As for “SlickWilly” who labeled the Chesapeake as “northern”? Really?! First of all, south of the Mason-Dix0n line, and their food is straight up southern. Maryland is one of those conufusing border states where they don’t know whether they’re northern or southern, but their food is most certainly southern. I’m speaking as someone not actually from MD, but have visited a lot and their food is really good. Beaten biscuits, fried chicken, stuffed ham, crab cakes, mmmm. Just look at any cookbook on regional american cooking, Maryland is always lumped in with the south.

I also had to comment on the statement about southern food being so unhealthy. Here’s the thing, my observation has been that those southerners that eat traditional southern foods were usually pretty slim and healthy, living long lives, while those that ate processed foods and fast foods were the fat ones. Our food gets an undeservedly bad rap on that. For example, there’s a reason the ‘pot-likker’ is saved from the pot where the greens have been cooked to death. First, it’s delicious, and second, very nutritious.

My uncle is a tobacco farmer and every January him and the community get together and make Brunswick stew. They make it in vast quantities using hogs heads. My fam. always gets a few containers that have been frozen. Sooo good.

My fam. is from VA/NC btw.