WV cuisine (Huntington, Morgantown, Mannington: home, work, bars)

[BJC]

DK, that was beautiful, reads like a passage from a book, but I know it is not a story, but of real life. I often hear my uncles talk like this, stories from their child hood. I love to read your posts.

[italianbluesboy]

Thank you David for the thoughtful and descriptive elaboration on eating wild foods. Now that I realize that you are NOT some smart-aleck in a Connecticut suburb accusing West Virginians of eating coon and possum I feel much better about this thread.

[harborlady]

Originally Posted by Big_Al

I think RAMP is very west virginian.

I have no earthly clue what RAMP is. God made me born a yankee. A ramp is a lead in to the interstate. Asphalt isn't edible.

[Bobilee]

The only game I ate as a kid was venison, rabbit and turtle, though only occasionally. My dad and uncle were both hunters, which is where the venison and rabbit came from, and my grandad for some reason loved turtle soup and when he could talk my grandmother into making it for him I would share a bowl with him.

[David Kennedy]

Bet they don't have those foods in Philly!!!! We rarely ate rabbits...hunted them every Saturday morning though..

[snorpus]

A ramp is a root crop, harvested in the spring. It is quite pungent.

It's a type of wild leek, and is used in many "flavorful" dishes. Several locations in WV hold ramp festivals in the spring, maybe the most famous is the one in Richwood made famous by the late Jim Comstock, editor of the West Virginia Hillbilly newspaper.

[David Kennedy]

Confused T is a authority on ramps...perhaps she will look in for you...see wikipedia.

[Janipoo]

Ramps.....PEEYOU! I just remember passing by a town that was having a Ramp festival and it stunk.

Paw Paw's are WV, hence how the town of Paw Paw got it's name. We actually have a paw paw tree on our property. Not sure what to do with it though. I think it is kind of like a fruit. I believe Paw Paw had a festival or sorts this last year and people entered their paw paw recipe.

Pepperoni rolls I always remember when I was a kid. I still make them today and they remind me of then.

Both my parents were raised in Mannington and as a kid we always had gravy with our meals. Fried potatoes and biscuits was served at most meals also. Just plain ole good old fashion home cooking. What was funny is that when I was a kid and if my mom did buy packaged food, I thought of it as a treat.

[harborlady]

Originally Posted by snorpus

A ramp is a root crop, harvested in the spring. It is quite pungent.

It's a type of wild leek, and is used in many "flavorful" dishes. Several locations in WV hold ramp festivals in the spring, maybe the most famous is the one in Richwood made famous by the late Jim Comstock, editor of the West Virginia Hillbilly newspaper.

LOL I just came across an article about it- seems mountain folk also call them rampscallion, which reminded me of a mark twain character screaming at tom sawyer & huck finn- rapscallions!

By all descriptions, seems like its would work fine as a stronger substitute for a regular leek. they warn if you eat it raw, people can smell you coming for days. If it's cooked does that become a non issue or are we talking like east india spices that come through the pores?

[David Kennedy]

Janipoo: The Paw-Paw is delicious...ripe when the skin is burnt with a little frost...tastes very much like a banana...
Harborlady: The ramp essence does very much extrude from a persons skin pores.
Was valuable in the 1700's as a source of Vitamin C. and the first
vegatable food in the early spring...a ritual medicinal tonic like the
sassafras root.