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Southern Cuisine & Race/Social Class
Posted on 7/1/15 at 10:00 am
Posted on 7/1/15 at 10:00 am
Is anyone aware of any books, articles, documentaries, etc. about Southern cuisine and race? I've really become fascinated with this after listening to a few podcasts (Alton Brown, Sean Brock, America's Test Kitchen, etc.). There's a few articles from the Southern Foodways Alliance, but I'm not aware of anything else.
I'm especially interested in the evolution of Southern food as it relates to race and social class. Since black people cooked for middle to upper class whites for so long, it seems like that's the type of food that a certain social class of whites began to cook (after, let's say 1960) when learning to cook after the "help" left (I realize this is an over-simplification, but stay with me). But that doesn't account for the differences in poor white people who had their own culture and food. Sean Brock emphasizes his family's cuisine was nearly entirely vegetables, especially pickling and canning, and almost nothing was friend. A ho cake was about as close to fried as he got.
Personally, my family is a mix. They never had "help," and were constantly moving. They're military folks as far back as we can remember, though the last 50 years they were planted in the delta and near New Orleans, so my background is a bit different than other southerners (is it even Southern...?).
Anyway, I just find these things fascinating. Would love to hear of good research on this topic, but also thought we could just shoot the shite on our family's cultural cuisine.
pls no BBQ wars
I'm especially interested in the evolution of Southern food as it relates to race and social class. Since black people cooked for middle to upper class whites for so long, it seems like that's the type of food that a certain social class of whites began to cook (after, let's say 1960) when learning to cook after the "help" left (I realize this is an over-simplification, but stay with me). But that doesn't account for the differences in poor white people who had their own culture and food. Sean Brock emphasizes his family's cuisine was nearly entirely vegetables, especially pickling and canning, and almost nothing was friend. A ho cake was about as close to fried as he got.
Personally, my family is a mix. They never had "help," and were constantly moving. They're military folks as far back as we can remember, though the last 50 years they were planted in the delta and near New Orleans, so my background is a bit different than other southerners (is it even Southern...?).
Anyway, I just find these things fascinating. Would love to hear of good research on this topic, but also thought we could just shoot the shite on our family's cultural cuisine.
pls no BBQ wars
8
Posted on 7/1/15 at 12:38 pm to BarkRuffalo
The Edible South might be interesting. It's on my reading list.
Posted on 7/1/15 at 12:50 pm to Miz Piggy
Looked at the description and immediately bought it. Thanks MP! 
I guess just being removed from the South, the connections between my heritage and food are just more and more apparent.
That and NE's food is just plain boring compared with any region of the South
I guess just being removed from the South, the connections between my heritage and food are just more and more apparent.
That and NE's food is just plain boring compared with any region of the South
Posted on 7/1/15 at 12:51 pm to BarkRuffalo
Considering the vast, VAST majority of southerners didn't own slaves or have "help" I seriously doubt the premise that they got all their cuisine from black folk.
Posted on 7/1/15 at 12:59 pm to cokebottleag
quote:
Considering the vast, VAST majority of southerners didn't own slaves or have "help" I seriously doubt the premise that they got all their cuisine from black folk.
Their point, if I remember correctly is that folks outside of the South stereotype Southern cuisine and that stereotyped cuisine came from "help" or black cuisine. I remember someone chatting with Sean Brock saying that anyone write a maintstreem Southern cookbook by frying various foods, slapping a word or two with "y'all" as the title, and they'd sell a million copies.
But my quest is to essentially see the intricacies in the evolution of what we think of today when someone mentions "Southern food."
Similar to the development of gumbo in N.O. that involved Caribbean and African influences from the slave trade, etc.
This post was edited on 7/1/15 at 1:06 pm
Posted on 7/1/15 at 1:05 pm to BarkRuffalo
Let me know how you like it so I'll know whether or not to waste my money! 
Posted on 7/1/15 at 1:05 pm to BarkRuffalo
quote:
Sean Brock
I fricking hate Sean Brock and how Garden & Gun incessantly jack him off. It was one of the reasons my wife and I cancelled our subscription.
Posted on 7/1/15 at 1:08 pm to crispyUGA
quote:
I fricking hate Sean Brock and how Garden & Gun incessantly jack him off. It was one of the reasons my wife and I cancelled our subscription.
What does he say or write that you hate?
Posted on 7/1/15 at 1:30 pm to BarkRuffalo
My mother had help when we lived in New Orleans, two black maid/housekeepers. They cooked for us, but my mom always determined what was served, so no exotic Afro cuisine for us. I do remember that every Friday, we'd have huge shrimp cocktails for dinner, although we were not Catholic.
I believe one of the maids, Charlene, smoked marijuana. I recall a smoky smell about her that was not tobacco, as she did not smoke cigarettes.
I believe one of the maids, Charlene, smoked marijuana. I recall a smoky smell about her that was not tobacco, as she did not smoke cigarettes.
Posted on 7/1/15 at 2:01 pm to TigerPanzer
quote:
I believe one of the maids, Charlene, smoked marijuana
You hit that shite didnt you? I know you did...
Posted on 7/1/15 at 2:12 pm to Pavoloco83
quote:
You hit that shite didnt you? I know you did...
The reefer? The maid? Both? Well, I was 7 years old, certainly old enough.
Come to think of it, I had my first touch-'n-feel experiences when I played Doctor with my two neighbors, Meta H. and Vanessa Dupuque, when we were all about 6. Small world, Meta and I are still friends more than 50 years later.
Ah, good old New Orleans. Fond memories.
Posted on 7/1/15 at 2:27 pm to TigerPanzer
Look up John Besh. He has a cook book I own that is really interesting to read if you are looking a coastal / New Orleans cuisine. It is actually surprising how many influences there are on the cuisine in the area. For example he owns Luke. It is a a New Orleans spin to a German restaurant due to the large number of German immigrants there (who would have thought that's tye reason we now have andouille & boudin)
Posted on 7/1/15 at 2:29 pm to ABearsFanNMS
quote:
Look up John Besh.
Thanks. Will do!Posted on 7/1/15 at 2:35 pm to BarkRuffalo
Breaded fried chicken can stay unspoiled without refrigeration for a week. It was a quick and easy way to feed slaves in transport. Just give em a bucket for the road. On the plantations, slaves were usually just given scraps, just the bitter barely edible greens of vegetables and whatnot, and told to make do. Soul food comes directly from the oppression of slavery.
This post was edited on 7/1/15 at 2:36 pm
Posted on 7/1/15 at 2:50 pm to BarkRuffalo
Soul food is southern food. Southern food is soul food. They are one in the same. Go up north and see for yourself. Black culture is southern culture.
Posted on 7/1/15 at 2:58 pm to genro
quote:
On the plantations, slaves were usually just given scraps, just the bitter barely edible greens of vegetables and whatnot, and told to make do.
Many slaves were given a small plot of land to grow their own food on. They also ate a lot of bread and fatty meat.
Posted on 7/1/15 at 3:03 pm to CatFan81
Posted on 7/1/15 at 3:03 pm to genro
quote:
Soul food comes directly from the oppression of slavery.
And ribs! fricking ribs. Crackers used to throw that shite out.
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