Poke Salad

In Southern and Appalachian speech, "poke salad" (traditionally "poke sallet") is a dish made from the young leaves of the pokeweed plant, boiled and cooked down into edible greens.

#SouthernWords #Appalachia #FoodandDrink #Southern

synonyms: wild greens, country greens, pokeweed greens

Hillbilly Dude Says...

When I was growin' up, I'd go with my neighbor from across the mountain to pick roadside pokeweed to make 'poke salad.' You have to cook it like crazy to make sure it doesn't make you sick.

Hillbilly Dude Says...

When I was growin' up, I'd go with my neighbor from across the mountain to pick roadside pokeweed to make 'poke salad.' You have to cook it like crazy to make sure it doesn't make you sick.

Pronunciation

[POHK SAL-it]
/poʊk ˈsæl.ɪt/

Meaning & Usage

- Cooked greens made from young pokeweed leaves (noun)

Hazel:

What’s in that skillet?

Earl:

Poke salad with bacon grease - just like Mama used to make.

variations: poke sallet, polk salad

★ Never eat poke leaves raw - the plant is poisonous unless prepared right. Traditionally, the leaves are parboiled several times before cooking. ★

Origin and Etymology

The word poke comes from the plant pokeweed (*Phytolacca americana*). The term sallet is an old English word for "cooked greens," carried into Appalachian speech by early settlers. Documented in the American South by the 19th century, poke sallet became a seasonal dish when other greens were scarce.

Usage Notes

Poke salad is the modern spelling, but poke sallet is the older, authentic form still remembered in Appalachia.
Best known outside the South from Tony Joe White’s 1969 song "Polk Salad Annie."
Considered both a survival food and a delicacy in rural kitchens.

Kin Topics

Common Questions

What is poke salad?

A traditional Southern dish made from the boiled young leaves of the pokeweed plant.

Is it really called "poke sallet"?

Yes. "Sallet" is the old-time word for cooked greens, still used in Appalachia.

Is poke salad safe to eat?

Yes, if prepared properly. The leaves must be parboiled and drained to remove toxins before cooking.

Where is poke salad eaten?

Mainly in the rural South and Appalachia, especially in spring.

Why do some call it "Polk Salad"?

That spelling comes from Tony Joe White’s hit song "Polk Salad Annie," though the plant is pokeweed.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, September 29). Poke Salad. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/poke-salad
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Poke Salad." HillbillySlang.com, 29 Sept. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/poke-salad.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Poke Salad." HillbillySlang.com. September 29, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/poke-salad.