Culinary History:
Hot Peppers and Hot Sauces in the English Cookery of the 17th to 19th Centuries
While English cookery is often derided and bland and lacking in seasoning, the wealthy elites of England’s past showed a great enthusiasm for hot and spicy foods.
A Forgotten Hot Sauce of 19th Century England
A decade before Tabasco entered the British market, Thomas Clarence of London was successfully producing a now forgotten cayenne hot sauce.
Hot Wings in 19th Century England
A century before the invention of American Buffalo wings, cayenne-infused chicken legs and wings were a popular dish in England.
Fried Foods in 18th and 19th Century English Cookery
Influenced by French culinary trends, English cooks floured, battered, and bread-crumbed a great variety of meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables, then fried them in hog’s lard.
What was an ‘English Breakfast’ in the 19th Century?
Critics complain of a monotonous daily diet of bacon and eggs.
The Pseudo-Historical Narrative of the English Breakfast Society
The English Breakfast Society offers a gentrified nationalist history of the ‘Full English’ that obscures its reliance on imported bacon.
A ‘Mess of Greens’ and ‘Pot Liquor’: Forgotten Foods of England
While collard greens boiled with pork and served with ‘pot liquor’ are seen to be a product of the American South, they actually have a long, but forgotten, history in England.
Chitlins, Pig Feet, and other ‘Variety Meats’: Forgotten Foods of England
While today commonly identified as ‘Southern’ or ‘soul food’, the consumption of chitterlings and pig feet has a long history in England.
The English Origins of Sweet Potato Pie
Root vegetable pies sweetened with cinnamon and nutmeg find their origins not in the Southern states but, rather, in English cookery.
On the Supposed Southern Origins of Cheese Straws: A Myth Debunked
Some authors propose the notion that cheese straws are an American creation. In this, they clearly err.
The History of Devil(l)ed Eggs: From Britain to the South
‘Deviled eggs’ are today seen as a classic ‘Southern’ dish, but they arguably find their origins in the culinary trends of 19th century England.
The History of ‘Sweet Tea’: From Russia to the South
The popularity of Sweet Tea à la Russe long pre-dates the notion of something being ‘as Southern as sweet tea’.
The Role of English Culinary and Social Traditions in the Development of Southern Barbecue
Barbecue is seen today as a thoroughly ‘Southern’ phenomenon, but its development was influenced by English traditions.
Mary Randolph’s English Cookery
Randolph may have authored the first ‘Southern cookbook’, but her cookery was largely derived from England.
The English Roots of Southern ‘Country Gravy’
White cream gravy represents yet another example of the influence of English cookery on antebellum Southern cuisine, living on in the contemporary South as ‘country gravy’.
What the Planters Ate: Recollections of 19th Century Plantation Foods
English cuisine was fused with elements of Native American and African cookery.
Beyond the Planter Society: The Food of 19th Century Rural White Southerners
‘A wilderness of corn-pone and rusty bacon’.
18th and 19th Century Accounts of West African Cuisine
A variety of dishes were held in high regard by white travellers.
18th and 19th Century Accounts of West Indian Cookery
Black cooks are noted to be ‘remarkable for their skill in the art of cuisine’.
West Indian and African Foods in 18th and 19th Century Accounts of Deep South Cookery
The influence is clear, particularly in the case of the much-loved gumbo.
The White House has long ‘smelled like curry’
Chicken curry appears in White House menus of the 1880s and cold curry soup was a favourite dish of Mrs. Reagan.
Herbs and Spices: A 20th Century American Love Affair
In the first half of the 20th century (and beyond), American home cookery was marked by an increasing interest in the use of herbs and spices.
The History of ‘Southern’ Fried Chicken:
Why I find the history of Southern fried chicken so fascinating
Historical facts are increasingly at risk of being buried under an avalanche of ill-informed and sometimes ideologically motivated commentary, social media posts, videos, and memes.
The French Origins of Hannah Glasse’s ‘Fried Chicken’ Recipe
Much has been made of Glasse’s To marinate Chickens, but most authors are seemingly unaware of the French origins of this dish.
Fried Chicken in Colonial Virginia: Assessing the Evidence
The evidence suggests that ‘fried chicken’ in this context was a dish of English or continental origin, as opposed to being a native product of colonial Virginia itself.
Tracing the Origins of Mary Randolph’s ‘Fried Chickens’ Recipe
Examining the first published recipe for ‘Southern’ fried chicken.
John Mariani, Adrian Miller, and the ‘Scottish Fried Chicken’ Myth
According to popular mythology, fried chicken came to the South via Scottish settlers. This notion is based on a complete misunderstanding of historical Scottish cookery.
Historic Scottish Chicken Dishes: Real and Imagined
An exploration of Scottish cookery books from the 18th century onwards, highlighting Scotland’s iconic chicken dishes and debunking the notion that Southern style fried chicken was ever found among them.
On the ‘African Origins’ Theory of Southern Fried Chicken
The evidence simply isn’t there.
The French Origins of Rufus Estes’ Fried Chicken Recipe
Estes was doubtless a talented chef, but his fried chicken recipe was sourced from French cookery.
The Economist Butchers the History of Southern Fried Chicken
While The Economist is held up by many as an authoritative publication, in its presentation of the history of Southern fried chicken, it sadly falls short.
