From apples to peaches to Vidalia onions, Georgia is home to some of the finest produce grown in the American South. From Brunswick stew to Savannah Red Rice, the state’s signature dishes are steeped in history. In Taste the State Georgia, chef Kevin Mitchell and culinary historian David S. Shields reveal the stories and history that have made this rich food culture what it is today.
Arguing that Georgia was one of the first states to enthusiastically claim regional cuisine as a marketing tool, Mitchell and Shields explore each of the state’s regions, highlighting foods such as Fort Valley Pecans from Central Georgia and Sapelo Island Clams from the Sea Islands. Beyond such staples of the Georgian diet, the authors emphasize more recent culinary creativity, which has produced favorites like the pimento cheeseburger and Vidalia onion cornbread. Sharing stories of heirloom cultivars and innovative kitchens, Taste the State Georgia is a testament to both the enduring memory and future possibilities of Georgian cuisine.
“Taste the State Georgia and the regional foods within it can be a source of pride for people and communities,” says Mashama Bailey, chef and owner of The Grey in Savannah. “This book will prepare you for your next Georgian culinary adventure and give you a bit of history on why southerners eat what they eat.”
The Atlanta Journal Constitution said of the book, “This latest work takes readers down a delicious historical rabbit hole in a discussion of dishes and ingredients associated with Georgia.”
Duane Nutter, chef and owner of Southern National in Atlanta, himself an author, said “I learned so much, and you will as well.”
Taste the State Georgia was published on August 19 by the University of South Carolina Press in both hardcover and eBook formats. The book includes sixty-five alphabetical entries, with numerous historical recipes, fourteen original recipes by Chef Mitchell, forty-eight color images, and a foreword by Bailey.
Author Kevin Mitchell is the first African American chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston and holds degrees in culinary arts and southern studies from the Culinary Institute of America and University of Mississippi.
Co-author David S. Shields is the author of numerous books including Southern Provisions: The Creation and Revival of a Cuisine and, with Giselle Kennedy Lord, the James Beard and IACP award finalist The Ark of Taste: Delicious and Distinctive Foods that Define the United States. He is a recipient of the Southern Foodways Alliance’s Ruth Fertel Keeper of the Flame Award and chair of the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation.
