1 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 1: Never in my life have I said I just want 2 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 1: to go home and have a salad. Not once. Hello, 3 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: and welcome to Savor. I am any Rees and I'm 4 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: Lauren Vogelbaum. And for this our fourth in our Asheville 5 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: episodes are mini series on Ashville. We're talking about nostalgic foods. Yeah, 6 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: things that you ate or drink growing up, like maybe 7 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: your family made them from scratch, or maybe going to 8 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: get them with a special treat. We've all got them 9 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,959 Speaker 1: for Asheville. There's one food you'll probably here come up 10 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 1: quite often in this conversation around Nostalgic foods are just 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: in general, really a dish you can't get away from 12 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 1: even if you want to. I mean, honestly, I hate 13 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: to save barbecue because barbecue pa. But like, growing up, 14 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: my dad and his friends would always roast like whole 15 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: pigs all the time on our mountain, like literally our 16 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 1: entire mountains, So like a pigs that was kind of cool. 17 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: So I feel like barbecue obviously, I hate to say that, 18 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: but I think it's barbecue. Honestly. You know that's Graham House, 19 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: who's the chef of a vegetable focused restaurant called sovereign 20 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: remedies where he works to prove that plants can be 21 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: the star of a meal. Though his very first job 22 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 1: as a teenager was in an area barbecue place, and 23 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: he does have these memories. Nostalgia is a tricky thing. 24 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: It is it is? And does this bring us to 25 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 1: a question nostalgia? What is it? Well? The word was 26 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,959 Speaker 1: coined in sight by a Swiss physician in reference to 27 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: what he believed was a mental illness of depression and 28 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: anxiety in homesick soldiers. But today we distinguish between homesickness, 29 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: a stressful kind of longing, and nostalgia, which is more bittersweet. 30 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: Like homesickness is for something you can't have, a place 31 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: or time that's gone or far away or out of reach, 32 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: nostalgia is for moments when we felt safe or loved 33 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: and those feelings can be replicated. It's a powerful feeling. 34 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: We chatted about it a little while we were doing 35 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: a tasting of a mare with the distillers at ARN 36 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: and their friend Kelly Denson. One of the best things 37 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: I heard was I was up in New York visiting 38 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: the Bonapatite tasting Room and one of the editors there 39 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: is Italian American, and she was telling me that, you know, 40 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 1: she remembered going back to Italy and all of her 41 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: relatives with every stop that they would make, they would 42 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: break out the nacina. She said, you know what, this 43 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: tastes like my grandmother's nicina. And to me, that is 44 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: the best compliments that you could give. Actually, maybe that 45 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: might have been the second best compliment, because the first 46 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: compliment was when you first tried it and we were 47 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: hanging out at the bar at our for that release 48 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: party and I let her try. She started crying. I did. 49 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: I had an emotional response to it the first time 50 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,679 Speaker 1: I had it. My best friends like elbow Amy in 51 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: the side, like, you had an emotional response, and I 52 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: was like, kind of embarrassing, like some booze made me cry. 53 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: Hush your mouth? Was it? Was it like a nostalgic 54 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: response or I mean, was it just so good that 55 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: you were like, oh heck, I'm not sure because it 56 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 1: felt like nostalgia. But I've never had anything like it. 57 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: Now that I've heard some of the stories of how 58 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: it's created and you know what goes into it, I 59 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: kind of I don't know, it sounds really cheesy, but 60 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: it's like tasting something, you know, someone's grandmother's pasta sauce. 61 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: You know, it's like the love and everything that was 62 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: put into it and the spirit of the making of it. Um. 63 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: I think that's what I would credit my feelings of 64 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: nostalgia too. I think this is the high heart to 65 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: me right of spirit, Mike is if you can have 66 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: that kind of an emotional connection with people, right that 67 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: it it somehow the flavors the experience like brings back memories. 68 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: I had a woman come in here and she was 69 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: tasting the fo net and she took a taste of 70 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: the f net and she said, you know what, this 71 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: reminds me of hunting with my father when I was 72 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: a little girl. I know, I keep hammering this home, 73 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: but we need to watch out a two week It's 74 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: so important to this whole conversation someday. In the meanwhile, 75 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: I can only assume that food, memories, experience, and taste 76 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: and smell play some kind of role there. Yes, Okay, 77 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: to be fair, though, smell is the most nostalgia triggering sense. 