It was said that from the beginning of the 19th century leading up to the Civil War, Southerners ate five pounds of pork for every one pound of beef. Soon enough, plantation owners began to realize that the food that their slaves were creating was not only delicious, but it was the perfect food for parties and church gatherings. Side dishes for these barbecues would typically be local roasted vegetables and cornbread since corn was a bountiful crop of the area and wheat was hard to come by and more expensive.