Compared to the northern colonies, the southern colonies were quite large in their agricultural diet and did not have a central cultural region. The highlands and the plains constituted the two main elements of the southern colonies. Slaves and poor Southerners typically ate an identical diet, which consisted of many native New World crops. Salted or smoked pork typically supplements the plant-based diet. The rural poor typically ate squirrels, opossums, rabbits, and alternative forest animals. Those on the “Rice Coast” typically ate large quantities of rice, while the grain for the rest of the poor and slaves of the South was Indian flour used in bread and porridge. Grain was not an option for many of those living in the Southern colonies. The highlander diet usually included cabbage, green beans, and white potatoes, while most avoided sweet potatoes and peanuts. Non-poor highland whites avoided foreign crops from the continent thanks to the perceived inferiority of African slave crops. People who could grow or afford wheat usually consumed biscuits as part of their breakfast, along with healthy parts of pork. Preserved pork was a staple of every meal, as it was used in the preparation of vegetables for flavor, in addition to its direct consumption as a protein. The Plains, including many of the French Acadia regions of Louisiana and also the surrounding areas and , contained a varied diet heavily influenced by African and Caribbean, rather than simply French. As such, rice takes up an outsized portion of the diet because it makes up an outsized portion of the diets of Africans and Caribbeans. Furthermore, unlike the plateaus, in the lowlands there is the subsistence of proteins...... middle of paper......ut. for example, the General Mills Betty Crockery reference, first revealed in 1950 and currently in its tenth edition, is commonly found in American homes. A wave of celebrity chefs began perhaps with Julia Child and Graham Kerr in the 1970s, followed by many others when the rise of cable channels like Food Network. Trendy food in the 2000s and 2010s (though with a long tradition) includes donuts, cupcakes, macaroons, and meatballs. A potpourri of cultural influences from around the world has helped make Southern food what it is today. Basically, Southern food is frozen in local and imported ingredients, necessity and frugality. Given the large size of the United States, there are several regional variations. The regional cuisine of the United States is characterized by its extreme diversity and elegance, as each region has its own distinctive cuisine.