It's not just the food, it's the culture:
Other regions of the country, including the Midwest with its cheese, brats and pizza, also have challenges. But in the South, a meal of fried chicken smothered in gravy, collard greens and buttered cornbread is as much a part of the culture as front-porch rockers and a Southern drawl.
Changing the way people eat, experts said, could mean changing an important part of Southern culture.
``Food is a strong emblem of identity for Southerners. It is one of the few cultural artifacts that both black and white Southerners embrace and hold in high esteem,'' said John Edge, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi.
I grew up in a "fried everything" culture, so this really resonates with me.