78 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: Researchers aren't entirely sure why this is, but they think 79 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: it has to do with the physical way that our 80 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: brains handle information alright, So in our brains we've got 81 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: a limbic system. This includes a part of the brain 82 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: called the amygdala, which helps us process emotion, and the hippocampus, 83 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 1: which processes and stores memories. The limbic system also contains 84 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: the old factory bulb, which process is sent input from 85 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: her nasal cavity. Like there are direct connections among these 86 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: three brain bits. Studies have shown that scents create more 87 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: positive and more emotional senses of nostalgia than other triggers, 88 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,559 Speaker 1: and scientists think it's because of these close connections among 89 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: scent an emotion, and memory in our brains, which brings 90 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: us back to in the case of people who grew 91 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,720 Speaker 1: up around Dashville barbecue, that scent covering the whole mountain thing. 92 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: Good barbecue done correctly in the state is seen as 93 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: an art and throughout America, these cooking techniques have been 94 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: passed down for centuries and they inspire some serious nostalgia 95 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: and local pride. There's even a North Carolina Barbecue Society. 96 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: On their website, they call North Carolina the barbecue Capital 97 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: of the World and has Cradle of the que as 98 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 1: a registered trademark. There's also an organization called the Campaign 99 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 1: for Real barbeu Que that was founded in North Carolina. 100 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: It bestows what it calls true Que certifications, recognition that 101 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: a restaurant is cooking the style of barbecue traditional in 102 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: the area in terms of both meat and sauce types 103 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: and using wood, coals or charcoal as its sole fuel source. 104 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: But of course Asheville has mixed things up a bit. 105 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: It's kind of their m o. Like at barbecue joint 106 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: Twelve Bones, where you can order pork ribs covered in 107 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 1: blueberry chipotle saw. They have some pretty big fans though, 108 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 1: like say President Obama, he visited three times and ordered 109 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: these ribs on all three occasions. Well, there's a whole 110 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: North Carolina barbecue trail. We didn't get to go on it, 111 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: but we did get to try some barbecue in Ashell. 112 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 1: Of course, before our highly anticipated Ghost Comedy tour, we 113 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 1: stopped by Buxton Hall Barbecue. This is a true Que 114 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 1: certified joint that also mixes it up a little bit. 115 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 1: They had a sauce bar. Also, super producer Dylan got 116 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: a super Fly shirt. We talked about it in the studio, 117 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: the shirt but also the barbecue. When we got back 118 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: it was so good. Oh, it was delicious and pretty 119 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: fairly priced. I mean the portion size was certainly heck 120 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,679 Speaker 1: and gigantic, as with everything that we ate in Nashville, 121 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure. And we had a fried chicken platter 122 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: and a pulled park platter, and some muscles with hot 123 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 1: broth and bacon. They were so good. They were smoky, yeah, 124 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: and they were a flavor experience that I didn't expect 125 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: from a muscle, so flavorful. Oh, there was a charred 126 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: lemon on the plate. There was everything there was very good. 127 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: And we also had bourbon cheer wine slicies, which was 128 00:07:55,560 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: very Southern. Yeah. I don't really like soda pop because 129 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: it gets too sweet for me, but man, I really 130 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: enjoyed that thing. Yeah. The flavor of bourbon and the 131 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: flavor of cheer wine complement each other so well, so well, 132 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: Like Dylan doesn't even like bourbon, and that was great. 133 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: So that's ringing endorsement. Yeah, it's true. So in this 134 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: one meal, we covered a bunch of these local favorites. 135 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: Fried chicken, pulled pork, cheer wine, which if you haven't had, 136 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: is a black cherry flavored soft drink, bourbon, bacon, infused everything. 