Pork

So reported the Knickerbocker Magazine in 1861, and such was the general impression of eating in the South held by many. Though venison, veal, mutton, and beef were often prepared, pork was the staple meat of the settled South. Only in the warmest areas such as southwestern Louisiana and northern Florida was beef favored, probably due to the lack of success in curing pork in hot climates. These areas still imported cured pork, mostly from Cincinnati, for their demands.