Southern Cooking in a Realm of Its Own
A fine distinction exists when you are talking about different cuisines, particularly when the term southern cooking comes into play. The cuisine found in the South is quite distinct as it heralds from many different backgrounds and histories throughout the years. Southern cooking can be applied to a general type of food made in the kitchens south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
A Brief History
Southern cooking is a basic food genre that gets its influences from a variety of traditions carried over from the settlers, native people and even slaves who inhabited the area for many years. In essence, you can tell the history of an area based on the food that is traditionally served. For instance, wheat was not a common crop of the southern United States because it was the wrong climate and therefore corn was grown instead and used in a variety of applications from liquor to breads.
In addition to money making crops like cotton and maize, farmers also ended up growing a large number of vegetables that excelled in the soil and climates here like peppers, beans, squash, tomatoes, okra, onions and more. Southern cooking influences from the settlers like the French made a huge impact on such areas as Louisiana where Cajun food rules. Most Cajun cuisine is a direct result of the French heritage with the different spices, sauces and combination of foods together.
Slaves that were shipped to southern plantations to work the fields were also a great influence to the southern cooking you know of today. What many people term "soul food" is a direct result of the slave influence as are several Cajun dishes like gumbo and jambalaya. The slaves ate a lot of vegetables, beans, rice and stews in their diet and when they planted their own gardens to feed themselves, they planted a lot of greens, beans, okra, sweet potatoes and more. Eventually, these foods became a mainstay and integrated into southern cooking.
A Look Today
Today, southern cooking has broader connotations and usually people think of wholesome, fattening comfort foods. Mashed potatoes, cornbread, meatloaf, fried chicken and biscuits and gravy are just a few staples of southern cooking cuisine. In fact, there are several restaurant chains that base their existence on their southern cooking practices and have extended their reach into the northern areas of the United States.
There is no doubt that southern cooking is its own genre or cuisine in the world of cooking and baking. A rich and colorful history precedes this special type of cuisine and while most people don't really think of that history, they certainly enjoy the "fruits" of those influences.
