What Is Cracker Cuisine?
Hint: You’ll have to head far south to try this style of cooking.
John Hill
The South is not a monolith, and neither is Southern cooking. From afar, it may look like we’re all cornbread, collard greens, and grits, but when you pay the proper attention, you’ll find that Southern cuisine is actually made up of so much more. In fact, dozens of cultures spanning the globe have influenced our food. There’s Cajun and Creole cooking (and yes, the two are quite different) in Louisiana. There’s Gullah and Lowcountry cuisine in South Carolina and the Georgia coast. And there’s Soul Food all over the South. If you want Floribbean dishes, you’ll have to visit the Sunshine State. Another little-known Florida style of cooking is Cracker Cuisine, which got its start during the days of American pioneers and cowboys in rural Florida.
What Is Cracker Cuisine?
Cracker cuisine is a style of cooking that pays homage to Florida’s pioneer and cowboy settlers who lived solely off things they could grow, hunt, or fish from Florida’s wild and rural terrain. The Old Florida cuisine commonly utilized pork, fish from the Gulf (especially mullet), frog legs, and even what’s now considered roadkill meat like possum, armadillo, and rattlesnake. Corn, grits, and fresh produce were also big parts of the diet.
What Are Popular Cracker Dishes?
Some cracker dishes like collard greens, grits, boiled peanuts, fried green tomatoes, fried okra, pork ribs, and hoecakes are common to Southern diners. Others, like sofkee (a porridge made of fermented rice grits cooked in cheese, cream, and butter) are a little less familiar. Fried frog legs, fried mullet, and fried chicken are also commonly on the menu.
When Did Cracker Cuisine Originate?
Cracker cuisine derives from the Florida crackers, American pioneer settlers who lived off the rural land in Florida starting in 1763. Their culture and cuisine developed further in the 19th century and was influenced by Florida cowhunters. Also known as cracker cowboys, this distinct style of cowboy used dogs and cow whips rather than lassos to heard cattle.
Where Can I Try Cracker Cuisine?
There are several restaurants in Florida dedicated to preserving and celebrating Cracker Cuisine. At The Yearling Restaurant in Hawthorne (about 20 minutes from Gainesville), Old Florida eats are the name of the game. Established in 1952, The Yearling “specializes in the food rural Floridians have hunted, fished, and prepared for generations.” Proteins like Florida gator, free-range venison, and catfish pair with sides like okra and tomatoes, collard greens, and cheese grits. At Florida Cracker Kitchen in Brooksville, Florida, brothers Blair and Ethan Hensley pay homage to their Granny Lewis’s cooking with dishes like their World Famous 10,000 Island Shrimp and Grits (crispy grit cakes with shrimp, bacon, and tomato gravy) and Florida Cowboy Classic, homemade corned beef hash with two eggs and skillet potatoes.
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Read the original article on Southern Living.