137 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: We also had beans and greens, corn bread, potato salad, 138 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: cole slaw. We ate a lot of these traditional foods 139 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: on our trip. Newer creations too, of course, but you know, 140 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 1: we went for biscuits and gravy. We had hop and John, 141 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,319 Speaker 1: chicken and waffles, things that might not count as nostalgic 142 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: for us. Did anything strike your sense of nostalgia? Yeah, 143 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: fried chicken is a big one for me. My mom 144 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:57,560 Speaker 1: used to make it for me on my birthday. Sometimes 145 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: she still does, and I maintain she makes the best 146 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: fried chicken I've ever had. Yeah, all of this is 147 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: different from the types of food that I grew up eating, 148 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: but I do have really good adult memories of these 149 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: foods from when I moved to Atlanta after college, and 150 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 1: it all fits into a category related to nostalgia. Comfort food. 151 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:22,599 Speaker 1: But before we get into that, let's pause for a 152 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: quick break for a word from our sponsor, and we're back, 153 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor. So comfort food, what is it? Peanut 154 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 1: butter and a chocolate milkshake but like not a very 155 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: good one, and French fries to balance out the sweetness, 156 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: and also mac and cheese. Right, that's what it is 157 00:09:56,280 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: for me anyway. More broadly, comfort food is pretty much 158 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: of food that brings you comfort, like a warm cookie 159 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: or maybe seventy five on a rainy night when you're 160 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:09,839 Speaker 1: going through a bad breakup anyone is that also just 161 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: me Any food with a high caloric content and or 162 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: with a high salty sugar count will light up your 163 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: brain's reward center. Sugars and starches prompt your brain to 164 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 1: create serotonin, which makes you feel calm and kind of 165 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 1: well in general, and salt can prompt oxytocin, which is 166 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 1: a kind of warm and fuzzy sort of brain chepical. 167 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: But that doesn't get to the heart of what a 168 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: comfort food is, right. Neuroscientist Rachel Hurts wrote in her 169 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 1: book Why You Eat What You Eat that comfort foods 170 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:41,079 Speaker 1: are usually foods that we ate as children, because when 171 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: it comes to aromas and flavors, our first associations are 172 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: the ones that stick most indelibly, which means for a 173 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: lot of us, a comfort food does have to do 174 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 1: with nostalgia. Yeah, it's like a warm food hug from 175 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: the past, reminding you of when your mom made you 176 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,560 Speaker 1: chicken soup when you're sick, are of meals you shared 177 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: with loved ones every year. These memories make you feel 178 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: less alone. The reason and not very good chocolate milkshake 179 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: is one of my comfort foods is because my mom 180 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: would make me one when I was sad or sick. 181 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: Just Briar's ice cream, chocolate ice cream and two percent 182 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: milk in a cup, and then she would mix it 183 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: together with this food. Oh yeah, simple. Even Marcel Prouse 184 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: reported experiencing this after writing into one of his comfort 185 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 1: foods reports. Very on what it was, He said, I 186 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: had ceased now to feel mediocre, contingent, mortal. The feeling 187 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: infinitely transcended those savers, and I wanted to include it 188 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: because they had the name of the podcast. Yes, success, huh. 189 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: But yeah, it's not all psychological. What could be going 190 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 1: on here is a feedback loop among these positive nostalgic memories. 191 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,719 Speaker 1: For example, memories reminding you of a nice time when 192 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 1: you had ice cream and your body's physical chemical stress system. 193 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,840 Speaker 1: In the lab, rats have been observed to go for 194 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,560 Speaker 1: higher calorie food when they're subjected to stress, and that 195 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:06,680 Speaker 1: when they eat those foods, their brains produce less stress hormones. 196 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: Researchers still aren't sure why. Oh one study suggested that 197 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:14,120 Speaker 1: something about the presence of abdominal fat deposits in rats 198 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: that were given the high calorie foods was physically changing 199 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: the way that the rats bodies handled stressful situations like 200 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: for the better. Of course, rats are not people, and 201 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: psychology does play a role here too. In people less 202 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:31,719 Speaker 1: the rats probably um research has shown that people for 203 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: whom emotional interpersonal connections are very important, those people eat 204 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 1: more comfort foods in response to loneliness, and they get 205 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 1: more comfort out of them than people who do not 206 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:46,559 Speaker 1: connect with others so closely. Even thinking about their comfort 207 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,679 Speaker 1: foods can make people feel less lonely. Tapping into these 208 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: memories might make us feel safe, or rewarded or connected. 