Our South

2025 JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER

Raised in Appalachia, Ashleigh Shanti—a queer Black woman and acclaimed chef—knows Southern Black cooking means more than we’ve come to believe. While hot buttered cast-iron-pan cornbread and crunchy, juicy, lard-fried chicken have their roles to play, they are far from the entire story.

The key to understanding how Black influence has defined foodways and cultures in the South is to explore its microregions, each with its own distinct flora and fauna, dialects, traditions, and dishes.

In Our South, Ashleigh takes you through the five regions closest to her heart, beginning with a glimpse of mountain life in the Backcountry through recipes like Fish Camp Hush Puppies and quail spiked with black pepper. A swing over to the coastal Lowcountry fills your plate with smoky grilled oysters and benne seed–topped crab toasts. Seasonal produce shines in the Midlands, where bountiful stone fruits enrich dishes from shortcakes to salads. Lowlands nods to the diversity of food cultures that meet in the region, where Ashleigh grew up eating noodle dishes like Virginia yock alongside Southern classics like Brunswick stew. The book culminates in Homeland, with foods that share what it’s like to cook—and live—as a Black Southern chef now.

Our South takes readers on a mouthwatering journey through Appalachia and beyond, revealing the depth and diversity of Southern cooking through the eyes of a rising culinary star.

Perfect for fans of other regional Southern cookbooks like the Mosquito Supper Club cookbook or soul food cookbooks like Jubilee, Our South stands as a testament to the rich tapestry of Black culinary traditions, offering a contemporary exploration of Black Southern foodways that's both personal and universal.

"Destined to become a new American classic." —Gail Simmons, food expert, TV host, and author of Talking with My Mouth Full

U.S. Foodways 2025 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARD WINNER, Cookbooks

ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: Washington Post, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Forbes, EATER, Smithsonian Magazine, Library Journal

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS TO GIFT: The Strategist, Domino