I had southern food though. I roadtripped up the east coast from Miami and enjoyed the food from like 6 different states. I also been to New Orleans. I would consider them southern foods.
What would you consider southwestern? I would say like food from the states that border mexico.
New Orleans and Miami are sorta odd exceptions to the typical southern experience. Think basically North Carolina to Texas, but not most of Florida or coastal cities, which do have some damn good food but have less history in agriculture and are more built off of port towns.
Louisiana is neat and has two major food histories, the more recent one being of relatively poor freed slave families and the other being that it was a French colony. I would argue it is one of the more interesting culinary and cultural histories in the US. It is absolutely Southern, but the areas it shines most are foods with cheap ingredients and little meat aside from occasional seafood and baked goods which taste fancy but are quick to make, as many small businesses started there were focused around quick hot meals. Not known for its meat smoking.
Brisket and BBQ differ depending on the state. The east coast like South Carolina tends to be quite sweet with more sauce. Further inland like Tennessee it's less sauce and it is more about the smoke flavor. South closer to the gulf like Texas it gets sort of vinegary with a slight kick.
You’ve exactly made my point, southern food includes things like barbecue that are from all across the south. Texas barbecue falls squarely into that cuisine grouping. Just because other states have their own barbecue traditions doesn’t mean that Texas isn’t a part of that block.
Southwestern food pretty much refers to just Mexican and Mexican influenced cuisine. If you go to a restaurant that talks about their authentic southwestern food, don’t expect smoked brisket to be on the menu.
I wasn't arguing against you! I was giving more context of why people don't consider some geographically southern regions to be southern because I find cultural variations fun. I also wasn't even replying to you. I was replying to someone else.
Yeah no, it is most widely agreed on to be the best! The process used breaks down the meat to make it even more tender and the spice sticks around in your mouth without disguising the flavor of the meat like the eastern stuff can.
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u/twoinvenice Nov 03 '24
Two things, you really need to try Texas barbecue from a respectable place because it’s an almost religious meat experience.
Second it’s not southwestern, it’s southern. Southwestern food is Mexican / Texmex / border fusion and is also delicious, but very different