11 things you're sure to find in the South
- The Southern part of the United States includes states like South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
- The region offers plenty of famous treats and delicacies, like king cake, Cheerwine, and soul food.
- The South is also the only place you can visit Florida's Walt Disney World and order from the fast-food chain Whataburger.
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I'm from South Carolina, and I can attest that when you're in the South, you just know it.
The Southern US typically includes Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma.
And although you can read about the region online and have many of its famous delicacies delivered to your door, there are still some words, food, places, and objects that are uniquely Southern.
Here are some things you're sure to find in the South, according to someone from the region.
In some parts of the South, it's not that uncommon to cross paths with an alligator.
Not counting the ones in zoos, American alligators are only really found in the wild in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, the Carolinas, and the surrounding states.
These alligators usually live in swampy areas and freshwater bodies of water, and you definitely want to keep your distance if you come across one.
Millions of tourists flock to Florida each year to visit Walt Disney World.
There are Disney theme parks around the world, but there is only one Walt Disney World Resort.
Established in 1971, the park is roughly the size of San Francisco (nearly 25,000 acres), typically employs around 77,000 people, and has millions of visitors each year.
And this park in Florida is the only place you can jam with the Country Bears at the Magic Kingdom, leave Earth on Epcot's Mission: Space, and zip around Everest at the Animal Kingdom all in the same weekend.
There are variations of soul food all over the world, and the South has its own flavor.
Soul food, which typically refers to dishes from the land-locked parts of the Deep South, usually consists of fiery, well-spiced food.
Recipes for dishes like fried chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, and stewed chitlins (hog intestines) can be traced back to enslaved African Americans, who were often forced to utilize unfavorable cuts of meat or leftover food.
But keep in mind that although soul food is Southern, not all Southern food is soul food. The main differences lie in spice (soul food is known to have a kick) and in history.
The South has some killer supermarket chains.
Each part of the US has some region-specific grocery-store chains: The Northeast has Wegmans, the Midwest has Fareway, and the West has Save Mart.
But if you've never been to popular supermarket chains in the South, like Publix, Winn-Dixie, or BI-LO, then you're missing out.
Each has its own special vibe, plus some products that could be tough to find somewhere else.
And what good is a regional grocery store without a few buggies?
While you're at one of the chains listed above, if someone asks if you want a buggy, they're not talking about the contraption for babies or the things pulled by horses.
In the deeper parts of the South, "buggy" is another way to say "shopping cart."
Whataburger is a staple in the South.
Although some iconic restaurant chains have since ventured north, Whataburger remains a regional treat for those living in or passing through the South.
Founded by Harmon Dobson in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950, the chain now has over 800 locations (the majority of which are in Texas) where you can order a Whataburger and a Whatachick'n sandwich.
For the past century, the fizzy, cherry-flavored soft drink known as Cheerwine has quenched thirsts across the South.
Created in 1917 in Salisbury, North Carolina, the Cheerwine soft-drink company has been run by the same family for decades.
Contrary to the name, there is no wine in the recipe for the soft drink — the "wine" is a nod to the dark-red color of the soda.
The brand has had some pretty clutch slogans too, including "Born in the South. Raised in a Glass," and, more recently, "Uniquely Southern."
Sure, you can buy Cheerwine online and in stores around the world, but there's something about walking into a BI-LO after Sunday service and getting a case for the family that can't be replicated anywhere else.
The South also serves up some iconic king cake, especially around Mardi Gras.
If your Mardi Gras didn't include a colorful pastry with a plastic baby inside, then your celebration was incomplete.
Louisiana-style king cakes are cinnamon-flavored pastries braided into a ring and covered with multi-colored icing and sprinkles, and they're popular during Mardi Gras season.
Said to have roots in France or Spain, this sweet treat is widely believed to be eaten in remembrance of the Biblical story where three wise men, or kings, arrived in Bethlehem to bestow gifts upon baby Jesus.
In and around New Orleans, the cake also contains a plastic baby (that represents Jesus), and whoever finds it in their slice gets to be king (or queen) for a day and is responsible for hosting next year's celebration.
Sure, you can order king cake from Louisiana bakeries like Caluda's King Cake Shop, but it's not the same as enjoying a fresh slice.
The South gave the world "Gullah Gullah Island," and the Gullah Geechee culture it shows is still preserved in the South today.
If you grew up in the 1990s, you may be familiar with the television show "Gullah Gullah Island," which starred Ron and Natalie Daise.
The South Carolina-based Nick Jr. show, which was inspired by St. Helena Island in South Carolina, has culturally rich roots, too.
"There is no real place called Gullah Gullah Island except on TV," Ron Daise said on an episode of CNN's "Great Big Story." He explained that the show is "based on the Gullah Geechee culture, which was passed on by enslaved West Africans" who were brought to the United States.
Beyond the TV show, Gullah Geechee people of the Southern coastal states, like Georgia and South Carolina, have preserved the culture, dialect, and traditions of their ancestors for hundreds of years.
A party in the South isn't complete without pimento cheese.
Even though it technically has roots in New York, pimento cheese is known as the "pâté of the South" because of just how popular and prevalent it is in the region.
Pimento cheese is a spread made from shredded cheese, mayonnaise, and pimentos (cherry peppers), and it's something you're sure to find at a Southern cocktail party or any occasion where noshing on crackers and mingling is appropriate.
Most hosts will make their own spread, though it's also sold in stores.
"Bless your heart" is the ultimate Southern diss.
"Bless your heart" may sound like a sweet phrase of endearment, but don't get it twisted. The phrase is basically the Southern way to express disapproval or let someone know you don't like them.
Although it depends on the situation and connotation, if someone says it to you, you have probably found a way to offend them but they are too dignified to lose their temper and chew you out for it.
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