[upbeat music] [Walter] Charleston, South Carolina, lures you in with its undeniable southern charm.

But as the locals will tell you, there is much more than meets the eye.

Beyond the cobblestone streets, we'll explore the culinary legacie shaped by centuries of history, culture, and the spirit of the Lowcountry.

Today, we'll explore the significanc of the rice crop in this region.

The time honored techniques of crabbing.

And of course, we roll up our sleeves and make some Charleston inspired dishes, such as southern shrimp with Charleston ice cream, delicious blue crab pilau, and rice fritters.

And all of this for A Taste of History.

[music] [Narrator] A Taste of History is made possible by [Three Little Birds b Bob Marley & The Wailers plays] ♪ Rise up this morning ♪ ♪ smiled with the rising sun ♪ ♪ three little birds ♪ [Narrator] The Caribbean all inclusive Sandals Resorts.

More information can be found at sandals.com.

Additiona funding provided by Crow Vineyard and Winer on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Sip.

Stay.

Savor.

[classical piano music] [fire roars] [Walter] I'm so excited to be able to cook here today at the Harriton House in Bryn Mawr, where I've been cooking for many years, but today I'm super excited to be able to bring you menus from Charleston, South Carolina.

I spent a lot of time in Charleston.

40 years ago, I was part of the design team and operating team at the Omni Charleston Place, which is now called the Charleston Place.

Having spent months on researching the culinary history, conceptualizing the restaurants - met a lot of peopl and really ate a lot, obviously.

And, so I feel very familiar.

So I felt very excited abou being able to make those recipes that are all traditional recipes from the Lowcountry, which is one of my favorite parts of the world.

To start off, we're going to make a beautiful barbecue shrimp with Charleston ice cream So the first step of this recipe is you want to marinate the shrimp.

Very simple marinade.

So you put Hungarian paprika.

Cumin.

chili powder sugar and salt.

You let it sit for a bit.

5 to 10 minutes would be perfect.

The most important part of this recipe, believe it or not, is the pan that you're cooking it in.

It's got to be sizzling hot because the shrimp you want to cook in about a minute to two max.

They're going to be opaque.

Butter first.

We want to get this melted down, not brown completely, but you get the better flavor out of the butter if you give it a little bit of color to it.

So now comes the garlic.

Give it a little stir by itself.

You wanna make sure when you cook garlic, don't ever let it burn.

Everything gets bitter.

And then you're going to put in onion.

[sizzling] [pan scraping] You get the onion translucent.

[sizzling] [pan scraping] Now get ready for the shrimp.

[sizzling] Perfect.

Worcestershire next.

[sizzling] Lemon juice [lip smacks] Ah!

Tastes amazing.

Just how I remembered it.

Beautiful flavor.

Let's plate it up.

Wow!

The flavor is unbelievable [pan scrapes] You may be as surprised as I was about Charleston ice cream.

While it sounds like it's a sweet treat, it is not.

It happens to be white rice that gets cooked.

Fluff it up.

And later you can scoop it with an ice cream scoop or form it by hand like I did this one here.

And you place in the middle of the shrimp.

Put a little microgreens on top.

It's quite unique and very different.

The rice is very bland, but the sauce has very great flavors to it, so it's just a fantastic flavor profile.

Wow!

What a fantastic combination.

Charleston, you got it.

We got our first taste of Charleston.

Now let's explore its history.

[military drums play] [Narrator] With its weathered brick walls and historic charm, Fort Moultrie stands as a testament to the resilience of America's past.

[cannon blast] In the 1776 Battle of Sullivan's Island, American forces achieved a notable victory by effectively repelling a British naval assault.

The fort, originally constructed from palmetto logs, Resiliently absorbed enemy cannonballs, preventing its destruction.

Additionally, as British ships approached, they ran aground on sandbars, contributing to a decisive triumph for the Patriots.

[Park Ranger] Despite the British firing several times more artillery fire than the colonists you're going to end up with the colonists taking about five times fewer casualties.

As it turned out, palmetto logs end up being a much spongier type of wood and managed to bend but not break very well in this battle.

[Narrator] This early victory proved pivotal in securing the southern colonies and inspiring a newfound sense of American strength.

[Park Ranger] Today, if you look at the South Carolina flag, you can see a palmetto tree which dates to this battle here at Fort Moultrie.

It becomes a symbol of resilience for many in what we now call the Palmetto State, South Carolina.

The Battle of Sullivan's Islan took place on June 28th, 1776, and today, Carolinians still celebrate that one week before the 4th of Jul as Carolina Day, a state holiday commemorating one of the first victories over the British Royal Navy.

[Narrator] This historic site witnessed more than just the American Revolution.

It played a significant role in the Civil War as well.

[Park Ranger] Throughout the 1850s, the Northern and Southern halves of the country were increasingly divided, primarily over the issue of slavery.

