top of page
Search

5 Friday Finds!!!!! Southern Food Day!!

Writer's picture: Mark WarrenMark Warren

Every year, the Southern Food & Beverage Museum celebrates Southern Food Heritage Day on October 11! The culturally rich and delicious food of the Southern states deserves to be recognized and celebrated officially at least one day of the year. Southern food speaks to the essence of America: a convergence and coalescence of a variety of people from all over the world, each contributing their own ingredients and techniques to create a unique cuisine. Along with the cuisine, the day also celebrates the racial and ethnic diversity in America. Iced tea, pickled eggs, fried chicken, okra, collards, shrimp and grits, BBQ, and assortments of pies are some of the most loved Southern foods throughout history. Southern food is a living record of the people, places, and cultures that have contributed to the evolving landscape of our unique little corner of the world. Too complex and varied to ever achieve a conclusive origin story, the history of Southern food is best examined by considering its major influences—the integration of cultures, natural bounty, and love for the community. Southern food was born from a loud, explosive collision of culture. Different ingredients, both animal and plant, were thrust upon the Southern United States during the birth of our nation, shaping the regions culinary future, and defining the Southern states more so than any other part of the country. While the influences upon Southern cuisine are many, the most influential would be from West Africa, unfortunately in the form of slaves, Native American people, and Europeans. Southern food can be further divided into categories: ‘Soul food’ is heavily influenced by African cooking traditions that are full of greens and vegetables, rice, and nuts such as peanuts. Okra and collard greens are also considered Soul Food, along with thick stews. ‘Creole food’ has a French flair, while ‘Cajun cuisine’ reflects the culinary traditions of immigrants from Canada. ‘Lowcountry’ cuisine features a lot of seafood and rice, while the food of the Appalachians is mostly preserved meats and vegetables.

·         The West African slaves brought new methods of cooking and an interesting vegetable unknown to the region—okra. These men and women, strangers in a strange land, continued to practice their native art of stewing, and the one-pot meal, giving way to the prized and famed Southern dish we know today as gumbo. The West Africans practiced a diet consisting of vegetables, fowl, and fish in their homeland. They favored the clean and simple combination of vegetables, grains, and fish. This influence is reflected today in the most traditional of Southern dishes; Georgian Shrimp and Grits or a Carolina Low Country Boil are notable examples of this type of simplicity.

·         The Native Americans, of course, introduced corn—in all its wondrous forms—to the world. The making of cornbread and hoecakes, two of the most famous southern staples, was a technique passed on from the Native American to the enslaved worker in the Southern fields. The art of salting and frying meat for preservation was another skill the Native American bestowed upon the slaves. The technique of frying was used to crisp the outer skin of wild game, such as rabbits and squirrels, which would preserve the meat, allowing for the saving or storing for future meals. Salted cuts of meat, not intended for consumption, were used to preserve pots of vegetables, like greens.

·         The Europeans introduced pork to the South, and the rest of the Americas, by way of bringing over the first swine to the states. Pork’s popularity spread like a wildfire across all cultural boundaries, placing the pig in high demand. While the wealthy elite did their best to reserve the raising of swine for the upper crust, they could not prevent the stealing away of piglets by those less fortunate, and eventually, pig farming became something that transcended all classes. Pork quickly became a staple in the preparation of Southern meals.

The hallmarks of Southern cooking, as it turns out, were born from survival techniques—frying and salted meats kept people alive. Connection to the land, to what is seasonal and accessible, is a driving force behind most Southern dishes. Greens and berries still play a huge role in the South’s culinary landscape and complement the game and fowl native to the region. Survival was an important influence on Southern cuisine. However, one cannot discount the impact of lifestyle. BBQ, for example, may have been brought over by the Spanish conquistador from the Caribbean, but the culture of BBQ was born in the South. Perhaps the most recent advent of community and food in the south is the urbanized brunch. Here in the south, especially in cities like Atlanta, brunch has become more than a meal, or social gathering, but a sacred communion of tasty food, good friends, and good times. Southern food is special because of the people who cook it and the culture that continues to preserve it. Its roots run strong, deep, and most of all mouthwatering. Fundamentally it is the complexity of Southern food, the mix of historic tradition, both good and bad, coupled with modern innovation, which has spurred the recent demand for Southern cuisine in cities across America. This interest will shape the future of Southern food, once again, as our cuisine collides with new people and new cultures. Therefore, indulge in the best cooking fare that exists is the U.S. while smiling to this week’s finds…..

 


1.  Kindergartners are wild. Imagine fighting anyone over free food and naps??


2.  Me: Had a cut under a fingernail this week.

Twins: I will ask you to open an extremely high amount of citrus fruit each day!!


3.  How helpful are twins you may ask?

So helpful. For example, when I ask them to do something they suggest a different twin that could do it instead!!


4.  It dawned on me this week that I must have sat at stop lights for hours before becoming a Twin-Dad because I had no twins to tell me the light has changed to green!!


5.  No one has ever been more surprised than a Twin-Dad hearing about the plans on the family calendar for the second time!!







11 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


Post: Blog2_Post

Subscribe Form

Thanks for submitting!

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

©2020 by Mark Warren. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page