21 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com For Charlestonians, it’s always been about rice. Red rice. Rice pilau. Hoppin’ John. Rice pudding. If you’re new to the area, hopefully you’ve had the opportunity to eat – or maybe even cook – one of our signature rice dishes. And if you’re a native, you know that no home cooked dinner is complete without one of them. These days, the rice served on most Lowcountry tables comes from Texas or Louisiana. But centuries ago, the Lowcountry was the only place in America where rice was grown. It took the country by storm in the 18th century and this lucrative cash crop put Charleston on the map. Folks can visit attractions such as Hampton Plantation north of McClellanville and the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site at Snee Farm to learn more about the rice culture – from sweetgrass baskets, to rice trunks, to rice Sown in HistorY BY MARY COY our town East Cooper’s eldest rice plantation Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.
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