Once Abraham Lincoln is electe president in November of 1860, on a platform to stop that expansion of slavery, South Carolinians will declare that they have seceded - left the United States on December 20th, 1860.

The first state to do so.

Major Robert Anderson commander of just over 80 troops here at Fort Moultrie, made the decision less than a week after South Carolina's secession, to move his force to a bigger, stronger position in the center of Charleston Harbor, the new Fort Sumter.

They make the move on December 26th and for the next three and a half months, positions including Fort Moultrie, now taken over by the new Confederacy, will be pointing cannons at the one United States flag in this harbor.

[cannon fire] [Narrator] The bombardmen of Fort Sumter, which occurred on April 12th, 1861, signale the outbreak of the Civil War.

The Confederate attack involved a relentless barrage of artillery fire on the fort, compelling its surrender after 34 hours.

The fall of Fort Sumter set the stage for a devastating conflict, leaving an indelible mark on the pages of American history.

[somber music] Today, these historic forts stand as resilien guardians of American history, serving as silent witnesses to the sacrifices made for liberty and offering a tangible connection to the past for generations to come.

[classical piano music] [roaring fire] [Walter] A cornerstone of Charleston's past is its deeply rooted connection to rice cultivation.

For the next recipe we're going to make crab pilau utilizing the Carolina Gold Rice.

Here we go.

This is the Carolina Gold Rice that first got introduced to the colonies from Africa, which is an unbelievable, flavorful rice.

Lends itself great for al dente dishes, obviously, it's perfect for any southern dishes, but it's very unique because the flavor profile is very differen than all the other modern rice that you find.

It has a certain nutty flavor, it has a really beautiful aftertaste as well.

Here comes the butter.

[sizzling] To toast the rice.

[sizzling] Now we browning the rice.

That's wh I make sure I have a good fire.

If you make this dish you've got to be very careful because if you undercook it, you don't get the flavor.

If you overcook it, your dish is ruined.

Here you go.

A little bit more, but not much.

[pan scraping] The crab stock.

[sizzling] One cup of rice.

One cup of stock.

But what I always recommend is that you start slowly.

You can always add but you can never take away.

To truly understand this rice, you must first understand its history.

[guitar strums] [Narrator] Carolina Gold was the first commercially produced rice in the United States.

The once dominant crop flourished in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, thanks to the region's fertile soil, subtropical climate, and network of fresh tidal waterways.

However, its cultivation was far from glorious and intricately complex.

[Martina] In the early 18th century, we have a large number of African captives who are being brought to Charleston, South Carolina.

In particular, you have slav traders and enslavers targeting the rice coast of West Africa.

Africans have been growing rice for hundreds of years on that coast, in similar conditions to those of the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

And so they're bringing with them the knowledge not only of the crop, but they're also bringing that knowledge of the ingenuity, the irrigation systems and the engineering feats that they created to control the flow of water in and out of those tidal rice areas.

[Narrator] The booming rice industry made the settlement of Charleston the wealthiest British colony per capita by the mid 1700s.

Enslaved workers o rice plantations endured brutal hardships and labo intensive cultivation processes that took a devastating emotional and physical toll.

However, the resilience of the enslaved prevailed, leading to a rich blend of cultures, beliefs and traditions.

The International African American Museum sits at the former site of Gadsden's Wharf.

From 1806 to 1808 the city of Charleston redirects all traffic from the transatlantic slave trade to this particular wharf.

About 45% of African captives who were brought into the United States in that period of time come through Charleston.

Part of what we do here at the museum is tell the stories of triumph as well.

Right?

So we are still here.

Our ancestors, they were able to persevere.

The enslaved people are sharing the language, they're creating their own dialect, they have their own foodways.

For example, in South Carolina we have Gullah Geechee people's.

A living culture.

And so a lot of the foodways that we see now are representativ of the African diaspora, right?

And rice in particular, is a staple for a lot of American cuisine.

[Narrator] When enslaved people were emancipated following the Civil War, the rice industry collapsed and Carolina Gold began to disappear.

It wasn't until the late 1980s that this historic grain made a resurgence.

And today is vital for maintaining the culinary heritage of the South.

Reintroducing Carolina Gol rice, as well as other flavorful strains, has rejuvenate the region's traditional dishes.

[Jimmy] The Carolina Gold Ric and the Charleston Gold Rice.

I would like to say are firs cousins.

Clemson University and some of the top ric geneticists about 15 years ago developed a new strain: the Charleston Gold aromatic rice, based on what our chefs in Charleston really wanted.

And that was not only the taste and feel of the ancient Carolina Gold rice grain, bu also an aromatic flavor profile.

And in this case, it's the Carolina gold and an Indonesian aromatic basmati type rice.

Up until, you know, combines came in the early 1900s.

I mean, rice was basically harvested by han using a hand sickle like this.

