The Perspective of a Southerner

Hello everyone, for this week's blog post I want to shine light on my Southern culture, as it is something I am very proud of as it is who I am. The inspiration for this post comes from me watching High on the Hog, where I was able to see some of my favorite foods be discussed and tried.

I was born in Longview, Texas and then raised in Houston, Texas for 12 years before I moved to Maryland in 2017. Since a little girl, I have had many values instilled in me from my Southern grandparents, parents, and adults who saw over me. Some of these traditions are common within Black culture but are heavily influenced in the south, such as referring to anyone older than you as Miss or Mister, always saying yes ma'am/sir to elders as a sign of respect, and popular superstitions as never splitting the pole. Next to cultural respect norms is cuisine

Southern cuisine focuses on soul food, fish fries, and barbecues. Soul food items are fried chicken, greens, yams, mac and cheese, and cornbread. There are many ways that one can cook their soul food, as there is no specific recipe. A common saying from Southerners is that when they cook, they measure "based on when their ancestors tell them to stop". Fish fries are another common thing we have, and consist of mainly fried fish with sides added depending on the family. My granny would cook fish almost weekly when she was here, and the tradition carried on to my mother as she fries fish at least once every week for dinner. Lastly, barbecues typically include a large amount of people as enough meat is cooked to feed lots of people. At a barbecue, meats served can be ribs, burgers, brisket, all types of meat. There also are sides such as potato salad and baked beans with a roll of bread. I recently had a barbecue and crawfish boil for my graduation celebration and had the celebration at my granny's house so she could be there, since she was unable to walk at the time. I really love southern food because I am able to carry the traditions of it along with me as generations continue. Weekly fish fries from my granny transferred to my mom and is now passed on to me which I will share with my family when I have one.

(Pictured: Barbecued meats such as Brisket, Ribs and Sausage)

To wrap things up, I feel that being Southern has shaped majority of my identity in terms of my views on respect, the dishes I eat, and how I treat the people in my circle. I love it very much and I couldn't see myself any other way. I also love to share my traditions with my friends and have them try dishes I normally eat. I also love when I see people appreciating southern culture in small ways from just listening to the artists or trying the food. I hope that you all enjoyed this week's blog where I take you all on a deep dive into who I am. Have a great weekend and spring break since it is now the season for spring breaks!