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Personally...I prefer Southern, with some exceptions of course.
I refuse to eat chitlins, pigs feet, or hash. (Thats different from hash browns)
Also, does anyone know of a food that is limited to a specific area in the North (i.e Pennsylvania, New York, etc) or South (South Carolina, Tennessee, etc)?
I mean, there are regional dishes everywhere, and they're a lot more specific than just "southern" or "northern". I mean, BBQ alone could spawn pages and pages of discussion.
I like some of both, though American cuisine in general is not my favorite. Some of my favorite southern foods are country fried steak, beaufort stew and she crab soup. My favorite northern foods are bagels with lox and cream cheese, potato knishes, philly cheesesteaks, fried clams, clam chowder (both kinds) and New York pizza.
Oh yum. I have a decided preference for the New England clam chowder though. A cheese blintz would be good right about now, too. And definitely Chicago pizza.
As a Southerner who lives up North, I have to vote southern food hands down. I love my greens, sweet tea, biscuits, and sweets! The food here in Pittsburgh tends to be more bland in taste. I think it has to do with the European influences, particularly Polish, Russian, German, etc. It's not that it's worse than other regions, just something you like if you grow up with it. Within the Pittsburgh area, pierogies are a popular food (look up pierogies on Google and you see Pittsburgh come up!). It's a ravioli type of food usually stuffed with potatoes and cheese or sauerkraut. And the Primanti sandwiches, which I have to admit are very good
I agree with the terms "Northern" and "Southern" being way too broad. Since I'm a specialist (I eat and don't cook), I'll go with the two subtypes I know best:
Upper Midwest vs Charlestonian.
Both were determined largely by the immigrants (Charleston is African and English; Upper Midwest is primarily German and Scandanavian) and climate.
For example, except for wild rice (different species from the white rice of the Coastal South), the potato is the main staple of the Midwest. Then throw in sauerkraut, perch, whitefish or Walleye (the main Lake species) and veggies-corn, peas, and kohlrabi. If you want more traditional fare, it would be something like lefse, lutefisk, actually a poison to which Norwegians have a genome specific immunity (that's an attempt at humor.) or the infamous Bratwurst of Lambeau Field.
Charleston fare is obviously different. The okra, goobers, and rice (white variety) arrived with the Africans. Mix in the ocean catches and you have Hoppin' John, She crab soup, gumbo, and shrimp perleau- all of which I can consume in vast quantities but cannot make.
Fyi, if you doubt the African influence on Charleston food, then travel to Brazil for their national dish- Hoppin' John (only they call it Feijoada).
Say "Thank you" to the Yoruba every time you eat Lowcountry cuisine.
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really?