209 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: There's a gender breakdown of comfort foods to Women tend 210 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: to seek out sweets when they're feeling lonely, anxious, are guilty, 211 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: and report feeling guilty after eating them. Men crave a 212 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: hearty meal as reward for success and don't really report 213 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: that guild afterwards. M Oh yeah, our relationships with food, Yes, 214 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,319 Speaker 1: that's a whole another episode. Oh yeah. If we look 215 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: at the history of the term comfort food itself, one 216 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 1: of the first times comfort food appeared in print was 217 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: in a nineteen seventies seven Washington Post article all about 218 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: Southern food, but particularly the comfort food that is shrimp 219 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: and grits, which is, by the way, the dish that 220 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: st Helm recommends you try all over Asheville. He's the 221 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:39,679 Speaker 1: one that we heard at the top of the episode 222 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: talking about salad. So he's not a super fan of salad, 223 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: but shrimp and grit shrimp and grits, yes, he likes. 224 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:49,199 Speaker 1: The term comfort food goes back a little earlier in 225 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: the US, though too maybe. The nineteen sixties five Washington 226 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: Post article called keeping trim her problems add up to 227 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: too many pounds was almost fair, and yes, I want 228 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 1: to talk all about that, but we must move forward. 229 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 1: The term was also used in a nineteen sixty six 230 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: article called sad child may overeat Yeah. By the nineteen eighties, 231 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: comfort food was its own genre. There was a cookbook 232 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: published in nineteen seventy nine by one Judith Only, called 233 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: Comforting Food. She put it this way, ask the same 234 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: hundred people what foods give them comfort now? And the 235 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: answers are more mature, more diverse. Surely soups, hot cereals 236 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: and a listing of potato dishes, apple dishes, egg dishes, 237 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: dishes my grandmother used to make. Then there's a pause, 238 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 1: and just as surely, a kind of defensiveness seems to arise, 239 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 1: for the foods are more humble than prevailing style might 240 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: dictate their old fashioned and this might be the most 241 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 1: damaging in being unassuming. They're often economical as well, which 242 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: hinders are all too human desire to consume conspicuously. Though. 243 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: I would say that restaurants are tapping into that too 244 00:14:57,360 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: in this our era of Instagram. It's just that they're 245 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: serving a milkshake. It's a fifteen dollar milkshake that's studded 246 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 1: with cotton candy and gold coated gummy bears. I don't know. 247 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: I think that the current comfort food trend started from 248 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: a place of simplicity. The boom began exactly when we 249 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: entered the economic recession around two thousand eight. I kind 250 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: of love how comfort foods are different for different people, 251 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: and that they vary by country. Oh yeah, it reminds 252 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: me of the Mordentia potion from Harry Potter, where everyone 253 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 1: smells something different. Harry Potter mentioned of the episode, but anyway, 254 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: an article I read over at The Atlantic made the 255 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: case that for a lot of Americans, comfort food equals 256 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 1: fast food. A lot of new American restaurants are ripping 257 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 1: off of that using government cheese and they're cooking, for example, 258 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: are making all the versions of mac and cheese. Stu Helm, 259 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: who is a local food writer in Asheville, commented on 260 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 1: this right now one of the trends that I'm excited about, 261 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: and it's not the newest trend, but it's getting gaining 262 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: in popularity, especially with younger chefs, combining um high end 263 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 1: ingredients and fancy food with lowbrow ingredients. And one of 264 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: my favorite examples is a place called the Underground Cafe 265 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 1: serves a wonderful smash burger, an excellent piece of beef uh, 266 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: and then he puts it on a king's Hawaiian roll. 267 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: So it's a wonderful combination of the high quality beef 268 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 1: with a really trashy bun. And the trashy aspect is 269 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: very comforting to a lot of people because a lot 270 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 1: of us grew up with parents who were in the 271 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: early stages of their careers, didn't have a lot of money, 272 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: and so they tended to buy the trash of your foods. 273 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: To feed us as children, and those were good times 274 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: for a lot of us as children, even though we 275 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: were unaware of the economic hard times. And so those 276 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: trashy foods actually touch our sort of comfort points, and 277 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 1: so it's really nice to eat a trashy burger but 278 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: know that the beef is sourced impeccably. So that's a 279 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 1: trend I see, combining the high end and the low end. 280 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: We saw this combo all over like at Buckston Hall Barbecue. 