-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email When you hear the term “ Appalachian cooking ,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If your answer is scrappy, down-home country fare, heavy on southern influence (maybe with a squirrel thrown in for good measure) you’re in good company — but you’re also wrong. At least partially. Appalachian cooking isn’t necessarily southern.
It can look a lot like comfort food, and yes, comfort food can be rich, savory and biscuit-centric . But Appalachian cuisine is far more interesting than just sausage gravy. It reflects a culture and belief system much deeper than just putting food on the table, and it can be a whole lot healthier – and more cost effective – than you imagine.
In fact, it’s likely that you already incorporate some Appalachian concepts into your cooking and lifestyle without even realizing it. Do you grow vegetables, fruits or herbs ? Have you ever repurposed food scraps, meat bones or a Thanksgiving turkey into broths or a hefty sandwich ? Ever cooked a meal too large for your family and shared some with your neighbors? If so, you’ve cooked — and lived — Appalachian-style. Related Measuring your food waste for six weeks can change your habits Encompassing all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states as far north as New York and as far south as Georgia, Appalachian food is an amalgamation of Native American , African American, German and Italian influence based in hundreds of years of tradition.
