10 of the Best North Carolina Recipes - Big Bear's Wife (2024)

FAQs

What kind of food did the North Carolina colony eat? ›

The harvests gathered by colonial farmers included an expansive number of crops: beans, squash, peas, okra, pumpkins, peppers, tomatoes, and peanuts. Maize (corn), and later rice and potatoes were grown in place of wheat and barley which were common European crops that did not take readily to eastern American soil.

Some Indigenous foods from our region include favorites like corn or cornbread, beans, squash, greens, field peas, tomatoes, chocolate, chili, sweet potatoes, turnips, pecans, pine nuts, rice, soups, venison, bison, game, fish, and stews.

North Carolina is close to the Gulf Stream, where fisherfolk catch mahi-mahi, tuna, swordfish, and other large migratory species. Coastal species like drum, trout, shrimp, and blue crabs feel at home in the state's extensive network of sounds, rivers, and estuarine environments.

NORTH CAROLINA: A pulled-pork sandwich.

North Carolina's Top Side Dish

The top five most popular holiday side dishes include mashed potatoes, stuffing/dressing, mac & cheese, yams/ sweet potatoes, and green bean casserole.

North Carolina's local and regional food system includes the production of apples, blackberries, blueberries, figs, kiwifruit, muscadine grapes, pecans, peaches, nectarines, raspberries, and strawberries.

Red Bird Puffed Peppermints — Lexington

Named for North Carolina's state bird, the cardinal, these soft, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth mints have been made by Piedmont Candy Company since 1933, when founder Edward Ebelein revived the brand from his previous business.

Did you know that Pepsi, Cheerwine and Sun Drop all have roots in North Carolina?

The first actively cultivated grape in the United States, the Scuppernong grape was named the official State Fruit by the General Assembly in 2001. The scuppernong grape was named after the Scuppernong River that runs through Tyrell and Washington counties.

What is the most common fish in NC? ›

The North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation in 1971 designating channel bass (red drum) as the official state saltwater fish. NCPedia states that newspaper article at the time pointed out the Channel Bass has black spots on its tail, evoking North Carolina's "Tar Heel" nickname.