with pound cake or angel food cake depending on taste/ whip cream/ strawberries. 😊

[@bettyir4302]

Ack, can't stand Bis-quick. Too salty or something. It was the only flour-like product I could find during the recent shortages. But it does make for good beer biscuits.

[@KyleCoEntertainment]

I'm from Alabama. Take it from a Southerner! DON'T EAT CHITTERLINGS! Redeye gravy is Gooood! Crawfish is excellent.

[@americansmark]

Chitterlings are an acquired taste. I don't mind them, but it's not something I'd go out of my way to eat. Pork rinds, otoh....Chef's kiss.

[@TexasRose50]

Catfish is also great! There’s a restaurant where I buy mine from. Already deep fried.

[@lorireed8046]

​@@americansmarkI couldn't stand the smell when cooking. Chitterlings is never anything I'll touch.

[@kattat919]

Yeah deep fried pork rinds oh my goodness I Haven't a had any in Forever ever I want some so bad now❤

[@lorireed8046]

@@kattat919 I buy them everytime I travel. Baked or fried. Sometimes cracklings

[@suepall5425]

Biscuits and gravy is made with breakfast sausage. It doesn't look good in a video, but is really delicious with spicy breakfast sausage throughout (which is the chunky meat you see).

[@Icantbelievethisshit2]

White gravy is called Milk gravy here. Plain or with sausage or chipped beef over biscuits is a slice of heaven. Key to the gravy is to carmelize the butter, then add the flour and get it just shy of burnt before adding the milk. Salt/pepper to taste. This is passed down over generations😊

[@caroo2232]

The best boiled peanuts are ones from a roadside stand on a rural road from a guy with a sign that says “P-Nuts.” Sometimes you can’t help eating part of the shell because they’re so soft, but I don’t know many people who eat the shells on purpose. My favorite way to eat pimento cheese is on a burger. I even had a burger once with pimento cheese and a fried green tomato.

[@SipsNumberOneFan]

Best boiled peanuts I've ever had were sold from a folding table hidden under the football bleachers at a marching band competition in SC. I was kinda mad after I left high school knowing I'd probably never vet to eat them again.

[@jeffpierce400]

Your reactions to southern American foods are priceless. I really hope you get to try all you want to at some point. It IS very good to eat, but get ready to have to buy bigger clothes. 😊

[@susanobrien9917]

I do not understand why you do not have more followers 😢 you deserve to be know. I absolutely adore your comments and how you seem to really love things about the USA🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@tammyedwards-buchin3193]

Me and my 3 grands just had a pot of pintos with ham hock and tomato and mayo sandwiches. I have lived all over the US from north to south and east to west including Alaska and Hawaii and I always come back to the southeast. It's just home. And Mac n cheese is wonderful with bacon. Love watching you react, your facial expressions are so good.

[@protonneutron9046]

You're right. The gravy in this video is NOT from the South

[@amyparker5686]

Many of the meals in the South come from our Scottish and Irish ancestors and the need to make use of EVERYTHING! Way back when nothing was wasted! Every part of the animal was used. Redeye gravy came about when coffee was left over and something was needed to deglaze the frying pan. Bread pudding came about with leftover bread that wasn't about to get wasted.

[@RogCBrand]

And in the U.K., they used to also eat everything too, but for some reason they got away from that. Perhaps because most of their population is urban, and there is really no true wild areas left, so a lot of the old ways died out, while there's still a lot of America where people still hunt and live off the land, or at least continue those traditions!

[@southernwanderer7912]

Very true. I live in the Deep South and have ancestors that moved here in 1760 from Scotland.

[@rachelkrumpelman5131]

This is so true. I feel my Grandma Lucille smiling down on me whenever I make a roast chicken dinner, then chicken salad, then boil the rest of the bird for bone broth and make chicken soup. 3 meals from 1 bird. Thanks, Grandma, for teaching me! Well, allowing me to spy on you!! 😂

[@southernwanderer7912]

@@rachelkrumpelman5131 I do the same thing. :)

[@danieltroymont211]

Your intuition was correct. Don’t put ground sausage in the cream gravy. Made from a roux and the meat drippings left in the pan. Many recipes found online. Slowly wisk the liquid into the roux, stirring gravy until smooth. Best with Chicken Fried Steak, fried chicken, fried pork chops, and served over a freshly baked biscuit. One great Texas cook I knew used the starchy potato water from the mashed potatoes to make her gravy. Love your videos!

