A black pot full of water sits on top of a stove.

Southern Makers

Must-Have Kitchenware for Fall Gumbo

By: Erin Byers Murray

Ready yourself for the season with these four Southern-made essentials to jumpstart your gumbo gear

With cooler weather—and football season—comes gumbo. We’re gearing up for big pots loaded with shrimp, andouille, chicken, and okra, and we’ll jump right into the fray on debates over whether to include tomatoes and filé powder. Whether you take yours over rice or with potato salad, you’re going to need the right tools: a sturdy cutting board, heavy-bottomed pot, solid stirring spoon, and plenty of serving bowls. Thanks to the handiwork of these Southern artisans, these gumbo-making essentials are just what you need to feed a crowd.

An online shopping image of a black dutch oven.

Smithey Ironware 5.5 Quart Dutch Oven

Charleston

With a vintage look and feel and polished interior surface, this South Carolina made enameled cast iron evenly conducts heat across the bottom to ensure a perfectly browned roux. $300

HAAND Sharing Bowl

Burlington, North Carolina

You might have spotted these handmade bowls or plates in restaurants around the South—they’ve recently partnered with North Carolina chef Vivian Howard on a specialty line. The sharing bowl (shown here in fern) is especially ideal for dishing out steaming portions of gumbo loaded with juicy shrimp and bright-green okra. $55 for one; $209 for set of four

Macy Cypress Roux Spoon

Long Beach, Mississippi

Sous chef by day, woodworker by night, Mike Macy shapes these flat-ended spoons—specifically made for stirring a smooth roux using cypress wood he sources from Jubilee Specialty Wood Products in Mobile, Alabama. $20,