What is Southern?

[Bob Wright]

Comment was made recently comparing Michigan to the Deep South. Really?

Southern is barbecue. Pork barbecue, slow smoked overnight with oak and hickory. Then pulled from the smoked shoulder and chopped prior to serving. And slathered with BBQ sauce with tomato base and generous addition of red pepper. Ribs done the same way.

Its grits and ham and red-eye gravy with eggs and biscuits. Or ham, red-eye gravy with fried okra, pinto beans with onion chopped up and blended in, corn bread on the side. And corn bread and buttermilk for a snack.

And ham with black-eyed peas, or purple hull, or crowder peas. Or field peas with snaps.

Turnip greens and fried catfish. Okra and tomatoes stewed together.

Thick sliced bacon, eggs, and sorghum molasses blended with softened butter on a hot biscuit.

Buttered grits with cracklins'. Sausage patties on a biscuit with eggs n the side.

And coffee, black, strong and aromatic!

Coon hunts on a moonlit night. Squirrel hunts on a brisk cool morning in the fall.

And standing when a lady enters the room. Tipping your hat to a lady. Dressing up to go out. Well groomed, clean and neat in appearance. Speaking or nodding your head to passers by.

Going to church on Sunday morning, Sunday dinner afterwards. Before church service starts, men gather in groups and talk about the local government officials, the weather, the crop, a prized bull, or a priceless coon dog.

Much to my chagrin, much of that is slippin away.


Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

I mentioned coon hunts. North of Memphis a little ways up US Hwy. 51 is a rest stop. It is just across the Hatchie River from Covington, TN. Across the road is the Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge. In season, men fly into Memphis with their coon hound and rent SUVs. They park in the rest stop parking lot and drive ATVs across the road to hunt. And they swap, buy, or sell coon dogs.

The worker at the rest stop told me of seeing good black-and-tan coon dogs go in the neighborhood of $28,000. You can bet they don't come out of the woods without their dogs!

Bob Wright

 

[jimd441]

Well Bob, I think barbecue style in the South varies with location. Eastern N.C. style has vinegar based sauces. South Carolina is mustard based, and I know there are others. What does not seem to vary is that barbecue is popular, and everyone thinks theirs is the best. Well, I don't - I like it all.

Jim

 

[hittman]

I live in a rural area roughly half way between KC Mo and Springfield Il …. Plenty of BBQ in these parts too. Some say KC is THE best BBQ in the country.

How we smoked / cooked / BBQ hogs here was to dig a pit, get a good bed of hot coals in it, bury the gutted hog in there, cover and return in 24 hours or so.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Nothin NORTH of the Mason-Dixon Line is "Southern"; They were ALL Yankees !! :roll: :roll: :roll:

See how That Fits Y'All !! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

:wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[flattop44]

We even have a cemetery that is for your prized coon dog down here in rural Colbert County in Cherokee, Alabama. Google "Coon Dog Cemetery" and learn a little about it, maybe even be able to bury your favorite coon dog there someday if he deserves it.
FT44

 

[A.J.]

Well Bob.... It was I who made the comment that the culture of rural Northern Michigan is very similar to the Deep South. I've lived in both places. I assure you that rural Michiganders are every bit as "Southern" as you guys.

1. We fish trout and salmon out of ice cold, crystal clear creeks.
2. We hunt deer under the canopy of 150 year old white pines covered in a thick blanket of freshly fallen snow.
3. We are quick to strike up conversations with complete strangers.
4. We have a deep respect for YOUR culture and if we detect just a hint of Southern accent, you will not be allowed to buy a drink the rest of the evening.

 

[A.J.]

We even have a cemetery that is for your prized coon dog down here in rural Colbert County in Cherokee, Alabama. Google "Coon Dog Cemetary" and learn a little about it, maybe even be able to bury your favorite coon dog there someday if he deserves it.
FT44

Funny you say that.

Wife and I have been holding on to the urns of four beloved dogs for years now; looking for just the right place to set them free where they will all be happy. Wife thinks she found the spot: a wooded ridge on our property with a crystal clear trout stream winding around the base.

 

[hittman]

Nothin NORTH of the Mason-Dixon Line is "Southern"

My native State of Missouri was Confederate. You should Google “Palmyra MO Massacre” as I’m right close to there having grown up one county north in Lewis County.

That massacre was one of the most brutal of the war and horrified people on both sides of the conflict.

