Tennessee-Really Weird Food

I have been a proud resident of the Volunteer State for forty-five years. I've visited other places, but I could never wait to get back home to my beautiful mountains. It's hard to imagine a more beautiful place than Tennessee during Autumn. The mountains turn every shade of vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows; it's truly a magical sight to behold and people come from all over the country come to see these magnificent sights.

We have small communities that are comfortably snuggled all throughout these mountains. Some of our quiet little towns have 1,000-3,000 residents while others like Knoxville and Nashville are large, bright, and outrageous. As you can imagine, Tennessee is the home to a variety of different people, and with that comes a variety of really weird food.

Each U.S. state has its own culture, landmarks, and yes, food. However, for every delicious regional dish, there are some meals that can be downright questionable to out-of-staters. However, these gross foods have come to define their states. I decided to share some of Tennessee's most eccentric and curious eating habits.

Cinnamon Rolls with Chili

Cinnamon rolls dipped in chili. Yup. There’s really not much else that I can say about this … delicacy.

Ambrosia Salad

Ambrosia Salad, generally a mixture of various fruits, marshmallows, whipped cream, and nuts is the “pride” of most Tennessee summer gatherings. It also looks like someone poured a half-eaten bowl of Lucky Charms into a container of coleslaw and brought it to the potluck. I happen to love this dessert and make it often for my family. With this being said, I have also met people who absolutely refuse to stick it in their mouths.

Fried Fruit Pies

Fried fruit pies aren’t particularly gross, but something about the taste of deep-fried fruit pie is just unsettling to some people. I have family and friends from the North who absolutely find fried pies to be screwy and strange and literally laugh at us for loving them so dearly. Fried apple pies are a beloved seasonal Fall treat in our home.

Super-Sized Hamburgers

Okay, hold your pitchforks and torches. Yes, here in Tennessee we love our huge, astronomical hamburgers. That said, the monster style is just a bit over the top for some people. All that meat and cheese is just a stomach ache and (a coronary) waiting to happen.

Scrapple

Scrapple is a “mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and wheat flour, often buckwheat flour, and spices” which is then pan-fried. Sounds just a wee-bit heavy for breakfast, no? Elders in the Volunteer State will literally fight you over their Scrapple. Most of the younger generation has yet to find the excitement within this old-time, country witchery.

Peanuts in Coke

Is there anything more country than peanuts and Coke? However, let’s be real: peanuts soaked in coke sound less like a purposely prepared snack and more like something that accidentally happened on a bar counter. This is a real treat for most of us here in Tennessee and even I must admit, it's actually quite tasty!

Horseshoe

Honestly, nothing can hold a candle to the delicious grossness of the horseshoe. The open-faced sandwich features Texas toast topped with two hamburger patties, cheese sauce, and French fries all piled on top of each other. All good things by themselves, but the combination is way too much for some out of staters.

Fluffernutters

In theory, fluffernutters sound like they should be good. After all, what’s not to love about peanut butter and marshmallow fluff on white bread? In practice though, they’re chewy and hard to swallow, often getting stuck in your throat. Both young and old alike seem to relish this Tennessee secret. My kids love it however I have yet to try a fluffernutter for myself.

Hotdish

A typical hotdish recipe includes ground beef, green beans, corn, and potatoes (tater tots, hash browns, potato chips, or shoestring potatoes) with canned soup used as a binder. Once again, the ingredients by themselves are fine, but mixed together it’s just too much unless you grew up in Tennessee.

Cornbread In Milk

Ask a Southerner about cornbread in milk and they'll tell you that it's an absolute delicacy! If you grew up in the South, especially in the Appalachian region, you know that cornbread and milk is a real treat! I love it and have it every chance that I get.

Deep-Fried Pickles

Like most people in the south, I could eat my weight in deep-fried pickles. Fried pickles are delicious on their own, but they're even better when dipped in homemade ranch dressing to better suit your taste. I can't imagine anyone not loving this delicious treat however, I have received some strange looks from my Northern friends and family.

Boiled Peanuts

This mushy snack's a head-scratcher for most people, but if you're from the South, you get it: If you see that sign on the side of the road — you know the one, "Boiled P-nuts" in handwritten scrawl — you pull over, fast.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried tomatoes? Green tomatoes? These merged oddities are a popular favorite down south—much like most things battered and fried.

Possum Pie

Here in Tennessee, we get called hillbillies and all sorts of ungrammatical names. Although most of us don't actually eat possum, I'm positive that this pie was named as a jest to our Southern heritage. Made with chocolate, pecans, and cream cheese, this dessert is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. And while it's named after the animal, possum pie is totally vegetarian-friendly.

Hoecakes

No, these aren't actual cakes. Hoecakes are a type of cornmeal cake, and they look like pancakes to the naked eye. A lighter alternative to cornbread, hoecakes pair well with chicken and fried okra. I make these at least twice a week and my family will actually eat them dipped in mustard.

Chow-Chow

This Southern relish features several vegetables in addition to pickles. It's delicious atop hot dogs, burgers, or anything cooked on the grill. 90% of our Chow Chow is homemade and can be found in nearly every kitchen pantry in the state.

Welcome to Tennessee ya'll, where there's always an empty chair on the front porch and the coffee is always hot. If you don't have anything good to say, come sit next to me.