There are just some things you can find in most Southern kitchens. A copy of “Calling All Cooks.” Some Conecuh Sausage. Maybe a jug of Milo’s or Red Diamond tea.

We here at AL.com decided to discuss the one (or two) Alabama products that are always in our kitchen. So pull up a chair and sit a spell and let’s talk about some of our favorites.

Golden Eagle Syrup

There are a lot of Alabama food brands I love and can often be found in my fridge and pantry, but my favorite among them all, for sentimental reasons, has to be Golden Eagle Syrup. Made in the small town of Fayette, or “Syrup City” as I learned it’s called, Golden Eagle Syrup played a big role in one of my favorite family traditions growing up. For years, my grandmother would come over every Christmas morning and make us all biscuits from scratch. Then, while they were still warm, she’d fill them with a mixture of butter, peanut butter and a hefty pour of Golden Eagle Syrup. It was the sweetest morning treat reserved only for that occasion, and I looked forward to it almost as much as my gifts every year. So now, as an adult, I keep a jar of Golden Eagle Syrup around anytime my sweet tooth (and nostalgia) kicks in.—Amber Sutton

READ MORE: The story of Alabama’s beloved Golden Eagle syrup

Wickles Pickles

If you peek inside our fridge right now, alongside the John’s Famous Slaw Dressing and the Dreamland Bar-B-Que sauce, you’ll find three or four jars of another Alabama staple, Wickles Pickles. We keep more jars in the kitchen pantry in case of emergency. The Original Pickle is an ol’ reliable that not only complements cheeseburgers and leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches, but that we also serve with my homemade pimento cheese and Bill-E’s Small Batch Bacon on a King’s Hawaiian roll for the perfect gameday appetizer. And don’t dare throw away that liquid gold left in the jar when all the pickles are gone. It comes in handy for brining a chicken, boiling a batch of peanuts, mixing a mint julep — even relieving muscle cramps. (I’ve tried it! It works!) My wife also uses another wickedly delicious Wickles product, the Wicked Okra, in an easy-to-make, guaranteed-to-please bacon-wrapped pickled okra appetizer that is a hit every time she takes it to a party. – Bob Carlton

Bagels from Canadian Bakin’ in Huntsville

If your bagel experience has been the packaged/grocery store variety, this isn’t the same sport. Completely different freshness, texture and X factor. Whatever Canadian Bakin’ owner/baker Matt Johnson does in his process must involve witchcraft. – Matt Wake

“Centennial Collection” and other community cookbooks

No Alabama kitchen is complete without a vintage cookbook, and my favorite ones come from community organizations, church groups, social clubs and the like. These collections are delightful time capsules, stuffed with blueprints for dishes that home cooks were proud to make and serve to their families. I’m especially fond of retro recipes that seem a little outrageous today — or even downright unhealthy — using flavored gelatin, canned fruit, hot dogs, lunch meats, canned soups, olives, pickles and other, um, interesting ingredients. Just reading about these dishes is a kitschy nostalgia trip. Of course, such cookbooks also contain recipes for tasty dishes that stand the test of time. For kitsch and classics, I turn to my copy of “Centennial Collection: Favorite Recipes From the Newspaper Employees.” This cookbook was published in 1988 by The Birmingham News in honor of its 100th year. It includes an easy recipe for strawberry pretzel salad — even a klutzy cook like me can make it — plus refrigerator rolls, cheese straws, chilis, slaws and lots of hearty casseroles. The book is out of print and hard to find, but well worth the effort. (Pro tip: Try a search on Ebay.) — Mary Colurso

Dale’s Seasoning

Not many Alabama food brands have been around longer and are more iconic than Birmingham’s Dale’s Seasoning, the savory, soy sauce-based steak marinade that goes back to 1946, when the old Dale’s Cellar Restaurant opened in downtown Birmingham. That restaurant and the other Dale’s Steakhouse restaurants that followed are all gone – the last one closing in 2014 – but Dale’s Seasoning is not only still around, it’s still owned and operated by the same family that started Dale’s nearly 80 years ago. After Dale’s grew to become a nationwide brand, their marketing folks put together a memorable ad campaign with the catchy jingle: “How Do You Do Your Dale’s?” Loyal Dale’s customers came up with enough recipes to fill a cookbook – from grilled chicken kabobs to stir-fried vegetables, baked beans to roasted Brussels sprouts, sloppy joes to Bloody Marys. As Alan Seigel, the vice president of Dale’s Seasoning, once told me, “There is no wrong way to use it. You can put it on anything.” – Bob Carlton

Play House Spices

The world of rubs, seasonings and marinades is rich with home-grown products, and as a north Alabama native I’ll probably always have a Sam’s Club half-gallon jug of Dale’s steak seasoning on hand. But here’s something newer that’s become a household essential in recent years: Play House Spices, a line of hand-blended seasonings created in Mobile. The names are evocative of the Alabama landscape, such as the Ono Island rub, the Old Dauphin Way blackening spices and the Causeway Blend sweet heat rub. Our go-to is the Dauphin Island Blend, which “combines the zest of the Caribbean with the flavors cherished by Gulf residents” and is particularly recommended for fish, shrimp and chicken tacos. (Ingredients include lime zest, orange zest, cumin and chives, so it’s no run-of-the-mill flavoring.) Play House products are made without MSG and added sugar, and there are several low-sodium or salt-free blends. For full information including the products, recipes, and information on ordering and retail outlets, visit the company’s website. – Lawrence Specker

Coffee from Kaffeeklatsch in Huntsville

Kaffeeklatsch roasts its coffee beans with a machine that’s almost a hundred years old. Roasting produces a complex aroma that wafts in the air downtown. That aroma has Pied Piper-ed many a first-time customer into Kaffeeklatsch since it opened in 1977. The ‘Klatsch gets its beans from places like Indonesia, Columbia and Kenya. – Matt Wake