Lobster

When you go to New England, specifically Massachusetts or Maine, and you ask anyone what the most popular New England delicatessen is, they will immediately say Lobster. But why? One may think it’s simply because lobsters are abundant in the north Atlantic ocean near the east coast of the United States, which is true. However, wartime is actually what made Lobster the fancy, sought after dish that it is known as today. Because the economy was booming during the war, it allowed wealthy people to eat tons and tons of lobster constantly. Furthermore, this was a time when canned food was very popular and lobster meat was extremely easy to can. This allowed not only wealthy people to consume lobster but also soldiers that were overseas and in the United States. This was what I call the creation of the “lobster gap.” 

When you go to a city like Boston, Massachusetts or Portland, Maine you will notice that there are very fancy lobster restaurants as well as very dive-type restaurants that also sell steamed lobster and lobster rolls. While lobster is overall an expensive treat, it varies in the “fanciness” of consumption because of the split during wartime between canned lobster and extremely fancy lobster. This also led to the creation of the lobster roll, lobster salad, etc. Lobster became so popular that it was being thrown into everything! Just kidding, but a lot of things. These new food creations involving lobster allowed a larger population to consume it which is why it was made so popular. In fact, lobster has become such a staple of New England culture that when you walk into any given New-England-themed, tourist-trap gift shop (you will most likely find these in the bigger cities), it is a guarantee that you will see lobster keychains, lobster shirts, lobster hats, lobster statues, lobster pictures, etc. This is because lobster has, in one way or another, become the face of New England. 

Personally, I have had great experiences with lobster myself. The first time I ever ate lobster was at a restaurant in Cape May, New Jersey (another hotspot for lobster) and I LOVED IT. Not only was it super tasty, but it was also an experience. When one consumes lobster (this depends on the classiness of the restaurant, however, it is the way most people consume it), they are given a plastic bib as well as a “shell cracker” to crack the hard shell that houses the delightful lobster meat. You work your way through each of the claws and then eventually eat the tail (the most meat and the best part of the lobster) all with a side of warm, melted butter to dip it in. By the end of the meal if your face, hands, bib, and possibly pants are not smelling of lobster, you didn’t eat it correctly. I will never forget that day. The first time I went to New England to eat lobster however, was truly an experience. I had a lobster roll every day for lunch and steamed lobster every day for dinner! Never once was I disappointed by the quality. This proves my overall point that lobster is the lifeblood of the food industry in New England.

The smell of bourbon, the sea, and sweat. Roars of laughter, singing and the sound of the tails snapping off of crawfish. Old friends embracing each other and families reuniting. Crawfish boils are a place where people come together to enjoy the little things in life. In my experience what people perceive crawfish boils to be is mostly accurate: dozens of people hoarding around a pile of food, dancing, singing, and of course, drinking. But you can’t fully comprehend how magical a crawfish boil is until you attend one yourself. 

Prior to the 1960’s crawfish were seen as a poor man’s food. It wasn’t until recently that crawfish boils were seen among people of all backgrounds and classes. Today, crawfish boils are a mandatory event every spring. Crawfish boils have gained popularity partly because of the food  (cheap, delicious, and filling) but mainly because of the family gathering aspect of the event. In the South, spring time is the prime time for social gatherings. Mardi Gras, arguably the most important event of the year (event more important than Christmas for some families), is a week-long festival that takes place before Ash Wednesday. It is a time to enjoy rich food and family gatherings before the Christian Lent season. Crawfish boils allow people to do just that, enjoy good food and good company during the Mardi Gras celebrations. Crawfish have become a southern, more specially Cajun, symbol for community. When I smell the large piles of crawfish on dozens of tables, hear screams of laughter and people rejoicing in each other’s company, I know that I am home. 

This is a picture of my uncle boiling crawfish. My family both holds and attends several crawfish boils every year. 

Fried Catfish has long been a staple of Southern Cuisine. This is perhaps due to the activities that surround the act of preparing the food rather than the food itself. A lot of the time when cooking catfish you are not simply going to the store and buying it. Instead, you and a group of close friends or family get together and catch the fish itself through a variety of methods. This ranges from what you would usually expect like using a rod and reel all the way to noodling, which is the act of swimming in the water and pulling a catfish out of its hole by hand. Once you have caught a satisfactory amount of catfish that is when the preparation begins. At this point some of the people will go prepare side items such as some form of potatoes while others will work on fileting the fish so it is ready to be prepared. Then, when everything is cooked and prepared everyone comes together again in order to enjoy the meal they have worked hard for over the course of the day. So, part of the tradition of eating fried catfish is also getting together with people you are close with and having a great experience with them. Here is a recipe for fried catfish if you ever would want to try it yourself. You will need Catfish filets, 1 cup of buttermilk, 1 cup of cornmeal, 1/2 a cup of flour, spices to taste, and oil. Firstly, you need to put your catfish filets in the buttermilk. Then, you mix together the cornmeal, flower, and whatever seasoning spices you would want. Next, put your oil in a pan and make sure the temperature is around 350 degrees. When your oil is hot coat the catfish filets in the breading mixture and place into the oil. Cook the filets for 3-4 minutes on each side depending on how thick they are and the catfish is done.

