The Classic Cowboy Food You Are, Based On Your Zodiac Sign

You've most likely learned about Old West cowboys in movies or museums, but their legacy dates back to the 1500s, after the Spanish arrived in the Americas. Vaqueros, Mexico's native cowboys, were hired by ranchers to tend to livestock; these wranglers lead the way for the American version that came after them and supported Westward Expansion. While the tales of gun duels and rivalries tend to be romanticized, there is more to the cowboy story that wasn't so glamorous: long days, longer nights, and real hardships. A large part of their struggle was based on food. The typical cowboy diet in the Old West reflected the times and the cultural influences of what came before, but also the nature of life on the trail — food had to be easy to store and haul. So what do cowboy food and the stars have in common? We're here to bridge the gap.

Like food, the stars can tell us a lot about each other. They've been mapped for thousands of years by countless civilizations to help us understand ourselves and others. What better way to introspect and learn about the cowboy era than through an astrological assessment of classic cowboy foods eaten back in the day? Let's take a look at how your star sign connects to this hearty fare.

Bold, energetic, and impossible to ignore, Aries is the first sign in the zodiac and is known for its fiery attitude and impulsive ways. However, they aren't all anger and competition; Aries has a creative side that is fueled by deep passion. They are the ultimate trailblazer, and that spice and creativity make chili their perfect cowboy food connection.

There is so much you can do with this dish. While it has an array of cultural influences, from Spanish to Mexican, all versions of chili focus on using what you have in front of you; exactly the type of meal cowboys ate. They'd prepare the dish based on the available meats, beans, spices, and whatever else they could get their hands on, so it was a little unpredictable — just like an Aries.

Making chili was also a good way to use up every cut of meat, even the tougher pieces. This is where spice came in handy. The cook of the group would simmer chiles in a pot with whatever meat and extras they had, which would help soften the meat while adding flavor. Just like how an Aries loves to prove itself to those who underestimate it, chili proved itself to be a staple in the cowboy food lineup.

Taurus gets a bad rep when it comes to being stubborn, but it was persistence and wherewithal that kept the cowboys alive back in the day. Sourdough breads, biscuits, and flapjacks were a staple on the trails, offering a bite of comfort, stability, and a little bit of love, just like those compassionate Tauruses in our lives.

In the days of the Old West, the cook on the chuckwagon was up early getting breakfast ready long before the others were awake to ensure the group had a solid meal to start the day. This usually meant something like sourdough biscuits or flapjacks to accompany that much-needed cup of coffee.

It could be seen as somewhat indulgent for cowboys to eat this type of old-school breakfast out on the trail, which connects to the Taurus archetype of loving a bit of luxury. They may be family-forward and want everyone around them to be taken care of, but they also want to live the good life, too. A carb-heavy meal was a luxury, and afforded the cowboys a little bit of pleasure and grounding during those long days and nights, like a Taurus does for those they love.

Gemini features the twins as its symbol, suggesting that this sign has multiple personalities and varying perspectives. Do they like to play devil's advocate? For sure, but their electric mix of traits also brings charisma, epic conversations, a whole lot of humor to the group. Are they inconsistent and a little unreliable? Perhaps, but just like the cowboy classic son-of-a-gun stew, you get a little bit of everything from them.

On the trail, food wasn't easily accessible, so you had to use what you could find. Like chili, son-of-a-gun stew took the leftover scraps and anything caught that day and combined it over a fire into a warm and hearty meal. This dish has historical connections to Mexico's menudo, in which ingredients like animals hearts and intestines were used. There's no one set recipe for the dish — it's bound to be a little different every time you eat it — which mirrors the mutability and playfulness of a Gemini.

Cancers are friendly, nurturing, and welcoming to all, and so is a skillet of cornbread. Hearty and warm, cornbread embodies the approachable and pleasant qualities of a Cancer. Can Cancers be a little moody? Sure, but so can your cornbread if you add a little jalapeño or spice. Any way you serve it, this food offers comfort in a time of need, and you can count on a Cancer to do the same.

Cornmeal gave cowboys the opportunity to indulge and added variety to their diet, as cooks would use this ingredient in grits and porridges, too. The connection to Mexican cooking is prevalent with this ingredient, and like the others, it gave the cooks a way to stretch rations and bulk up daily meals.

If you know how to, you can turn otherwise dry and tough cornmeal into warm and hearty cornbread, just like how a Cancer's hard shell (depicted by the symbol of the crab) can be cracked by the right person to reveal a very soft heart.

Intense and bold –- these words describe the zodiac sign of Leo and the cowboy meal of salt pork and bacon. These foods elevate a meal, and a Leo does the same to any room they walk into.

This is one of the foods that got its start in the Old West. Fresh food was hard to come by on the trail, so salt helped preserve whatever was available to make it last. Salting meats was super common, and this option was treasured for its taste, along with its long shelf life and high calorie count. 

But like the bold ego of a Leo, there was some tamping down to be done to this meal. Before you ate it, you had to soak the meat in water to reduce the salt content. If not, you'd undoubtedly get sick. That's not to say a Leo will make you ill if you spend too much time with one, but they can be a lot. Balance here is key — with Leos and this cowboy classic meal. The fatty goodness of salt pork sustained cowboys in moderation, just like the spark of a Leo does for those around them.

If we're talking zodiac signs that are reliable and hardworking, then we're definitely talking about Virgo. While considered a little judgmental and Type A, this sign is sure to get the job done. They love feeling useful, as service to others is their love language, which is exactly why their paired cowboy food is hardtack.

