Are You Southern? Foods (part 2 of 2)

Yesterday, we shared quite a few interesting examples of southern food. Today, we will hit the remain gin cuisine on the list …

11 – Souse Meat … a cold-cut loaf made from pig’s head parts, ears, feet, etc. Think scrapple from PA. It is to firm a slightly “jiggly, vinegary loaf” (ugh). It is supposed to be popular in NC and VA Piedmont (my home area, but I don’t see it anywhere!)

12 – Burgoo … really? Anything that has goo in the name in itself should be questioned. This is a thick stew with at least three meats. Add some veggies and there you are. it should be so thick a spoon can stand up in it. This is kind of like Brunswick stew (a cuisine in my area that didn’t make the list).

13 – Streak o’ Lean … a salt-cured fatback with a thin streak of meat down the middle. Low on the hog describes this – fatback, jowl, feet and more.

14 – Sorghum Syrup … you know honey, and probably maple syrup. Sorghum and made from pressed juice of the sweet sorghum cane. Similar to, but distinct from, molasses, it’s supposedly great on biscuits.

15 – Hog’s Head Cheese … has no dairy. It is a meat-loaf from extras off the pig (mostly the head, thus the name.) Add some spices, cook in a simple gelatin, pour into mold and let cool. Huge in cajun country in Louisiana.

16 – Much … cornmeal mush. Okay, I might could handle this. Kind of like a grits cake or dense hotcake, but made from cornmeal.

Okay, that’s all on their list. I think I will stick to chicken fried steak and grilled chicken for my southern diet. I will pass on at 16 of the 17. I also ask, where is the gumbo, beans and rice, and more?

Maybe I am not as southern as I thought.