One prevalent aspect of many typical southern foods is the deep-fried batter. The sensation of biting into a crispy outer shell with a tender inside has attracted many of those that live in the southern regions of the United States. One of the delicacies that I have been introduced to while living in the south are Hush Puppies. These golden brown nuggets consist of a thick cornmeal batter, typically in a ball shape. Commonly eaten as an appetizer, this dish can accompany many other southern delicacies such as catfish. Even though the concept of frying cornmeal has been around for a long time, the specific term wasn’t coined until the 1900’s. While there are many stories on where the name originates, the general consensus is that it came from appeasing whining dogs. Whether they were hunting companions that came with southern catfish fishers or dogs that followed soldiers during the Civil War, many of the stories include the phrase “hush puppy!” Along with the unique name, there are many nicknames for the cornmeal treat: Red Horse Bread, Wampus, Red Devils and Three Finger Bread. Despite the various names coming from different regions, many people know it as the iconic Hush Puppy. There are also many stories on where they came from, speculations varying from Atlanta to South Carolina. Although the specifics are unclear, there’s no doubt that this convenient food comes from the south. With the rise in popularity in southern foods, hush puppies have made it around the country, appearing in states as far as California. The specific reason this dish got popular was when tourists traveled to Florida to fish when they encountered the food in restaurants around. When first encountering this food when I was younger, I was perplexed by the unique name. The fried cornmeal was much more pleasant than the initial presentation. Even with the plethora of fried foods in the south, Hush Puppies rightfully have their own recognition with those that enjoy the treat.

My stepfather, like any responsible and hungover adult, was a firm believer in the panacea of greasy food. It may not remedy poor decisions made the night before, but it sure can fix a headache.

Between the hundreds of restaurants in Savannah Georgia, only one let my stepdad slip in through the kitchen and sneak a seat at its family-style tables. Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room is as infamous within my family as it is around Savannah. The owners, Ronnie and Marsha, are long time family friends; just as the restaurant’s recipes have been passed down for decades, so has this friendship. My stepdad was always welcome at their door, even the back one. Entering through the back meant my stepdad got to beat the hours of waiting anyone else would endure. It also meant he didn’t notice the closed three blocks surrounding Mrs. Wilkes.

Blissfully unaware and head pounding, my stepdad threw Ronnie and the cooks a wave before deftly maneuvering from the kitchen to the dining room. The white table clothes had yet to be topped with dishes, but the antique chairs were filled with people. My stepdad squeezed in among a few strangers as three secret service agents entered the restaurant. Between these agents was none other than President Barack Obama, who took a seat across from my stepdad.

When the food was placed in front of them, my stepdad politely asked the president to pass the chicken. Talk about politics at the dinner table.

President or not, Mrs. Wilkes serves every customer with an equal amount of care. It’s a demonstration of how southern cuisine serves as communion, comfort, and tradition by conjoining strangers at the same table with the same meal. Family and food are closely intertwined at Mrs. Wilkes through the recipes made even before the restaurant’s opening. These values are served to their customers from the macaroni to the blueberry cobbler. Shared dishes become shared conversations that become new understandings, if only for the hour. Talking to Barak Obama about homeland security over green beans is an extreme example, but the rest aren’t any less significant.

When I think of childhood, summertime, and the Fourth of July, I think of watermelon. Throughout American supermarkets, seeing boxes of watermelons is a sign that summer has arrived. Whether at the beach or a cookout, enjoying a cold, fresh piece of watermelon is an unequivocally American summer tradition. Its popularity seeps into many American products during the summer, being sold as seasonal milkshake and candy flavors, pool floats, and children’s clothing. In addition, over two hundred types of watermelon grow in the United States alone, showing the extent at which watermelon is appreciated (Burch).

It is also a symbol of the South, considering its origin. Watermelon seeds were introduced to the American South by enslaved African Americans. Unfortunately, watermelon has been used as a way to degrade African Americans, being related n a racist and derogatory sense. After the emancipation of enslaved people, free African Americans sold and ate watermelon, which was quickly used as a way to belittle their freedom. It was falsely and unjustly labeled as a food of laziness based on this racist association (Black).

In a more positive light, Southern traditions with watermelon extend beyond racial injustices and also include the oddity of adding salt to watermelon. Because watermelon has such a low amount of salt, sprinkling even a little bit of salt on top brings out the sweetness of the fruit. Apparently, this tradition does not just live in the South, as Southern newspaper articles dating back to the early twentieth century tell about salted watermelon in Japan.

Like many others, I have a nostalgic view of watermelon and immediately relate it to my childhood. Throughout American history, watermelon has been included in our country’s growth and can ultimately be viewed as a symbol of freedom for Americans of all backgrounds.

Sources:

Black, William R. “How Watermelons Became a Racist Trope.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 15 May 2020, www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/how-watermelons-became-a-racist-trope/383529/.

Burch, Ron. Watermelon: The Southern Comfort Food, SouthernReader, 2006, www.southernreader.com/SouthRead9.9.html.