[@Dewdropmon]

Grits, boiled peanuts, red beans and rice (or black beans or black-eyes peas), hushpuppies, biscuits and gravy are some of my favorite things. Proper southern macaroni and cheese is one of my comfort foods. Even though I love sweet potatoes, I don’t tend to like sweet potato casserole because most people make it way too sweet. I also don’t care for mustard greens; never had mustard greens that weren’t bitter.

[@tammyblankenship8742]

Now you know why we have such an obesity problem in the U.S. lol. We have a lot of good food over here. Especially, in the south where I've grown up. I have to say I've never eaten chicken gizzards or chitlins and don't ever plan to. However, I did grow up with my parents and grandparents making so much good southern food. My mom made awesome gravy. She even had a version of white gravy where she would use hamburger meat instead of sausage. It was so good over biscuits or potatoes and she always made it from scratch. My dad used to make the best roast and brown mushroom gravy. My grandpa used to make absolutely delicious chow chow. His spicy version ended up evolving into a sort of contest to see who could actually eat it and how much lol. My uncle got me to try fried rabbit and rabbit dumplings. Rabbit is actually very good. It tasted like a lighter version of chicken to me.

[@sugakookie6303]

My dad was in the army and he called hamburg in white sauce SOS, we used to have it on toast…

[@tammyblankenship8742]

@@sugakookie6303 Was trying not to say what she called it. SOS seems a good enough abbreviation. lol

[@misslora3896]

​@@sugakookie6303YES... SOS aka Shit On a Shingle. Haven't heard it called that in ages. My mother or I will still make it from time to time, especially in winter, but nowadays we simply call it hamburger gravy.

[@kirstenmorris4314]

😅As a young and poor housewife in the early 80s my husband would bring home wild rabbits after field dressing them so I had to learn to skin them. I also learned how to make amazing sweet and sour rabbit.

[@Knightowl1980]

Southern food is the quintessential American cuisine. It’s mostly original. And our contribution to world cuisine, that and Texas bbq

[@DebbiesSanctuary49]

LOL! This guy is absolutely lusting after the food here! His eyes are lit up like crazy. Love it!

[@silverstrawberry617]

My dad usually makes his jambalaya when our whole family gets together. It's a great food for big gatherings and is one of my favorite foods along with crawfish and shrimp dishes. My sister is partial to crawfish etouffee while my brother tends to stray towards catfish.

[@josephmedford2233]

Chicken fried steak is the bomb diggity yo. So easy to make at home too. Google a recipe, it's hard to imagine a bad one. You have all the ingredients there in the UK too.

[@MegaMagicdog]

I've made ambrosia before. Not bad but a little too sweet for me. The recipe I used had whipped cream - certainly no mayo! Some people use Cool Whip.

[@TexasRose50]

Sour cream works good for me.

[@leadingblind1629]

My Ambrosia is made with fruit cocktail, marshmallows, and either a gelatin or pistachio pudding powder. there's another ingredient or two for the semi-liquid binding. it's been so long since I've made it I can't really remember. I think I use marshmallow fluff.

[@islanderjen3038]

Pacific Islander here. When I first moved to the States I've never heard of ambrosia salad until a coworker brought it to an office potluck. I was like "Oh, that's what it is. Back home it's just called fruit salad." 😂

[@elciniak2225]

Yep I agree. Nooooooo mayo

[@pturco2285]

@@leadingblind1629 As a Floridian, ours always had citrus fruit in it as well. Plus maraschino cherries, cocoanut, whatever you could get fresh. Always had it on Thanksgiving. We never had a "binder" like whipped cream, always just fruit. Must be a regional thing. Loved it.

