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fdm813 17 years, 8 months ago.
Fried Okra tops my list as a true southern original. Bisquits and gravy? Hush Puppies? Black Eyed Peas? Greeens? These are ight up there too.
Right on, Sundancer. There really "ain’t just one" "ultimate" when it comes to Southern food, as there is so much good yet such a variety, so much so different here. You about said it all, summed up everything there is to say on this topic in your great post immediately above. Liketoeat
I am not certain how you can differentiate how you can say any particular food can be the best example of southern food. I am from Knoxville Tenneseee and I have lived here my entire life. I was raised on fried okra, fried chicken, grits, green beans, fresh corn, canned corn, canned pork, country ham, cornbread, bisquits and many other dishes that were necessary for country living.
I can name many others that are equally good and I have difficulty trying to decide which is prefer.
We had fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, leaf lettuce, radishes, onions and I could go on forever.
The south is the south and the food is ubiquitous. We ate what we had and if we did not have it, we did not eat it.
I really enjoyed being brought up with this type of food.
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN
Beans & Cornbread fight too much …
Shouldn’t American’s most popular food, Fried Chicken, earn
the title of the Ultimate Southern Food [?]
Big Muzzy: If you are ever in New Orleans, try Uglesich’s shrimp and grits. It is on the appetizer area and is super. As a matter of fact, everything they have is super.
Regarding Grits, I like them with everything. I could enjoy them by themselves or with any dish I serve including dessert.
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN
Hmmm….beans and cornbread! A GREAT choice!!!
But, you know, IF a dish is to be ULTIMATE in Southern cuisine do you think it needs to be ‘indiginous’ to the region? In THAT case, maybe GRITS should be crowned the ULTIMATE Southern dish.
It’s ALWAYS fun to introduce my Northern friends to grits for breakfast…I swear they think it is Cream of Wheat and start pouring sugar and milk over it (ugh!)…Anyway, once they are clued in on the salt, pepper, and butter, they usually find grits rather satisfying….
Of course, ONE of the best lunch/dinner dishes to win converts over to grits IS: Grits and Shrimp! I’ll be happy to share the recipe with anyone that wants it…..(just e-mail me)
Big Muzzy
Muzzy – my vote would have to go for plain old beans and cornbread!
As a ribb cooker/eater/lover (one angioplasty to prove it), I must say that ribbs DO rank way up there in contention for the ‘ultimate Southern Dish’…but, my Southern heritage (and my departed Grandmother – bless her heart) force me to give a vote (and a big ‘yummy’) to Chicken and Dumplings as the ULTIMATE Southern Dish!
Imagine my surprise when I lived in Moscow and prepared this Southern treat for some of my Russian friends: They said, "The Tartars invented this dish 500 years ago…it goes by the name of "bish-by-mark"…" So, maybe it was brought over by immigrants years ago…
any other nominations for Ultimate Southern Dish????
Weird topic. It has me wondering about deep-fried brussel sprouts…[:)]
If I remember right the ribs shown on the TV program were dredged in bread crumbs and flour before being dropped in the oil.They looked "batter-dipped" when they emerged from the fryer That is a bit different than any chinese style I recall.
To add to this topic I think it’s all about how you prepare the deep fried ribs. The chinese have there own way of prepping there fried ribs and the american version has it’s own unique taste as well? I feel you can’t go wrong either way?
I guess living in a small back woods town in Va. puts me at a disadvantage as far as Chinese food goes. I have never seen or heard of them before. As far as not careing for ribs, not a big deal. I would not eat a brussel sprout, on a bet. To each his own.
I think we’re thinking of two different kinds of Chinese ribs. There’s the sweet red ones you mention (which I tend to find a little gloppy), but there’s another kind that are in fact deep-fried. There’s a good photo at [http://www.nicemeal.com/pork/pork08.html] and what looks like a pretty good recipe at [http://www.zenreich.com/zenweb/garlicribs.htm].
Like I said, I just don’t like ribs that much, but when I’m in the mood, I can have a nibble at an order of Chinese-style deep-fried ribs, especially if they come with a sambal-based dipping sauce. My wife, who considers ribs the fifth major food group, loves ’em to death. Anyway, I stand by my assertion that deep-fried ribs aren’t that unique an idea.
Mayor, Come on, this has the two major southern food groups, BBQ and Deep Fried. I think it surpasses just unique.
Lucky, Chinese ribs are baked. That sweet red glaze would not stay on if they deep fried the ribs.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t Chinese-style spareribs deep-fried? This doesn’t strike me as that new an idea.
I’m not one to talk: I realize that this flies in the face of my southern heritage and upbringing, but I just don’t like ribs.
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