As a 7th generation Floriadian, I'll put in my
two cents worth. The southern U.S. (pre-civil war) remained agricultural when
the north became industrialized. A typical
southern diet consists of meat (especially pork), eggs, seafood (crawfish,
shrimp, crabs, catfish), grits, cornbread,
biscuits, rice, greens, sweet potatoes,
pecans. Gravies and sauces are served with
everything. Sweets, salt, and fried foods are
favored, and crisco has replaced lard as the cooking fat of choice. I agree
with the notion that that income is at play here;
a traditional "poor" southern diet is beans, rice and cornbread supplemented
with bacon and seafood. (And the modern "poor"
diet also includes beer, chips, and sugary drinks.) I also think that
southerners will take flavorful over "healthy" any day!
Mary <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >From: "Jay Banks"
>> I noticed this on CNN. Something to think about, since it would seem that
>> those in the South would be eating a higher meat diet and/or be *closer* to
>> what some would consider a modern paleo/atkins-type of diet. Anybody else
>> care to comment?:
Probably a direct correlation between income and diet, people have lower
incomes, must subsist on high carb diet made up mostly of cheap grains
Less likely to consume fresh high quality meat, too expensive
|