[@missyglover]

I stumbled across this channel and I’m loving your reactions to all things American! I do hope you make it over, and have an opportunity to visit the deep south. I am from South Georgia, and “southern” foods are very regional to different areas of the south. Although we each have our own version of certain traditionally southern dishes, they can be very different depending on who makes it and what region you’re in. So if you try it and don’t care for it, don’t count it out, try it again from someone else’s kitchen. There can be a sense of identity in how you make a certain dish, and family recipes have been passed down for generations. Texas has their own style, Louisiana stems from more French Cajun heritage, Georgia does it differently than the Carolina’s, or the Appalachian region, etc….Folks can get really picky about the “right” way to make things. If you’ve ever been to a southern cook off, a southern church supper, or a family reunion, there’s a sense of pride comparable to SEC football. I did cringe a little at her description of certain things. For heavens sake dumplins are made from scratch with buttermilk and properly rolled out. Hush puppies are not remotely like potato chips. Pot liquor is to be sopped with cornbread, not drank. And the best southern fried steak with gravy is made with venison and served with cream 40s, cat head biscuits, and peach cobbler for dessert. Also, if you make it down south and are looking for authenticity, don’t trust anyone without a southern drawl or whose sweet tea doesn’t make your mouth sticky!!

[@sherryheim5504]

Biscuits and gravy does look off-putting but it is really delicious. What we call breakfast sausage in the US is not available in the UK. It is ground pork but it is a whole different set of seasonings than you will find in your sausage. It has a bit of a sage flavor as well as other spices. It is very much a comfort food and the gravy should be heavily seasoned with black pepper and I always caramelize onion for mine as well. Our biscuits differ from your scones in that they are crunchy on the outside and very light, fluffy and buttery on the inside. Sometimes the outsides are brushed with butter (and/or honey) while and after baking and some are actually baked in a bath of butter. I love them hot with honey and butter or jam. A chicken gizzard is part of the digestive tract, not testicles. I am guessing rooster testicles would be so small that harvesting them would be nearly impossible Deep fried chicken gizzards are good, KFC used to sell them by the pint but stopped years back. Your and our sausages are made inside animal intestines, usually pig intestines that is what that outside casing is. I don't eat chitlins through, they do smell horrible when cooking..though I feel the same about kidneys.

[@sylviaconlee7407]

I don't know anyone that eats the peanut shells.😂😂😂

[@lorireed8046]

I've known people that chewed on them...soft and full of flavor.

[@kimmjohnston4744]

Mayonnaise is typically used as a binder, a substitute for butter or dairy in general. It's easier to keep chickens than it is to keep cows.

[@kimmjohnston4744]

It's a heritage thing. A lot of US recipes are derivative of depression era culture or farm life in remote areas.

[@jonadabtheunsightly]

Yes, but mayonnaise-based fruit salad is just wrong. If you don't have Cool-whip, just use the fruit juice, it'll be fine. Put the mayonnaise in the chicken salad or the eggsalad or the coleslaw.

[@sandpiperr]

Southerner who hates mayonnaise here and, I don't care about the historical context, it's still a crime against dessert!

[@kimmjohnston4744]

Mayonnaise and double pork breakfast is white man plot armor.

[@kimberleedavis7170]

Pot Likker Is gold for the cook.Using it adds a hugh kick of flavor and nutrients. Something to keep in mind is that traditional Southern "Comfort Foods" and cooking were born out of poverty. Every bit of food needed to be used and made delicious. That is why wild foods both hunted and foraged; as well as things some folks consider inedible like Watermelon Rinds, Poke Weed, Chicory root etc which turned into: Watermelon Pickles, Substitute or extender for Coffee, and pot greens--became and are still celabrated as part of the Culture and Hertitage of the South.

[@bengilbert7655]

In North and South Carolina hushpuppies are also served with pulled pork bbq in addition to fried fish.

[@martyb5807]

Pepper gravy (chicken fries steak) and sausage gravy (biscuits and gravy) are different animals. They both start with a basic bechamel but diverge from there. Many times the sausage grease may give the sausage gravy a less appealing appearance but the flavor is out of this world. I think it gets less appealing looking if the biscuits are completely covered. Boiled peanut shells are very soft. You are not missing out if you never eat chitlin's. Nasty. You have to use smoked meat, red pepper flake and salt in collards. Cook the crap out of them. I use half and half water to chicken broth. Sometimes even a little chicken base. Bacon is not enough to properly flavor collards.

