SFA Symposium
The annual Southern Foodways Symposium is held each October, on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford. During these annual gatherings we examine the state of Southern food. (Southern drink gets its due, too.)
We ponder where we have been. And where we are going. We assay our field of study. And think critically about the SFA’s role in documenting and celebrating the diverse food cultures of the American South. We pay homage to the subjects of our oral history initiative. We repay debts of pleasure earned over generations.
Of course, we eat well. Past menus include a salute to all things swine, with meals of whole hog barbecue doused with vinegar, pig ears in mustard sauce, and boudin links served in the shadow of a bacon forest. We’ve paid homage to sweets as well, feasting on Cane River Country Shrimp and bread pudding. We’ve fried what you’d expect – catfish and sweet pies – and a few things you might not expect: pimiento cheese hush puppies, anyone?
The symposium provides opportunities for cooks, chefs, food writers, and intellectually curious eaters to come to a better understanding of Southern cuisine and Southern culture. Lectures, at the heart of the University of Mississippi campus, are complemented by informal lunches and dinners served in and around Oxford.
Demand for these four days of smart talking and good eating means that you should register quickly if you want to attend. The cost of registration includes all lectures and meals, but individuals are responsible for their own transportation and lodging. Registration opens when brochures hit mailboxes in early summer.