And in that, you've got your panicles of grain.

Probably 30 grains of rice just in that little section there.

This rice you could eat by itself because it's got such a great flavor to it.

[Narrator] Carolina Gold rice plays a pivotal role in the future of southern cuisine, connecting generations of chefs, home cooks, and consumers to the rich tradition of this region's food culture.

[classical piano music] [Walter] The rice is ready to receive the vegetables I have red peppers, celery, shallots.

I have regular onions, jalapeño and I have a pierced habanero.

So the vegetables got to go in there and then give it a chance to cook some more with a little bit more stock.

And now the stock might tak a couple more times in between.

Remember the vegetables are 85% water.

So therefore that water will assist- at least 5-6 minutes, but agai you want to keep an eye on it.

[fire crackling] When the rice is completely done the way you like it, the vegetables will be done.

So obviously today we're making a unique recip that we utilizing the blue crab, some lemon here that I'm gonna put on top of the crab.

When I use lemon, depending on different recipes, I squeeze them and then I leave the seeds in it.

And I have people criticize me sometimes: 'Why do you leave the seed in it?'

Because I feel that when you find a seed that you know I took the time to squeeze it.

Could I strain it?

But of course I could.

I don't want to.

My personal signature.

[laughs] I'm known to be crazy and this is one of my things.

Oh!

[laughs] It cannot get better than that!

Man, I'm- I'm so good.

All right, I got some lemon rind.

Cumin.

Pepper flakes.

A pinch of curry.

Easy on the curry.

But makes it a nice color.

Mixing it up.

Okay and Madeira.

Gotta make sure it's good let me see here.

Oh, fantastic.

Salt.

[pepper shaker crackles] Black pepper.

So the crab meat will warm itself up right away And enhance the flavor.

[classical piano music] Oh it's fantastic.

The veggies are perfectly cooked.

The rice is spectacular for the dish.

And now with the crab in it- Oh!

Now, most of the time that you serve that, you serve it just like that.

You don't dish it out.

But we dwell in the 18th century and having the luxury of cooking here at the estate I can use some of their China.

So I will plate it up like I would want to do in a fancy estate like the Harriton.

And if that i not a masterpiece, I do not know what is.

Charleston is known for its hospitality.

Let's meet two people that embody this philosophy.

Tia Clarke, a crab instructor and chef Kevin Mitchell, a culinary ambassador.

[water splashes] [Tia] There's nothing like catching a blue crab when it comes up and the light's hitting it.

The reflection of the water, all those colors.

And you see this big, beautiful crab there.

People that don't even know about crabs, I take them crabbing every day and it comes up, it's like this joy, this excitement that kind of comes out of you.

So I grew up downtown and a very large Gullah Geechee family that ate a lot of blue crabs.

I mean, multiple times a week.

My first memory ever being alive, I'm just bumping into hands that are putting fresh seafood in my mouth being hand fed that, you know?

But that memory didn't even come back to me until I started doing this.

But the more I go to the water, like, you start realizing things about my family and my upbringing.

The West African slaves that were brought here, this was something that wa very, very easy for them to do.

They could just take scraps and put it in the water and come out with all of these crabs and then go feed your family in abundance.

Crabs love it here.

They really do.

They love the mud.

They love the salt.

They love the grass.

The seasons are longer the further south that you go.

Everybody goes to Maryland an think Maryland's got the crabs.

But if you're in Maryland and you go into a restaurant eating crabs, you're probably eating crabs from South Carolina and Louisiana.

[net stretches] [water splashes] Knowing where you are, being grounded in not even just the lan and the food that you're eating that started connectin all kind of things in my life.

The Gullah Geechee influenc on this place deserves respect, because Charleston wouldn' be what it is today without it.

It's an hono for me to get to pass this on.

It's also my duty to have that connection with the land, with the water where you are, in order to be presen in the life that you're living.

And I'm trying to catch and prepare as much of my food as I can now.

When you get it yourself it tastes a whole lot better, I promise you that.

[water splashes] [country guitar strums] [Kevin] The food here is deeply engulfed in culture, is deeply engulfed in history.

When you talk about Charleston cuisine, you know, we always got to start with rice.

Here, we call it the Carolina Rice Kitchen cause dishes stemmed from the cultivation of rice.

We talk about peas, whether it's Sea Island red peas, black eyed peas.

Of course, okra, using that to thicken up stews or okra soup.

Some benne seeds and benne seeds are sesame seeds that come to us from Africa.

Charleston is well known for you know, the benne seed wafer.

So if you really want to get a taste for the food of Charleston, you really got to di into those specific ingredients.

She-Crab Soup is, you know, one of those quintessential Charleston dishes that was created by William Deas, who was a butler who was preparing a meal for President Taft when he came to visit Charleston.

The most important part to that soup is the crab roe.

