Food Festivals
I once had a job that required me to spend a lot of time with a Georgia map. I got pretty close to memorizing all 159 of the state counties - Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Baldwin. I'll spare you my halting litany. I'm still seduced by the poetry of the names of Georgia's small towns - Hahira, Reseca, Rising Fawn, Atapulgus, Unadilla, Villa Rica. I now have a job that requires me to spend a lot of time with food. You can't harbor a passion for food and not get enthused about a good, old-fashioned southern food festival.
Food festivals, especially those staged in small towns, are great examples of how a dedicated group of local folks embraces a food (a melon, a peanut, a meat, a marshmellow) and turns it into a cottage industry - an event that gives a town identity and, in some cases, a lifeblood. The most poignant example in Georgia is Juliette, a sleepy little railroad town that was catapulted to fame by the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. Hollywood left in 1991, but Juliette hung on to its connection to an unripe tomato - this October sponsoring the 5th annual Green Tomato Festival.
Make an effort to have more unique and authentic food experiences. Step off the beaten path and head to a small town food festival. I highlight a few on the Bitegeist home page each month. I've got my sights set on the Big Pig Jig in Vienna, Georgia, this October. Maybe I'll see you there.
deb
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