Explore the culinary genius of the Deep South

Gumbo, etouffée, beignets, boudin, jambalaya, and pralines all exist in recipes passed down through generations of Louisiana residents as an intrinsic part of their Cajun and Creole heritage. World-famous hot sauce Tabasco also originated here more than 150 years ago and is still produced exclusively on Avery Island in southern Louisiana just outside Lafayette. New Orleans even invented the cocktail, in the mid-1800s – the Sazerac was the 1^st cocktail, a mix of whisky, absinthe, bitters, and sugar – but they have created plenty of others besides depending on your taste.

Soulful music and food in Tennessee

Tennessee’s iconic music is matched by its deeply comforting cuisine. Unmissable foodie experiences centre around barbecue fare, such as the kind found at Puckett's Grocery in Franklin and Nashville, which has been cooking up a storm for 70 years or Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous where you can enjoy “Memphis style” barbecue ribs. For “Hot Chicken” check out Gus's World-Famous Fried Chicken in its original location Mason in West Tennessee or the original “Nashville Hot Chicken” at Princes Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, where legend has it this was invented as a revenge dish! For small town restaurants stop in Lynchburg for some old-time hospitality at Miss Mary Bobo’s Restaurant for some fantastic family style Southern fare.

The Deep South lends itself beautifully to a classic US road trip – a big part of your open-road experience is the freedom to stop off for fabulous soul food and other tasty local delights. As an alternative to a self-drive, you can also travel on an organised tour, by old-fashioned riverboat, or by rail – US national operator Amtrak is shortly to reopen the Gulf Coastline linking Mobile, Alabama with New Orleans via Bay St Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.

Existing routes are the Crescent Route from New Orleans, with stops in Hattiesburg (Mississippi) and Tuscaloosa and Birmingham (Alabama), before heading to New York; and the City of New Orleans line, serving New Orleans, Jackson (Mississippi), and Memphis (Tennessee), before making its way up to Chicago.