Heirloom recipes are the touchstones of holiday traditions, and the Lowcountry's rich culinary history shines when friends and families gather around the table. From nibbling hot-from-the-oven cheese straws at a cocktail party to the custom of eating collard greens on New Year's Day (said to evoke wealth), food plays a pivotal role in the charm of Christmas in Charleston.
Often called Charleston's signature dish, She Crab soup is an evolution of Scottish seafood bisque. A rich-in-flavor recipe that melds succulent blue crab meat with a hearty cream soup that is finished with a dash of dry sherry, the dish dates to the early 1700s and was famously served to President Taft (1909 - 13) during his visit to Charleston. Synonymous with special occasions, She Crab soup often appears on local's Christmas Day dinner menus.
A delicious example of plantation era ingenuity is the Benne wafer, a recipe born of a few basic ingredients-butter, brown sugar, flour and toasted sesame seeds. Said to invoke good luck, Benne wafers pack a crunch and make a popular holiday party host gift.
Heirloom grits, ground corn grown from seed cultivated long before the industrialization of agriculture—when farming was arduous labor but also an artisanal craft—are a staple of Lowcountry cuisine. In the late 1990s, an ambitious but earnest plan to grow near-extinct varieties of corn that predate the Civil War sparked a phenomenally successful resurgence of the humble ingredient. Today, restaurants across the country serve heirloom grits milled in the Lowcountry, but there is no better place to discover this versatile and flavorful food than Charleston area restaurants. Shrimp and grits, anyone? Buy heirlooom grits online or in-store at local retailer Charleston Cooks!
http://store.charlestoncooks.com/store/product/4249/Carolina-Plantation-Grit
s%2C-1-lb-bag/
Rice was the king of all cash crops during Charleston's robust plantation era. The small grain launched the fortunes of the Lowcountry's landed gentry and appeared at every meal. Carolina Gold Rice is a flavorful variety that appears on many area menus and is the premium choice for pirloo, a popular special occasion dish. Buy Carolina Gold Rice online or in-store at local retailer Charleston
Cooks!
http://store.charlestoncooks.com/store/product/2845/Carolina-Plantation-Caro
lina-Gold-Rice/
The City Market, located in the heart if downtown Charleston, was established in 1804 and is one of the nation's oldest public markets. Comprised of individual sheds that canvas four city blocks, the market houses more than 140 permanent vendors selling souvenirs and collectibles, everything from tins of Lowcountry benne wafers to Gullah sweetgrass baskets. On June 27, 2011, doors opened at the new Grand Hall, an enclosed galleria of 20 locally owned shops, including Historic Charleston Foundation's flagship store and the Charleston Angler.
www.thecharlestoncitymarket.com