A baked sweet potato is a great addition to almost any southern meal, especially loaded with butter, brown sugar, and honey.  But even better than a sweet potato baked is one candied.  As a child, I could not believe that both the potatoes from supper and the candied yams at Thanksgiving Dinner could have come from the same garden, much less the same plant.  Yams have always been superior in my opinion, but not just because they are soaked in a sweet homemade syrup before being fried on the stovetop until they are just soft enough to be easily forked without falling apart.  It is because they represent family, community, and the fruit (or vegetables) of one’s labor.

Candied yams have been a staple at holiday meals and family get-togethers for as long as anyone in my family can remember.  It is a flavor that I will forever associate with my Granny Banks’ green and white checkered kitchen and its dark wood cabinets.  But they are not just memorable to me because of the taste or the smell.  Instead it is the fact that it always required both my Granny and Papa to make them.  This process began in their backyard garden, where Papa and Laddie tediously tended the vegetables, growing the sweet potatoes that would be stocked up and saved for all the meals to come.  They would be carefully watched and watered until just before the first fall frost.  At that time, Papa would come find whoever was around, first it was my Granna when she was a child, then my mother, and eventually me, to come dig with him.  We would dig around in “dirty clothes” each trying to find the best one.  The time was special, and harvesting the potatoes ourselves made us even prouder of the prepared dish when it sat on the table for Thanksgiving Day.  The day of the meal, the potatoes were pulled out of the old peach boxes, and then came what I still consider the toughest part.  If you’ve never cut a fresh sweet potato before, I can testify that it is not an easy task.  Especially as my Granny grew older, it was not something my papa wanted her to do alone.  So he would cut them, and she would cook them.  As I got older, I became the middleman, taking the slices and soaking them in the sweet syrup that undeniably separates a yam from a plain old sweet potato.  Seeing the sincerity and loving nature in their partnership has forever elevated the smell and taste in my mind because it means so much more than a baked sweet potato.  As my family sits down to celebrate a holiday, we sit down around the dish that has been tediously prepared and exhibits the love that has created such a big family, and this has made it even more popular than the turkey.   It may seem silly to elevate candied yams in this way, but I can promise that biting into one in my Granny’s kitchen will prove all that I have written.  It has for many that have married in or passed through our family, and ultimately, it is one food we will continue to prepare in remembrance of my Papa, and as a reminder of the community that has been created in that green kitchen.

Mac and Cheese in the south has a rich history of original European influence and African American adaptation. The use of pasta in conjunction with cheese to create a creamy product was present in

Europe in the 19th century. Because of Thomas Jefferson’s interest and frequent visits to France, he and his personal enslaved chef, James Hemings (pictured to the left), witnessed the dish being used in European applications. They brought these techniques back to America. Both Jefferson’s family and, more recently, James Hemings are accredited to the foundation of Southern mac and cheese. In 1802, Jefferson and Hemings’ son served, “a pie called macaroni.” – Manasseh Cutler. While Cutler was not entirely impressed by the casserole-style dish, The elite South became very interested in the dish. Via causation, “Cooking techniques were passed down from slave to slave, within the black community.” (Fowler) It was adopted as a Southern tradition among upper class citizens and a heritage dish among African American slaves that cooked for said elites. Despite the Southerner’s general distaste for the changes brought about in the Industrial Revolution, easier access to mac and cheese was favorable to most. This is when it truly adopted the name of a, “comfort food,” as it was more accessible to impoverished communities. African Americans, specifically, could use the culinary techniques of their formerly enslaved relatives to enhance mac and cheese culture. The influence of African Americans on Southern mac and cheese from this point forward is what brought the traditions surrounding it to their contemporary point.

Mac and Cheese is notably different in the South and its unique traits are what makes it southern. The signature of Mac and Cheese in the South is its baked nature. A, “roux” is made with butter and flour, and is combined with milk to make a, “bechamel.” This technique, as is hinted in the names, is native to French cuisine. Southern influence is responsible for rich cheeses that are added at the end of the bechamel process and poured into heavily boiled macaroni. Southern Mac and Cheese shows little concern with the doneness of the pasta when compared to European techniques. Cheese and/or bread is used to top the signature casserole dish of southern mac and cheese before it is put in an oven to reduce the cheese mixture and brown the toppings. This is the most basic description of a Southern Mac and Cheese culinary process. It is often improvised and changed upon, and is very unique between different African American or other Southern families.

The distinctive traits of the process of making a Southern Mac and Cheese is symbolic of many aspects of the South. It can be observed that the process described above is very time consuming and it is a labor of love. That is entirely the nature of food in the South. The slower and familial way of life is represented perfectly by Mac and Cheese and other family style dishes like it.

Works Cited:

Fowler, Damon Lee. Dining at Monticello: In Good Taste and Abundance.  Thomas Jefferson Foundation, 2005.

Person. “The History of Slavery in the Cultivation of Mac & Cheese.” ArcGIS StoryMaps, Esri, 24 Dec. 2019, storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/03dbf30ccad245b0a505f18b18fb5e8c. 

“Macaroni and Cheese.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Oct. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroni_and_cheese.