Do you speak 'southern'? (Atlanta, Jackson: 2015, foods, rated)

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Would say that Turnip Greens would be the most important green for southerners ahead of collards.

I STRONGLY disagree with this. Collards is by far number one from my experience, at least in my neck of the woods.

If you are a true rural southerner, you even know what Poke Salad is.

I'm a true rural Southerner, born and raised, and never heard of such.

I guess this really does come down to the Appalachian/Lowcountry, Black/White distinctions in Southern culture and cuisine.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

Well, that might be a distinction between White and African-American southern households, honestly. I would never place turnips above collards.

Just look at some of the menus of some soul food restaurants outside of the Deep South.

Florida Avenue Grill - Our Menu

They have collards, but no turnips.

Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too Restaurant#

Spoonbread has collards, no turnips.

Appetizers & Sides

Amy Ruth's has collards, no turnips.

TemptationBanquetFacilityPhilaPA.com

This is a place not too far from where I grew up. They serve collards, but no turnips.

Precisely. Although I like all kinds of greens, I'd have an eyebrow raised if I saw some other green on the menu and not collards in a soul food/country cooking restaurant.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

Precisely. Although I like all kinds of greens, I'd have an eyebrow raised if I saw some other green on the menu and not collards in a soul food/country cooking restaurant.

Well, take a look at the menu for S&S Cafeteria.

S S Cafeteria Home cooked food

They have turnips every day, but not collards. So it might be a difference that runs along race lines. But the majority of the people cooking the food are AA.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

Well, take a look at the menu for S&S Cafeteria.

S S Cafeteria Home cooked food

They have turnips every day, but not collards. So it might be a difference that runs along race lines. But the majority of the people cooking the food are AA.

That's interesting. Seems to be the exception though, not the norm.

[BajanYankee]

Off topic, but there's also a lot of similarity between American southern cuisine and many West Indian dishes.

Yams
Bajan and Jamaican collards/callaloo
Macaroni Pie
Fried everything in Barbados
Rice and pea
Ochro/"Okra"
Stewed beef
Cou cou (sort of a cousin of grits)

[AnsleyPark]

No one has mentioned vegetable soup yet! Just had a big bowl for lunch... Good stuff!!!

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

That's interesting. Seems to be the exception though, not the norm.

No, I'm with you. Collards seems to be the default green in most restaurants.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

Off topic, but there's also a lot of similarity between American southern cuisine and many West Indian dishes.

Yams
Bajan and Jamaican collards/callaloo
Macaroni Pie
Fried everything in Barbados
Rice and pea
Ochro/"Okra"
Stewed beef
Cou cou (sort of a cousin of grits)

I've noticed that as well. In the coastal plain area of SC, we tend to eat rice a lot; I grew up with a pot of rice on the stove every night and I eat them with almost every kind of vegetable. When I mentioned this at a former work site, two of my co-workers said they do the same. One is from the Dominican Republic, and the other was adopted by Jamaican parents.

[bryantm3]

turnip greens are, shall we say, a less intense flavour for the uninitiated. have you guys ever tasted mustard greens? those are totally weird.

either way i don't like meat added to them even though that is the tradition. try the collard greens at EATS. perfect!

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

No, I'm with you. Collards seems to be the default green in most restaurants.

But southerners traditionally aren't restaurant officiandos. Most rural southerners I knew went to a restaurant only on a very special occasion and would want to go to a nice steak restaurant or something a little more exotic than the routine. I stand by the fact that turnip greens are more ubiquitous for the reasons I listed above.

And Poke Salad is a weed. Can be poisonous if mature leaves and/or berries are eaten, but is another good green if it is picked young.

Phytolacca americana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia