Women and Southern Food

Abstract

When people think of the South, it is almost inevitable that they think of its food because of how important it is to its culture. Truth be told, fried chicken and macaroni and cheese are delicious dishes and wonderful to think about. But how often do we stop to consider who made the dishes? Who invested their time to make presentable and tasty delicacies? Who spent the amount of money required to make the dish? Who put in the vast amount of effort only to see the food devoured within a few minutes? Though of course the answer varies, it is important to realize that in the majority of these situations, women are the ones cooking this food. Indeed, women are the backbone of Southern foodways in many ways, reflected in cookbook traditions, commercial cooking, race, and the home