Skip to product information
1 of 1

Grain and Fire: A History of Baking in the American South

Grain and Fire: A History of Baking in the American South

Regular price $33.00
Sale price $33.00 Regular price
Save $-33.00 Sold out

Author: Rebecca Sharpless

While a luscious layer cake may exemplify the towering glory of southern baking, like everything about the American South, baking is far more complicated than it seems. Rebecca Sharpless here weaves a brilliant chronicle, vast in perspective and entertaining in detail, revealing how three global food traditions--Indigenous American, European, and African--collided with and merged in the economies, cultures, and foodways of the South to create what we know as the southern baking tradition.

Recognizing that sentiments around southern baking run deep, Sharpless takes delight in deflating stereotypes as she delves into the surprising realities underlying the creation and consumption of baked goods. People who controlled the food supply in the South used baking to reinforce their power and make social distinctions. Who used white cornmeal and who used yellow, who put sugar in their cornbread and who did not had traditional meanings for southerners, as did the proportions of flour, fat, and liquid in biscuits. By the twentieth century, however, the popularity of convenience foods and mixes exploded in the region, as it did nationwide. Still, while some regional distinctions have waned, baking in the South continues to be a remarkable, and remarkably tasty, source of identity and entrepreneurship.



About the Author
Sharpless, Rebecca: - Rebecca Sharpless is professor of history at Texas Christian University. Her most recent book is Cooking in Other Women's Kitchens: Domestic Workers in the South, 1865-1960.

We strive to process all orders within 2-3 business days from the order date (not including holidays or weekends). Processing time includes checking, packing, and sending your orders to the courier service.

This product ships via USPS Priority Mail, and shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on your location. -

When we print your shipping label, you will receive a confirmation email containing a tracking number. Please allow 24-48 hours for the tracking information to update on the courier's website.

Orders ship directly from each brand on the Marketplace, and your order may arrive in separate packages if products from multiple vendors are included. If you would like your order to arrive as one package, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please reach out to orders@thelocalpalate.com.

Author: Rebecca Sharpless

While a luscious layer cake may exemplify the towering glory of southern baking, like everything about the American South, baking is far more complicated than it seems. Rebecca Sharpless here weaves a brilliant chronicle, vast in perspective and entertaining in detail, revealing how three global food traditions--Indigenous American, European, and African--collided with and merged in the economies, cultures, and foodways of the South to create what we know as the southern baking tradition.

Recognizing that sentiments around southern baking run deep, Sharpless takes delight in deflating stereotypes as she delves into the surprising realities underlying the creation and consumption of baked goods. People who controlled the food supply in the South used baking to reinforce their power and make social distinctions. Who used white cornmeal and who used yellow, who put sugar in their cornbread and who did not had traditional meanings for southerners, as did the proportions of flour, fat, and liquid in biscuits. By the twentieth century, however, the popularity of convenience foods and mixes exploded in the region, as it did nationwide. Still, while some regional distinctions have waned, baking in the South continues to be a remarkable, and remarkably tasty, source of identity and entrepreneurship.



About the Author
Sharpless, Rebecca: - Rebecca Sharpless is professor of history at Texas Christian University. Her most recent book is Cooking in Other Women's Kitchens: Domestic Workers in the South, 1865-1960.

We strive to process all orders within 2-3 business days from the order date (not including holidays or weekends). Processing time includes checking, packing, and sending your orders to the courier service.

This product ships via USPS Priority Mail, and shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on your location. -

When we print your shipping label, you will receive a confirmation email containing a tracking number. Please allow 24-48 hours for the tracking information to update on the courier's website.

Orders ship directly from each brand on the Marketplace, and your order may arrive in separate packages if products from multiple vendors are included. If you would like your order to arrive as one package, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please reach out to orders@thelocalpalate.com.