The State of Tennessee is Wide!!
Above is a map of the state of Tennessee. As you can probably tell, its land area lacks height, but its width certainly makes up for it. Tennessee sits on top of three states: Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. I mention this often overlooked fact because the unique shape of Tennessee greatly impacted the cultural development of its residents. You see, Tennessee has three distinct regions which are so different culturally that they may be viewed as three separate states. The three regions with their brief cultural descriptions are as follows:
1. East Tennessee: This region was too hilly to support large plantations before the Civil War. Although slavery was prevalent, the local economies did not heavily rely upon it like the people who lived near the Delta in West Tennessee. During the Civil War, the area was a bastion for Union support. Brothers literally did fight brothers as families were often split in their support for the North and the South. After the Civil War, many East Tennesseans differed politically with the rest of Tennessee by supporting and voting for Republican political candidates. The Solid South was not so solid in the hills and valleys west of the Cumberland Plateau. Today, East Tennessee is still mostly rural, but Chattanooga and Knoxville are bustling metropolitan areas with all the modern amenities a city slicker would expect.
The Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee
2. Central Tennessee: This region is a cross between the cultures of East and West Tennessee. The region is hilly like East Tennessee, but it closely resembles the gentle rolling hills of Bluegrass Country in Kentucky. Before the Civil War, large plantations were established to primarily cultivate tobacco. There were a handful of counties in Central Tennessee where the population was predominantly enslaved. Andrew Jackson's plantation is located in this region near Nashville. During the Civil War, Central Tennesseans were more homogenous in their support of the Confederacy, and after the Civil War, they aligned more with the Solid South. Today, Central Tennessee is home to the state's largest metropolitan area and state capital, Nashville, which is the world's epicenter for Country music. Vanderbilt University, arguably the South's most prestigious institution for higher learning, is also located in Nashville.
Tobacco Production in Central Tennessee
3. West Tennessee: Endless rows of cotton, wealthy plantation owners, slaves, and all of those things that Hollywood loves to mistakenly portray as the cultural heritage shared by all Southerners is typical of West Tennessee. The region borders the Mississippi Delta and sits across the river from the Arkansas Delta. Many of the region's early settlers became wealthy through cotton cultivation, and Memphis grew into a major city by aligning with the Cotton economy. West Tennessee was connected to the rest of the world through the Mississippi River. A steamboat ride could allow a West Tennessean to comfortably travel to New Orleans and beyond. The Tennessee legislature's decision to secede from the Union was largely a movement supported and promoted by the wealthy landowners of West Tennessee. Today, cotton is still a major player in the local economy, and Memphis has become a hub for Hip-Hop and Blues music and, of course, barbecue.
Cotton Producing Counties of West Tennessee
I highlight the diversity of cultures in Tennessee to demonstrate how culture has impacted barbecue throughout the state. Tennesseans, no matter what part of the state they come from, consider themselves Southern and view barbecue as a part of their heritage. Additionally, pork is the meat of choice when barbecuing throughout the state. However, how the pork is smoked and what else is smoked with the pork varies greatly from region to region. I'll start with the two most contrasting styles of barbecue and then finish with a culinary gray area.
Smoked Ham vs. Ribs vs. I'm not sure
East Tennessee is known for its pulled pork with a rich and thick tomato-based barbecue sauce. Smoked (or barbecued) ham with barbecue sauce is also common in this region. Furthermore, in my travels to East Tennessee, I have noticed that brisket is more likely to be consumed than in a place like my home state Georgia where a pink pig is even an amusement ride for kids during Christmas time. These are my own observations, but I attribute this to the abundance of dairy and cattle farms in the region. However, make no bones about it, pork is still the undisputed, heavy-weight champ in this region.
West Tennessee is also known for its pulled pork with a sweet, tomato based barbecue sauce but, in case you have been living under a rock, the ribs around there are pretty good too. Dry rub ribs are the craze in Memphis, and these rubs mimic traditional Cajun and Greek seasonings. As reported in a previous post about Charlie Vergos, the cooking traditions of New Orleans were easily accessible to Memphis due to the Mississippi River. Charlie combined the spices he saw Cajun chiefs use in New Orleans with the cooking techniques he learned from his Greek-American parents to create his world-famous ribs. It is additionally important to mention that before the Civil War, on plantations like those in West Tennessee, African Americans were experimenting with cooking techniques which tenderized tough meats, such as ribs, which were given to them by plantation owners who viewed the food as undesirable. And a quick FYI, Charlie Vergos mentioned that when he first added ribs to his restaurant's menu, they only cost $0.10 per pound, Now that people view them as more than a tough cut of meat, it is difficult to order a full slab of ribs for less than $18.00 (at least that is what I have noticed in my part of Georgia).
Central Tennessee: To be honest, I do not know much about the barbecue tradition of this region. There is not much literature written about, and I have not traveled extensively in this region. Perhaps it is because it is a mixture of the well-defined barbecuing traditions of East and West Tennessee. Could anyone fill me in?
I will post another poll question later today. Thank you to the readers who participated in the previous poll question. I encourage all of you to participate in the new one. I will keep the poll open for two weeks, and after the poll is closed I will post an article about the results. Thanks!
Ridgewood BBQ in East Tennessee
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