Bloody Mary mix, lemonade, pound cake and a dozen more Southern products to try in June

This June, try two different local lemonades, Mango seasoning from the South Carolina coast, butter chicken sauce made in Atlanta and a dozen other culinary products from around the South.

Credit: Madelyn Turner

Credit: Madelyn Turner

Chile crisp

Spicy, crunchy chile crisp is having its day, and we’re loving Pappy Hsu’s version from Sweet Auburn BBQ. The first two ingredients on the label are garlic and shallots, and that really sets it apart. A little turbinado sugar and star anise provide sweetness, and there are Sichuan peppercorns and bits of chile for crunch.

$10 for an 8-ounce jar. Available at Sweet Auburn BBQ locations in Atlanta and McDonough and sweetauburnbbq.com.

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Frozen dumplings

The Dumpling Shoppe in Hazlehurst, founded by Mary Hill, has been making frozen dumplings for the past 40 years. The shop offers thin, Southern-style dumplings that cook up tender in just minutes. Follow the recipe on the bag for Southern chicken and dumplings.

$3.29 for a 12-ounce package. Available at Publix, Walmart, Piggly Wiggly and Kroger. Information: maryhillproducts.com

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Mango seasoning mix

St. Helena Island, South Carolina, is the home of the We Island Gumbo Store, which sells jars of gumbo that need only a protein to be ready for the dinner table. A line of coastal spice mixes is also available, including Mango Mama, a blend of salt, mango, celery pepper and onion that can replace the saltshaker on your dinner table.

$8.50 for a 7-ounce bottle. Available at weislandgumbo.com.

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Bloody mary mix

Gourmet Warehouse Brands on South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island offers a line of products that pay tribute to the writings and travels of Ernest Hemingway. The Sun Always Rises bloody mary mix improves on the recipe from Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. It’s tasty enough to enjoy without adding a drop of alcohol, and the gorgeous label and bottle make this a perfect hostess gift.

$10.99 for a 25-ounce bottle. Available at ehgourmet.com.

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Turkey rub

If you’re looking to grill, you’ll find a lot of seasoning rubs for pork or beef, but Virginia is for Turkey Lovers from Lynchburg’s County Smoak is the first one we’ve found created specifically for turkey. The blend of sugar, garlic, onion and smoked hot paprika complements the poultry’s taste without overpowering the delicate meat.

$10 for a 6-ounce jar. Available at countysmoak.com.

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“Traffic” jam

The term “traffic” jam refers to a spread made from a combination of fruits. Acme Feed & Seed in Nashville, Tennessee, makes its traffic jam with strawberries, rhubarb, blueberries and raspberries, and it is the absolute best on breakfast toast, stirred into yogurt, paired with pimento cheese or used as a topping for an ice cream sundae.

$12 for a 16-ounce jar. Available at southernairemarket.com.

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Fresh lemonade

Side Hustle Soups in Decatur is known for its weekly rotation of at least a dozen flavors of soup. For summer, it has added fresh lemonade in classic, lavender and fennel basil flavors, for pickup at the shop. We thought the fennel basil — with its balance of herbal, tangy and sweet flavors — was especially refreshing.

$5 for a 16-ounce cup. Available at Side Hustle Soups, 4086 Covington Highway, Decatur. Information: sidehustlesoups.com

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Cooking broth

Shelf-stable vegetable broth should be in your pantry, for cooking rice and other grains, or as a base for soups and sauces. Austin, Texas-based Kettle & Fire offers vegetable broth made with organic tomato paste, carrots, onions, leeks, mushrooms and butternut squash. Cook with it or enjoy it in a mug as a low-calorie beverage.

$4.99 for a 32-ounce box, $37.96 for a four-pack. Available at Walmart, Publix, Kroger and kettleandfire.com.

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Butter chicken sauce

Atlanta-based Surinder’s Kitchen sells handmade sauces, chutneys and salsas at local farmers markets and online. One of its bestsellers is butter chicken sauce, a classic combination of tomatoes, onion, ginger and garlic. Adjust the spice level with the amount of cream you add.

$18 for a 16-ounce jar. Available at the Sandy Springs and DHA farmers markets and surinderskitchen.com.

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Lemonade

Sisters Ella and Clara French began making lemonade with their grandmother’s simple syrup recipe and now produce 13 flavors with local fruit. They’ll keep up to a week when refrigerated.

$6-$10 for a 12-ounce bottle. Available at the Sandy Springs, Brookhaven and Decatur farmers markets and sisterslemonade.com. Local pickup in Sandy Springs and delivery within 25 miles.

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Barbecue rub

Meat Church BBQ offers 15 rub and seasoning mixes. We’re fans of the Gospel, an all-purpose barbecue rub, for its mix of sugar, salt, paprika, garlic, celery and spice. Besides grilled meats, it’s good in a loaded baked potato salad recipe we found on the company website.

$9.95 for a 12.5-ounce shaker. Available at Publix, the Cook’s Warehouse, Intown Ace Hardware, Ace Hardware of Toco Hills and meatchurch.com.

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Black bean and cheese empanadas

Decatur-based Casa Cardoza sells nine varieties of empanadas with fillings that include black bean and cheese (a 2025 Flavor of Georgia finalist). The flaky pastry and the well-seasoned filling both are winners.

$17 for four empanadas. Available at Joe’s East Atlanta Coffee Shop, Chrome Yellow, Con Leche Coffee, Harbor Coffee, Portrait Coffee and Morningside Farmers Market, or order at casacardoza.com for pickup at the Decatur kitchen or delivery in northeast Atlanta and Gwinnett County.

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Pound cake

Auntie Kim’s Pound Cakes in Cumming started with a classic pound cake and now has 10 flavors, including strawberry, butter pecan and our favorite, coconut. We sampled several, and our guests noticed the texture varies with each flavor.

$42.50 for a cake that serves 10 to 12, $21.50 for a loaf and $3.25 for a slice. Available at the bakery, 433 Canton Road, Cumming, and auntiekimspoundcakes.com.

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Pimento cheese

Our favorite pimento cheese is the original variety from Gayle Boyle of Sweet Mae’s. It’s made with two kinds of cheddar, cream cheese, roasted red peppers and juanita peppers (also called peppadew) from a family recipe. Fittingly, Boyle named the company after her daughter, Mae, and her late mother, Betty Mae.

$12 for an 8-ounce tub, $18 for a 16-ounce tub. Available at sweetmaes.com.

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Hot sauce from Peruvian peppers

Tari makes hot sauces from Peruvian peppers in five flavors, ranging from mild to spicy. We’ve enjoyed Aji Amarillo (the mild, tangy one), drizzled on grilled sausage and corn. And we’ve used Tropical Kick, made with rocoto pepper and onion, as a dip for French fries. The labels indicate the level of heat, from one pepper to five peppers (the very hottest). Temper them with a little mayo if you need to cut down on the heat.

$8.49 for an 11.8-ounce squeeze bottle. Available at the Fresh Market and tarisauce.us.

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