When I married my wife, Virginia, I married into a southern family with roots in West Virgina, northern Alabama and central Texas. In the sixties my father-in-law's and mother-in-law's families moved into a neighborhood in Chicago known then as "hillbilly heaven." The families did not know each other previously; My in-laws met in Chicago and first dated at a movie theatre.

Along with the influx of these southern families with their culture and cooking came a "table syrup" from Fayette, Alabama called Golden Eagle Syrup, "The pride of Alabama."

"On October 28, 1928, the first can of Golden Eagle Syrup was produced in Fayette, Alabama by Mr. and Mrs. Victor Patterson, Sr. Since then, Golden Eagle Syrup has become a favorite of generations of families. That same quality syrup is still produced in Fayette, Alabama...and remains a family-owned, family-run business owned by Trent Mobley and Vic Herren, and their wives, Teresa Mobley and Jennifer Herren."

Today these southern transplants are still eating Golden Eagle Syrup on buttermilk biscuits and cornbread with a healthy pad of butter. I tell you friends, it is damn fine eating.

The formula has never changed, or so they claim (see the postscript). It remains, "A blend of corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar syrup, cane molasses and pure honey."

For as long as I have been familiar with the syrup, a recipe for pecan pie has graced the back of the label.

You can visit Golden Eagle Syrup in Fayette Alabama at 205 1st Street.

You can call them up at 205-932-5294.

Or you can visit them on the web at http://www.goldeneaglesyrup.com/where you can find that recipe for Pecan Pie or try out a number of other recipes that you can use Golden Eagle Syrup in.

You can even buy Golden Eagle Syrup in 15oz, 30oz and 40oz jars, right there on the web and "The Pride of Alabama" will be shipped right to your door.

We do here in West Chicago, Illinois. Won't you try some today, friends?

References

http://books.google.com/books?id=JoDRRuz_nS4C&pg=PA65&lpg=PA65&dq=hillbilly+heaven+chicago&source=bl&ots=WkCbPf4Pdh&sig=QCpIYOmSlwyCFBoJqJ013SeSp0E&hl=en&ei=tA1bTbDiFIGBlAfzupG1DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFgQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=hillbilly%20heaven%20chicago&f=false

http://www.goldeneaglesyrup.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=7

StuartO))) is in no way associated with Golden Eagle Syrup, Inc. It just makes him fat.

Postscript: Several resident E2 gastronomists, such as misterfuffie and C-Dawg have pointed out that High Fructose Corn Syrup was not widely available until the sixties. If that is the case, Golden Eagle Syrup, Incorporated's claim to have never changed their recipe must not be true. Hmm... Good work boys!