The Forgotten BBQ Dish That Was The Star Of Old School Southern Cookouts

In the South, food is synonymous with community and celebration. The wholesome ritual of people gathering around a soul-nourishing spread of good food perfectly showcases the spirit of Southern hospitality. There are several great dishes to bring to Southern-style potlucks, but still, there are those that have been outshone by the South's more popular offerings, like mac n' cheese and gumbo. One forgotten BBQ dish that was the star of old school Southern cookouts is barbecued frog legs. This now-elusive dish might be past its heyday, as many wild frog species are being pushed toward extinction. The way the meat is prepared can also sometimes be quite cruel, which some can find difficult to overlook. But for true-blue fans of the dish, they appreciate the delicacy of it, along with its unique flavor.

From a lot of people's observations, frogs taste much like chicken, though they have subtle fishy and earthy notes. The South's take promises a whirlwind of flavors that are simultaneously smoky, bright, and savory, with a bit of heat — all thanks to a combination of seasonings like paprika, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Worcestershire sauce elevates the dish even further, along with lemon juice that introduces a bright finish. Since the South likes their dish fiery, hot sauce also makes an appearance to provide another layer of complexity.

To get acquainted with the history of frog legs in the South, we first have to look at France, which has its fair share of interpretations of the meat. It's quite a popular delicacy in this European country, so much so that according to Rappler, around 4,000 tons of frog legs are consumed annually in France. It was around the 1880s when the concept of using frog legs for food arrived on New Orleans shores from France, though the dish quickly made its way to the South. Following France's colonial control of the state between 1682 and the early 1800s, Louisiana had adopted it into its own cuisine, though other states drew inspiration from different cultures, too. There's South Carolina's frogmore stew, whose origins are rooted in Gullah-Geechee culture, for instance.

Today, frog legs are still popular in the South. There's even a Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival in Florida, which earned a spot in the Guinness World Records in 2001 for being the world's biggest frog leg event. That year, the festival saw around 6,600 pounds of battered fried frog legs, perhaps making it one of the Guinness World Records that took food to ridiculous extremes. Frog as the centerpiece of a dish isn't entirely an American or European thing, however. There are also frog dishes in other parts of the globe, including the Philippines' adobong palaka, which is soy sauce-and-vinegar based and Singapore's frog porridge, which is a bit similar, with its umami base and sharp notes.