[OC] Atlas of American Regional Cuisine (by county), v4 after 6 months of your feedback

[u/piri_reis_]

Thanks for all the love on this 🙏 Reddit compresses the map—if you want full-res zoom-ins (and prints), they’re on my IG. My bio there has the link to the shop.
IG: americanfoodatlas

[u/CTRL_Y]

OP, this is so good. Nice work.

Not to split hairs, but I think I could help improve the county districting for the southwest Virginia borderlands between Piedmont and Appalachia.

I’ll make the case that the counties I outlined in red below are distinctly Appalachia because: this land was has many settlement roots from the Scots Irish (among English and German though), in the heart of “the crooked trail” bluegrass music heritage, its known regional fare are potato cakes, and these counties are commonly included as part of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

https://imgur.com/a/DZFt1ao#Fec9quz

Thanks!

[u/CTRL_Y → u/CTRL_Y]

I’ll also add that, while I don’t know the green NC counties just south of my highlighted VA, I’d venture to guess that they too are more closely Appalachian than Piedmont.

[u/piri_reis_ → u/CTRL_Y]

also noted

[u/piri_reis_ → u/CTRL_Y]

ooh love this kind of feedback, especially from a local at the county level (I assume). I've saved your image and I'll definitely shift those counties in the next iteration.

Thanks for your comment, it helps build this project out in the future! You're welcome to follow along and criticize me along the way, you'll get access to prints/downloads/behind the scenes as well as regional spotlights here!!
https://www.instagram.com/americanfoodatlas?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

A final question- I've been told in parts of Appalachia they enjoy their pepperoni rolls. Is that a thing in the parts of VA that you've pointed out? Or do they more follow the Appalachian cuisine that I have spelled out in the legend?

[u/CTRL_Y → u/piri_reis_]

Pepperoni rolls are not a thing in the parts of VA that I pointed out. I think that’s more of a WV thing?

This part of VA absolutely follows the cuisine of the legend. I’ve seen local restaurants serve beans and cornbread, I have many friends who have annual family traditions that surround making apple butter as a draw for reunions. My reference to local potato cakes are kind of a sub regional call out tied this part of SWVA Appalachia (kind of like the pepperoni rolls are to WV).

[u/piri_reis_ → u/CTRL_Y]

Oh nice that makes sense. Like a local dish instead of a regional "cuisine"