Let’s be honest. If you’re a cardiologist or weight watcher, you might not be a fanatic, but don’t misjudge too quickly. For many people these are staples, for some just an occasional treat. But boy oh boy are they something?
Although foodies’ president Thomas Jefferson was a personal supporter of salads, fresh vegetables, and simple foods, he did serve more elaborate dishes for his dinner guests. Meals incorporated his passion for French cuisine with his own regional dishes, including fried chicken, sweet potatoes, greens, Virginia ham, and especially sweet corn, all of which come from his massive estate.
Let’s identify these southern favorites topping your hit list:
Moon cakes– Basically your chocolate covered s’more, sold at convenience stores and gas stations, washed down with
RC Cola o Dr Pepper (never sugar free);
Fried chicken: anyway, you bread or fry it, it’s a classic
Chitlins– Not for the faint of heart, these pork intestines are boiled then deep fried and usually served with vinegar;
Pumpkin seafood– A technique of frying lightly breaded seafood, usually scallops and shrimp, that originated in the port fishing town of Calabash, North Carolina;
Collard greens: boiled with vinegar and a large ham hock;
Fatback: the poor man’s bacon, literally all fatty, which is eaten like bacon and is also used to season vegetables;
Biscuits and gravy: buttermilk biscuits and sawmill gravy, which is country white gravy;
Liver pudding: also called “livermush”, made with minced pork liver, leftover meat and mixed with cornmeal, then formed into a loaf, sliced and fried; Northerners called it scrapple;
Fried Green Tomatoes: popularized by a movie of the same name, they have been a part of southern cuisine for centuries; sliced green tomatoes (never red), topped with cornmeal and fried in bacon grease; don’t skimp on the salt;
Fried chicken fillet: finely mashed steak, then breaded and fried, bathed in white pepper sauce;
Shrimp and grits: grilled or sautéed shrimp served on a bed of grits, cheese or plain; semolina is also served as a hot cereal or garnish with anything;
cornbread: Who doesn’t love cornbread, an American favorite; lots of butter, eaten hot;
Hushpuppies: cornmeal dough, poured into hot oil and eaten with fried fish, oh yeah;
Grill: never argue with barbecue lovers; This popular beef or pork is prepared differently by region, served on a sandwich or plate with hushpuppies and coleslaw; red sauce or vinegar; Texans have their own version (don’t argue with them anyway);
Ham: you cut it anyway, it sways; Red-eye sauce (not made with eyes, by the way) is a way of life;
Catfish– breaded with cornmeal and fried in a cast iron skillet, usually accompanied by hushpuppies and coleslaw; good eating;
Pepper cheese: a rich spread made with, you guessed it, bell peppers and cream cheese; often a sandwich filling;
Chicken and dumplings– Many variations, but basically a chicken stew, with dumpling batter placed on top, covered, and simmered until the dumplings are done; The best Sunday dinner;
Fried pork rinds– They are sold in the potato chip section of most supermarkets, crispy and salty, they can also be homemade;
Fried okra: tops the vegetable hit parade; breaded with cornmeal (what else) and fried; even if you think you don’t like okra, this is the best; They must be their own food group;
Green beans– fresh, if possible, simmered in bacon grease;
Boiled peanutsRaw and tender green peanuts work best, boiled and salted;
Cornmeal breading: we do anything;
Sweet tea: wash everything, made with real sugar;
Note: The author has posted a separate article on southern desserts, so they are excluded from this article, but include: whoopie pies, chess pie, sweet potato pie, chocolate pecan pie, banana pudding, tart peach.
Perhaps no American president enjoyed Southern home cooking more than Jimmy Carter. A typical Sunday breakfast may include ham with red-eye sauce, cheese grits, eggs, and hot cornbread; he also liked okra, grilled ribs, and fried chicken. Apparently the White House dinner guests were enjoying the Southern cuisine when they showed up, expecting something a little more formal. And of course, boiled peanuts.
So what do you think? Never been south of the Mason Dixon line? No problem. Most big cities have an abundance of soul food and southern restaurants. Make up your mind to go exploring.
