Friday, May 29, 2009

A Bite of Texas

By Haylee Landford

Whatever enticements bring you to the great land of Texas, I can guarantee you one thing, the food is what will keep you there. The South has perfected their own unique standard of cuisine, and the Lone Star State is saturated with it. The delicacies and delights found here are quite lacking anywhere else in the world.

It's easy to spell fun in Texas -- BBQ. Despite the population, the biggest cities and the smallest towns all have their own barbecue establishment of some kind. Each self proclaiming themselves, no doubt, to be "The Best Barbecue in Texas!" With only slight variations, you can easily expect an atmosphere of brushed steel, wood planks, hickory smoke, and country music.

The sole purpose of the visit, however, being the food, is quite varying from pork, beef, and chicken drenched in the most savory of barbecue flavors. If you prefer a kick of spicy, sweetness of honey glaze, or classic hickory savor, all meats and sauces are accounted for in any choice of location for your barbecue experience. I was surprised to find when I moved to Texas, that even the most elegant of occasions and events are centered around a banquet of barbecue.

Barbecue can only have success due to one of Texas' most precious assets, beef. It is a common scene driving through the state to find miles of unending herds of appealing livestock. These acres of land can boast to produce the most delicious animals in the country.

For those who don't find pleasure in their animals being barbecued, nobody can reject a tender piece of steak melting in their mouth. You have to try very hard to miss one of the many fine Texas Steakhouses. To guarantee a perfectly tender and yet sufficiently cooked steak, I would recommend the medium grill of your choice of steak.

The close proximity to the border has created a fortunate genre of fascinating food that you can't find anywhere but here called TexMex. Going at least as south as San Antonio will bring you the romantic hispanic influence. Mexican style food perfectly blended with Texas grown culture brings soft, warm tortillas, freshest salsas, and explosive flavors to lull us all away.

Texas also has great pride in the vast acreage of land that serves as a breeding ground of succulent fruits, vegetables, and a variety of produce. My personal favorite is undoubtedly the peach. The South can boast for creating the best peach cobbler, for good reason.

Peaches thrive in this climate and humidity. In our own backyard we grow a large fruitful peach tree that satisfies our craving for juicy sweet peaches with each summer season. Everyone in our community also looks forward to this season for my family to bring over paper bags full of peaches to share.

Texas land and climate cannot always be described as unbearable. They bring forth the produce of the most enjoyable eating. The livestock, fruits, and vegetables, have a happy home grown here in Texas. All Texans should be proud to share with any traveller our unique culinary creations with substantial delight.

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