Cuisine of Kentucky

Last updated

The Hot Brown was first served in Louisville's Brown Hotel Hot Brown Kurtz.jpg
The Hot Brown was first served in Louisville's Brown Hotel

The cuisine of Kentucky mostly resembles and is a part of traditional Southern cuisine. Some common dinner dishes are fried catfish and hushpuppies, fried chicken and country fried steak. These are usually served with vegetables such as green beans, greens, pinto beans (or "soup beans") slow-cooked with pork as seasoning and served with cornbread. Other popular items include fried green tomatoes, cheese grits, corn pudding, fried okra, and chicken and dumplings, which can be found across the commonwealth. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

In addition to this, Kentucky is known for its own regional style of barbecue. [4] This style of barbecue is unique in itself given that it uses mutton, and is a style of Southern barbecue unique to Kentucky. [5]

Although Kentucky's cuisine is generally very similar to that of traditional Southern cuisine, it does differ with some unique dishes, especially in Louisville where the Hot Brown and Derby pie (a variation of pecan pie, common throughout the American South), originated. [6] [7]

In northwestern parts of Kentucky, burgoo is a favorite, while in southwestern parts of the state, regular chili con carne is a typical staple. In northern Kentucky plus Louisville and Lexington, Cincinnati chili is a popular fast food. Northern Kentucky and the Louisville area are also home to a pronounced German-American population, translating into northern-like preferences for beer and European sausages. However, the remainder of the state's cuisine tends to be thoroughly Southern, preferring breakfast meats like country ham, ground pork sausage and as their beverage of choice, the state's renowned bourbon whiskey. Some common desserts are chess pie, pecan pie, blackberry cobbler and bread pudding.

History

Pioneer and missionary author Timothy Flint [8] wrote that the Kentuckians ate persimmon, venison, wild turkey, sweet potato and "pies smoked on the table" washed down with maple beer and Madeira wine when the game was plentiful, and "hog and homily" in lean times.

Food prices were low and money hard to come by in the intervening years between settlement and admission to the Union. Salt was quite costly, but sweeteners like honey and maple were more commonly available. Prices for staple foodstuffs such as beef, mutton, pork, geese, chicken, turkey, butter and flour are known from Gilbert Imlay's account. [9]

Homes in the frontier lands of Kentucky were often unfloored, the shelters ranged between humble lean-tos and more sturdy cabins. Only in the better cabins were hearths made with stone. Daniel Drake, a Cincinnati born physician, described his 18th-century Kentucky home: [9]

"I know of no scene in civilized life more primitive than such a cabin hearth as that of my mother. In the morning, a buckeye backlog & hickory forestick resting on stone andirons, with a Jonny cake on a clean ash board, set before it to bake, a frying pan with its long handle resting on a split bottomed turner's chair, sending out its peculiar music, and the tea kettle swng from a wooden 'lug pole' with myself setting the table, or turning the meat, or watching the Jonny cake..."

Thomas Ashe mentions salt bacon, squirrel broth and hominy in his report of a Kentucky dinner. According to Ashe the Kentucky pioneers rarely ate vegetables or fresh meat: "The Kentuckyan [sic] ate nothing but bacon, which indeed is the favourite diet of all the inhabitants of the State, and drank nothing but whiskey, which soon made him more than two thirds drunk." [9]

Notable dishes and recipes

Kentucky burgoo served with mashed potatoes Kentucky burgoo.jpg
Kentucky burgoo served with mashed potatoes
Bourbon balls Bourbon Balls.JPG
Bourbon balls

Ingredients

Vegetables

Potatoes, corn, carrots, onions, turnips, parsnips, tomatoes, green beans, butter beans, peas, mustard greens, kale, scallions, sweet potatoes, yellow summer squash, zucchini, butternut squash, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, cucumbers, asparagus, bell peppers (called mangoes by older rural Kentuckians [19] [20] ), banana peppers, cabbage, beets, eggplant, garlic and avocados.

