Three things to try from our North Carolina neighbors.
Trout from Sunburst Trout Farms
Sunburst Trout Farms, a family business founded in 1948 in Haywood County, North Carolina, is our go-to for rainbow trout. Wes and Ben Eason are the third generation to run the farm at Lake Logan, where the water comes from the Shining Rock Wilderness in the Pisgah National Forest. The Easons sell fresh trout, but they also make a wide range of other products. We tried the Shining Rock Sampler including fresh trout, as well as smoked trout dip and two varieties of smoked trout, trout caviar, trout jerky and trout sausage. The crowd favorite was the hickory-smoked trout, but it was fun to try the whole range of products.
Prices range from $16.99 per 1-pound of trout fillets to $10.99 per 5-ounces of hickory-smoked fillets and $13.99 per 8-ounces of trout sausage. $145.99 for the Shining Rock Sampler. Available online at sunbursttrout.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Dill Pickle Peanuts from the 1949 Nut Co.
The dill pickle peanuts from the 1949 Nut Co. in Henderson, North Carolina are pretty much perfect. The dill pickle seasoning is just right, not overwhelming. The nuts are crisp when you open the can, and when we inadvertently set ours aside for two weeks, the nuts had retained their crisp texture. We’re told that the perfect texture comes from a recipe developed by Larry Monahan in 1949 when he came up with the idea of soaking peanuts in hot water before roasting them in oil. More than 70 years later, the company still produces its peanuts the same way. In addition to the dill pickle-flavored peanuts, they also make butter toffee, Sriracha, chili lime, and salt and pepper peanuts, a Buffalo party mix and chocolate-covered peanuts available seasonally.
$8.95 per 10-ounce can. Available at the Local Exchange in Marietta, The Southern Next in Woodstock, Bold Soul in Newnan and online at 1949nut.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Sriracha steak sauce from Carolina Brewery
Open since 1995, Carolina Brewery in Chapel Hill is the oldest continuously-operating brewery in the Triangle. Now there’s a second location in Pittsboro, and in addition to their Kolschs, lagers, pale ales and seasonal beers sold in cans and on tap, they also make steak and barbecue sauce. We tried the steak sauce, and it’s our new favorite. Don’t let the Sriracha in the name steer you away from this one. It’s not a spicy sauce, but has a flavor rich with molasses and soy sauce alongside the Sriracha. And don’t restrict its use to steak. Our taste testers enjoyed it on both beef and chicken burgers, as a finishing sauce for smoked pork, and served alongside a plate of eggs and sausage.
$6.99 per 12-ounce bottle. Available online at carolinabrewery.com.
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