A unique spread

Because North Carolina’s gastronomic influences are drawn from a range of cultural traditions, the region’s food is characterised by a unique variety of flavours, herbs and spices that make it something quite special.

As well as sampling our great food, no visitor should leave without trying our drinks. Treat yourself to a glass of sweet iced tea, or a wine tasting at one of North Carolina’s many vineyards – just follow the wine route and let everything fall into place.

Sumptuous selected seafood

On North Carolina’s southern coast is Calabash, the picturesque one-time fishing village that modestly calls itself the “Seafood Capital of the World”. This tiny port shaded by large oaks has become synonymous with a style of cooking that involves corn meal battering and frying.

Hush puppies accompany every meal. They are made from cornmeal, flour, eggs and sugar, and maybe some chopped onion and sweet milk. Dropped into hot grease and fried to a golden brown, they often reach the table before the chair is even warm.

There is an abundance of seafood restaurants in Calabash, with one per 10 residents. Arguments often flare up over who opened the first local “fish camp”: the Becks or the Colemans. In the 30s, both families were already holding outdoor Oyster Roasts. Both had moved their operation inside by 1940, and had added the now-famous fried seafood to their repertoire.

A frequent diner at Coleman’s during this era was entertainer Jimmy Durante. Lucy Coleman remembers that he always jokingly called her Mrs. Calabash. Jimmy Durante later began closing his shows by saying, “Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are”.

The town’s fame grew, and other restaurants opened to meet the increasing demand. By the 1960s, large crowds from nearby Myrtle Beach were flowing into the small community nightly to get a taste of Calabash.

Calabash soon attracted national attention, and restaurants across the South began advertising Calabash-style seafood. From north to south along North Carolina’s coast, fish and shellfish were being dipped in evaporated milk, coated with a dry bread mixture (not a batter) and deep fried. This style of seafood preparation is still a hands-down favourite, and is almost universally called “Calabash-style”.

Another North Carolina specialty is the Oyster Roast. A common practice in coastal regions for generations, it traditionally involves cooking fresh oysters on a sheet of roofing tin a few inches above a bed of coals. Today it’s more common to use a gas grill, but the popularity of Oyster Roasts endures.

Catch of the day: freshwater fish

High in North Carolina’s mountains, you’ll find some of the world’s tastiest mountain trout. In fact, three varieties of this dappled delicacy – rainbow, brook and brown trout – are served in our quaint inns and restaurants. You can even catch them with your own fishing rod. Enjoy them pan-fried, grilled, steamed or smoked.

Bring on the barbecue

Far and away the most popular culinary institution in North Carolina is barbecue food (left). It’s more than just a method of preparing food; it’s a way of life, and the unofficial “state dish.”

In North Carolina, barbecue means roast pork cooked very slowly in one of two styles: eastern style or Lexington style. The former requires a whole hog, whereas the latter uses only pork shoulders. Both use a low fire of oak or hickory, which lasts most of the day. Remember, this is North Carolina, so there’s no need to hurry your food!

At a traditional hog roast, or pig pickin’ as it is sometime called, the hog is laid upon the grill over the flames and doused with sauce before the lid is closed. As soon as it is, someone volunteers to crack open a bottle of something stronger than tea.  For the rest of the day the roasting team stands around and watches the pig, lifting the lid roughly every hour and splashing the meat with sauce. It’s gruelling and remarkably thirsty work!

There are certain towns that have developed a reputation for having the best barbecue joints. They include Goldsboro, Kinston and Wilson in the east and Lexington, Greensboro and Salisbury in the west. Lexington, for example, boasts 20 barbecue restaurants for a population of just 17,000. There is even talk of a Barbecue Trail!  Each year, Lexington hosts the Barbeque Festival, which draws over 100,000 people.

Vineyards and wineries galore

The legacy of North Carolina’s wine industry reportedly has its roots in Sir Walter Raleigh’s colony on Roanoke Island, where the first scuppernong vine was cultivated. For more than a century, vineyards and wineries have perpetuated the agricultural tradition that is the heart of North Carolina.

North Carolina’s rich farmland and mild climate contribute to the success and variety of grapes grown across the state, helping us to produce more than 500,000 gallons of wine annually. Winemakers mix a variety of grapes such as native muscadines with other fruits that are grown in North Carolina to create wine with a superior and unique flavour.

The Yadkin Valley is fast becoming a centre of North Carolina wine production due to the micro-climate found along the front range of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where the Yadkin River flows. The wineries of the Yadkin Valley are all within close proximity to Winston-Salem, and guided day trips are available.

Anyone for DO’NUTS?

For the state’s sweetest speciality, try a Krispy Kreme doughnut, one of the South’s most divine foods. Founded in 1937 by Vernon Rudolph in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Krispy Kreme started off as a regional delight, but its glazed goodness has now spread way beyond Dixie.

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All images are courtesy of North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. Bill Russ, Photographer