Fruits

Blackberries, peaches, apples, watermelon, cantaloupe, pears, plums, grapes, cherries, pawpaws and persimmons.

Nuts

Walnuts, pecans, almonds, peanuts and cashews.

Grains

Oats, corn and sorghum.

Meats

Flavorings

Pit barbecue

The Ohio River region of western Kentucky, Daviess, Henderson and Union counties (the area centering on Owensboro and Henderson) has developed a unique style of pit barbecue, featuring a heavy dose of vinegar-based sauces, often served with pickles, onions, potato salad and coleslaw. The three main meats used are chicken, pork and mutton. Burgoo is a specialty. Owensboro is home to the International Bar-B-Q Festival, which is a sanctioned barbecue competition.

Farther to the west, in the Purchase area, pit barbecue is primarily pork shoulder, with the unmodified word "barbecue" referring specifically to that meat. The other meats used in the Owensboro–Henderson area are generally available as well. Sauces are essentially identical in the two regions.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of the Midwestern United States</span> Regional cuisine of the United States

The cuisine of the American Midwest draws its culinary roots most significantly from the cuisines of Central, Northern and Eastern Europe, and Indigenous cuisine of the Americas, and is influenced by regionally and locally grown foodstuffs and cultural diversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of the Southern United States</span> Regional cuisine of the United States

The cuisine of the Southern United States encompasses diverse food traditions of several subregions, including cuisine of Southeastern Native American tribes, Tidewater, Appalachian, Ozarks, Lowcountry, Cajun, Creole, African American cuisine and Floribbean, Spanish, French, British, and German cuisine. In recent history, elements of Southern cuisine have spread to other parts of the United States, influencing other types of American cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana Creole cuisine</span> American regional cuisine

Louisiana Creole cuisine is a style of cooking originating in Louisiana, United States, which blends West African, French, Spanish, and Native American influences, as well as influences from the general cuisine of the Southern United States.

Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been influenced mainly by Turkish but also a series of European cuisines in particular from the Balkan Peninsula and Hungarian cuisine as well as culinary elements stemming from the cuisines of Central Europe.

Norwegian cuisine in its traditional form is based largely on the raw materials readily available in Norway. It differs in many respects from continental cuisine with a stronger focus on game and fish. Many of the traditional dishes are the result of using conserved materials because of the long winters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burgoo</span> American stew

Burgoo is a stew, similar to Irish or Mulligan stew, often served with cornbread or corn muffins, that originated in Kentucky. It is often prepared communally as a social gathering. It is popular as the basis for civic fundraisers in the Upland South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of the Czech Republic

Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese Indonesian cuisine</span> Cuisine of the people of Chinese Indonesians

Chinese Indonesian cuisine is characterized by the mixture of Chinese with local Indonesian style. Chinese Indonesians, mostly descendant of Han ethnic Hokkien and Hakka speakers, brought their legacy of Chinese cuisine, and modified some of the dishes with the addition of Indonesian ingredients, such as kecap manis, palm sugar, peanut sauce, chili, santan and local spices to form a hybrid Chinese-Indonesian cuisine. Some of the dishes and cakes share the same style as in Malaysia and Singapore, known as Nyonya cuisine by the Peranakan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adobada</span> Mexican dish

Adobada is a preparation for many dishes that are common in Mexican cuisine. Adobada is generally pork marinated in a "red" chili sauce with vinegar and oregano, but it can refer to different types of meat and to marinades closer to al pastor. It is generally served on small, pliable maize tortilla along with sautéed vegetables and cheese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javanese cuisine</span> Cuisine of the Javanese people, Indonesia

Javanese cuisine is the cuisine of Javanese people, a major ethnic group in Indonesia, more precisely the province of Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belizean cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Belize