281 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: Now a word here. Buckston Hall, despite being in Asheville, 282 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 1: the heart of western North Carolina, actually serves primarily Eastern 283 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: South Carolina style barbecue. More on the difference there in 284 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: a minute, but for now, just understand that for some 285 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: barbecue purists this can be considered heretical. But yeah, they're 286 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:20,120 Speaker 1: serving really good down home cooking and their pit master, 287 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:23,440 Speaker 1: Elliott Muss, was a semifinalist for the twenti seventeen James 288 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southeast because of 289 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 1: this down home cooking that he's doing there. We caught 290 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 1: up with Elliott on the phone and he listed nostalgia 291 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: as the reason he opened the restaurant. My grandfather was 292 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: a welder, and taught my dad how the world, and 293 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,680 Speaker 1: we grew up with homemade barbecue pits that we would 294 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: cook hogs m that my other grandfather would raise early on, 295 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:49,840 Speaker 1: and then it just became a family tradition at Legal 296 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: would cook hogs around the holidays for Thanksgiving and Christmas 297 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: and have a big party and had everyone over and 298 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 1: pick the pig. And those are just some memories I 299 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:01,640 Speaker 1: had my whole life as a little kid, and um, 300 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 1: I started out cooking food for a living, and after 301 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: a few years aside, I wanna open own restaurant, and 302 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,159 Speaker 1: I couldn't think of anything else with barbecue that I 303 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: wanted to do, So that's that's why I do barbecue. 304 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 1: But okay, let's break down all of that barbecue style 305 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:21,119 Speaker 1: stuff just a little bit. According to the U. S D. 306 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: A barbecued meats and this is the sexiest quote of 307 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: the episode, shall be cooked by the direct action of 308 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 1: dry heat resulting from the burning of hardwood or the 309 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: hot coals therefrom for a sufficient period to assume the 310 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: usual characteristics of a barbecued article, which include the formation 311 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: of a brown crust on the surface and the rendering 312 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: of the surface fat. The product may be basted it 313 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,439 Speaker 1: with a sauce during the cooking process. The weight of 314 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 1: barbecued meat shall not exceed seventy of the weight of 315 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: the fresh uncooked meat. Very sexy. Indeed, there's a hot 316 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: pun that could be made there, but we shall move on. 317 00:18:55,720 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 1: In America's barbecue belt, there are four distinct barbecue traditions Texas, 318 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 1: Kansas City, Memphis, and Carolina. Just to be clear, the sauce, 319 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 1: more than the cooking style or meat is what defines 320 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: a regional barbecue. It's all three. I mean, all agree 321 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,440 Speaker 1: on the low and slow application of heat as described above, 322 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,359 Speaker 1: but the type of animal used, the kind of meat used, 323 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: the type of wood used, whether or not you use 324 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: a dry rub, whether or not you based the meat 325 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:25,879 Speaker 1: during cooking, all of that can create a lot of 326 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 1: variation before you get to the sauce that you serve 327 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: it with. And within those four main styles, you've got 328 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: a lot of subcategories. Because of these variances in cooking 329 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: technique and sauce, barbecue may be the closest thing America 330 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:42,880 Speaker 1: has to a national cuisine. According to nis learis over 331 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 1: at Eater, and we've got some history and some controversy 332 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 1: for you. But first one more quick break for a 333 00:19:49,160 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 1: word from our sponsor, and we're back. Thank you, spo, Yes, 334 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: thank you. The history of American and particularly North Carolinian 335 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: barbecue is quite long, but in a nutshell, historians think 336 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: that indigenous peoples of Florida and the Caribbean had a 337 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:13,879 Speaker 1: meat grilling technique as far back as at least the 338 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: fifteen hundreds. The meats were doused in a sauce of 339 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 1: lemon and red pepper, and for the most part we're 340 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 1: used on less appetizing things like lizards or alligators. Until 341 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: the Spanish arrived and brought with them hogs, pork became 342 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: the go to meet option. The air At called this 343 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 1: style of cooking meats bob cuts, which the Spaniards translated 344 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: to barbacoa, and from there we got the English word barbecue, 345 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: which can be spelled multiple ways. I did not know 346 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: this until doing the research for this episode. It's completely legit. 347 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 1: The queue versus the sea not in my book. Goodness 348 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:56,719 Speaker 1: that that's the controversy for me. When enslaved people from 349 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: the Caribbean were shipped to the mainland in the early 350 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:03,879 Speaker 1: nineteenth cent tree, they brought barbecue with them. Newly arriving 351 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,400 Speaker 1: Haitian refugees may have brought it with them as well. 352 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,479 Speaker 1: Folks further up from South Florida started sebbing out lemon 353 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: for the easier to find vinegar. In eight a botanist 354 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,360 Speaker 1: on a trip to North America noticed slaves in Philadelphia 355 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 1: bottling a mix of guinea peppers and salt for meat. 356 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 1: Since then, different types of barbecue sauce have proliferated throughout 357 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: the States, but particularly in the South, back to North Carolina, 358 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: which has two main types of regional barbecue, Eastern and Western, 359 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: with a Western sometimes called Lexington style or Piedmont style. 