Southern Cuisine - Assignment Example

Southern Cuisine Southern food is not confined to one classification of cuisine but involves many types of foods that originated from various people and places. Three of the most celebrated styles of cooking that are rightfully associated with the Southern part of the U.S. include Barbeque, Tex-Mex and Cajun/Creole. Not only do these food classifications differ in make-up from types of foods consumed in other regions of the U.S., they differ broadly with each other yet are all considered Southern food. This discussion examines these three types of Southern cuisine, what they consist of, how they are made and the ancestral origins of each to determine why they came to be connected with the South. BBQ The term ‘barbeque’, according to Tar Heel Magazine, originates from the name of a North Carolina bar that operated in the 1800’s. The establishment advertised its name as Bar-Beer-Cue-Pig because it had pool tables (Cue), served liquor and beer (Bar/Beer) and specialized in roasted pig. Pork was a main staple of Southerners’ diet during that time because pigs were easy to maintain, inexpensive, easy to transport and by all accounts, delicious. “In the pre-Civil War period, Southerners ate, on average, five pounds of pork for every one pound of beef” (Gray, 1982: 27). Pigs don’t need a fence like cows do; they could be turned out to a forest then re-caught when the supply of food ran low. The slaughtering of a pig meant that it was time for a party. All of the neighbors, most supplying a side dish, would be invited or invite themselves to join in the feast. “In the south, barbeque is pig; slow smoked, chopped, and served on white bread or buns. Side dishes usually include slaw which is often packed in the bun with the barbeque and hush puppies – small pieces of cornbread deep fried. Slaws vary from mild white to spicy red” (Allison, 2007). Other sides include potato salad with mustard or mayonnaise base, baked beans and possibly a green bean casserole. Roasted corn-on-the-cob is popular particularly in South Texas. Watermelon is a popular dessert following a barbeque. The tradition of barbeque in the South emanated from these types of congregations and had been well-established by the beginning of the 1800’s. It was “in the fifty years before the Civil War that the traditions associated with large barbecues became entrenched. Plantation owners regularly held large and festive barbecues, including ‘pig pickin’s’ for slaves” (Hilliard, 1972: 59). A church picnic in the South, then as well as today, virtually always entails a barbecue as does practically all other social gatherings where food is served. ‘Come on over this weekend, we’ll have a barbeque’ is a frequent phrase heard in the South. It is a tradition Southerners take very seriously. Barbeque cook-offs are prideful competitions that draw good crowds (Bass, 1995: 301). Barbeque restaurants grew from similar humble beginnings. The source of good barbeque is news that travels fast in the South and those that made it well would end-up selling barbequed meat on the weekends from a primitive outdoor pit-style operation. No chairs or tablecloths, this was a take-out business and many, though a bit more sophisticated, of these take-out only barbeque ‘restaurants’ exist today. Small trailers or simply a single barbeque smoker can be seen set-up on corners of streets in many of the smaller towns in the South on the weekends and late afternoons. The vendors generally have other jobs and do this as a side occupation. Throughout the 1900’s the informal barbecue pits as well as restaurants became increasingly popular. It was during this time that barbeque developed into three distinctive categories: black-owned, white-owned, which referred to the more up-scale restaurants and honky-tonk bars, or ‘white joints.’ The racial connotations did not imply that the restaurants served only a certain race of customer, they are simply classifications that tend to indicate the types of spices or flavors used when smoking the meat. Good tasting barbecue drew and continues to draw customers of all classes and races. The diverse history of barbecue came directly from and reflects the rich and diverse Southern history. Of course every Southern state claims that the best barbeque in located in that state. Tex-Mex Tex-Mex is basically the Texas version of Mexican cooking which has blended together along with the two cultures. More than half of native Texans can trace their heritage to Mexico therefore this blend of culture and cuisine is hardly surprising. While similar in many ways, Tex-Mex and Mexican foods are distinctly dissimilar as well. “Tex-Mex foods typically are greasy and fried, while true Mexican foods are made with fresher ingredients. More fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes and red and green chiles, are used in authentic Mexican cuisine” (Minor, 2004). Common types of foods associated with Tex-Mex are enchiladas, chili, tacos, salsa, fajitas, burritos and nachos. Nachos are now a favorite ballpark snack all across the country but have been enjoyed