Belizean cuisine is an amalgamation of all ethnicities in the nation of Belize and their respectively wide variety of foods. Breakfast often consists of sides of bread, flour tortillas, or fry jacks that are often homemade and eaten with various cheeses. All are often accompanied with refried beans, cheeses, and various forms of eggs, etc. Inclusive is also cereal along with milk, coffee, or tea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benin cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Benin

Beninese cuisine involves many fresh meals served with a variety of sauces. Meat is usually quite expensive, and meals are generally light on meat and generous on vegetable fat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texan cuisine</span> Food and drinks from Texas

Texan cuisine is the food associated with the Southern U.S. state of Texas, including its native Southwestern cuisine–influenced Tex-Mex foods. Texas is a large state, and its cuisine has been influenced by a wide range of cultures, including Tejano/Mexican, Native American, Creole/Cajun, African-American, German, Czech, Southern and other European American groups. The cuisine of neighboring states also influences Texan cuisine, such as New Mexican cuisine and Louisiana Creole cuisine. This can be seen in the widespread usage of New Mexico chiles, Cayenne peppers, and Tabasco sauce in Texan cooking.

Barbadian cuisine, also called Bajan cuisine, is a mixture of African, Portuguese, Indian, Irish, Creole, Indigenous and British background. A typical meal consists of a main dish of meat or fish, normally marinated with a mixture of herbs and spices, hot side dishes, and one or more salads. The meal is usually served with one or more sauces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo cuisine</span> Fusion of Indonesian and European cuisine

Indo cuisine is a fusion cooking and cuisine tradition, mainly existing in Indonesia and the Netherlands, as well as Belgium, South Africa and Suriname. This cuisine characterized of fusion cuisine that consists of original Indonesian cuisine with Eurasian-influences—mainly Dutch, also Portuguese, Spanish, French and British—and vice versa. Nowaday, not only Indo people consume Indo cuisine, but also Indonesians and Dutch people.

References

  1. "Hall's on the River". Hallsontheriver.com. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  2. "Ramseys". Ramseysdiners.com. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  3. "This page has moved". Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved March 29, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. "Bluegrass, Blues and Barbecue Region of Western Kentucky: Home". Bbbregion.org. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  5. "Ole Hickory Pit, old Western Kentucky tradition". Louisvillehotbytes.com. August 20, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  6. "The History of The Brown Hotel's "Hot Brown"". The Brown Hotel. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009.
  7. "Derby-Pie". Kern's Kitchen. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  8. "Timothy Flint (Flint, Timothy, 1780-1840) | The Online Books Page". onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 Moore, Arthur K. (1957). The Frontier Mind: A Cultural Analysis of the Kentucky Frontiersman. University of Kentucky Press. pp. 58–60.
  10. 1 2 Shockley, Jenn (March 3, 2016). "These 15 Iconic Foods In Kentucky Will Have Your Mouth Watering". OnlyInYourState. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  11. Lawrence, D. Cameron (2007). "Chocolate Helps the Bourbon Go Down". npr.org. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  12. Green, Sarah (2013). "Kentucky Burgoo: America's best regional food?". USA Today. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  13. Krishna, Priya (2022). "The History of Burgoo, the Kentucky Derby's Traditional Dish". TastingTable.com. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  14. "Hot Brown Recipe". The Brown Hotel. Archived from the original on August 28, 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  15. Alvey, R. Gerald. Kentucky Bluegrass Country. University Press of Mississippi, 1992.
  16. "Louisville Chili". Just A Pinch Recipes. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  17. "The Mint Julep". Kentucky Derby. Archived from the original on December 8, 2006. Retrieved December 3, 2006.
  18. Rick Howlett (July 21, 2012). "The Modjeska: A Star On Stage, Sweetly Remembered". Weekend Edition Saturday. NPR.
  19. "A Way with Words | When is a Bell Pepper a Mango? (minicast)". www.waywordradio.org. August 18, 2008. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  20. "Q&a". The New York Times. May 9, 1984. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 6, 2019.

Sources