SFA Oral History: Gathering the Stories Behind the Food
Integral to an appreciation and understanding of the diverse food cultures of the American South is the collection and preservation of the stories behind the food. Our Oral History Initiative seeks to capture stories of Southerners who grow,
create, serve, and consume food and drink. Follow the links below to visit all of the projects in our onlinearchive and learn how to add to our collection.
Click here to use our custom, interactive maps, which will help you build in detours as you travel the region. From boudin to gumbo and bacon to oysters, you may never make it home!
Project Index
Southern BBQ Trail
Southern Boudin Trail
Southern Gumbo Trail
The Tamale Trail
Wine in the South
FILM: The Rise of Southern Cheese
ALABAMA
Birmingham Greeks
Southern BBQ Trail
FILMS: GUS, Deadliest Throw, Jones Valley Urban Farm, Chicken Stew, Something Better Than Barbecue, BBGBBQ, Welcome TableARKANSAS
Chinese Grocers
Southern BBQ Trail
Tamale TrailFLORIDA
Florida's Forgotten Coast
FILM: Deadliest Throw, Working the MilesGEORGIA
Athens Eats
Atlanta's Buford Highway
Wine in the South
FILM: CudKENTUCKY
Kentucky Bacon
Louisville Barroom Culture
FILMS: Mutton: The Movie; Saving SeedsLOUISIANA
Bartenders of New Orleans
Down the Bayou
Lunch Houses of Acadiana
New Orleans Eats
New Orleans Sno-Balls
Southern Boudin Trail
Southern Gumbo Trail
FILMS: To Live and Die in Avoyelles Parish; Above the Line: Saving Willie Mae’s Scotch House; MARSAWMISSISSIPPI
Biloxi's Ethnic Shrimping Communities
Chinese Grocers
Delta Lebanese
Dockery Farms
Doe's Eat Place
Downtown Greenwood Farmers’ Market
Greenwood Restaurants
Ole Miss Cooks
Oxford Restaurants
Shiloh Seventh-day Adventist Church
Southern BBQ Trail
Tamale Trail
Woodson Ridge Farms
FILMS: Phat Thai, Smokes & Ears, Eat or We’ll Both Starve, On Flavor, Rolling Tamales on MLKNORTH CAROLINA
Carrboro Farmers' Market
Chapel Hill Eats
Southern BBQ Trail
Wine in the South
FILM: Capitol QSOUTH CAROLINA
Bowen's Island Restaurant
FILM: GOAT, Bowen's Island, Bertha's, Giving Thanks in Awendaw, Ride That Pig to Glory, Carolina Grist,CUT/CHOP/COOKTENNESSEE
Nashville Eats
Southern BBQ Trail
FILMS: Buttermilk: It Can Help; & Fried Pies; Hot Chicken; Whole HogTEXAS
Southern BBQ Trail
FILM: Dial “S” for SausageVIRGINIA
Carter Family Fold
Wine in the South
Chicago Eats
Member Contributions
Our First Trip Into the Field
SFA Founders
FILMS: An SFA Primer; The W.H.O. Farm; The Real BaptizingBROADCASTR, an audio-based social media site that features clips from our online archive
Add to our Collection
We invite you to participate in this Oral History Initiative. You can get involved by conducting your own interview, using the tools available on this site, and submit it to us for inclusion in our permanent archive at the University of Mississippi. Visit the links below to get started.
If your are an instructor considering oral history for a school project or would like to discuss a possible collaboration, please contact the SFA’s oral historian, Amy Evans Streeter, via e-mail at acevans@olemiss.edu or by phone (662) 915-5993.
Resources
More information on conducting oral histories and using oral history in the classroom.
- American Folklife Center
- Historical Voices
- Oral History Association
- Oral History in the Classroom
- Radio Diaries
- Soundportraits
- StoryCorps
- Studs Terkel
- UNC’s Southern Oral History Program
For more information
Please contact the SFA’s oral historian, Amy Evans Streeter, via e-mail at acevans@olemiss.edu or by phone (662) 915-5993.


