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Snapshots of Southern Foodways
Different types of foods elicit nostalgic memories of years past.
Food is an important part of the cultural memory of a given society and is far more than just a marker of nutrition and feeding one’s body.
For me, Christmas time always meant that Gram would make her peanut butter Christmas cookies, homemade fudge, and divinity. When there is a chill in the air during the fall, I am reminded of her chicken and dumplings or her ham and beans. Late spring reminds me of the wilted lettuce that she would make for my grandpa and I can still smell the fresh soil from the garden when I see those spring greens.
All these foods are different in terms of their taxonomy and their composition, yet, they represent something so very foundational about life and culture.
American culture has been both praised and criticized for its abundance of goods, fast food and processed food. As a result, “homemade” becomes part of an emotional memory of a time that has long passed. In many ways, these poor country foods bring about a feeling of nostalgia, bringing us back to the good old days where we were poor but didn’t really know it.
It helps to reinforce the idea that the careless afternoons of your youth were better than the present. Better because one doesn’t have to…
