40 things to do before you’re 40 - Number 8!
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
8. Eat some good ol’ Southern cookin’ in the USA
The Deep South of the USA is home to some of the tastiest darn cookin’ you could ever wish to eat; Southern BBQ, Cajun, Creole, Tex-Mex, ‘Soul Food’… time to put a looser notch in the belt!
The blending of European, African, Mexican and Native American influences in America’s South is apparent in the amazing dishes served by incredible local restaurants from New Mexico to Louisiana, Tennessee to Texas.
Southern BBQ is virtually a religion, which is appropriate as meat lovers will feel close to heaven here! Wood-fired pits cook huge meaty portions slow ‘n’ low, resulting in smoky, juicy ribs and succulent, tender pork which falls off the bone. You’ll become a true believer when you worship at the altar of a legendary Southern pitmaster.
In Louisiana it’s possible to try two of America’s most famous cuisines – Cajun and Creole.
Cajun is French influenced, with seafood as a staple; crawfish, crab and shrimps from the bayou, just as Bubba from Forrest Gump would like it. A typical dish is gumbo, a bric-a-brac meal of tasty treasures – perhaps shrimps and grits (ground maize) with cayenne and Cajun’s ‘holy trinity’: bell peppers, onion and celery.
Creole, synonymous with New Orleans, is similar to Cajun but also has hints of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Caribbean and Native American cooking. Jambalaya is a paella-esque Creole dish of seafood, meat, rice and veg, while a romantic Creole meal might be lobster and nature’s aphrodisiac, fresh oysters (perhaps this is why New Orleans is known as the Big Easy?!)
‘Soul Food’ is traced back to African-Americans who arrived in the South during the days of slavery, bringing African cooking traditions with them and adapting it to their new reality. Fried chicken, catfish, cornbread, sweet potatoes, peach cobbler… delicious! (Soul Food is also the only topic of conversation where “meatloaf featuring black eyed peas” is an acceptable phrase!)
Tex-Mex, a fusion of Texan BBQ and Mexican cuisine, is king throughout Texas and New Mexico. Think shredded pork and beef, BBQ ribs, cheese, fajitas, tortillas and enough chilli con carne to make Homer Simpson reach for his chilli boots!
So why not repay your taste buds for all the mediocre fare they’ve put up with over the years – take them to the Deep South and enjoy a range of Southern cookin’… y’all gonna love it!
Topdeck top tip:
Adam Richman of Travel Channel’s Man v. Food checks out a legendary BBQ joint in Memphis, Tennessee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9uLN2BoSz0
And enjoys some seafood in New Orleans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esN3OakbdQ0
Private Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue on shrimp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09KL2HUXE6Q
