What South Carolina rice dish is similar to pilaf?

Perloo is the South Carolina rice dish similar to pilaf. Also spelled perlo, purloo, or pilau, it is a Lowcountry one-pot dish in which rice cooks in seasoned broth with ingredients such as chicken, sausage, shrimp, oysters, vegetables, or pork.

The dish belongs to the broader Carolina pilau tradition. Its technique is related to pilaf: rice is cooked in flavored liquid so the grains absorb the broth while remaining distinct. The exact ingredients vary widely by community and household, which is why one perloo may feature seafood while another resembles chicken and rice.

Perloo also reflects the African and Caribbean influences that shaped South Carolina’s rice culture. Enslaved Africans brought important rice-growing knowledge and one-pot cooking traditions to the Lowcountry, where rice became a defining crop and food. Carolina pilau is often described as a precursor to Louisiana jambalaya, though the dishes developed distinct regional styles.

Readers sometimes confuse perloo with Hoppin’ John, which combines rice with peas and pork, or with jambalaya, which often includes tomatoes and a different seasoning profile. Perloo’s defining identity is its Carolina pilaf-like method and Lowcountry setting.