360 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: Let's talk about Eastern style first, where a whole hog 361 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: is the meat of choice. Because Eastern style sauce hasn't 362 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: changed too much from those first barbecue sauces the slaves 363 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 1: were making. It is sometimes known as the mother of 364 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: all American sauces. It's been around for centuries. It's a 365 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: fairly thin sauce, and that's because it's just vinegar, usually 366 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: eider vinegar, and spices like cayenne, crushed red pepper, black pepper, salt, 367 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: a little sugar hot sauce typically Texas pete or tabasco 368 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: and maybe some water. No tomato here. Meat from the 369 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:19,359 Speaker 1: whole hog is pulled and chopped together. Lexington or Pied 370 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:23,360 Speaker 1: Mot style, on the other hand, involves wood smoked pork shoulder, 371 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,959 Speaker 1: which is a rich, dark meat, finally chopped and covered 372 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: with a tomatoy vinegary, peppery sauce and that tomatoy bit. 373 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,919 Speaker 1: It comes from the addition of hinds ketchup, starting with 374 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: its debut in eighteen seventy six, making a dip um. 375 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 1: This was and is controversial, splitting North Carolina into two 376 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,920 Speaker 1: warring barbecue factions. It reminds me of those house divided 377 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: college stickers. I bet they have those. Oh yeah, the 378 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,160 Speaker 1: real deal. Lexington style may have solid fight itself During 379 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: World War One. At the time, food vendors would cart 380 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: around chopped up pork shoulder, not as difficult as a 381 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 1: whole hog to transport to sell at these pop up 382 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: barbecue stands. Legend goes that five men of German descent 383 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: really wanted to recreate a dish from their homeland, which 384 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,440 Speaker 1: was pork shoulder with a sauce that was both sweet 385 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:25,199 Speaker 1: and tangy. To accomplish this, just a little ketchup was 386 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:28,119 Speaker 1: added enough to change the color and the taste, but 387 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 1: not really that watery texture. This is also where the 388 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,280 Speaker 1: common practice of adding ketchup to cole slaw in the 389 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:37,879 Speaker 1: region got its start. Nowadays, Western Carolina style sauce has 390 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: gotten and just to smidge thicker and sweeter and more 391 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 1: complex or complicated, as some people would say. It includes 392 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 1: a little bit more sugar, a bit of butter, plus 393 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,879 Speaker 1: stuff like lemon juice, worst to shear sauce, and mustard powder. 394 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 1: I've also heard that a not uncommon family secret ingredient 395 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 1: is some amount of Coca Cola or dr pepper or both. 396 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:06,719 Speaker 1: Scandalous scandal. This divide of barbecue sauces is so serious 397 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 1: in the state that Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. Yes, 398 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 1: the insurance company weighed in on which was the healthier style. Spoiler, 399 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 1: It's Eastern style, according to them. It's because you know, 400 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: Western style sauce has more sugar, and the traditional pork 401 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 1: shoulder of the Western style is a fattier cut of 402 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 1: meat than you get if you have the whole hog 403 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 1: in the mix. It also gets political, this whole discussion, 404 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: and not just because the barbecue catering businesses get a 405 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: substantial boost around elections. Two House bills were introduced, both 406 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:48,719 Speaker 1: defeated to get each style named the official barbecue of 407 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,680 Speaker 1: North Carolina. But one thing pretty much everyone in North 408 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:56,400 Speaker 1: Carolina agrees on when it comes to barbecue, Texas style sucks. 409 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:04,280 Speaker 1: That's their opinion, not ours. Again, just reporting what we've researched. 410 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 1: There are whispers of a third style of North Carolina barbecue, 411 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: but we're not going to talk about that right now. 412 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:17,320 Speaker 1: We've probably incurred enough barbecue wrath as it is. And 413 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 1: a helpful tip when ordering brown means more of a 414 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: smoky flavor. White means leaner and diet willing. Get the 415 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:28,640 Speaker 1: mac and cheese. Everyone can agree on mac and cheese 416 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: at least, oh I don't know. Yeah, yeah, that was 417 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,639 Speaker 1: the sound of me willfully ignoring the different styles of 418 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,119 Speaker 1: mac and cheese. That's a whole other argument. But no, 419 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: I love these regional pride spats about what constitutes a 420 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: real or right version of a food because it means 421 