Southern Cooking

Southern cooking has a long, incredibly diverse list of unusual fruits, vegetables, sauces, and ethnic traditions. What crops up again and again are pot luck dinners, barn raisings, fish fries, back country horse races, harvest balls, and Mardi Gras: the life affirming celebrations that made the tough job of building a country a little easier.

Many cultures brought ingredients, methods and holidays to this fertile land. And because much of the south has a prolonged growing season, harvest celebrations could begin in early summer and last as long as your canning held out. Each region of the South developed its own delicious history and traditions that combined to represent southern hospitality.

The Virginias
 As the first southern colony, the English settlers continued living their European gentry traditions but were eager to welcome strangers to a meal for news of the world. Parties and balls were formal settings with elaborate menus that included many kinds of seafood – oysters, shrimp and crab cakes along with fresh greens.

The Carolinas
 The Carolinas added a French Huguenot accent to their English traditions. Rice farming and wine making led way to after-harvest socials with leisurely dinners and hunt breakfasts. Scottish immigrants, settling in the mountains, added wild game, stews, cornbread and grits to the diet.

Florida
 With its subtropical climate and long coastline, Spanish settlers developed trade routes with Havana and other Caribbean ports. Exotic fruits came from Cuba and cattle became an important commodity. Popular dishes include key lime pie, coconut chicken and glazed ham.

Georgia and Alabama
 By the time Georgia and Alabama were settled, southern food had 100 years in the making. On the coast, seafood and rice dishes prevailed. Inland produce like peaches, peanuts and pecans were used to create favorites like pecan and peach pies. Catfish was also a favorite, as are okra, sweet potatoes, collard and turnip greens and other locally grown vegetables. These were often served along cornbread which was used to soak up the juices.

Tennessee and Kentucky
 Once considered our western frontier, this area was very fertile farmland. Ham with corn and greens were staples. And let’s not forget that Kentucky is also the home of Bourbon.

Mississippi and Louisiana
 Traditional English recipes and elegant French-Indian-Spanish Creole mingled in bayou country to produce brand new tastes. New Orleans and Baton Rouge became known for foods with a hot bite. Typical of this cuisine was the mixing of meats and vegetables with rice that became Jambalaya. Seafood Gumbos, croquettes, crayfish and bisques were born here. Sweltering summers were cooled with lemonade and mint.