Tag: closer look
Duke’s Mayonnaise has been a Southern pantry staple for more than a century
White bread and juicy summer tomatoes never had a better friend than this condiment, crafted in 1917 by Eugenia Duke.
How Little Debbie became one of America’s sweetest success stories
Explore the brand's origins, its most popular treats, and the Tennessee destinations where fans can experience its rich Southern heritage.
Why Southerners start the year off with black-eyed peas
Start the new year with a spoonful of black-eyed peas and good fortune may follow, holds an old Southern superstition. Representing prosperity and coins, these lucky legumes often share a plate with cornbread (gold) and greens (paper money) in a tradition stretching back centuries.
How the coonhound became the South’s most faithful companion
The South has long gone to the “coon dogs”—in a good way. This branch of scent hounds descended from English foxhounds first brought to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries and remains popular today.
The best places in the South to eat and celebrate okra
High yield and hardy, okra thrives in the unrelenting heat of the South’s summer months. Thought to have been introduced to Louisiana from West Africa during the early 18th century by enslaved Africans, the plant’s resilience and diverse uses made it integral to the region’s foodways.
Round and Round: How Krispy Kreme became baked into Southern life
The South’s love affair with Krispy Kreme dughnuts began in 1937, when founder Vernon Rudolph opened the first shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Using a secret yeast-raised dough recipe bought from a Louisiana chef, Rudolph first delivered his near-weightless confections to grocery stores around town.
Nashville-based Gibson Guitars has long struck a chord with musicians
The first Gibson instruments, mandolins designed as an after-work hobby by company namesake Orville Gibson, date back to 1894. Headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitars, now one of America’s oldest musical instrument manufacturers, has produced an extensive collection of electric and acoustic models.
A Dish of Many Colors: Everything you wanted to know about Fiestaware
Fiesta dinnerware has been brightening American kitchen tables with its bold colors, art deco–style designs, and mix-and-match appeal since its inception in 1936. The flagship brand of the Homer Laughlin China Company in Newell, West Virginia, Fiesta was created in response to stuffy Victorian tableware trends and Depression-era gloom.
Later, Gator: Five places to experience the South’s largest reptile
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” could reasonably be considered Mother Nature’s approach to American alligators, prehistoric holdovers that have remained largely unchanged for at least 8 million years. With a range extending from coastal North Carolina across to East Texas, these lords of the bayou are symbols of a wild, untamed South—and its preservation.
Pinch Me: Everything you wanted to know about crawfish
Of the 500-plus species of crayfish that exist worldwide, more than 300 varieties inhabit the rivers, lakes, and bayous of the southeastern United States, where they are colloquially called crawfish. Throughout the region, these freshwater crustaceans are considered a springtime delicacy.
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