If I remember right an older former Union officer was captured by locals. His release was negotiated and he was to be delivered to the nearest Union lines for his safety. Strangely ….. he “disappeared” while en route. Something like a dozen Confederates were massacred in retaliation.

 

[jimd441]

A.J., I understand your point and think that sometimes folks, particularly in the Southeast, conflate "Northern" with "Urban", perhaps due to the fact that the big Northern cities and news from these cities often dominate media coverage. My experience has been that the culture of the rural North is similar to that of the rural South.

I have a cousin who grew up in Gulfport, Ms., and has spent her adult life in N.C. There was a conversation where someone mentioned N.C. as being in the South and she disagreed. When pressed, she referred to N.C. as "kind of in the middle" All it takes is a quick look at a map to confirm she was correct.

I have lived in N.C. for 40 years and consider it home. When I arrived in N.C. from Md. where I grew up, folks referred to Md. as the North. When we moved to Md. from the mountains of Pa. (I was 7), I remember family members saying we were moving "to the South". Upon arrival in Md. during the Summer with no A/C, it was easy to believe we were in the South

Jim

 

[Fox Mike]

RC Cola and a Moon pie. Peanuts in your pop.

 

[Big Old Boy]

Country living is just that no matter where it is. Up north or down south we enjoy the same thing everyday.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Peanuts in your pop.

That was a big thing in Iowa, :wink:

 

[contender]

I think Bob was trying to point out a few things, that for the lack of a better explanation,,, seem to be Southern by tradition. Not seen in other areas.
And to whomever the lady was who thought NC was "in the middle" needs to study the map as defined by the Mason-Dixon line,, as most of us Southern folks use that as a reference,, due to history. The Civil War,, kinda defined it a bit for most. But many folks raised in the South were supporters or fought for the Union.

However,, back to Bob's method of things,, using Tradition.

How about;
Pulling over to the side of the road as a funeral procession passes,, and if time permits,, getting out of the car & removing your hat in respect. (We just pulled over the other day when we saw a Hearse approaching.)

NOT cursing or flipping the "bird" to other motorists when in traffic, and they do something you dislike. (A good friend of mine used to comment on how far north he'd go before that would start, because he didn't see that down here. And he was a Yankee.)

Or the phrase; "Well bless your heart" when you want to reply to something disagreeable but were raised to be too polite to do so.

Sweet tea.

These are but a few things,, "Southern" and I'm sure others can add to them.
And I can say that ,, many things that are/were usually only found in the South,, have now made it all over the country.

 

[Colonialgirl]

PS:
MARYLAND IS South of the Mason-Dixon line which runs along the Northern border of Maryland; The Yankees had control of the state when the Defense of the South started.

 

[Uncle Howie]

I’ve lived in MN all my life.

In 1999 I was single, and took my first “real” motorcycle trip. I rode down to Arkansas, and camped in the Ozarks for a week.
(Yeah, even in the South, I stuck to the northern park of the state.)

Anyway, at every diner, the pretty girls were calling me “Sugar,” “Sweetie,” “Honey,” etc.

I thought, “MAN- it’s time for a major life change. I’m moving to Arkansas ASAP!” :shock:

It only took two or three days for me to realize, “Oh… they say that to everybody.” :mrgreen:

 

[Fox Mike]

Anyway, at every diner, the pretty girls were calling me “Sugar,” “Sweetie,” “Honey,” etc.

I thought, “MAN- it’s time for a major life change. I’m moving to Arkansas ASAP!” :shock:

It only took two or three days for me to realize, “Oh… they say that to everybody.” :mrgreen:

In Maryland ya hear "Hon." LOT!

 

[Uncle Howie]

As long as they aren’t saying, “Well, bless your heart…,” I guess we’re doing OK! :mrgreen:

 

[Jimbo357mag]

North Florida is pretty Southern. South Florida is pretty Northern except for the Goat Ropers. We also have Snow Birds that are only temporary so they don't really count.

As a whole Florida is a Southern State. We love grits, Bar-B-Que and all the other Southern traditions but we are a big melting pot.

 

[hittman]

Funny, when I think of Southerners or the “south” Florida never comes to mind. Florida makes me think of snow birds (rich white folks from NY, DC, etc.) and millennials with man-buns and wealthy sports stars and rappers on South Beach.

