Southern Food Stories: Mississippi Hog Kills, Carolina 'Soppin' Chocolate'

A Spoken Dish is a video storytelling project produced by the Southern Foodways Alliance, the Oxford, Mississippi–based non-profit dedicated to documenting (and proselytizing) the diverse food culture of the American South. The extensive series features men, women and children from all around the southern United States sharing their favorite food memories, stories and recipes. Farmers, chefs, home cooks, students, brewers, bloggers and cookbook writers all get one minute of glory in the series that was produced in collaboration with Whole Foods Market and Georgia Organics. As we lead up to the SFA's annual symposium in October, we'll be bringing you some of our favorite stories. Today, it's North Carolina cookbook author Sheri Castle as she shares her story about chocolate gravy (also called "soppin' chocolate"). And Mississippi Blues musician Jesse Robinson talks about the pageantry of a community hog slaughter.

Chocolate Gravy

Hog Killing

Read more about southern food and culture on Food Republic:

• Big Weekend: Atlanta Food & Wine Festival 2013
• The Mississippi Delta: Where To Eat In Greenville, Greenwood And Indianola
• Sam Edwards Tells Us How Virginia Peanuts Are Key To His Legendary Ham
• A Southern Barbecue Champion In New York: Myron Mixon