How the Daily Meal Misrepresents the History of Southern Fried Chicken
We do no justice to the enslaved cooks of the antebellum South by claiming that a dish so obviously derived from the cookery of upper-class England is actually a product of West African culinary traditions.
A Century’s Worth of Southern Fried Chicken Recipes
Traditional fried chicken was seasoned with nothing more than salt and black pepper.
A Historical Analysis of African American Fried Chicken Recipes
An analysis of the recipes of the fried chicken recipes of African American cooks, from the post-bellum period to the present day, illustrates the fact that African Americans, like fried chicken, are fully American, and that black Americans are fully immersed in, and fully participating in, the evolution of American culinary culture.
On the Obscure Origins of Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Buttermilk fried chicken is often presented as ‘traditional’, but it is of relatively recent origin.
English History:
On the Myth of England as a ‘Christian Nation’
Historically, English cultural identity has long been intertwined with Christianity, yet fervent religiosity has never been a defining feature of the majority of the population.
The Lives of the Rural Poor in 19th Century England
Many 19th century English country-dwellers lived a life of grinding poverty. Their ‘lack of vitality’ was noted to be the result of ‘the rough life they lead, the endless battle with the weather, the hard fare’.
Female Sexuality and Single Motherhood in 19th Century Rural England
Young women engaged in casual encounters and single motherhood was not seen as shocking.
Youth Gang Violence in 19th Century London
Street gang violence involving knives and guns has a far longer history in London than many may realise.
Language:
England’s Lost Dialectical Diversity
When contemporary cultural conservatives bemoan the decline of ‘proper English’, they are likely unaware that this form of English is of comparatively recent origin.
‘Ask’ vs. ‘Aks’: How Black Communities Preserve Historic English
The use of ‘aks’ (or ‘axe’) to refer to requesting or enquiring is derived from Anglo-Saxon English and was formerly favoured over ‘ask’. 19th century dialectical English commonly employed this form. The continuing use of ‘aks’ in black communities constitutes the preservation of an arguably ‘purer’ form of English than that found in the standard English of today.
The Rise of ‘Americanisms’ or the Return of Traditional English?
When English children talk of ‘trash’ and ‘highways’ are they becoming ‘Americanised’ or are they simply returning to an older form of English?
Folk Culture and Folk Beliefs:
The English Folk Culture We Have Lost
England’s once rich and vibrant tradition of folk celebrations was lost as a result of the interventions of conservative minded moralists.
A Witchcraft-Infested Land: Demythologising England’s Rural Past
Prior to the 20th century, the popular worldview of the English laity was centred on a fervent belief in the reality of witchcraft.
Reports on Witchcraft in 19th and early 20th Century English Newspapers
Members of the educated English elite found such ‘rustic credulity’ to be both ‘remarkable’ and ‘extraordinary’, yet it remained widespread.
James Tuckett: The ‘White Witch of Exeter’
An in-depth investigation into the life of a 19th century con-man, who posed as a ‘white witch’ and ‘herbalist’ in order to fleece his predominantly rural clientele.
The Enduring Legacy of the Folk Beliefs of the 10th and 11th Century European Christian Laity
The enchanting of herbs and belief in the power of the crossroads continued on, despite ecclesiastical condemnation.
Christianity as Folk Magic in Medieval and Early Modern England
Church rituals, the Saints, and scriptural passages were believed to have magical efficacy.
Apocryphal Christian Elements in British Folk Magic
Apocryphal folk charms were dreamed up not as a way to encourage Christian piety but, rather, to draw on the purported magical powers of Christian texts and motifs.
Witch Bottles in English and American Folk Magic
‘Witch bottles’, an element of English folk magic intended to counter the power of ‘black witches’, crossed the Atlantic and entered into American folk belief.
Love Powders in British and American Folk Magic
‘Love powders’, which would supposedly compel the affection of a desired partner, gained popularity in England and found a new home in the United States.
The Power of the Moon in English and North American Folk Belief
In English folk belief, the new moon was popularly held to have power in regard to wealth and relationships. This belief was transferred to the New World.
How Racist Ideology Obscured the British influences in Black Southerners’ folk beliefs
An examination of popular historical African American beliefs reveals that their true roots like not in Africa, but rather in British folk belief.
The European Roots of African American Crossroads Magic
Narratives involving meeting the Devil at the crossroads and selling one’s soul for supernatural abilities clearly draw on European traditions.
American History:
Country Music and the Construction of ‘Authenticity’
Advocates of ‘true’ country music fail to acknowledge the genre’s deeply commercial history.
Confederate Writings on the American Civil War Confirm Slavery as its Principle Cause
‘Lost Cause’ mythology is based on the negation of clear historical fact.
The Myth of the ‘Christian South’
The Southern States are indeed uniquely religious, but this Southern ‘Bible Belt’ identity arguably owes more to Southern traditions than to the Bible itself.
The Myth of ‘Christian America’
While the United States may appear to be the last bastion of Western Christian devotion, when popular American Christianity is examined, it appears to be more a religion of Americanism than Christianity as historically understood.
Edmund Standing holds a BA in Theology & Religious Studies and an MA in Critical & Cultural Theory.
EDMUND STANDING 