[@Whoozerdaddy]

But the gravy they showed in the video was sludge. Basically meat with a little gravy wrapped around it, rather than a delightful creamy, peppery gravy with bountiful chunks of spicy breakfast sausage swimming in it.

[@martyb5807]

@@Whoozerdaddy true that. They definitely could have used much better videos of most of the foods they highlighted.

[@CherlPhillips]

@@Whoozerdaddy, I agree, that sausage gravy looked nasty. My husband begs me to make scratch biscuits and gravy on the weekends, and mine looks very little like the one on the video. I also have never made gravy from a packet and do not use canned or frozen biscuits, though my momma did use canned biscuits on occasion.

[@josephmedford2233]

Here in the south, we have eaten squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, 'possum, bear, deer, grouse, pheasant, quail, crayfish, frogs, turtles, fish, turkey, groundhog, chicken. Gizzards ain't chicken balls, it's grosser. Gizzard is a digestive organ that stores small stones to grind food the chicken has ingested to break down fibers and other larger structures since chickens dont have teeth.

[@kikibigbangfan3540]

You missed rattlesnake and alligator. Yummies 😋

[@AndrewSmith-qw5kt]

🤮

[@paigeharrison3909]

I haven't eaten groundhog, turtle, possum or raccoon, but have eaten all the rest. Have lived in Texas and Oklahoma, but spent time in Florida and South Carolina. We'll eat pretty much anything in the South, even stuff that tries to eat us. Can't say I was fond of frog legs, but it was a favorite of my father

[@tatejackson1969]

I'm in TN. I've eaten everything on your list except Groundhog. I don't like mud bugs (crayfish), 'possum is terrible. Bear has to be eaten while piping hot or it has the consistency of wax (because of the fat). I haven't eaten groundhog, but that's just because we had one as a pet. I have eaten 2 different types of snake. They both tasted more like chicken than frog legs. And I've eaten gates. They tastes like a combo of fish and chicken. Not bad, just different. Basically, if an animal sits too long in the South, we're gonna eat it. We'll cry watching Bambi WHILE eating the mother!!!

[@AndrewSmith-qw5kt]

@@kikibigbangfan3540 🤮

[@barbarakennedy2667]

My favorite hush puppies are flavored with grated onion mixed into the thick cornbread batter. I have also enjoyed some that included finely chopped jalapeño, a great treat with a pot of beans.

[@donzapatero4808]

Gizzard is a special throat pouch that holds seeds before they enter the stomach. Birds will usually swallow small rocks that fall into the pouch and use then to break up the seeds more before they enter the stomach

[@Kris-yr3zc]

Chicken fried steak for dinner 🍽, side of buttery mashed potatoes, corn or bacon greenbeans, country biscuits (not cookies), smother it all with country gravy, and pecan pie for dessert.

[@patclark3024]

Change it to peach cobbler, and I'll agree

[@Kris-yr3zc]

@@patclark3024 Yep, I can surely gobble up some peach cobbler.

[@emmalondon3114]

If you come to the South, be prepared to gain some weight. It's hard to maintain a decent weight here. You MUST try fried green tomatoes, banana pudding and peach cobbler. You can Google recipes and make them yourself

[@virginiarobbins7539]

..I just put a huge bowl of banana pudding in fridge and made to smaller ones for a few single male friends of ours😂

[@debrahudson5917]

There are several southern comfort foods that my family loves. Chicken-fried steak with a loaded baked sweet potato and turnip greens is my favorite. My husband like fresh jambalaya with side orders of fried okra and cornbread. My dad loved chicken livers and gizzards (they are not chicken balls) with garlic mashed potatoes and a salad. Then for a treat we would go out for BBQ or Mexican food once a month.

[@jimcrawford3221]

I was a principal at a small country school (400 students, grades PK to 12) in southwest Louisiana along the Sabine River. Squirrel seasons opens on a Saturday. The Friday before the opening a lot of the kids were absent as they took off for their camp sites along the river. Saturday morning sounded like a war zone! I put the hunter safety class in my elective offerings for my students in middle school. The parts of the class that required shotguns was done on a Saturday at the local VFW.

