Southern Stereotype

Southern Stereotype
Blog post #4
April 15, 2015
by Cassidy Laudano

If you have ever been to the Southern United States, you know that every meal typically consists of something fried or buttery. This common stereotype of Southern food is not far off. Although, it is easy to find healthy alternatives to eat while visiting any state in the South, it is easy to see that many of their famous dishes and desserts are very high in calories and fat. Some of the more unhealthy traditional Southern dishes are cheesy baked mashed potatoes, fried chicken, pork chops and gravy, butter biscuits, deep fried okra, and Southern fried corn. When it comes to desserts, Southerners know how to make a mean pecan pie, one of the most popular traditional desserts. It is a country wide stereotype that Southern cooking is mainly fried food. There have also been comments about the weight of Southerners being typically higher than other states in the United States. There have even been studies by The University of Alabama at Birmingham, showing that people who eat Souther-style means 6 or more times a week have a 41% higher chance of having a stroke than people who eat these meals once a month. This makes sense, fried and fatty food lead to the possibility of more health risks. With recent studies and discoveries in the culinary field it would make sense for Southerners to try to change their stereotypical meals to something healthier. Within the past years across the United States there seems to have been a shift in eating habits among teens and young adults. Vegetarian, vegan, organic eating have become more modern and in style. I, myself am a vegetarian and have been all my life. The American diet is usually known for fast food such as McDonald's but I believe that in the past few years the American culture has taken more of an initiative to learn about the risks of eating fast food and unhealthy food so frequently. Being a vegetarian, it is easier for me to eat healthy than someone who has the option to eat bacon, steak or pork. My options are more limited but I also believe this has helped me to lead the healthy lifestyle I do. Throughout the book, food is commonly changing the way the characters act or think. With each meal, the food effects each character differently. The way the food effects the characters is determined by the person who is preparing the food. Throughout the book we see that Tita's feelings and true emotions determine the effect the food has on her family.

Recipes:
Pecan Pie- http://www.southernliving.com/food/entertaining/10-pecan-pie-recipes
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes-http://southern.food.com/recipe/cheesy-mashed-potatoes-366084
Southern fried chicken- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/southern-fried-chicken-recipe.html
Butter biscuits- http://southern.food.com/recipe/southern-buttermilk-biscuits-26110


Turner, Laura. "Stereotypes and Origins of Southern Hospitality | The Classroom | Synonym." The Classroom. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

"Southern Cooking, America Eats, from Life in the USA: The Complete Guide for Immigrants and Americans." Southern Cooking, America Eats, from Life in the USA: The Complete Guide for Immigrants and Americans. Life In The USA, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.