For many of us, when we hear “the South” we think of the American South. Dixie. The Deep South. And when we think of southern food, it’s grits, barbecue, mint julep — all those classics. These are foods with a long history and often troubling origin story, with many dishes born of inequality, crushing poverty and slavery. While the “master,” or plantation owner, lived high on the hog, eating the loin and chops, the poor made delicious things from the lower parts: ham hocks, jowls, intestines. Some of the most beloved southern dishes are based on traditional African foods or made with ingredients introduced to North America with the slave trade. From the foods discarded by the wealthy ruling classes — such as offal, bones, hooves, all the odd bits,…