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 1: that you're passionate about it. But the fun thing about 422 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 1: the difference between nostalgic food and comfort food is that 423 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 1: they're even diagram a food that you're nostalgic for might 424 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 1: not be a nutritionally void cloric bomb, and you can 425 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:02,399 Speaker 1: find new foods tremendously pritting. We also spoke with Jamie Eager, 426 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:05,360 Speaker 1: the third generation farmer in charge of the Asheville meat 427 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: producer Hickory Nut Gap Farm. Here's what he said when 428 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 1: we asked him about his nostalgic foods. I grew up 429 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:14,200 Speaker 1: with my parents on a big garden, so that's all 430 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: kind of what my experience was like. The summertime pork 431 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: chops that was always our favorite, as his kids like 432 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 1: mashed potatoes out of the garden that are like new potatoes, 433 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: you know, So they just came out of the garden 434 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:30,120 Speaker 1: and they're small, and they're really yummy, and they wants 435 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: the butter and then you know, maybe some nice salad 436 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 1: something like that, or some peas. Peas were always good, 437 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:41,199 Speaker 1: although we never really picked peas much because we just 438 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: went out there and Bradley Garden. So despite that quote 439 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,159 Speaker 1: from Stew at the top of the episode, yes a 440 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:53,239 Speaker 1: salad can be nostalgic. And back on the comfort end, 441 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 1: some of my personal comfort foods are things that I've 442 00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: never heard of growing up. Fuh chicken, vindaloo, sushi, Kayaki. 443 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:04,480 Speaker 1: So you know, Eastern Carolina barbecue can certainly still do 444 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 1: something for Western Carolinians. It can. I love that you 445 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:12,360 Speaker 1: have a gesture of like like holding both hands out, 446 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: palms forward. We can come together our barbecue. We can. 447 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,439 Speaker 1: We got to speak with another restaurateur who's bringing comfort 448 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: food to Asheville Mayor Juan Rani, the chef and CEO 449 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: of the Chai Pannee restaurant group, which mostly serves Indian 450 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 1: street food. Growing up, his mother cooked at the family's 451 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,920 Speaker 1: bed and breakfast in India, where she served everything from 452 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: Indian staples. Two things that she thought would appeal to 453 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 1: Westerners Neapolitan style pizza, meatloaf, apple pie. So I think 454 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 1: that he had this basis for an expanded view of 455 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 1: what's welcoming for folks. And he says that he was 456 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: drawn to Indian street food specifically because it's food by everybody, 457 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,719 Speaker 1: for everybody. Yeah. So you know the thing that I've 458 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:57,159 Speaker 1: been pricking in my head forever that why is the 459 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: only food in available in America? This stripmall lunchtime buffee 460 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: with curres and non and chicken tika masala, and uh, 461 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 1: this is food that I never ate growing up I 462 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 1: didn't eat none unless I went to a restaurant. And 463 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 1: I'm walking around saying, where's the homestyle cooking, Where's the 464 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: meals that we eat every day at home? Where's the 465 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,320 Speaker 1: street food of India which is so much more interesting 466 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 1: and buried and fun and approachable than sort of this exotic, 467 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 1: you know, curry and rice and stuff that we don't 468 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 1: even really eat. I jokingly called it banquet food or 469 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:30,919 Speaker 1: wedding food, because it's the kind of food that you 470 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,679 Speaker 1: get when you go to weddings. But if there is 471 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: one food that can be described truly as Indian food, 472 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: it's our street food. And the reason being because street 473 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 1: food has no regionality or culture, or nationality or religion 474 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 1: associated to it. The way street food evolved was, you know, 475 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 1: as migrants left working on farms from wherever their regions 476 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 1: were in to the big cities like Delhi and Mumbai 477 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 1: and Calcutta and Bangalore, um. Many of the enterprising ones 478 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 1: that became street hawkers start of just mashing up food. 479 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: And that's what I love about it. I kind of 480 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: describe it like DJ mashing up various beats and rhythms 481 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: to create a whole new track and that's the streets 482 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 1: it is and it's really unique and it's been a success. 483 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 1: Member One attributes lots of that to his prior life 484 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: is like a general business human and to the supportive community. 