[@laikanbarth]

If you come to America you definitely need to go to the South. Not only for the food but for the people too. People in the South are the kindest, nicest, most polite people I’ve ever met. I’ve been all over the USA and the South is my favorite place to go. I’m moving to Texas in a couple of months and I cannot wait!!

[@brandyforsythe1882]

Awesome! Definitely a food idea not to move in the summertime!

[@toddsonnier3763]

Awesome. Where in Texas? Lifelong Texan here

[@toddsonnier3763]

PS The heat index here today is 106 lol

[@TexasRose50]

Right now where I am at 5 pm, the heat index is 108.

[@NannerBrams]

95 where I am and a heat index of 109. Can't wait until it cools down

[@debbiewood13103]

Got to remember different food and the ways they make them vary from state to state or sometimes even town to town. Also what one state might make you may not find in another state. 😉

[@MegaMagicdog]

Not to mention family to family! Every family seems to have their own favorite version of something related to their cultural heritage!

[@RogCBrand]

@@MegaMagicdog Especially because people have moved a lot around America, so you can find Southerners in the North and New Englanders in the West, etc. It's like even the traditional Thanksgiving dinner isn't exactly the same for people, with minor to major differences for each family, and some that have few if any traditional Thanksgiving dishes. With 1/3 billion people and heritages from all over the world, there is lot more diversity to our food than people outside the U.S. comprehend!

[@rachelkrumpelman5131]

Exactly, like in NYC I wanted a creamy sausage gravy but basically got sh** on a shingle gravy. But, you know what?! Chipped beef in white gravy is freaking delicious, too!!

[@johnkopmeier3579]

I moved to Tennessee from Wisconsin 30 years ago, and I am never leaving the South. Forget the gizzards, and never, I mean never, go for the chitlins. They don't always have all of the intestinal contents slung out of them. Everything else on this list is the bomb.

[@paulafowler5099]

I've added strong black coffee to my beef gravy...it really boosts the flavor. Not to mention that when frosting a cake with chocolate, I replace the water with strong black coffee to make the icing. It's magic...pure and simple.

[@MagnusLootCrate]

Keeping in mind, a lot of our best foods came from the Great Depression. When moms had to come up with whatever to keep the family fed and going.

[@woozie1027]

The biscus and gravy are delicious

[@mellycook]

Yes they are but that gravy was way 2 thick

[@TexasRose50]

Way too much sausage and not enough gravy.

[@IAMJORDI0117]

I love watching your food videos! I love your enthusiasm for all of our food here in America

[@msnostil]

Southern food is "down home cooking" utilizing anything or everything available. Most people here don't eat squirrel or possum anymore but deer, quail, other wild game frequently if you hunt. We fry everything or boil it (pots). Its rib stickin' food, and we all eat it, white, black, Indian, mixed! My husband's granny taught him how to cook/bake southern and, even tho I'm a yankee, I love it! L.A. (lower bama)

[@matthewbrown7442]

My mom makes some of my favorite sweet snacks for thanksgiving. Its pear halves with miracle whip and shredded cheese on top. You'd be surprised how it goes together. So yes mayo and cheese can go with some fruit.

[@TexasRose50]

My father in law use to put a thin bed of lettuce on a small plate. Then he would put some Hellmans mayonnaise, then a pineapple ring, and to top it off, sprinkle some grated cheese. That was so good!

[@donnaneville192]

The gizzard is part of digestive tract of birds, it grinds up food. It is pure muscle and can be very tough if not prepared correctly. I don't care for it, but my parents loved it and my sister still cooks them on occasion.

[@giveupnow000]

jyk - usually these telegram comments - allegedly from the channel author, is a scam

[@jameydupuy9280]

Again, I'm from Savannah, Ga but moved to Baton Rouge, LA. Both very southern cities. One of my favorite meals is "sticky chicken". Chop up chicken, batter and deep fry. Set aside. Equal parts left over oil and flour, make a roux. Add broth, celery, onions, and bell pepper. Cook down then throw in the fried chicken and let thicken. Serve over rice with a side of collard greens, sweet corn bread and sweat iced tea. ❤

[@Deadpresident1973]

Your reactions are the best bro! Plus I agree with you, the chicken Fried steak with white gravy. it’s one of my favorites, when my wife gets it, she likes sausage gravy on it.

