The Surprising History of Fried Green Tomatoes

 

 

 

Crispy chicken, collard greens, cornbread and fried green tomatoes. These are some of the South’s most iconic dishes, the last of which has made a name for itself in Hollywood, upscale restaurants and down-home diners alike. Fried green tomatoes can be made the traditional way, lightly battered and served alongside a dipping sauce, or dressed up with aioli and herbs. But no matter how you enjoy these crispy treats, there’s so much more to fried green tomatoes than meets the eye.

Fried green tomatoes are usually associated with the South, but if you were to look in Southern newspapers or cookbooks before the 1970s, you wouldn’t find mention of them anywhere. This dish was brought to the US in the 19th century by Jewish immigrants and later appeared in Northeastern and Midwestern cookbooks. Fried green tomatoes only became popular in the South after the release of  Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café and the Fried Green Tomatoes book and movie duo.  

That’s right: fried green tomatoes are not native to the South, but no one loves this dish quite like we do in the Lowcountry.

The Cottage’s fried green tomatoes are famous for a reason: they are huge, fried to perfection, and served with shrimp and a Cajun tomato cream sauce. Order them as an appetizer to try together or as an entree all for yourself. Either way, you’ll crave them for weeks to come.

Our dining room is closed, but we’re serving your favorite Southern meals on the patio. Or place an order for curbside pickup, and we will deliver an order of fresh fried green tomatoes straight to your car.