Biscuits and gravy are a Southern delicacy that is impossible to resist, but if they weren't so dang wonderful, they would be considered a cliché.
The biscuits are traditionally prepared with butter or lard and buttermilk; the milk gravy, also known as "sawmill" or country gravy, is made with meat drippings and (typically) pieces of nice fresh pig sausage and black pepper.
A lack of resources gave rise to the Southern method of preparing gravies. People have to make do with what they have when they are impoverished.
According to the Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook, this indicates that people are good at making gravy. If you will, you may claim that soul food is the soul.
Biscuits and gravy are a Southern delicacy that is impossible to resist, but if they weren't so dang wonderful, they would be considered a cliché.
The biscuits are traditionally prepared with butter or lard and buttermilk; the milk gravy, also known as "sawmill" or country gravy, is made with meat drippings and (typically) pieces of nice fresh pig sausage and black pepper.
A supper consisting of biscuits and gravy was a satisfying way for slaves and sharecroppers to recover after a long day of labor in the fields since it was inexpensive and required just ingredients that were readily accessible.