[@ruth2141]

My mother grew up in Scotland so she mostly cooked meat and potatoes with not a lot of sauces and spices. But I've now lived in the US South long enough that I've tried many of these dishes. As with most foods, they can be delicious when cooked properly and nasty when cooked badly. For instance, I never cared for cooked greens until I worked next door to a shopping mall with a Cajun stall in the food court. Their greens were amazing -- cooked until soft but still bright green and not mushy, with enough bacon so you get the flavor but not too much grease. And Friday they would have fried catfish, filets big enough that they don't quite fit in the Styrofoam container, hot and crisp and seasoned just right.

[@dangray]

A chicken gizzard is basically the stomach of the chicken.

[@briankirchhoefer]

Its the organ that grinds the food before it goes in the stomach for digestion.

[@debschwer2236]

I was laughing my ass off when you said chicken balls

[@patclark3024]

Gizzards are ok, but I prefer fried chicken livers. Delicious

[@caseymiller3540]

The gizzard is the organ that holds the small rocks “grit” a chicken eats to help pre-grind it’s food before going to the stomach. The small rocks have to be cleaned out of the gizzard before you cook them.

[@baskervillebee6097]

Chickens don't have teeth. They eat tiny rocks and their food is ground up small by the rocks in the gizzard.

[@jessicabones]

I love how excited you get about the food, if you’re ever in the states you’re welcome over for dinner!

[@misslora3896]

Hushpuppies are just cornbread batter deep fried in small spoonfulls so they come out kind of round. Easy to make, sweet, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and very tastey. BTW you or your GF could also make the white gravey at home, it's really easy as well. There are recipes for southern white gravy on the internet. Usually it's made with at least a little ground sausage for flavor (maybe 6 oz), milk, flour, pepper and a little salt to taste. It's comfort food heaven. I'm from Southern California, but spent 12 yrs of my adult life living in Southern Alabama and Texas... So, I have the benefit of knowing how to prepare southern comfort foods and authentic mexican dishes.

[@josephmedford2233]

Hushpuppies are cornbread nuggets with seasoning included in the batter.

[@carlhuffman454]

Life long Southerner here, and I have a comment about hushpuppies. The best ones I ever had I ate in Louisiana. The batter had finely chopped onions and hot peppers in it. Fried up to a nice crispiness, they were utterly delicious.

[@revgurley]

(US Southerner here) One of my oldest opinions is that human's greatest invention was fried dough with sugar on top. Beignets, donuts, churros. But beignets are incredible!! And when I make Brunswick Stew, it's a 24 hour affair of letting everything slow cook. Trust me, sausage gravy tastes MUCH better than it looks. Edit to add: I attended university in Atlanta, Georgia (south USA). It's tradition to get a bottle of Coke, and put salted boiled peanuts in the neck, and drink/eat during graduation. Good thing, too, because it's really hot, usually outdoors, and goes on forever. If you can find boiled peanuts, try it sometime. It's the salty/sweet combo that wins the day. Okay, sorry, one more comment: For a real "poor" southern meal, try making a banana & mayo sandwich. Cut the banana into round bits about the width of 2 coins, and place them around a piece of bread. On the other slice of bread, spread a light coating of mayonnaise (get real mayo, not "fake" or "Miracle Whip" or "dressing"). Sounds awful; tastes great! And if it doesn't, you're only out a banana and a bit of mayo.

[@lorireed8046]

I'm a Southern lady that hates seafood. ALL seafood.

[@lisawilham-pepper]

I love banana and mayonnaise sandwiches. Have been eating them forever. A babysitter I had in Germany while my dad was in the Army started me on eating them lol.

[@chrispavlich9656]

@@lisawilham-pepperMy husband was raised on those. We ate peanut butter and banana sandwiches, which I prefer. Can’t fathom putting mayo on any fruit unless you can’t handle the sweetness of the fruit.

[@diannelavoie5385]

Here in southeastern Massachusetts we have a strong Portuguese culture. Their version of fried dough are malassadas. Somewhat flat and so yummy.

[@easterlingderek34]

Breakfast, Dinner, Supper is how it is called in south.