485 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:23,480 Speaker 1: But yeah, he has two Indian street food places in Asheville, 486 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 1: another two in the Atlanta area with more on the way, 487 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:30,440 Speaker 1: Spice Blend Company, and he partnered with Elliott Are Barbecue 488 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: Pittmaster to open Buxton Hall. It's different flavors and styles, 489 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: but it's all comfort food. We wanted to end with 490 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 1: another sound bite from Elliott about one of the most 491 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: economical down homye dishes on their menu, hashion rice. Yeah, 492 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: the hash is a byproduct from making barbecue. You don't 493 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 1: really see it much other than South Carolina. Ours is 494 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 1: a process of all the savvy bits that we scrape 495 00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: out of the hog. We can feed those overnight and 496 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 1: save all the fat that's rendered, and we bought our 497 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: buns and try some things and that make gravy. We 498 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: save all those bits, and you know, a week's worth 499 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 1: of looking hogs. We have a lot of those bits, 500 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: and we mixed that with stock that we've made from 501 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 1: pulling the bones, and we put some ground up pork 502 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: liver in there for some good cleaner uh and a 503 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,320 Speaker 1: few other secret things. And we cook it overnight and 504 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: we blend it up and it's kind of like a 505 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: meat gravy. Some old timers put it over there barbecue 506 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:35,400 Speaker 1: like it's a barbecue sauce that kind of has that flavor. 507 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 1: A lot of people eat over grits in the morning 508 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 1: for breakfast. Um. One old man told me one time 509 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 1: that that barbecue it's like cocaine and hashes like crack. 510 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 1: So once you taste that, I have people tell me 511 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:50,800 Speaker 1: all the time, and I think about that hash all 512 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,719 Speaker 1: the time. It's the most soulful and it's the thing 513 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 1: that I'm the most proud of on the menu for sure, 514 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 1: just because of all the moth we put into it. 515 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 1: And most places just throw all that stuff away, and 516 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 1: you can put some time and make it taste really yummy. Oh, 517 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 1: we didn't eat that while we were at Buxton Hall, 518 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: and every great regretting that clip makes me so hungry. 519 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,400 Speaker 1: You can always make your return trip. Paul, Okay, I 520 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: guess we I guess Ashville Part two, The Awakening The 521 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:32,959 Speaker 1: Reckoning Electric Boogaloo. Oh. I like that that brings us 522 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:38,160 Speaker 1: to the end of this episode on nostalgia, on barbecue, 523 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 1: and for me personally, on many thoughts about rabbitui and 524 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 1: milk chinks and milk shake. If you would like to 525 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: get in touch with us, we would love to hear 526 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 1: from you. What are your nostalgic foods? What are your 527 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: comfort foods? Our email address is hello at savor pod 528 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 1: dot com. You can also find us on social media. 529 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: We're on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at savor pod. Please 530 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:04,560 Speaker 1: please do right in and let us know what you think. 531 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:07,160 Speaker 1: Thank you to all of our guests today and to 532 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 1: Landis Taylor in the whole team over it explore Ashville 533 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: dot com for helping us find them, and to our 534 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:16,040 Speaker 1: co executive producer Christopher Hasciotas for helping us find them. 535 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: Thanks as always to our super producers Dylan Fagin and 536 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: Andrew Howard. Yes he's got a helper. It's great. They 537 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 1: make our jobs easy um. And also to our other 538 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 1: co executive producer here at Stuff Media, Julie Douglas for 539 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: all of her good advice. Thanks to you for listening, 540 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:31,840 Speaker 1: and we hope that lots more good things are coming 541 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: your way. Have you ever had like divinity like really 542 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: good Southern Divinity candy. Oh educate. I'm pretty sure it's 543 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 1: just sugar and maybe butter. Sometimes it's served with nuts 544 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 1: in it. It's sort of chewing and just dissolved something 545 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 1: like that with potatoes. Would she calls a potato candy? 546 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 1: That sounds great. I only she only makes it Christmas time, 547 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 1: But she's like matches potatoes and I like does a 548 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:05,560 Speaker 1: butter thing and then like a powder sugar and then 549 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 1: she rolls it out and puts like peanut butter on 550 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:12,280 Speaker 1: top and then rolls it into like a little spice. Yeah, 551 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 1: and then so yeah, like that just like I know 552 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 1: it sounds so I don't know, yeah, yeah, definitely an 553 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 1: Appalachic thing, but like we like her caters around here. 554 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 1: But that's how you describe it. That's what it makes 555 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: me think of, Like you know that that sounds like 556 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 1: it would be about the same about the same text. 557 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 1: You're just kind of melt in your mouth. It's making 558 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:34,200 Speaker 1: my mouth water thinking about it, Like I only eat 559 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,000 Speaker 1: it Christmas time, and like in my mouth, I'm just like, oh, man, 560 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 1: like containing a candy would be so good.