Fresh Seafood: Charleston Prime Ingredient

Did you know? Travelocity.com has named Charleston a Top Food Destination in recent years.

Shrimp and grits—the combination is truly a match made in food heaven. But for many South Carolinians, it’s also a dish that symbolizes their history, heritage and tradition.

Each April, the shrimp boats from the area gather in Charleston Harbor for the traditional Blessing of the Fleet to mark the opening of the state’s first shrimp season of the year. After the blessing is said, the boats parade northbound along the coast past an enthusiastic crowd gathered on the grounds of Mount Pleasant’s Alhambra Hall to listen to the histories of each boat as it passes. The Blessing of the Fleet, highlighted by an afternoon filled with food and festivities, is an important reminder of the region’s rich heritage of eating and enjoying fresh, local seafood—and a tribute to America’s first industry.

To say Southerners are passionate about their food, especially their seafood, is an understatement. But is it any wonder? Their food, like their culture, evolved from a multitude of influences. The English, French, Spanish, Irish, Italians, Africans and Caribbean islanders who began settling across the South more than three centuries ago brought with them the flavors of their native lands. Consequently, the melting pot phenomenon created the luscious obsession called Southern cuisine.

For many, Southern cuisine is synonymous with “pig-pickin” barbecue, down-home soul food, country-style Cajun food and complex Creole cuisine. But for those who live in the low-lying coastal region stretching from Charleston southward to Savannah, Ga., Lowcountry cuisine reigns supreme. Touting more fine dining establishments per capita than any other city in the South, Charleston credits much of its rise as a world-renowned dining destination to the fresh, eclectic tastes of Lowcountry cuisine.

Peruse any Lowcountry menu or cookbook and you’ll quickly realize that shrimp, crabs, clams, oysters and fish caught fresh just offshore are at the heart of many recipes. Because of its availability, seafood made its way to the breakfast, lunch and dinner tables of even the earliest settlers. But it was seafood’s versatility that allowed it to define an entire region’s fare. In addition to shrimp and grits, distinctive menu items like crab cakes, she-crab soup, Frogmore stew and tuna tartare are certain indications that hungry diners are about to experience something special.

For those commercial fishermen who supply these savory ingredients to our grocery stores and restaurants, the days are long and the work is hard. But it’s what they know—what many of their families have known for generations.

Shrimp trawlers can often be seen gliding gracefully offshore beginning in May at the beginning of roe shrimp season, the first of South Carolina’s three distinct shrimping seasons. Roe shrimp are white shrimp that have over-wintered. The haul depends upon how cold the previous winter was, with a mild winter producing more shrimp. A second shrimp season comes on the heels of the first, with brown shrimp showing up in local waters beginning in June and lasting through August. Fall marks the beginning of white shrimp season. The offspring of the spring roe shrimp, white shrimp are usually available until late December to early January. It’s important to note that South Carolina’s shrimpers have distinguished themselves as leaders in the effort to reduce bycatch and marine turtles, strictly adhering to U.S. conservation regulations.

More than 200 varieties of fish and shellfish are native to South Carolina, with approximately 30 of them used in kitchens across the Lowcountry. Deep-sea fishing vessels travel miles offshore in the early morning mist to pull wreckfish, grouper, snapper, flounder, tuna, sea bass, bluefish, mackerel, mahi-mahi and many other species of seafood from the depths; and deliver it to area docks that afternoon so it can be on tables the next day. Oysters and clams harvested from shellfish beds add even more variety to the menus of Lowcountry homes and restaurants.

Even though local seafood is a premium-quality, high-value natural resource, local fishermen now face serious competition from imported seafood. In fact, most of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. And because of cheap foreign pond-raised shrimp, the price for local naturally fed shrimp has been driven so low that the state has lost over 75 percent of this industry in recent years.

Many of Charleston’s area chefs have joined the charge to preserve the region’s centuries-old tradition, choosing to serve only local seafood because of its freshness, superior taste and the positive impact that buying local has on the economy.

And as the idea of eating locally grown and produced food gains popularity across the nation, perhaps the spectacular views of Lowcountry creeks at sunset will continue to include the fleets of majestic fishing vessels that have helped define our landscape—and our taste buds—for 300 years.

Get a complete list of Charleston's restaurants.

Oak Steakhouse Housed in a spectacular setting on Broad Street which features arched doors, eighteen foot ceilings, mahogany paneling and 150 year old heart of pine floors. The menu, composed of traditional items such as Steak Tartare, Shrimp Cocktail, Porterhouse and New York Strip, appears to offer classic steakhouse fare. At second glance, it weaves Italian flavors and dishes throughout. Serving dinner Monday through Saturday, 5pm until 11pm. Sunday Brunch 11 am until 3pm.

McCrady's Inventive cuisine. Fresh from the farm. Named one of the Top Ten Restaurants in North America by Opinionated About Dining. McCrady's Restaurant, located in an historic 1778 Georgian public house, offers an award-winning dining experience with the best of new Southern cuisine. Chef Sean Brock's (2008 James Beard Rising Star Chef Nominee) sensationally presented dishes one of Charleston's most extensive wine lists. Private dining available in the spectacular Long Room, Gallery, Chef's Room, and Cypress Room.

High Cotton Restaurant Welcome to pure Charleston. An atmosphere rich in Lowcountry high-life since antebellum times. A hearty, southern menu, featuring regional favorites, steaks, game and fresh seafood – all prepared with the famous Maverick artistry. Also known for our award-winning wine selection and irresistible desserts. Don’t miss the High Cotton bar, one of the area’s most popular watering holes. Downtown Charleston. Tel: 843-724-3815. Dinner nightly. Lunch Saturday. Brunch Sunday.