Deliciously Decadent Foods Perfected by the South

Hot Brown

The unappetizingly named Hot Brown is the original late-night fast food snack, created in the 1920s at Louisville's Brown Hotel to feed guests after a dinner-dance party. This open-faced sandwich is in fact brown—it's bread topped with turkey and bacon, smothered in Mornay sauce, and baked until crispy.

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(Photo: Jessica Dillree via flickr/CC Attribution)

Pimento Cheese

Nicknamed the "caviar of the south", pimento cheese is a savory mashup of cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and pimentos that can be served alone or on top of pretty much anything. Slather this fatty delicacy on top of crackers, use it to make a next-level grilled cheese, or add it to grits for the ultimate in Southern eating.

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(Photo: Carol VanHook via flickr/CC Attribution)

Fried Green Tomatoes

Did you think Fried Green Tomatoes was just a movie title? Then you're missing out on a great appetizer. The name basically describes what you're getting—unripe (green), fried tomatoes. Sorry vegetarians, this seemingly vegetarian option is often fried in bacon fat, to completely remove any illusions of health that the word "tomato" may have conjured up.

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Benedictine Spread

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Benedictine

Creamy Benedictine spread was invented in Kentucky around 1911 by Jennie Benedict, a famous Louisville caterer, and it hasn't really left the state since. Benedictine may seem healthy at first glance—hey, it's green, but the primary ingredient is the not-so-good-for-you cream cheese (and the green hue is thanks to the food coloring that some chefs add in to distinguish it from the regular bagel topping). The spread is just cream cheese, cucumber juice, onion juice, salt, and cayenne pepper, and you can find it as a dip and sandwich filling throughout Kentucky.

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(Photo: Benedictine via Shutterstock)

Chess Pie

We're not saying that pies are healthy, but at least the ones we're used to have some semblance of fruit as a filling—like apple or blueberry. That's why you have to love Chess Pie—it doesn't even bother pretending health with a fruity stuffing. Instead, this single-crust pie is topped with a filling made from two types of sugar, eggs, and brown sugar. Sugar topped with sugar? Slice us a piece!

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(Photo: Blueberry Chess Pie via Shutterstock)

Hushpuppy

What's better than carbs? Deep-fried carbs, of course. Origin stories for the classic Southern staple hushpuppy abound all over the Internet, but no one really knows where they started or how they got the name. The one thing we can guarantee? There are no puppies involved in the making—just a cornmeal batter that's deep-fried until crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

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Country Ham

If you're a salt-fiend, you'll love country ham. This meat, found mostly in the south, is salt-cured for between one and three months. This creates a super-savory ham, which you'll find on menus as an entree or part of a sandwich. (Bonus points if the sandwich uses biscuits in place of bread.)

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(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Beer Cheese

Just like peanut butter and jelly are better when they're together, so are beer and cheese. You'll mostly see this decadent dip in Kentucky, where it's made from cheddar cheese, beer, garlic, and spices. Although the traditional way to serve this gooey side is with saltine crackers, we love it with a nice warm soft pretzel.

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Which of these Southern delights have you sampled? Share your recipes or best spots to find these dishes in the comments.

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• 10 Tasty Fast Foods You Can't Eat in America

Caroline Morse loves trying the local cuisine wherever she may go. Taste the world with her via Instagram@TravelWithCaroline and on Twitter @CarolineMorse1.

(Photo: Pretzels, cheese dip via Shutterstock)