Basically, it's sprinkled into the soup before you serve it.

You know, there are some restaurants who will puree or grind up carrots because carrots look exactly like the crab roe.

So, you know, I always tell people when they go out to eat, if they're going to order She-Crab Soup.

Be careful.

Make sure it's really, truly crab roe that's put in your soup.

[sizzling] So you have these, what we call perloos.

And perloos are those one pot rice dishes.

Charleston is a port city so they would have had access to these beautiful spices coming in from all over the world.

My grandmother would always cook a pot of black eyed peas.

Actually, was one of the first things she taught me how to cook when I was six.

And then those beautiful collard greens grown here locally in South Carolina.

I'm trying to introduce people to another way of eating Hoppin John.

Hoppin John is a classical rice and pea dish for New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.

A lot of these ingredients are the true anchors of what southern food is, right?

And if we don't continue to encourage people to produce and grow, we lose that history.

In order to be a great chef, you have to know where the ingredients come from, you have to honor where they come from, and you have to honor the people that brought those ingredients to you.

[guitar strums] [Walter] So we'r going to wrap up this fantastic experience to Charleston with one of my favorites, it's the rice cake.

You have some rice.

You have some protei like I'm doing today with bacon.

Mix it up all together and slowly cook it on a griddle if you have.

Or in the oven.

First step I'm going to do right now.

Cut the bacon in a small dice, as you see right there.

Everything has to be kept in uniform, if you will.

The rice is the indicator of the size.

[laughs] Two eggs in here.

[whisking sounds] Okay.

Add some regular all purpose flour or you could put wheat flour.

So you mix it all together.

Then I want to put my spices into it.

So the first thing I' going to add into is the nutmeg.

Very important because the flavor is just second to none.

I have some dry thyme.

Dry actually works better for this particular recipe.

And then I have paprika.

I recommend that you stick to Hungarian paprika as much as possible because it's sweeter, has more flavor.

I'm going to add some salt at this stage.

The garlic is here.

Now I'm adding in the pecan nuts.

The white pepper right now as well.

Let me put the onion in there and the bacon in there.

One of my surprises, I played around with ginger and found that by using pickled ginger, it added a certain amount of unique flavor when I cooked it.

The flavo of the ginger will stay with it.

And the acidity, because it's a marinated ginger, gets a nice little taste You're going to like it.

Now here I have the mixture together.

Now comes the rice.

So we're going to start off with this much right now.

We'll mix it in together 15 to 20 minutes and the rice is cooked.

When the rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork so it's like beautiful like that.

And this is my secret ingredient, the crab roe.

[laughs] Just kidding!

This is shredded carrots.

And what the carrot does, it gives unique flavor an also brings additional moisture into the rice cake.

Actually, I recommend this step, if you feel up to it, mixing it by hand.

Feel the consistency that I get, which actually is perfect.

Ha!

Now comes the taste.

Making sure, let's see.

Oh man, [laughs] this is going to knock your socks off.

Let me put some butter on here.

I'm using the benne oil which is really a sesame seed oil.

It was a really prominen cooking oil in the 18th century.

The benne oil is just for a little bit of extra flavor.

And now I'm going to place them on the griddle.

Unorthodox.

I want to make sure they don't look the same.

Otherwis you could buy them in a store.

Cooking on open fire and an 18th century griddle is not as simple as it may look, but let me give you a couple pointers.

You want to cook them until the outside is nice and crispy and crunchy so when I touch them- [tapping] Oh!

Listen to that.

[laughs] [sizzling] Now we got a few minutes.

Let them cook up here.

[classical piano music] This is obviously a dish that you can get as creative as you like.

The sky's the limit.

I happen to like simplicity as much as possible.

Sprouts on top, but the sour cream enhances it some more.

So this is my version of serving this as an appetizer if you will.

But again, it's a perfect dish with many of your favorite other southern dishes.

You can recycle a lot of you leftovers from the previous meal and it's delicious to eat.

It's no wonder that rice based dishes like our fritters are iconic to Charleston, since it grows some of the best grains in the country.

Charleston itsel is an experience that resonates with flavors, stories, and the spirit of the people.

That, my friend, is what make Charleston truly extraordinary.

And all this for A Taste of History.

[music ends] [Narrator] A Taste of History is made possible by [Three Little Birds b Bob Marley & The Wailers plays] ♪ Rise up this morning ♪ ♪ smiled with the rising sun ♪ ♪ three little birds ♪ [Narrator] The Caribbean all inclusive Sandals Resorts.

More information can be found at sandals.com.

Additiona funding provided by Crow Vineyard and Winer on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Sip.

Stay.

Savor.

Viewers can find DVDs and cookbooks at atasteofhistory.org, including the all new A Taste of History Cookbook, complete with step by step instructions of recipes seen on the show.

Exclusive content can be found on A Taste of History's, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages.