Kindling
Hey Reader
Officially, we're about a week away from Summer, though sometimes it feels like it's already here. We've (Heather really deserves all the credit) been canning and freezing and trying to keep up with my favorite season of the year, spring harvest.
We've frozen blueberries, plums, and even some squash. We've already canned tomatoes, salsa, jams, dill and bread and butter pickles, "dilly beans," and I'm sure I'm leaving some things out. Lots more to go as we put up for the coming year.
As seasons go, though, Summer is not the time for BBQ events, which naturally avoid the added heat and prefer the more temperate months in the Spring and Fall. So, while I have a few events to share below, they are sparse.
As promised, we take a closer look at what your fellow Sandlappers had to say about hash and side. In addition, I'll share a new addition to the map and spotlight a place that's been around as long as I can remember.
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Cheers,
Jim Roller
Destination BBQ
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PS: Thanks for being here!
Smoke Signals
—Aside
In South Carolina, we don't just serve BBQ—we plate it up with purpose. And that purpose often includes a generous helping of hash and some carefully chosen sides.
Now, for those who are not from around here, the idea of “hash” might conjure up something else entirely. But in SC, hash is a BBQ staple—part gravy, part meat, part mystery—and folks have strong opinions about it. So naturally, I had to dig into it in the 2025 SC BBQ Survey.
Turns out, pork still rules the pot. Statewide, about 62% of respondents said pork hash was their go-to. Beef hash had a solid showing—especially in the Upstate, where it hit nearly 35%. Liver hash? That’s mostly a Pee Dee thing, with nearly 29% in that region voting for it. And yes, nearly 14% across the state say they just don’t like hash at all. (We’re praying for y’all.)
As for how folks eat it? No shocker here: rice reigns. Three out of four respondents said they typically eat hash over rice. Bread-based hash had a few fans (Union County stood out there), and about 6% say they simply eat it by itself.
Now, let’s talk about those sides.
When I asked what people usually find on their BBQ plates (they could pick as many as applied), the top five were:
- Slaw (54%)
- Mac and cheese (47%)
- Baked beans (43%)
- Hash (40%)
- Collards (36%)
Slaw held the top spot statewide, though just barely. Mac and cheese and baked beans were neck-and-neck, and hash pulled in a respectable 40%—not bad for a dish some folks still don’t fully understand.
Regionally, things got interesting. The Midlands were all-in on hash and rice, while the Upstate leaned hard into baked beans and beef hash. In the Pee Dee, liver hash and chicken bog made more than one appearance. And the Lowcountry, true to form, had strong showings in both slaw and hash.
Some counties made themselves known:
- Marion County was the epicenter of liver hash love.
- Cherokee went 100% for beef hash (small sample, but still).
- Union had a soft spot for hash on bread.
- Aiken showed up big for hush puppies.
- Florence leaned into chicken bog.
- Pickens waved the fried okra flag.
- Orangeburg gave a big ol’ nod to slaw.
So while we may share the BBQ, our plates tell different stories from one corner of the state to the other.
Bottom line? Hash is still a fixture here, especially when it’s ladled over rice. Sides are anything but an afterthought. And if you thought everyone’s plate looked just like yours, well…this survey might give you pause the next time you pass the potato salad.
Next up? We move from what’s on your plate to where you’re eating it.
