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Thecuisine ofKentucky mostly resembles and is a part of traditionalSouthern cuisine. Some common dinner dishes arefried catfish andhushpuppies,fried chicken andcountry fried steak. These are usually served with vegetables such asgreen beans,greens,pinto beans (or "soup beans") slow-cooked with pork as seasoning and served withcornbread. Other popular items includefried green tomatoes,cheese grits, corn pudding,fried okra, andchicken and dumplings, which can be found across the commonwealth.[1][2][3]
In addition to this, Kentucky is known for its own regional style ofbarbecue.[4] This style of barbecue is unique in itself given that it usesmutton, and is a style of Southern barbecue unique to Kentucky.[5]
Although Kentucky's cuisine is generally very similar to that of traditional Southern cuisine, it does differ with some unique dishes, especially in Louisville where theHot Brown andDerby pie (a variation ofpecan pie, common throughout the American South), originated.[6][7]
In northwestern parts of Kentucky,burgoo is a favorite, while in southwestern parts of the state, regularchili con carne is a typical staple. Innorthern Kentucky plus Louisville and Lexington,Cincinnati chili is a popularfast food.Northern Kentucky and theLouisville area are also home to a pronouncedGerman-American population, translating into northern-like preferences for beer and Europeansausages. However, the remainder of the state's cuisine tends to be thoroughly Southern, preferring breakfast meats likecountry ham, ground pork sausage and as their beverage of choice, the state's renownedbourbon whiskey. Some common desserts arechess pie,pecan pie,blackberrycobbler andbread pudding.
Pioneer and missionary author Timothy Flint[8] wrote that the Kentuckians atepersimmon,venison,wild turkey,sweet potato and "pies smoked on the table" washed down with maple beer andMadeira wine when thegame was plentiful, and "hog and homily" in lean times.
Food prices were low and money hard to come by in the intervening years between settlement and admission to theUnion.Salt was quite costly, but sweeteners likehoney andmaple were more commonly available. Prices for staple foodstuffs such asbeef,mutton,pork,geese,chicken,turkey,butter andflour are known fromGilbert Imlay's account.[9]
Homes in the frontier lands of Kentucky were often unfloored, the shelters ranged between humblelean-tos and more sturdy cabins. Only in the better cabins werehearths made with stone.Daniel Drake, a Cincinnati born physician, described his 18th-century Kentucky home:[9]
"I know of no scene in civilized life more primitive than such a cabin hearth as that of my mother. In the morning, abuckeye backlog &hickory forestick resting on stone andirons, with aJonny cake on a clean ash board, set before it to bake, a frying pan with its long handle resting on a split bottomed turner's chair, sending out its peculiar music, and the tea kettle swng from a wooden 'lug pole' with myself setting the table, or turning the meat, or watching the Jonny cake..."
Thomas Ashe mentionssalt bacon,squirrel broth andhominy in his report of a Kentucky dinner. According to Ashe the Kentucky pioneers rarely ate vegetables or fresh meat: "The Kentuckyan [sic] ate nothing but bacon, which indeed is the favourite diet of all the inhabitants of the State, and drank nothing but whiskey, which soon made him more than two thirds drunk."[9]
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Potatoes,corn,carrots,onions,turnips,parsnips,tomatoes,green beans,butter beans,peas,mustard greens,kale,scallions,sweet potatoes,yellow summer squash,zucchini,butternut squash,cauliflower,broccoli,mushrooms,cucumbers,asparagus,bell peppers (called mangoes by older rural Kentuckians[19][20]),banana peppers,cabbage,beets,eggplant,garlic andavocados.
Blackberries,peaches,apples,watermelon,cantaloupe,pears,plums,grapes,cherries,pawpaws andpersimmons.
Walnuts,pecans,almonds,peanuts andcashews.
The Ohio River region of western Kentucky,Daviess,Henderson andUnion counties (the area centering onOwensboro andHenderson) has developed a unique style ofpit barbecue, featuring a heavy dose of vinegar-based sauces, often served with pickles, onions,potato salad andcoleslaw. The three main meats used are chicken, pork and mutton.Burgoo is a specialty. Owensboro is home to theInternational Bar-B-Q Festival, which is a sanctioned barbecue competition.
Farther to the west, in thePurchase area, pit barbecue is primarily pork shoulder, with the unmodified word "barbecue" referring specifically to that meat. The other meats used in the Owensboro–Henderson area are generally available as well. Sauces are essentially identical in the two regions.
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