There’s a bit of a debate on whether to use Old Bay or Zatarain’s to season a bubbling cauldron of shrimp. Try both and judge for yourself.

Simmer with the shrimp boil for that perfect note of something special.

Carolina Gold rice is such a rich part of the history in this region, but if you’re stuck, any long-grain white rice will do.

Don’t throw these away! Simmer shrimp shells in water to make shrimp stock with water, carrots, onions, bell pepper and a bay leaf.

A natural for seafood, lemon can also take some of the sliminess out of okra while cooking.

The basis for shrimp and grits, a ubiquitous Lowcountry classic.

This aromatic lends an earthy flavor that’s found in a lot of Gullah cooking.

These are used in okra soup; they’re an example of the Gullah people living off the land.

Very important in the Lowcountry pantry, okra is a plant that thrives in a climate like Charleston’s. Okra soup has been called “the gumbo of the Gullah.”

Make boiled peanuts to serve alongside a traditional shrimp boil. It’s a proud snacking tradition as found in dusty rural gas stations all over the South.

Bell pepper, onion, celery. Just as in Cajun-Creole cooking, many great dishes, from gumbos and stews to rice dishes and crab cakes, start here.