The South is well known for its food, biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits, various casseroles, all of those are loved. The history of America is also well-known, being a melting pot of various cultures, and therefore cuisines.
Southern food is a conglomerate of Southeastern Native American Tribes, Creole, African American cuisine, and Spanish, French, and Italian cuisine. Many elements of Southern cooking, like squash, corn, and barbecuing are borrowed from Indigenous peoples of the region. European colonists brought over sugar, flour, milk, eggs, and livestock. Furthermore, enslaved West Africans introduced black-eyed peas, okra, eggplant, sesame, melons, and various spices.
Without each of these contributions to Southern food and culture, we, as people from the South, wouldn’t have fond memories of food that we do. Food is such a huge aspect of any society, but thinking about banquets after church, your grandma’s pie, the barbeque at the Fourth of July, none of those things would exist without this incredible intersection of culture.
For example, barbecue. Barbecue first spread with pit barbecue; meats cooked over a trench which contained fires. The most common meat used is pork, particularly pork ribs and pork shoulder. Another important aspect of barbecue is the wood used to smoke the meat; different wood types result in different flavors. Stronger flavored woods are used for pork and beef; lighter flavors are used to fish and poultry.
The origins of barbecue date back to colonial times – and the core region is the southeastern region of the United States. Indian corn cribs, predecessors to Southern barbecue, were described during Hernando de Soto’s expedition in southwest Geogia. The word ‘barbecue’ comes from the Spanish word barbacoa, meaning “to preserve (meat) by drying or slowly roasting.” Barbecue has emerged over the years, leading to many traditions being centered around it. Barbecue is often served on the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, however it’s not only confined to these occasions. Barbecues, like many meals, bring people together and serve as a bonding experience for that community,
Much of Southern cuisine is local adaptations of Old-World traditions, like the South’s fondness for a full breakfast is directly related from the British full breakfast. Rather than chopped oats, Southerners prefer grits – porridge normally made from coarsely ground maize. Certain regions are more of a mix, such as Louisiana Creole cuisine, drawing upon French cuisine, West African cuisine and Spanish cuisine. Everyone loves Surcheros – Tex-Mex – which has huge Mexican and Indigenous influence. This blending and immersion of culture and cuisine has led to great things happening in the kitchen, for everyone involved!
The creation of Southern food took centuries of curation and culture intersection. The collaboration between cultures to put food on the table has resulted in amazing things for everyone involved and created a bond between people that some things can never touch. It’s well known that the way to anyone’s heart is first through their stomach; and no culture knows that better than Southern culture.