Alabama State Foods

Pecan STATUS Official YEAR DESIGNATED 1982 THE FOOD Pecan Nuts The pecan is a nut from Carya illinoinensis, a tree native to the southern United States. It grows in thin, smooth, medium-brown, oval to oblong shells. Inside, the nuts are reddish brown, deeply grooved, and easily broken into two halves. Pecans have a sweet flavor that makes them a favorite in desserts, especially chocolates or in sweets with caramelized sugar such as pralines and pecan pie. Butter pecan ice cream is a favorite in pecan growing country, and pecans are also common additions to cookies and cakes, especially fruitcakes.   THE SIGNIFICANCE Native Americans in the area now known as Alabama used pecans as a wintertime staple when other foods were hard to come by. These nuts still grow all over the state, both wild and cultivated. Alabama also lays claim to being the birthplace of pecan pie. The Alabama Pecan Festival in Mobile is an annual fall event. Blackberry STATUS Official YEAR DESIGNATED 2004 THE FOOD Blackberries Blackberries, members of the same botanical family as roses, are actually clusters of tiny fruits loosely fused together. They grow on lanky, moderately thorny bushes, and when ripe are a shiny purple-black, mildly sweet, and come off the plant easily with a light tug. Blackberries are commonly eaten fresh alone or in fruit salads, or served with whipped cream or ice cream as dessert. They're also common ingredients in jams, syrups, pies, and cobblers. They can be frozen or canned for winter use. THE SIGNIFICANCE Blackberries have grown in Alabama for centuries. William Bartram, an early American naturalist, described blackberries as being particularly abundant in the area. They’re a common addition to the desserts in the state, particularly biscuit-topped cobbler and jam cake, which almost always uses blackberry jam. Blackberry liqueur is also a key ingredient for a variation on the state’s signature drink, the Blackberry Slammer. Peach STATUS Official YEAR DESIGNATED 2006 THE FOOD Peaches Peaches are tree fruits with an indentation at the stem end and a slight point at the other. A peach's skin us usually a light pinkish orange color, sometimes with a pink or red blush, and always with a fine, edible coating of silvery fuzz. Inside, the fruit is sweet with a slightly nutty flavor. Most peaches are yellow-fleshed, but there are a few white-fleshed types that have a somewhat perfumy flavor and are best eaten fresh. All peaches have a large, red-brown, deeply grooved pit in the center. Unlike some other tree fruits such as apples, it's important for peaches to ripen on the tree before harvesting, because the sugar content in a peach doesn't continue to increase after it's picked. Peaches are mainly consumed fresh, but they can be frozen, canned, or pickled. They're also commonly the main ingredient in cobblers, pies, cakes, peach melba, and ice cream.  THE SIGNIFICANCE The peach industry in Alabama started small, with about a few dozen peach trees planted in Lowndes County in the mid-19th century. After the Civil War, a 1,500-acre peach farm in Chambers County produced a big enough crop to market the fruit outside the state and make peach brandy as well. The industry began to grow in earnest. Today, Alabama is home to nearly 40 commercial peach varieties, and the fruit is an important state product. The annual peach festival of Clanton, held since 1952, celebrates the fruit, as do the many peach markets and peach parks that dot the area's countryside. -World Trade Press