Page 16 - Lachicotte 2020

Perlo

vs

Chicken Bog

LOWCOUNTRY COUSINS

by Teresa Greer

O n Lowcountry menus, you may see dishes listed that you’ve never heard of: perlo,

purloo, perloo, burgoo, chicken bog, chicken pilau, chicken perlo. Whatever it’s
called, do yourself a favor and try some. You may just find your new favorite
one-pot meal.
Both perlo and chicken bog originated from West Africa, developed by the Lowcountry’s
enslaved population in colonial days. Basically, they consist of a big pot of rice (preferably
Carolina Gold) mixed with a meat of choice and spices, similar to Louisiana’s jambalaya.
Perlo is better known in Georgetown County and usually includes shrimp, since shrimp is
quite bountiful in the waters along Georgetown County’s coast. It can also be made with crab,
oysters, pork, chicken, rabbit or game. Chicken bog is more popular in neighboring Horry
County - the home of Myrtle Beach and Conway - and west to Florence in the Pee Dee area.
It’s moister than chicken perlo. The rice in chicken bog should never be dry when done, but
rather thick and dense.
What makes a dish a perlo vs. a bog? There is no exact definition of either. Some would
say chicken bog and perlo are the same. Others claim a bog is just perlo, only wetter. Still
others may point out that a bog uses sausage instead of bacon. There’s just no agreement, but
that’s okay. What matters is that they both taste divine and have become another dish in the
arsenal of Southern comfort foods.

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