Why Chicken Bogs Are So Special To South Carolina
"Chicken bog" is not a name that screams deliciousness; it's clear that the term originates in a time when food marketing was simply not a thing. Nevertheless, it is a deeply beloved dish that's unique to South Carolina. While cuisines from all over the world add ingredients to rice to create a one-pan meal — paella and jambalaya are just a couple of conspicuous examples — South Carolina has a particularly long history of rice production. It's no surprise, then, that a number of rice-based dishes are popular in the Palmetto State and among those who love its cuisine.
Rice has been one of South Carolina's main crops since the 18th century, per the South Carolina Encyclopedia. As one of the few states to cultivate and consume the grain prior to the Civil War, the area has long been home to many rice-filled traditions. This is particularly true in the area referred to as the Lowcountry of the state, a southeastern coastal region that encompasses the city of Charleston. There, food traditions reflect the Carolina coast's rich and complicated history, which depended on enslaved Black people's labor for its rice production and also absorbed French and Caribbean influences. Many Lowcountry dishes have become familiar far outside the region, from seafood specialties like shrimp and grits to rice staples like Hoppin' John and Gullah red rice. But other delicacies have stayed local and remain hard to find outside of South Carolina, like the chicken bog.
It's hard to find this dish anywhere else
What is this little-known South Carolina specialty called a chicken bog? The main ingredients are simple, and so is the process. The dish essentially consists of a whole chicken, Carolina long grain rice, and smoked sausage. The chicken is boiled, and then the broth is used to cook the rice, with the sausage being added later. While there are variations on the theme, the basic concept is pretty straightforward. Even at the annual Bog-Off festival (celebrated annually in Loris, South Carolina), the recipes tend to keep the ingredients traditional, adding some aromatics and vegetables but not much more.
Why is it called a chicken bog? While It's not quite clear where the name comes from, there are two main theories. One is that it comes from the area where the dish is most popular, which is a marshy, "boggy" part of the state called Horry County, per Discover South Carolina. The other is that the term stems from the moist nature of the rice itself, which is all "bogged down" in warm, brothy goodness. Either way, it's a savory treat you'll need to travel to the South to find — which makes it all the more special to the people of South Carolina. As one local on Reddit put it, "When I was a kid, a chicken bog wasn't just a dish, it was an event," illustrating its importance in a way that every sports fan can understand: "Even if college football is on, it's chicken bog and football. It's never football and chicken bog."