Cuisine of the Confederate States of America

[David T]

I wouldn't be surprised if Confederates attempt to seriously downplay the culinary achievements of the black population living there, even though Southern cuisine might end up being similar OTL. Take fried chicken for example, Confederate officials would tell you it's more of a Scottish invention or one that comes from Europe rather than admit that it was influenced by West African methods of cooking. Barbeque and other Southern staples could easily fall into similar methods of cultural erasure as well.

Actually, not only did leading white southerners know that the cuisine they enjoyed was the work of black people, they often acknowledged it. R Q. Mallard of Georgia referred to "the kitchen where French cooks are completely outdistanced in the production of wholesome , dainty , and appetizing food ; for if there is any one thing for which the African female intellect has natural genius, it is for cooking." "Mallard need not have limited himself to the women, although they did dominate the Big House kitchens, in contradistinction to those of the inns, hotels, coastal ships, and, later, the cattle drives.” A few black men in Louisiana went to Paris for special training, and some Big Houses across the South sported male cooks. Male or female, black cooks took great pride in their work. .." https://books.google.com/books?id=fHtvU_6EC9EC&pg=PA54

"One of his [Mallard's] contemporaries agreed, noting simply that 'the Negroes are born cooks.' At best these white assessments of black culinary contributions were backhanded compliments. Even if they appreciated the food knowledge and cooking skills of African Americans, they failed to understand that southern recipes were the manifestation of intellect, ingenuity, and extensive trial and error rather than the outgrowth of essential racial traits." https://books.google.com/books?id=_WmRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA43

 

[JWQ]

During the Civil War there was a lot of sanitation issues were soldiers caught typhoid and many other illnesses from food or drinking unhealthy water . With the South‘s economy better than actual history and southern toryism met to flourish or develop for that matter, European Sanitation models Would be Adapted Sooner In The South than in actual history.

As the CSA would see they see Britain and France following the same methods of sanitation and health such as ean water To help curb alcoholism.

another An example of this is Food sanitation would be Methods being adopted in London and Paris.

https://historydaily.org/sausage-duel-facts-stories-trivia



I

Weird Foods and Methods People Used to Survive During the Civil War – History Collection

The US Civil War makes all of America’s recent drama and heated tempers look like chump change. Within the span of a frenzied four years, Americans went at each

historycollection.com

Best way to of course forget about hungry times is consume more food and perfect your culinary ability’s


Southern Christmas cuisine ideas

during Confederate Independence Day I believe children would receive candy chocolate coins 🪙 resembling that of a copperhead civil War penny to forever comemerate the copperhead service who made independence possible((or at least help them)



https://www.thedailymeal.com/holidays/southern-holiday-christmas-recipes the same article has mid western and southern food mentioned

A history of southern cuisine

Southern cuisine is evolving even today

I wonder if aunt Jemima‘s pancakes won’t ever exist in an independent confederate nation. Also there is a difference between soul food and southern food apparently. Of course it will all be consumed In the south.

Slavery, Famine And The Politics Of Pie: What Civil War Recipes Reveal

From recipes for apple pie without apples to advice on how to treat servants, the era's cookbooks hint at the turbulence outside the kitchen window. Indeed, food helped decide the war's outcome.

www.npr.org

I think the real question is how northern cuisine or if the union would differ in cuisine without the south. I might encourage someone to read sweetness and power as the book talks about the impact of sweetener and its history

 

[David T]

Actually, not only did leading white southerners know that the cuisine they enjoyed was the work of black people, they often acknowledged it. R Q. Mallard of Georgia referred to "the kitchen where French cooks are completely outdistanced in the production of wholesome , dainty , and appetizing food ; for if there is any one thing for which the African female intellect has natural genius, it is for cooking." "Mallard need not have limited himself to the women, although they did dominate the Big House kitchens, in contradistinction to those of the inns, hotels, coastal ships, and, later, the cattle drives.” A few black men in Louisiana went to Paris for special training, and some Big Houses across the South sported male cooks. Male or female, black cooks took great pride in their work. .." https://books.google.com/books?id=fHtvU_6EC9EC&pg=PA54

"One of his [Mallard's] contemporaries agreed, noting simply that 'the Negroes are born cooks.' At best these white assessments of black culinary contributions were backhanded compliments. Even if they appreciated the food knowledge and cooking skills of African Americans, they failed to understand that southern recipes were the manifestation of intellect, ingenuity, and extensive trial and error rather than the outgrowth of essential racial traits." https://books.google.com/books?id=_WmRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA43

BTW, while in the long run political differences can't stop people from eating cuisine from even "enemy" nations if they like the food, there might for some time be post-war resistance in the US to southern cuisine as (1) the food of those wicked Confederates and (2) objectionable on racist grounds because it's the work of Blacks!

It may seem that (1) and (2) are contradictory but anti-Confederate and anti-Black sentiments could co-exist in the same person. The rough-hewn anti-slavery senator Ben Wade of Ohio in 1851 complained that the food in Washington "is all cooked by [N-word]s until I can smell and taste the [N-word]. https://books.google.com/books?id=yuYaBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT354

 

[PrinceofApathy]

BTW, while in the long run political differences can't stop people from eating cuisine from even "enemy" nations if they like the food, there might for some time be post-war resistance in the US to southern cuisine as (1) the food of those wicked Confederates and (2) objectionable on racist grounds because it's the work of Blacks!

It may seem that (1) and (2) are contradictory but anti-Confederate and anti-Black sentiments could co-exist in the same person. The rough-hewn anti-slavery senator Ben Wade of Ohio in 1851 complained that the food in Washington "is all cooked by [N-word]s until I can smell and taste the [N-word]. https://books.google.com/books?id=yuYaBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT354

No doubt about it. The USA is a systemically racist country, and that didn't end when the South split. IIRC New York and Boston are the most segregated cities in America.

 

[jmc247]

"One of his [Mallard's] contemporaries agreed, noting simply that 'the Negroes are born cooks.' At best these white assessments of black culinary contributions were backhanded compliments. Even if they appreciated the food knowledge and cooking skills of African Americans, they failed to understand that southern recipes were the manifestation of intellect, ingenuity, and extensive trial and error rather than the outgrowth of essential racial traits." https://books.google.com/books?id=_WmRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA43

They described almost all characteristics in terms of race. But, yes it was widely known the ability of black cooks.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1414932628088659977

 

[JWQ]

I wonder how fried chicken's popularity will go if the csa gets independent

Fried chicken would proably be put on the nation's national cuisine. If not, CSA would probably place the chicken on the national dish if it chose not to be specific for how it was prepared. The national vegetable, of course, would be macaroni; of course, I'm just kidding, but I oddly hear the saying heard. Now seriously, if the south had to have a national vegetable okra is a good nomination.

 

[JWQ]

if I could make up candies for the south to consume or make their own brand I would name it after some of the heroes, but it would be cool if they had candies like whistle dixie. Perhaps toot sweets could be reestablished and popularized in the south. The movie chitty chitty bang bang might come at a time when some people are fed up with counter culture movement longing for a day of old European toriysim nostalgia so I might imagine the film being appreciated more in the celebrated tory south.The difference is the candie actually looks like toot sweets from the movie