Too funny that I wrote that many years ago! Never liked country gravy, never will. Haha. My family to this day thinks it’s amazing in all forms of it and would eat it for every meal if it was put on a plate for them. Hope your kinfolk like the gravy!

You are correct in the fact this recipe is based on the French’s famous white sauce. All recipes have origins, after all. White gravy is simply an Appalachian/Southern version of béchamel sauce that is cooked to have a thicker consistency and is made with a variety of fats.

During times of hardship, this simple sauce (or gravy as we call it) was often all our kinfolk could afford to feed their loved ones. There were times all you got was stale bread cut up and a white gravy poured over it made from the grease left in the skillet from a previous meal. Our ancestors would often spread the sauce over biscuits, eggs, potatoes, meat and pretty much every savory item on their plate to make the meal more hardy and to stretch meals out for quite large families. There were times all you got was white gravy and nothing else to eat.

Because it is used as a warm topping in country cuisine, it is simply known as gravy in these parts. It has long since become a favored staple in Appalachian cooking and unlike white sauce, this gravy can be made with the fat from lard, butter, bacon or sausage drippings, margarine, oil or even vegetable shortening. It is and will always be proudly referred to by country folk as “gravy,” “white gravy,” “white country gravy” or “country gravy.” Hope this clarifies why it is indeed considered a recipe for gravy.

Fantastic advice on using olive oil as a healthy alternative. I’ll do that next time I make the gravy for family. Thank you, Martha!