By Ben Flanagan
What would you put in an Alabama-themed care package?
Our friends at This is Alabama asked readers that very question on Facebook, and frankly, their responses made us hungry. Several answers repeated, over and over, reminding us how great and how popular some Alabama-made or adopted teams really are, in some cases even a century later.
Many insisted, whatever might come in an Alabama care package, they want one.
Here’s what readers said belong in any Alabama care package:
Anything Alabama/Auburn
Something with a script A or houndstooth, a stuffed Aubie. Anything that helps them through the football season when they can’t scream their lungs out inside Bryant-Denny or Jordan-Hare.
Boiled Peanuts
No matter if you find them at the farmers market, the state fair or a stand on the side of the highway, boiled peanuts are a Southern delicacy that won’t soon go out of style. But will they keep in a care package? Maybe if the box doesn’t travel too great a distance. Regardless, connoisseurs won’t mind as long as they get a whiff as soon as they slice it open.
Bug Spray
Readers picked this as much as any other item in the comments, insisting anyone who plans to visit the Yellowhammer State should come prepared, especially with summer right around the corner. It’s Alabama. It’s hot. There are mosquitos. This is a practical suggestions, and it is noted and appreciated.
Conecuh Sausage
Maybe the most popular item readers suggested in the comments. AL.com’s Bob Carlton couldn’t have written it any better than this: “Folks in Alabama love their Conecuh Sausage, which, some would argue, is our state’s greatest gift to the world. And who are we to disagree? The beloved smoked sausage, which has been made in the Conecuh County town of Evergreen since 1947, is a favorite of chefs around the state, who use it in everything from biscuits and burgers to pizzas and egg rolls.”
Dreamland Bar-B-Que Sauce
AL.com’s Matt Wake called it an “orange-hued liquid miracle” and “a tangy, Southern-style vinegar-based sauce with a ping of back heat.” Made at a co-packing facility south of Montgomery, in one-ton batches, the sauce is used in Dreamland’s 10 restaurants, sold in regional grocery stores and shipped around the world. And if you don’t think one family could put away a ton of this sauce on their own during the span of one Alabama summer, think again. A jar of this is essential.
Golden Eagle Syrup
Born in a shed in Fayette, Alabama, in 1928, Golden Eagle Syrup is still made with just four ingredients: Cane sugar, corn syrup, molasses and honey. Reader Bill Coffey put it best when he said this product felt like a taste of home while many miles away. “When I was overseas over many years, my mom would send me a jar periodically,” he said. “Sooooo good on a hot buttered biscuit!” No argument here.
Golden Flake Chips
Based in Birmingham, this beloved brand of snack food has clocked more than 90 years in business. Alabamians just plain love these chips, from their classic potato chips to their sweet heat barbecue chips or tangy dill pickle chips. Did you know that, in the 1960s, legendary Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant was Golden Flake’s most popular spokesperson and was often spotted with a bag of the potato chips (and a Coca-Cola) during “The ‘Bear’ Bryant Show?”
Grapico
The purple-colored, grape-flavored soft drink has been an Alabama favorite since 1916. Now in business for more than a century, the soda goes great with any Southern meal. Did you know Buffalo Rock Company introduced a calorie-free Diet Grapico in 2005? And in 2012, cupcake maker Jan Potter of Dreamcakes Baker in Homewood created a Grapico cupcake. Pretty sweet.
Milo’s Sweet Tea
Milo’s Hamburgers opened in 1946, and they still make some of the best sweet tea in America. Did you know founder Milo Carlton began serving the restaurant’s now famous sweet tea (which only consists of only three ingredients: water, tea leaves and sugar) instead of offering Coca-Cola as a way to save money? Will a jug of this delicious drink clear the weight limit on a care package? Let’s find out…
MoonPies
Self-described as “the perfect combination of marshmallow, graham and chocolate,” MoonPies originated in Kentucky in 1917 but have become a Mardi Gras staple in Lower Alabama. Have you ever attended the MoonPie drop, Mobile’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration? Head to Mardi Gras next year, catch a few of these during a parade, toss ‘em into a box and send it to a loved one who needs a taste of home. (Reader Pam Lang suggested MoonPies, plus some beads while you’re at it.)