What Georgian Food Should You Try?

You're in luck! You need to get yourself some black-eyed peas! It's a well-known tradition in the south that it's lucky to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, so perhaps you need to take a trip to Georgia come the turn of the calendar. Mix it with some rice and pork, and you've got yourself a traditional southern dish called 'Hoppin' John'. Enjoy!

Southerners are serious about their barbecue. They prefer to use pork over any other meat and love this low-maintenance food that can easily feed a party. None of that Carolina-style, vinegar-based variety in Georgia, you're getting a sweet, tomato-based sauce and keep your coleslaw on the side, would ya?

Beans, corn, okra, meat, and a thick base of yummy tomato flavor, what else could you want? You can get three food groups in one! If you wanna go real traditional, try it with squirrel, opossum, or rabbit meat, but we'll let you get away with pork or beef. Leave the chicken stew to the Yankees. Make sure you have some cornbread on the side for dipping! Best served with sweet tea.

Get your veggies right here, cooked to perfection with the right flavor and texture. As healthy as you want them to be, depending on how much salt you add. They're a bit of an acquired taste, so don't run away too quick. You can't leave any behind, because you know in the south an empty plate is a happy plate. Collards as we sometimes call them are traditionally eaten on New Year's Day, so if you're in Georgia for the holiday, make sure to order 'em up.

Peanuts! Get yer peanuts right here! Boiled peanuts are best made from raw or 'green' peanuts because they're still moist. This is quite a salty snack, so make sure to have a drink handy! We recommend at all glass of sweet tea. Made with real sugar and lots of it. Your best bet if you can find it is to buy them from a roadside stand on your travels. The locals in the small towns sure know how to cook 'em and they're a great snack for the car.

Fun to say, fun to eat. This tangy treat will hit your craving for something tart and something fried. Made from unripe (green) tomatoes coated with cornmeal then fried, once you try them, you'll start looking for them on every menu. They're also a great bar food to pair with a good beer and share with friends, or an appetizer to order for the table. Crispy, slimy, yumminess!