The Old-School Reason Southerners Always Have A Bowl Of Salt On The Table

And it's not really for seasoning your food.

In many Southern families, it could practically be seen as an insult to sprinkle salt on your food, since we tend to take great pride in seasoning our food well the first time around. After all, there’s a reason we say, “it ain’t seasoned until you’re sneezing.” 

In fact, many cooks hardly find it necessary to put a salt shaker on the table at all, so confident they are in the final product. However, there might still be a little bowl of salt on the table during dinner, but it’s likely not for what you think. Old-school folks know that the dipping salt is there for the “obligatory” green onion on the side. 

A Southern Supper Duo: Raw Green Onions and Dipping Salt

Raw Vegetables Served with Dinner

It’s always been a common thing for Southern families to have a sharing plate of raw vegetables—onions (often green onions or vidalia when in season), tomatoes, and cucumbers—served on the dinner table alongside the meal. It acts as a palette cleanser of something cool, crunchy, and fresh, which tends to balance out our piled-high plates of creamy, rich foods. Think of it like a traditional pickled relish plate, which we also like to have on hand, but just a fresher, seasonal version. Sometimes, the two are served together on one tray for optimal picking.

Onions, in particular, are often just thrown on the plate alongside everything—not for garnish, but for chomping on whole.

Dipping Salt on the Side

Now, for those who grew up with raw green onions served alongside lunch or dinner, it was also common to have a small bowl of salt (or a salt cellar) for dipping the stalks on green onion before taking a crunchy bite. Often, raw green onions are stored in water for freshness, and when serving, many Southerners would simply put the green onions in a glass of water on the table as well. This happens to also help the dipping salt stick to the green onions better.

For whatever reason, the sharp, earthy bite of green onion goes well when mingled with a sting of saltiness. Together, the two make up a flavor-packed bite for your taste buds. 

More Southern Table Staples

Relish Trays

As mentioned above, relish trays are a favored side on the Southern table, offering a burst of acidic, vinegary freshness in between bites of our quintessential Southern casseroles and rich buttery dishes. A relish tray can include anything pickled or preserved, but favorites include pickled green tomatoes, chow-chow, and pickled okra. 

Pepper Jelly

It might seem confusing to non-Southerners when a Mason jar of bright green, orange, or red pepper jelly is on the table, but it goes well with many different items, from biscuits to vegetable sides. 

Butter Crock 

Real Southerners keep their butter on the kitchen counter, and it’s totally safe contrary to popular belief. Usually, it’s whisked off to the dining table—either in a butter bell, crock, or dish—already softened to the perfect spreadable texture.