Delicious, delicious breakfast bagel.
This is a question that is often asked about posts on Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. From the surface, it may indeed seem silly for folks to expend time and energy posting pictures of breakfast bagels or fancy apricot marmalades.
We are wise to remember, however, that today’s Tweets could be tomorrow’s history. Consider that archaeologists spend great deals of time sifting through food waste dumps and fire pits to find remnants of what our ancestors ate to understand better their culture and diet. Consider also how much we enjoy Aunt Erma’s recipe cards, or even better, the 1960s family films to see what she put on the holiday dinner table (in this case, turkey).
We’re obsessed with food and its integral connection to understanding our culture — even if we think of it more as “why do I eat green bean casserole at the holidays even if I don’t like it?”. So, how can you learn more about North Carolina and its food culture of yesterday and today? Here are a few suggestions:
Carving the turkey at a holiday dinner.
From your computer
- Try searching Twitter to see what folks are eating today in North Carolina.
- Visit YouTube to watch what folks were eating at family events long ago.
- Vinegar sauce and more! At Flickr.
- Discover recipes from the North Carolina Digital Collections.
Get out and enjoy North Carolina food and culture!
- Home Movie Day combines Aunt Erma and Uncle George, nostalgia, hilarious clothes, and, of course lots of family meals. (In Raleigh, Saturday October 20th, 2012 from 1-4pm; other locations). Don’t forget the popcorn.
- Folks will be Tweeting about Krispy Kreme burgers and Twinkie logs once the NC State Fair starts on October 11. What will you be eating? Tell us or show us at Blue Ribbon Memories.
- Once you’ve tasted the barbecue at the State Fair, you can read more about it in a book from your local public library.
- Finally, help solve a War of 1812 mystery (dinner included) in Southport on October 19.
And don’t forget to Tweet, blog, and post to Facebook what you ate, saw, and experienced. You’ll be making history when you do it!
