A South You Never Ate: Savoring Flavors and Stories from the Eastern Shore of Virginia

by Bernard L. Herman

Nestled between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, and stretching from Hampton Roads to Assateague Island, Virginia's Eastern Shore is a distinctly southern place with an exceptionally southern taste. In this inviting narrative, Bernard L. Herman welcomes readers into the communities, stories, and flavors that season a land where the distance from tide to tide is often less than five miles. Blending personal observation, history, memories of harvests and feasts, and recipes, Herman tells of life along the Eastern Shore through the eyes of its growers, watermen, oyster and clam farmers, foragers, church cooks, restaurant owners, and everyday residents.

Four centuries of encounter, imagination, and invention continue to shape the foodways of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, melding influences from Indigenous peoples, European migrants, enslaved and free West Africans, and more recent newcomers. Herman reveals how local ingredients and the cooks who have prepared them for the table have developed a distinctly American terroir --the flavors of a place experienced through its culinary and storytelling traditions. This terroir flourishes even as it confronts challenges from climate change, declining fish populations, and farming monoculture. Herman reveals this resilience through the recipes and celebrations that hold meaning, not just for those who live there but for all those folks who sit at their tables--and other tables near and far.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, History, Food

400 pages, Hardcover

Published October 14, 2019

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book, it's so close to home and my heart. More than a recipe book, it gives stories and history of the Chesapeake area of Virginia. Famous for it's Blue Crabs and wide variety of fish, this region of Virginia has a wonderful history. Interviews with watermen, residents, cooks and farmers give a great overview of the Eastern Shore Area. The recipes are yummy with down home ingredients that let you taste the main ingredient, Seafood. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book and have learned so much from the Southern Food from the Eastern shores of Virginia. Herman delved into each area so thoroughly through the eyes of the people living in those areas - talking about traditions, the farmers, fishermen, and those that honor the traditional preparation of these foods. From dumplings, to figs, oysters and clams, nothing was missed! The recipes are classic and traditional - I am certainly going to try them as they have been offered for the home cook. I would also have loved more pictures from what the recipes would turn out to be, but its okay. I like that the pictures were gritty, nothing fancy but showed the faces of the everyday folk that live and care for the land. Herman did a phenomenal job writing about this area that foodies would truly enjoy to learn about. I would be interested in visiting that part of the states and this book would be a great gift for anyone who enjoys cooking especially southern dishes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / highly reccomended

Thank you to the author, net galley and the publishers that provided me an electronic copy of this book for an honest feedback.

[Dan Ream · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been introduced by Anthony Bourdain to the idea of discovering culture through talking with people about their food, I was ready to appreciate this excellent telling by Bernard Herman of his work of over 10 years of talking with Eastern Shore of Virginia people about their food . Dumplings, figs, marsh hens, sweet potatoes and lots of seafood - sweet toads ( which are fish, not toads) , drum, spot, clams and shrimp fritters are among the many exotic foods that are the perennial favorite foods of Eastern Shore residents. Plenty of attention to the Hispanic community here too and their favorite foods also. Lots of recipes included here that I may one day try after I get to taste these foods on a future trip to the area. Last but not least, the book is beautifully printed in thick, glossy pages with beautiful photographs by the University of North Carolina Press. If you ever plan to visit Virginia’s Eastern Shore, I highly recommend this book as an introduction.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooking for our families is one of the many ways we show love. It is also a skill that brings satisfaction when properly appreciated. As active duty AF, our family was stationed in the South for many years. We developed an appreciation for regional and local favorites. Most people do not realize there is a BIG difference from region to region. Bernard Herman has given us a broad sampling of cooking "South". His recipes and the stories behind them put the readers inside the kitchens and cafes that most of us will never see. It's like taking the ultimate cooking vacation with an expert guide. Pick any recipe and give it a try, you'll be surprised at the ease of preparation and the WOW from your family.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm accustomed to Southern cooking, but this has recipes that are all new to me! My folks are from the South, but not the coast area. I love Southern cuisine and this gives me a whole new area to explore. Funniest moment I had with this book, was the chapter on toads and cooking them! But I'll leave that story for other readers to discover and enjoy! And boiled peanuts just have no appeal to whatsoever. I love the anecdotes that accompany each chapter; so entertaining and informative. Interesting recipes that I am sure many will want to try, and possibly add, to their menus.

I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish. Subject matter that I’d ordinarily enjoy and not without merit, but badly in need of judicious pruning. Even though not a work of pure scholarship, every resource, written or oral, that was available appears to have been included regardless of value or contribution. Several sources used to describe a type of local sweet potato, for instance, and I still couldn’t tell you what color that potato actually is. Something other than orange, apparently. From that awkward title to its overloaded pages, I was in search of the promised savor and flavor. Not much of that; too much in general.

[Bekah Gwynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tasty and nostalgic meander through the foodways of Virginia's Eastern Shore. I'm headed there for a trip soon, and I've been delighted to see that at least one of the restaurants mentioned is still open and I can't wait to stop there. 4 stars for the book because it did get repetitive in places. Thankful that I read it and I know it will enrich the time I spend in that area!

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book that made me crave to eat the food it describes. Well written and well researched.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Jan Rivero · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ethnography of the Eastern Shore brought back so many childhood memories. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but it was a delight to me to retrace places, people, and food of my early years. The Eastern Shore is a unique culture and this book does a wonderful job of celebrating it.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well researched book and it was really fun reading it. It's not "just a cookbook", it has lots of info and stories as well.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's all about "terroir"

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will definitely come back to this book. Provided some wonderful insight about the area. This book has sparked some wonderful conversations!