[@catherinecummings8487]

I am originally from California. When I moved to Florida, OMG! My favorite diner breakfast food is the Country Benedict. And don't forget Southern sweet tea!

[@samuelstout1746]

Brunswick Stew is fire. It's different as you move through the South but all regions have found a perfect blend that pairs to the local cuisine

[@user-tw6pz5kv7j]

I live in Lafayette, La. and if ever you come to this area I would LOVE to cook some southern home cooked meals. Just give me a weeks notice!

[@user-rw3rs7fe3t]

Hush puppies were created in Charleston, South Carolina because the kitchen was separate from the house so the servants would cook the food and then walk to the house down a walkway that they called the Whistler walk. They had the servants whistle while they walked so they weren’t eating food so they was whistling they weren’t eating naturally if you’re walking around with food and whistling dogs are coming so they started rolling up cornmeal and onions and deep frying them and they would put them in their pockets. They would throw them to the dogs and that’s why they’re called hush puppies.

[@parithian8462]

They're called hush-puppies because they're the bits of cornmeal that would fall off while frying that you'd give to your dog who was begging while you cooked

[@colleenmayes1537]

My husband grew up eating squirrels but I told him that there was no way I was going to cook that for him! Told him to go get his Mom to make it for him.

[@RogCBrand]

My dad is a hunter, and when I was little, he'd got some bullfrogs. When I saw the legs "jumping" as they fried in the pan, that made sure I wasn't going to be eating that!

[@angb6561]

Making white gravy is easy! Just remember the recipe has a 1 to 1 to 1 ratio. Take 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine, melt it in a pot over med low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour. Mix together and cook slightly. Then add 1 cup of whole milk. Whisk together to incorporate everything. Add a little salt, maybe 1/2 teaspoon and 1 teaspoon (or more) black pepper. White gravy does have a bit of black pepper in it. Then stir and cook over medium heat until it thickens (takes maybe 5-10 minutes max.) This makes enough for one person. If you want to make enough for two then double it...2 to 2 to 2. FYI this is the same recipe you use for making Biscuits and Gravy. You just need to brown breakfast sausage in the pan first, THEN add/melt the butter in the same pan, then add the flour and after you add in the milk and whisk it together....put the sausage back in and cook until thickened. Find a recipe for biscuits online. Don't over work the dough when you mix them so they don't turn out TOO crumbly.

[@tomcren59]

Hush puppies are fried corn bread balls. Legend has it that dogs used to beg for food and the cooks would cook a small ball of corn meal and give it to the dogs saying "HUSH PUPPY"!

[@lindasmith1370]

My mom always made fruit salad with mayonnaise. The tartness of the lemon flavor actually works pretty well.

[@sugakookie6303]

The ambrosia my mother made was pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, mini marshmallows and cherries in whipped cream…

[@Eniral441]

Most of us don't eat squirrels anymore, but it was more popular in some parts during colonial times through the 1800s. It looks like the veg with the chicken fried steak is collard greens. Southern food is the far opposite of bland

[@shellnet411]

Maryland is in the south and it is the best hush puppies were when they were making the cornbread they would make little fried balls for the dogs to keep them from going after the food when they were cooking it hush puppy, but people eat them and they are so good especially if it's a good sweet cornbread with some cream corn in itcorn is amazing

[@garygramling5618]

If you make it to the US, find a Denny's restaurant and order breakfast: Chicken Fried Steak with eggs. Order biscuits and gravy on the side. They make the only chicken fried steak I like and it is absolutely amazing. You won't be disappointed. Also their biscuits and gravy will blow your mind.

[@pegasusgold50]

Yes. I was married to a midwestern hunter. Besides deer and wild turkey, we had squirrel, rabbit, quail, dove, frog legs, and crayfish, often. Chicken gizzards are NOT testicles. Chicken livers and gizzards is a really good snack.

[@Provoses]

Chitlins and several other dishes from the south were invented during the slavery era of the United States. Slaves were given the undesirable parts of the animals and just had to make do. They’re prepared really well and still prepared due to tradition but honestly a lot of it shouldn’t be consumed by humans.

