Hilarious: Do You Know These Southern Units of Measure?

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We do things a little differently in the South, especially in Louisiana. And when it comes to cooking, we have our own special language... which is probably why we're famous for our fabulous food!

It doesn't matter if you were born and raised in Louisiana, you probably have questions when it comes to these uniquely southern units of measurement. Especially if you learned to cook from someone who never wrote down a recipe in their life and cook by 'feel.'  After all, a lot of things in cooking come down to judgment calls, not actual measurements.

So, if you've ever been told to add a pinch of salt to a dish, you can safely assume that you need the amount of salt that you can 'pinch' between your thumb and index finger. If you need a technical measurement, that's roughly 1/16 of a teaspoon... and that's an actual teaspoon, not the spoons you set your dinner table with.

What about if you're told to add a dab of something? No, we're not talking about the dance move called 'dabbing,' it's another southern unit of measurement and I'll be honest, I wasn't able to find an actual measurement for a 'dab' online, but I can tell you that a 'tad' is equal to about a 1/4th teaspoon. A dash is about 1/8th of a teaspoon, a smidgen or a shake works out to 1/32nd of a teaspoon, and a drop or nip is 1/64th of a teaspoon.

Clearly, when it comes to small-batch baking or cooking, measuring is more important, but most southern mommas teach their babies to measure by feel. You know when to stop adding water, flour, or whatever, judging by the dish's texture or consistency.

What's your favorite southern unit of measurement? Is it a dollop, or maybe even a hair or a mess? I'd love to hear from you! Shoot me an email at erin.bristol@townsquaremedia.com or send me a chat message using our free app.