by Texas Ranger baseball fans since their inception in the early 1970’s. Tex-Mex cuisine has become conventional fare in all parts of the U.S. From its roots in Mexico, Tex-Mex food comprises some of the early Aztec and Mayan influences. These ancient cultures contributed cocoa, vanilla, avocados, tomatoes, papayas and many types of chile peppers and beans all of which are indigenous to Mexico. The Spaniards provided their influences as well such as chicken, sheep, cattle, rice, wheat, oils and cinnamon. The Native Americans also added elements to the food such as squash and corn among others as they adapted this type of cooking to their particular tastes. The heavy Mexican influence on cooking extends along the entire Southwestern U.S. border. The origin of chili illustrates the Mexican influence on Texas. During the 1800’s Mexican women in San Antonio made chili which they sold to hungry cowboys who had come to town. Chili became a staple of Southern cuisine that has only grown in popularity since those times. Chili, like barbeque, is a matter of great pride for Southerners. More popular Tex-Mex foods include those mentioned plus many others such as flautas which are corn/flour tortillas filled with shredded meat and other foods including corn, beans, rice, potatoes, cheese, onions and/or cilantro then deep fried. Tex-Mex foods, and not the fast-food mainstream variety, are especially popular in the South Central Texas region (Jones, 2003) Cajun-Creole The deep-south tradition of Cajun-Creole food had its beginnings in Canada.  The French colonized a region in Southwest Canada called Acadia in 1604. The English and French fought over this important port area near present day Nova Scotia for 200 years following colonization. The local people, who now were heavily influenced by the French culture, were forced from their homeland by the British in the late 1700’s and immigrated to Louisiana.  The name of these people, the Acadians went through several translations before producing the name we know of today as ‘Cajun.’ The term now describes residents of southern Louisiana who possess a distinctive manner of speaking. Cajun cuisine is a robust mixture that comprises both Southern U.S. and French influence. Hot spices and pork fat are two of the main ingredients in all Cajun cooking. Creole is a combination of Spanish, African, Caribbean and French cuisines. It differs from Cajun, mainly, in that they use greater amounts of cream, tomatoes and butter. It is generally considered a more refined type of cuisine. The world famous French stew made from fish, Bouillabaisse, is the predecessor to gumbo, a favorite in Louisiana and the entire South. Jambalaya is a favored food of the South with Cajun roots. It is a spicy mixture of numerous types of meats which could include sausage, ham, chicken, crawfish, alligator, etc. in combination with rice and various vegetables, the favorite of which is okra (Vogel, 2001). Jambalaya is among many other flavorful, somewhat ‘exotic’ dishes originating from Louisiana. “One can feast on crabs, crawfish pies, crawfish etouffees and crawfish bisques, gumbos, sauce piquantes, grillades and grits, preserved figs, salt pork, and ouille, boudin, black-eyed peas, red beans and rice, merlitons, smothered chicken, oysters, shrimp, redfish, speckled trout, bread pudding, pain- perdu, and much more” (Creole & Cajun, 2004). Southern cooking is indeed a diverse subject encompassing diverse origins and types of foods. Barbeque, Cajun and Tex-Mex are the three main categories but do not describe the entirety of cooking way down South. However, these foods are the standard fare of Southerners, enjoy a rich tradition and are the pride of Southern cooks. Many influences have combined for many delicious types of food that is the flavor of the South. Unlike hamburgers and pizza, for example, Southern foods retain their regional distinction. As evidence, only in a Louisiana home or restaurant can one truly experience good Cajun food and South Texas is the best place for Tex-Mex. Barbeque is made all over the world but Southerners have and likely always will use the term synonymous with party. Works Cited Allison, Cyndi. “Southerners Don't Barbeque.” Garden and Heart. (October 20, 2007). November 13, 2007 Bass, S. Jonathan. How ‘bout a Hand for the Hog’: The Enduring Nature of the Swine as a Cultural Symbol of the South. Southern Culture, Vol. 1, No. 3, Spring 1995. Gray, Joe. Eating, Drinking and Visiting in the Old South. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1982. Hilliard, Sam Bowers. Hog Meat and Hoecake: Food Supply in the Old South. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1972 Jones, Wilbert. “Regional Cuisines: Tex-Mex Cooking.” Prepared Foods Magazine. (December 10, 2003). November 13, 2007 “Louisiana’s Creole & Cajun Cuisine.” (July 5, 2001). November 13, 2007 Minor, Christina. “Line between Mexican and Tex-Mex gets more blurred.” (May 5, 2004). November 13, 2007 Vogal, Mark. 2001 “New Orleans Classic Cuisine: History of Cajun and Creole Cooking.” In Mamas Kitchen. (2001). November 13, 2007 Read More