Southerners tend to be peculiar about food traditions. We debate endlessly about the best barbecue, we hold festivals for okra and onions, and we eat fried chicken as if it were a sacred act of holy communion.
This course will examine the origins and practice of southern foodways from a critical perspective. We will study the region’s culinary history, the important role of poverty and climate in developing southern food, the relationship between food and race/class/gender dynamics, food as a sign of regional identity, and the cultural representation of southern food.
We will discuss scholarship about regional foodways, cookbooks, novels, and movies. We will interview foodways practitioners, engage in a community service project, host a final exam barbecue, and develop an understanding of southern food as a social text.
An interview with Dr. Davis on Pork Recipes Videos.