2 Orange Southern Traditions

As you know, I think there are many, many awesome things about living in Memphis and really, living in the South. I’ve got two things to share today.

One thing that I think we have gotten right is the Cheese Straw.

Outside the South, cheese straws just don’t seem to be a part of the vernacular. You find them here and there, but only in the South do they seem so firmly entrenched as truly regional fare, like boiled peanuts or grits. – John Martin Taylor, from his blog

Taylor explains that in the hot, humid (don’t I know it) South, cheese was typically imported and that baking cheese in cracker form made it last longer. Talk about something practical that ended up with something so awesome! Now, we have refrigerators, fancy cheese wrapping papers, and all that, but we still cook and eat cheese straws.

Last week, we had a little event at work that called for some appetizers, and one of my good friends offered to make her famous cheese straws. This was met with hooting, hollering, and general enthusiasm, followed quickly by the hope that they wouldn’t all get eaten at the party, which would leave some extras for the rest of us. In deed, the night ended with us toasting a successful event and me walking out the door with a big bag of her awesome cheese straws.

So thanks to AKW for the awesome cheese straws!

The second awesome thing about the South for today? Similar in color to the cheese straws above…

I pull for the Big Orange, but what is really important is that fall is coming and football is here. So whether your team is in Tuscaloosa, Oxford, Gainesville, Athens, Fayetteville, Lexington, or wherever, it is nice to know that our Saturdays will be full of the great tradition of SEC football, and a little of the non-SEC teams, now and then. Find yourself some cheese straws for your next tailgate or party, you won’t regret it!

-Thomas