White Gravy
In Appalachian and Southern cooking, "white gravy" is a simple flour-and-milk gravy made from pan drippin’s or grease. Served over biscuits, it’s a breakfast staple - sometimes called "sawmill gravy" on menus, but usually just "gravy" at home.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
We never called it 'white gravy' unless there was a question as to what kind we's gonna eat. Biscuits always just got 'gravy' in our house. Still do. Hillbilly Dude Says...
We never called it 'white gravy' unless there was a question as to what kind we's gonna eat. Biscuits always just got 'gravy' in our house. Still do. Pronunciation
[WITE GRAY-vee]
Meaning & Usage
- A flour-and-milk gravy made from drippin’s (noun)
Mae:
What’s for breakfast?
What’s for breakfast?
Earl:
Biscuits and white gravy.
Biscuits and white gravy.- A Southern & Appalachian breakfast tradition (noun)
Mae:
They served sausage, eggs, and white gravy at the church supper.
They served sausage, eggs, and white gravy at the church supper.variations: gravy, sawmill gravy, milk gravy, cream gravy, biscuit gravy, breakfast gravy
★ White gravy is often the "default" gravy with biscuits. At home it’s just called "gravy." Menus may list it as "sawmill gravy," but that name is mostly restaurant talk. ★
Origin and Etymology
Derived from European milk-based gravies, it became a staple in the South and Appalachia where flour, lard, and milk were everyday ingredients. Lumber camps popularized the name "sawmill gravy," but families mostly just called it "gravy."
Usage Notes
Still common in Appalachian and Southern kitchens. Served over biscuits, fried chicken, or potatoes. Outsiders often meet it first as "biscuits and gravy" in diners.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "white gray-vy."