For generations across the American South, a familiar linguistic exchange played out in convenience stores, service stations, and living rooms, and in many places, it still does. It went something like: “You want a Coke?” “Sure.” “What kind do you want?” “Dr Pepper.” To ordinary consumers, carbonated soft drinks were never rigid beverage categories. Nobody … Read more
If you grew up anywhere between the Mississippi Delta and the Appalachians during the mid-to-late 20th century, the lunch meat in your refrigerator was almost certainly made by Bryan. For Southern families, it was the go-to brand for hickory-smoked bacon, bologna, hot dogs, ham, souse, and even canned Vienna sausages and potted meat. I particularly … Read more
If you grew up in Mississippi or West Alabama during the mid-to-late 20th century, your kitchen was almost certainly stocked with Hardin’s Bread. It was everywhere. You saw the familiar logo at the front of local grocers and country stores. Its name was stamped on the metal push-bars on screen doors of corner markets from … Read more
Yes, you can safely eat raw mushrooms but it’s best to do so in moderation. Slicing raw white buttons or creminis onto a salad won’t poison you or trigger acute toxicity. Yet an enduring internet myth insists that eating raw common button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) is a gamble. Rumors warn commercial portobellos harbor dangerous carcinogens, … Read more
Yes, tilapia is completely edible and safe. It’s one of the most widely consumed fish in the world. Yet for over a decade, tilapia has been dogged by viral horror stories. According to hundreds of online graphics and chain emails, tilapia is a synthetic frankenfish with no bones, grown in a lab. As if that’s … Read more
Since the 1960s and up until quite recently, Americans have relied on a convenient frozen staple that allowed them to have access to fruit juice at a moment’s notice. The freezer case of almost any grocery store in America was stocked with these little cardboard cylinders labeled Minute Maid, Donald Duck. Seneca, Tree Sweet, or … Read more