The Soul Of Southern Food

Forbes

15 hours ago

Trays and butcher paper with variety of barbecue
The ingredients and cooking techniques of the South are fundamental to the overall American food scene as we know it. Whether is it BBQ, stews or indulgent desserts, so much of what the current American food experience is still relates to the south.
It is also common knowledge that some of the best cooks down there are also taking strides to produce the same amazing flavors that are cleaner, healthier and more relevant today.
There is something primal in confronting a state that has had such a troubling health and poverty problems and see it emerging--at least culinarily--out of the belly of the beast. In historical and political terms it might still take more time. So--foodwise--the traditional flavors are still here, although they have been jazzed up and sometimes made in a healthier style.
It is hard for anyone person to try to encapsulate how food has evolved over the decades in a region, but I think I found a good emissary in Scott Jackson, the chef and owner of Jackson, Mississippi's Pig & Pint restaurant. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the JXN Food & Wine Festival—which brought together chefs from all over the state—in none-other-than Jackson, Mississippi. All answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.
The bacon melt sandwich.
Scott Jackson (SJ): Ingredients consist of anything we can grow or raise here, which is pretty much everything as we have a long growing season in a sub-tropical climate. Due to the effects of the Civil War, we learned to make food from alternative ingredients.
For instance, wheat was unavailable as it doesn't grow here, so bread was made from cornmeal. As for BBQ, smoking meats might be the oldest form of cooking throughout history and widely embraced by the common man as a delicacy they could easily prepare - harvest an animal from your farm or the forest and cook it slowly over a wood fire: caveman stuff.
There is also a heavy African influence in our cooking.
BBQ tacos with crunch.
S.J.: Mississippi's geography influences ingredients. The Gulf Coast region will feature more seafood while the rest of the state utilizes more freshwater fish. Also, the coastal region has more French, Italian and African fusion influences. There is a fair smattering of Asian (mostly Chinese and Vietnamese) communities throughout the state and there is a deep history of Chinese culture in the Delta region.
I find that our ancestors did more stewing of vegetables than roasting. So, I have improved on what I learned from my grandmothers. Generally speaking, our state has evolved as Americans have learned more about healthy eating, including using organic ingredients.
A high-high pulled pork sandwich.
S.J.: I find that the vegetarian era is mostly a thing of the past here as we are learning that the food pyramid we were taught was a bunch of hooey. People are getting back to cooking with tallow and butter and eating more eggs and meat than in recent decades.
The chef is based in Jackson, MS.
S.J.: BBQ and the usual sides pair nicely with more fruit-forward styles of wine. California Zinfandel is my go-to for BBQ. But, other wines like Spanish Garnacha, Primitivo from Puglia, Rhône reds or even some of the richer Russian River Pinot Noirs work as well.
S.J.: Vegetables have always been an important part of Mississippi food. Being a rural and mostly poor state, many people—certainly in the past—would often eat meals comprised of only locally grown vegetables some of which were seasoned with meat trimmings.