Ask the Chef

Below is another installment of Ask the Chef, a culinary-themed Q&A with my hubby as the star.  I will plan on posting a few of the cooking questions that roll around in my brain and hubby's answers to share with my online community.  Feel free to comment with your own questions.

TODAY'S QUESTION:
What makes a dish Southern (i.e. - Southern Collard Greens, Southern Fried Chicken)?
I ask this question because often I will hear chefs name their dishes with the word 'Southern' preceding the ingredients.  It made me curious - what makes it Southern?

Although I don't believe there is a textbook definition for Southern-style dishes, I do believe that my Mississippi-based husband might know a thing or two about what gives a dish its Southern flair. According to the chef, collard greens when cooked with pork fat are considered Southern. Same thing with baked beans. Stick some fatty pork in the mix and those beans take on a Southern personality.
Well what about the Southern Fried Chicken? Fried chicken did not originate in the American South, but it did thrive and spread through the Southern states almost like a virus during the 19th century. Southerners use seasonings and spices different from other parts of the world and the South's version of fried chicken tends to include multiple layers of batter for extra breading and lard for frying. Consider it the most fattening styles of fried chicken.
In summary, it appears that much of what is considered Southern-style cuisine is categorized as such because of its tendency to be cooked using lard and/or fatty meats such as pork.