This Appalachian City Is Emerging as a Culinary Hub

Appalachian cuisine is experiencing a renaissance, and there’s no better place to savor it than Asheville. Staples like chow-chow (a tangy pickle relish), cornbread, grits, soup beans, and chocolate gravy were once dismissed as "coarse food for coarse people," according to Erica Locklear Abrams, a professor at the University of North Carolina Asheville and author of the recently released book Appalachia on the Table: Representing Mountain Food and People. A seventh-generation native of Western North Carolina, Abrams emphasizes that Appalachian food and its creators challenge common stereotypes.

A cherished handwritten cookbook from her grandmother, who was born in 1915, unveiled unexpected dishes like pickled figs and recipes featuring store-bought ingredients, including a cake topped with coconut icing. These surprising flavors from a mountain farm contradicted long-standing assumptions about mountain cooking. The reality is that the culinary heritage of the region is rich and diverse, arising from what Abrams describes as "creative, resourceful people who excel at crafting delicious meals." Here, she shares some culinary highlights in Asheville for those new to the scene.

A chef-driven roots renaissance

Chef John Fleer, a two-time semifinalist for the James Beard Award (and five-time nominee) and a nationally acclaimed advocate for Appalachian cuisine, showcases local flavors at Rhubarb, located in Pack Square. The menu features Appalachia's "distinct indigenous ingredients, both raw and cooked," with dishes that celebrate this rich bounty, emphasizing community and unforgettable experiences. Diners can enjoy country ham and greens, stone-ground grits, and hush puppies, along with an assortment of locally sourced produce like trout from Sunburst Trout Farms.

Asheville chef Ashleigh Shanti features ramps in her popular dishes, inspired by cherished childhood memories of canning them with her grandmother. Harvested wild in the woods of Western North Carolina, this springtime delicacy from the allium family is said to taste somewhere between a leek and garlic. Depending on the season, you'll find ramps included in a variety of dishes, from hot sauce to chermoula (a flavorful marinade).

Ramps also feature prominently at Cúrate, where chef Katie Button, who had the honor of preparing a meal at the White House for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last fall, won the 2022 James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality. The menu focuses on Spanish tapas crafted with locally sourced ingredients, with ramps making their seasonal appearance in a delicious romesco sauce. Additionally, Chestnut hosts an annual ramp dinner, uniting local chefs to present innovative takes on this beloved allium.

Abrams notes that sorghum, introduced to the United States from Africa in the 19th century, was cultivated in Appalachia as a substitute for hard-to-find sugar and molasses. The process of making sorghum syrup is a cherished autumn tradition in the mountains. At The Market Place on Wall Street, you can savor it in delightful dishes like chili sorghum pork ribs or vegetables sautéed in spiced sorghum butter, which also appears on the menu at Sovereign Remedies, alongside cornbread and sweet potatoes glazed with sorghum-miso.

Return to the roots with farms and farmers' markets

Chefs in Asheville, dedicated to farm-fresh ingredients, cultivate strong relationships with local growers, many of whom can be found at Asheville City Market or the North Asheville Tailgate Market on Saturday mornings. Numerous farmers also take part in the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project's annual farm tour, a two-day event inviting the public to explore over 20 local farms. If you happen to miss it, other farms welcome visitors throughout the year, including Hickory Nut Gap Farm, located about 20 minutes from downtown. Managed by several generations of the Ager family, it’s a beloved spot for farm store visits, seasonal activities like corn mazes, pony rides, and barn dances, as well as outdoor play areas.

In the Turkey Creek community, approximately 25 minutes from Asheville, a trip to Montgomery Sky Farm can feature a guided tour of the 50-acre property, showcasing its vegetable plots, Highland cattle, Valois blacknose sheep, pigs, and goats—along with the option for a personalized picnic. Taylor Montgomery, who co-owns the farm with his wife Fran, is a James Beard Award-nominated chef offering private dinners and tastings that embody his seed-to-table philosophy.

The Utopian Seed Project is a nonprofit organization committed to enhancing regional biodiversity in Western North Carolina. They frequently host Trial to Table dinners that bring together local chefs and the project's produce, cultivated by a diverse group of farmers dedicated to fostering resilient food systems.

Original flavors of Appalachia

Abrams emphasizes that no conversation about Appalachian cuisine is complete without honoring the Cherokee people, the original inhabitants who farmed the "three sisters" (corn, beans, and squash) in the mountains. She highlights "leather britches"—broad beans preserved by threading and hanging to dry—as the quintessential traditional bean. Given the labor-intensive preparation, leather britches are a rare menu item, but you might find a locally sourced variation at Table or Moose Café in late summer.

Benne on Eagle pays tribute to the culinary heritage of its location, a historically Black business district known as The Block. The menu features ingredients like okra, collard greens, red pepper jelly, and benne (the namesake sesame-like seed), ensuring that the African-American food traditions thriving in the neighborhood continue for generations to come.

The rich and intricate narrative of Appalachian cuisine is currently being "celebrated in truly exciting ways," according to Abrams. With new chefs bringing traditional recipes and ingredients back to life, there has never been a better time to savor the flavors of Asheville.