Just like a Virgo, hardtack is smart and sustainable. It's a rough, dry cracker that could last over a month on the trail without going bad. Cowboys would soak them in gravies, milk, or stews to make them go down a little easier, but taste and texture aside, they were a reliable source of energy and sustenance. 

Hardtack wasn't flashy or glamorous, but it ensured forward movement, as a Virgo always does. They work off of intelligence over emotion, which was necessary for survival on the trail. While the sign can appear detached and cold, they are always thinking five steps ahead. In the cowboy days, that kept you alive. While nobody is going to claim that hardtack is the tastiest food of all time, cowboys had to have the discipline to know fueling their bodies was the most important thing in the long game — exactly how this astrological sign thinks.

Social butterflies who love making new friends, Libras just makes sense reflected as coffee. A staple on the move for cowboys, coffee was a meal in and of itself. The social ritual of having coffee connects to a Libra's need to be out and about and on the move, making new connections everywhere they go.

While we look at coffee today as a way to energize, for the cowboys, it was something more. Yes, they were getting a caffeine fix, but coffee breaks were a morale booster, too. To make the coffee, the boys would grind the beans by hand and cook them with water over an open fire, sometimes straining the drink through a bandana. 

Coffee brings folks together and promotes a harmonious environment, just as Libras do as the known people pleasers of the zodiac. Having coffee was a morning, noon, and night affair that brought the cowboys together and allowed them some time to reflect and maybe have a few laughs — pretty much a Libra's favorite thing to do. That, like the coffee itself, kept them moving and focused on the trail.

There is nothing quite like a Scorpio, and that's exactly why we've matched the mysterious and unique sign to the cowboy-era Pemmican.  

Pemmican is an ancient Indigenous "energy bar" made of rendered fat with meat shaped. They were created from a variety of items found in the wild that could last years, making even hardtack look like a fresh fruit. This high-calorie food was great for on-the-go eating, but it definitely wasn't super tasty.

Pemmican was the ultimate cowboy survival food, and knowing the Scorpios of today, they'd probably research and make this just for fun! Like Scorpio, these bars were a little odd, but the innovation and somewhat off-putting taste reflects the sign quite well. Not everyone can withstand the bitter taste of a Scorpio, but like Pemmican, there's a truth layered within that's important for survival. Scorpios teach us that we have to face uncomfortable emotional truths at times, and Pemmican taught cowboys that they needed to choke down whatever it was that would keep them going during those tough times.

We can't not pair the archer of the zodiac with freshly hunted game. The concept of a cowboy alone connects to a Sag's wild side and need for adventure, so when it comes to Western food, hunted meat is the ideal pairing. And with freedom being a core value of a Sagittarius, the life of a wild animal would probably suit them well. Unchecked, they can be reckless, but you need someone in your pack willing to take risks, and that's exactly what Sags do best — even if that means eventually being caught and eaten by a cowboy.

The cowboy cooks would take whatever fresh items they could find on the move –- from fish and small game to cattle. Meat was an essential part of the diet at the time, but it wasn't always guaranteed. It was a glorious night when the boys could enjoy a meal of rabbit, chicken, or even wild bird. 

The hunger that fresh game satisfied for a cowboy translates to a Sag's hunger for knowledge and truth. Left unchecked, their aloofness can cause issues with organization and communication, perhaps resulting in being hunted by a cowboy, but at their best, they are solid thinkers and innovators.

Capricorns are the most disciplined sign in the zodiac. They are goal-oriented, and while they play the long game, they are always looking for ways to work smarter not harder. Caps are always up-to-date on new tech and innovation, so pairing the goat of the zodiac with beef jerky makes perfect sense.

Jerky products are in it for the long haul, and so are Caps with their slow and steady approach to business and life. Like salting pork, preserving beef was a significant way to sustain health while out on the trail. And honestly, who doesn't love jerky? This was a trail favorite. You can eat it on the go or enjoy it during a snack break, but the fact that it didn't spoil (and didn't taste horrible) really put it on the map.

Beef jerky provides gains without frills, exactly what a Capricorn is after. Capricorns are constantly climbing the mountains of the world to reach new and glorious heights, and doing so without show. Beef jerky is the perfect pairing for attaining such lofty goals.

There is no doubt about it: Aquariuses are from the future, and they are all about innovation. The Aquarius brain is always looking for calculated ways to help society function more efficiently and effectively, reflecting exactly what canned food does.

Canned foods came to build many classic American meals, but they started as a way to stretch a food's shelf life and help those on the move. During the times of the Old West, canned products were considered a luxury. Also known as "air tights," canned food could feature anything from tomatoes to fruits, but they were heavy and expensive, so they were a rarity in chuckwagons.

Like an Aqua, canned food was all about thinking ahead. Yes, it may not always be practical — the weight of the cans was a little too ahead of its time for cowboys at least, as an Aquarius' vision can be — but the innovation was a lifesaver for many.

Pisces is the oldest sign in the zodiac, and their dreamy and creative ways showcase the depth and age of wisdom they hold. They are malleable and like to flow with their creative spirit, which pairs well with the concept of beans and the cowboy-style recipes that utilized them.

Beans are versatile, which is what you need with life on the road. Cooks would dehydrate and rehydrate them, add them to stews, and create sauces with whatever spices they had. Often times, cooks would use molasses and water as a solid base, showcasing the flexibility that a Pisces embodies.

While beans offer physical sustenance, Pisces offers emotional sustenance, peppered with a feeling of home. They can feel drained when they give too much, needing time and space away from others. Because beans were common on the trail, they could've easily became redundant, but cooks used their creative liberties to turn them into something new(ish) every day, just like how the lovable Pisces can lend itself to many hobbies and talents.