A Sea Of Red

People in NC do pig pickin' like some folks in VA do Brunswick Stew--each is a age old tradition in their respective states.

Cider Jim wrote:People in NC do pig pickin' like some folks in VA do Brunswick Stew--each is a age old tradition in their respective states.

My inlaws are from Manassas and they had Brunswick Stew the other day and assumed it was a New England thing. I guess NOVA is like a different state.

Does anyone know where Brunswick stew was first “created?”

jcmanson wrote:Does anyone know where Brunswick stew was first “created?”

In the tiny town of Wrinkcusb.

Sadly, they were dyslexic when it came to making the label on the carton.

interesting story from wiki

Debate on the Origins of Brunswick Stew
A debate currently exists as to whether Brunswick Stew was actually originally made near the town of Brunswick, Georgia, or in Brunswick County in southern Virginia.

In Georgia, a plaque on a pot in Brunswick states that the first Brunswick stew was cooked in it on July 2, 1898, on nearby St. Simons Island. A competing story, however, claims that the dish hails from Brunswick County, Virginia. According to one legend, the camp chef of a Virginia state legislator invented the recipe in 1828 on a hunting expedition and everyone was immediately hooked.[1] Some Georgians may be ready to concede the point; nevertheless, the dish has enjoyed great popularity there, and in many parts of the South. [2]


Today, Brunswick stew, like Burgoo, a famous part of Kentucky cuisine, is most notable for being sold for church fundraisers throughout the South.

In most areas where Brunswick Stew is being sold for fundraising it is cooked in large iron pots over open flame or gas. Unlike soup, the stew is usually allowed to simmer and cook for long periods of time. This may be attributed to the older tradition of putting wild meats into the stew, which would require longer cooking times to make the meat tender depending on the meat.

Thanks LUconn (google). My parents are from Brunswick County, VA so you know where I stand. They’ve had a cook off several years and the county in VA has always won, at least that’s what I was told.

There’s also a sign when you enter Brunswick County, VA that says “the home of Brunswick stew”

jcmanson wrote:Thanks LUconn (google).

I credited wikipedia. But in the end this thread is about BBQ and I hate Brunswick stew.

Man, I can't tell you how many church fundraisers, & firemans' days I have been to back home. Get a plate with BBQ, Tater salad, Brunswick Stew, home-made slaw, hushpuppies, & a piece of cake for $5. Take a little rest...go back for seconds. Good times.

Brunswick stew is the staple of society in Roanoke Rapids, NC.

A lot of counties also do Fish Stew - I know that's what they do in Pitt county during Grifton's Shad Festival. Also, during Ayden's Collard Festival.

I have to ask....what's in it? Out west we eat beef, it's what's for dinner!

Brunswick stew does not have beef it in; the urban kinds use chicken, but the rural varieties use wild game such as rabbit or squirrel.

A guy at my church is originally from Galax, VA and he cooks it for the entire church every year. He puts chicken, pork, and turkey in it, among some other "mystery meats" with a couple slabs of fatback.

Sounds like a southern version of jambaliya?

Being from Virginia and not too far from Brunswick County, I am obviously inclined to take the Virginia side of this. However, I have had it with beef in it, and it is really really good. I had roommates who hated just the smell of it, but I really like it.

We alwasy ate it with chicken. I was under the impression most original recipe's call for squirrel.