John T. Edge is the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance . Based out of
the University of Mississippi, the SFA studies and documents Southern food
cultures. A respected authority, Edge writes about Southern food and culture
for publications such as Garden & Gun Magazine and The Oxford American . He
joined us to talk about his new book, “ The Potlikker Papers: A Food
History of the Modern South ,” which explores the South by way of its food.
We begin with a simple but tough question—what is Southern food? Does a
meal of tacos and Mexican Coke qualify if it’s made by recent immigrants to
Mississippi? Hear why Edge would say yes. Edge also comments on today’s
culinary trends. The “farm to table” movement may seem like a new
phenomenon, but Edge explains how Southern chefs have long relied on
locally-sourced ingredients. He points to African-American chef Edna Lewis
who recommended cooking with fresh greens and seasonal ingredients more than
four decades ago. Plus, Edge traces
