Regional Foods of the East, Midwest, and South

1. Regional Foods of the East, Midwest, and South How did regional differences in food come about?

2. Native American Culture • Created their own food customs based on locally available foods. • They relied mainly on hunting, fishing, and gathering berries for meals • They were considered early pioneers in food technology • They developed a way to cultivate wild maize (corn) • Created methods for food storage and preservation • Pemmican – dried meat pounded into a paste with fat and preserved in cakes

3. Native American Culture Continued • Maize was a staple grain for many • With it they made flatbread, mush, corn pudding, and beverages • Regional differences determined what other foods were available. • Example: in coastal areas seafood was a staple

4. Colonial Cooking • In the fifteenth century immigration began in Europe. • Immigrants brought their food customs with them. • Immigrants tended to settle in clusters which helped preserve their traditions. • Native Am. played an important role in the survival of immigrants.

5. The Native Americans introduced immigrants to the staple foods of the various regions. • They also shared food preparation and cooking methods with the immigrants. • Gradually the immigrants began adapting their own recipes to available foods. • Over time this process resulted in the unique cooking styles of each region in North America

6. The Northeast • The first American Settlers in the were • English • Dutch • French • Germans • The Native Americans taught the immigrants to use available foods such as rabbit, wild turkey and berries. • They also taught them to plant corn, beans, squash, and pumpkins

7. New England • Cold temperatures caused these settlers to cook hearty foods • They would soak dried beans, then cook them slowly in an open kettle over a fire. • This resulted in a dish called Boston baked beans. • Another New England dish inspired by Native Americans was chowder, the most famous being clam chowder (milk, butter, onions, and clams)

8. Irish Influence • Irish stew and corned beef and cabbage • These hearty dished were a trademark of the Irish.

9. Pennsylvanian Dutch • In the late 1700’s large numbers of Germans arrived in Eastern Pennsylvania. • These settlers were farmers, which required hard physical labor and large quantities of food. • They prepared foods similar to their homeland. • This included: pork, cabbage, sauerkraut, noodles, and sausage. They were also known for their soups and stews. • They were very thrifty using all their food scraps. They formed a loaf with them and cut it into slices and called it scrapple. • They also made fruit butters and tasty baked goods. • Cakes, pies, rolls and crumb topped cakes were shared with neighbors.

11. The Midwest • In the 18th century when the east grew crowded adventurous pioneers set out to explore the wide open space. • Settlers planted familiar crops that grew well in this climate. • We became known for simple fare, that was simply cooked. • Meat, potatoes, bread, and vegetables

13. The South • The south generally revolved around plantations. • Crops in the south were bountiful because the soil around lakes and rivers was rich and the temperatures were warm. • Corn, fish, and shell fish were a staple food. • Corn was dried and ground. • It could be used in a variety of recipes such as corn bread, spoon bread, fritters, and grits

14. African American Influence • African American cooks made their mark on Southern foods. • They incorporated turnip and dandelion greens, black-eyed peas, catfish, fried okra, yams, red beans, rice, and peppers into their cooking. • They also developed their own special recipes for foods such as pigs feet and pig jowls. • Chitterlings were fried and dipped into a spicy sauce. • Ham hocks and turnip greens were also a popular dish.

16. Creole Cooking • Creole and Cajun cooking are two specialized kinds of southern food developed in Louisiana. • Creole cooking developed in New Orleans because immigrants from France, Italy and Spain settled there. • Creole is considered to be more sophisticated than Cajun cooking. • Sometimes described as city-style cuisine. • Gumbo was served with fish (oyster, crab, or shrimp)

17. Cajun Cooking • Considered country style cuisine • French who settled in Canada then were exiled by the British. • They then found there way down to southern Louisiana. • One key feature to Cajun cooking is improvising. • They made many one dish meals that included turtle, squirrel, alligator, fish and crawfish. • Gumbo served with ham and crawfish. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6Yd10saesc • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK4umRMJlrs • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oScmodG_riM&feature=related

18. Cajun and Creole Similarities • Many dishes use a brown roux • Okra is also commonly used is their dishes. • Their gumbos are slowly simmered for hours then served over rice.