Introduction to Southern Appalachian food

This is just a short welcoming statement of purpose. I am not a Southerner. I am, in fact, a Northerner. More specifically, I'm from Northwest Ohio (Hometown paper). Let me attempt to appease your concerns. I love food. It is that simple. I'm an adventurous sort who loves to be challenged by new tastes and experiences. It is for this reason that I started this series of submissions. I hope that through my tireless efforts to sample the culinary offerings of the East Tennessee region that I might be able to introduce many people to its joys, complexities, history, and yes, anthropological importance.

I am a graduate student at East Tennessee State University. I am studying the origins of agriculture in this region which, many currently believe, is the origin of agriculture in North America outside of Mexico. These plants are referred to collectively as the Eastern Agricultural Complex. The plants eaten by prehistoric people in Southeastern North America included Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), Goosefoot (Chenopodium berlandieri), Little Barley (Hordeum pusillum), Sumpweed (Iva annua), and Squash (Cucurbita pepo), amoung others. That's right, squash was initially cultivated right here in the good old U.S. of A., well, what was to eventually become the U.S. While many of these early plants are no longer widely eaten, they were essential to the early Native Americans until the introduction of Corn (Zea mays) and Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) from Mesoamerica.

Interestingly enough, unlike today, it was not the rind of the squash upon which the Native American fed, but the seeds.  Today, residents and visitors to the Appalachian region have a much broader array of foods and food types to choose from.  Please, allow me to share the joys of experiencing the food of this region with you.  Look for more entries from me in the future showcasing regional foods and restaurants.

Enough with the history lesson, lets get eating