The south makes me think of AL, GA, MS, LA, SC and the like.

Oh, orange juice comes to mind with FL too! LOL

 

[turd]

To me, anywhere south of Iowa is the South. :mrgreen: By the way, we do lots of slow cooked smoked pork and beef here as well. Love it. In the old days most farms had a smoke house on site, it was a way to preserve meat w/no refrigeration.

We drink iced tea as well, just not the sweet version. Whiskey - have you heard of Templeton Rye? Born in central Iowa, try it.

We also have all four seasons here, with COLD winters to freeze the bugs and neighbors who compete to see who owns the biggest and baddest snow blower. :mrgreen:

 

[gunzo]

Lived in the Bluegrass region of Ky. for 68 years & once thought I could define the south. One thing that comes to mind is the food. Bob mentions barbeque & okra a lot. I think of a lot of wild game, milk gravy & it has to be cooked in cast iron cookware. That's not as much a tradition as flavor.

You can fry squirrel & make milk gravy in a non stick skillet, but it honestly doesn't taste the same as if it was cooked in iron.

The pace of life used to be different, now................?

 

[blume357]

You can fry squirrel & make milk gravy in a non stick skillet, but it honestly doesn't taste the same as if it was cooked in iron.

ain't that the truth.....

I think it has a lot to do with the pace of life... it used to be a little slower down here.... back when I was growing up we walked and talked slower.... I remember you always waved at who ever you met on the road going the other direction. I've only lived in S.C. and only traveled a little, but I suspect there are still places around the country, north, south, even west that it is to a degree still like that.

I've lived here in Greenville, S.C. for 41 years and now it is just another big city with too many people and too much traffic and everybody in a hurry to get somewhere else.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

The original Mason-Dixon line was surveyed to settle a property dispute between a couple of big families. It essentially established the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Any other "lines" that have been proposed have depended upon which side was attempting to create a North vs South distinction, regardless of the feelings in the affected areas. In general, it has come to be accepted as the "line" between the states of the Union and those of the Confederacy, but there was much internal disagreement about the issues involved in most of those states, resulting in the "brother vs brother" situations.

I was born and raised in southern Iowa, but my mother's extensive family was all from northern Missouri. There were "interesting" discussions held at the frequent family reunions. :wink:

 

[Carrij]

Back in my working days our company was rolling out a new product. Our distributor’s would invite their customers to see the new product line and then feed them a meal. In Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia a prayer was always said before the meal. When we got to Maryland and further north people just dove into the food without a thought. To me that was a true indication of leaving the south.

 

[gramps]

Funny, when I think of Southerners or the “south” Florida never comes to mind. Florida makes me think of snow birds (rich white folks from NY, DC, etc.) and millennials with man-buns and wealthy sports stars and rappers on South Beach.

The south makes me think of AL, GA, MS, LA, SC and the like.

Oh, orange juice comes to mind with FL too! LOL

You left out Texas! They have BBQ(that is pork), then they have brisket(beef). Of course corn on the cob, okra, turnips and greens, collard greens, kale, maters, BACON, country ham, corn bread and onion.
gramps

 

[6GUNSONLY]

There's a good chunk of the population of Michigan made up of folks with Southern roots. People left the South in droves after WW2 and on into the 60s for high-paying factory jobs in the North, Detroit of course being a hub of that migration. Some of them came back south when they retired, others stayed "up north." Many left kids there for whom the North was the only home they'd known, but they had deep Southern roots.

 

[WendyZXZ]

Lived in the Bluegrass region of Ky. for 68 years & once thought I could define the south. One thing that comes to mind is the food. Bob mentions barbeque & okra a lot. I think of a lot of wild game, milk gravy & it has to be cooked in cast iron cookware. That's not as much a tradition as flavor.

You can fry squirrel & make milk gravy in a non stick skillet, but it honestly doesn't taste the same as if it was cooked in iron.

The pace of life used to be different, now................?

Fried chicken of the trees and gravy is a favorite here, and yes cast iron skillets are the best for frying!

 

[A.J.]

Right now Michiganders are getting ready for winter. In typical "Southern" style, we're making sure our neighbors are winterized and ready.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Right now Michiganders are getting ready for winter. In typical "Southern" style, we're making sure our neighbors are winterized and ready.

Yeah; They are showing up on our streets driving slowly and clogging the grocery stores !!
:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :wink: