At the heart of foodways are rich stories of crossing barriers and borders, of lives intertwined with food, as food and place are linked through the diversity of income and ethnicity in the South.
The Catfish Row Museum’s Food for Thought: Resetting the Table — Exploring Foodways in Vicksburg, centers on Vicksburg’s unique foodways story, documenting and sharing diverse culinary traditions of the region, and promoting a culinary tourism pathway to share Vicksburg’s unique food heritage with the region and beyond.
The intersection of food and culture is a gateway to understanding the diversity of the Delta and is a cross-cultural means to collect the community narrative.
Let’s Dig In:
Learn the origin of some of our most common foods. You might be surprised!
Okra
- Origin: Africa
- Often used in: Soul food/African American cuisine
Radish
- Origin: middle Asia
- Often used in: Chinese cuisine
Eggplant
- Origin: Spain
- Often used in: Lebanese cuisine
Tomato
- Origin: Lower Andes; cultivated by Aztecs in Mexico
- Often used in: Southern cooking
Cabbage
- Origin: Middle East
- Often used in: Jewish cuisine
Pork
- Origin: Western Asia/China
- Often used in: Chinese cuisine, Soul food/BBQ
Delve into six prominent Vicksburg food cultures: Lebanese, Southern, Soul Food, Delta Chinese, Jewish and BBQ. Visitors to the museum will be able to sit at a dining room table where these cultures all come together through vibrant illustrations of place settings celebrating food and diversity. Old-fashioned cookware, utensils and community cookbooks will be on display, as well as an overview of each food culture.