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Showing posts from September 10, 2017

Forkways #10: Frogmore Stew

An item that gives every indication it is Gullah is Frogmore Stew. One of the identifying and codifying traditional foods of the South Carolina Low Country, it is relatively new. It is said to have been invented in 1958. Though named after an area on St. Helena, this dish was created by a white man and the key regional ingredient is Old Bay. Despite superficial indication Frogmore Stew has little to do with the Gullah cooking tradition. The Frogmore Stew, now more often called Low Country Boil, is not traditional because of its ingredients or flavor profile. It is traditional to the region because of the social way it is eaten and enjoyed. It represents the way that people in the South, particularly the Low Country, like to experience their food. Sharing food and the social quality of meals is a major focus of the people of Charleston. We asked many people each day on our trip to South Carolina where their favorite place