[@chriswren2559]

when it comes to southern cooking always remember the Cajun cuisine... go to Louisiana the food is excellent etouffee jambalaya gumbo... no one has mentioned Boudin which is a Cajun sausage made with rice ground pork onions seasonings it's like a rice dressing packed with flavor. deep fried Boudin balls are a great appetizer!

[@meganhutcheson5867]

2:42 the longer you boil the Shell the softer it gets, so that’s what she was referring to when she said some people eat the whole shell.

[@brandonaston301]

Not sure why they show a terrible biscuits and gravy as the first picture. Gravy is definitely not supposed to be thick but instead ot should be runny with bits of sausage in it

[@mellycook]

As soon as I saw that I was like way to thick and why is there cheese

[@missouriluv]

Squirrel meat is actually pretty delicious. My grandma makes some amazing squirrel and dumplings. And my uncle makes pretty good fried squirrel. I dont have it very often but it is a treat when I do.

[@SnipesWildcat]

He said "breakfast, dinner, and tea?" I said what the fuck out loud lmao. Great video!

[@daricetaylor737]

Our family recipe for "ambrosia", or what we call 24 hour salad uses sour cream, not mayo or cream cheese. We call it 24 hour salad because it is always best eating when it has sat in the fridge for at least 24 hours! It is a staple on Thanksgiving dinner.

[@-EchoesIntoEternity-]

18:00 this is why we mock and laugh at your british beans on toast

[@melindaanderson6770]

There is nothing better than biscuits and gravy

[@georgemetz7277]

Hush puppies are basically fried batter. A big fish fry would see your neighbors all gather and contribute and the dogs would go off. So the left over batter was fried up and given to the dogs to shut them up. Some of the weird stuff like squirrel, or it could be possum, or gator, etc is not common in the South either but were a necessity during hard times. However, gator is pretty good, one of those things that actually tastes like chicken.

[@alankemper4068]

As a brit you should really appreciate pot liquor. The flavor of the veg, slightly salty,, SO GOOD. I would take pot liquor over hot tea or coffee anytime. Don't close your mind to it.

[@backforblood3421]

The gizzard is the part of the chicken where it stores small rocks for purposes of digestion.

[@user-ch5qd3uz3l]

"it's seasoned with black pepper" brit: "ooooooooh"

[@mattycakes1161]

A gizzard is an organ chickens (and other birds) use to grind food, they eat corn/seeds and swallow small rocks the gizzard uses to grind it up so it can be digested. They don't really have proper chewing teeth, so it's their version of a mouth with teeth.

[@alankemper4068]

squirl meat actually taste of nuts. Very tasty and is great in stews. Most people don't eat squirl, not sold in stores. It is mostly eaten by country folks.

[@staceybert1975]

It's pronounced Ben-Yah

[@angelagraves865]

@@staceybert1975 ben-yay?

[@BeautifulKittenOfLove]

We eat squirrels the same way you eat jellied eels....as in 90% have NEVER tried it.

[@katiel.3417]

I’m from NC and love a lot of these! The only ones I don’t like/don’t eat really are the chitlins, gizzards, and ambrosia. I went to college (university) in SC and our dining hall had biscuits and gravy as part of the breakfast offerings (along with your more common things like eggs, fruit, sausage, bacon, etc.), and I remember it being really good for dining hall/serving the masses sort of food! We also had fried chicken Fridays and those wonderful ladies were great at seasoning the chicken and also had some great mac and cheese as one of the sides to go with it! There’s a reason why I gained weight in college (university) 😂 One of the dishes I’m in charge of every year for thanksgiving is the sweet potato casserole, which a lot of people do overlook but shouldn’t! Thanksgiving foods are taken very seriously around here, so I first spent 3 years making it at “friends-givings” to prove I could do it well enough for the real holiday standard, and finally started making it for the actual holiday 3 years ago! For pies, my favorite are chocolate bourbon pecan and chocolate chess (basically any of the ones with chocolate lol). I hope you get to be like Josh and OLLY and have a good tour around the US/specifically the American south one day!

[@liamengram6326]

8:35 it is almost ALWAYS made with fruit and whipped cream. It's like peaches n cream but with a variety of fruit.

[@kikibigbangfan3540]

Green tomatoes taste nothing like red tomatoes, fried is sooo good 👍