Southern Cuisine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Southern Cuisine - Essay Example 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. â€Å"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. â€Å"In the south, barbeque is pig; slow smoked, chopped, and served on white br ead 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 â€Å"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