Lowcountry Boils are rich with Southern traditions. Tell us about yours in our poll.
Like many traditional Southern dishes, a Lowcountry Boil is rooted in tradition, but often remixed with something new.
Depending on the cooks and the community, the dish differs not just in name (some call it Frogmore Stew or Crab Bake), but in choice of ingredients, seasonings and even cooking utensils.
Some cook it in a vat-like pot outdoors, others over a time-tested soup pot over the stove. Some swear by orange juice as the broth base; others stick to water.
But no matter how you cook it or what add-ins you choose, the meal is portioned to be shared with good company and can reveal cultural hallmarks of those at the table. So, we invite you to tells us about yours.
[DON’T WANT TO COOK? Here are 7 places to get Lowcountry Boil from Charlotte restaurants]
Where did the Lowcountry Boil come from?
Supposedly, the brothy mix of seafood and vegetables was invented by Richard Gay, the owner of a seafood company from a small town called Frogmore, who needed to make dinner for 100 of his fellow National Guard soldiers, according to South Carolina’s tourism website.
Frogmore is a fishing town on St. Helena Island, near Beaufort and Hilton Head.
Generally, the stew’s staple ingredients include shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes and smoked sausage. But scroll through TikTok’s niche of seafood boil videos and you’ll see stewards of the pot throwing in onions, lemons, limes, jalapenos and even broccoli. Yes, broccoli.
And let’s not forget: A war could be started on the Zatarain’s versus Old Bay seasoning debate alone.
Tell us about your Lowcountry Boil in our poll
We want to hear from you. How do you prepare your seafood boils based on where you come from? Tell us in the poll below, and we’ll share the answers.
Note: This poll is not intended to be scientific or representative of the population.
.jpg)