Jackson Free Press

Here are two wide-eyed articles, by New York reporters, about enigmatic Delta dishes: the Kool-Aid Dill by John T. Edge of the New York Times and the Red-Hot, Pork-Stuffed, Corn-Wrapped, Blues-Flavored Enigma by Colby Buzzell of Esquire. To their credit, both writers go beyond food review to tackle Delta-relevant subjects, such as race. When Buzzell asks two black men sitting outside Bud's Snack Bar in Tunica, enjoying "a lunchtime Busch tall can," about the origin of tamales in Mississippi, one passionately refutes the author's research that Mexicans had introduced the dish to Mississippians: "Our people! Black people! They did, and did it with a shook, a corn shuck. That's the way we did and my mama used to did it," he says. Edge, ironically, takes a less edgy, but somehow awkwardly professorial, approach to the demographics of Kool-Aid pickle consumers: "The pickles have been spotted as far afield as Dallas and St. Louis, but their cult is thickest in the Delta region, among the black majority population. In the Delta, where they fetch between 50 cents and a dollar, Kool-Aid pickles have earned valued space next to such beloved snacks as pickled eggs and pigs' feet at community fairs, convenience stores and filling stations," he writes.

Both culinary phenomena are surely familiar to Mississippians--black, white, Delta-bred or otherwise (though in my four months in Jackson, including two brief trips to Greenville, I have never heard of the tradition of dipping pickles in Kool-Aid)-- and the articles are clearly intended to introduce them to Northerners (read: Yankees). So, for me, they worked. (Though, I did experience that reassuring feeling of the tourist becoming the local, by laughing at the newer tourists, when Buzzell expressed difficulty in accepting that Mexicans not only live in Mississippi but also have contributed a major food tradition here: "When I think of Mississippi, I think Southern accents and how the hell do you spell that? I don't think tamales. When I think tamales, I think Mexico and Mexicans. I have yet to meet a Mexican with a Southern accent," he writes. "Si, como no," I thought, even though I'm half-Mexican and had no idea tamales were served in Mississippi when I moved here.)

Anyways, I'm interested to see what native Mississippians (not fleeting locals or Yankee transports) think of the articles. Offensive? Enlightening? Have you, feeling inspired, busted out the Kool-Aid reserves and sour cream packets already? (By the way, any thoughts on sour cream tamale protocol? Sour cream is omnipresent on tamale plates in Mexico, but nearly absent on the plates I served at Hal & Mal's. I would know, because I scooped the damn sour cream into plastic soufflés and put them on the plates myself. We don't do "waiter backs" at Hal & Mal's. And, currently, I don't work there, so this isn't a "conflict of interest.") Read up, enjoy, and salivate. Also, don't miss the cool illustrated map of Mississippi in the Esquire piece or the giant, phallic pickle in the Times one.

Previous Comments

ID

112792

Comment

i dont like how the pickle guy made fun of the kids' names (or made them into a clever joke), but otherwise, it's fine.

Author

casey

Date

2007-05-11T18:59:27-06:00

ID

112793

Comment

I have NEVER heard of Kool-Aid pickles, but I did like to suck lemons with a peppermint stuck in the middle. When I was smaller, I ate tomatoes like apples (just added salt and pepper), snacked on pieces of raw sweet potato, and sprinkled my vanilla ice cream with potato chip crumbs. If you grew up going to a JPS school in the 80's you probably remember mixing Kool-Aid and sugar together and eating it out of a plastic bag. Kids used to sell it on the playground for a quarter. I also remember the ever popular bags of plain potato chips marinated in hot sauce. Did any of you ever freeze Kool-Aid or juice in a styrofoam cup and then eat it? We called them icebergs. Whoever was the "candy lady" on the street usually sold those in the summertime along with the penny candy. I think my guiltiest pleasure was consuming those hot Jay's chips and Cherry Coke at the same time. Boy, did my mouth burrrrrrrrn! I can imagine what we kids smelled like when we came home from school. or play Pickles, Kool-Aid and sweat. P.U.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-11T19:46:55-06:00

ID

112794

Comment

I'm drawing a blank on kool-aide pickles, myself. Tamales have been here since before large concentrations of Mexicans.

Author

Ironghost

Date

2007-05-11T19:52:41-06:00

ID

112795

Comment

Oh yeah, what my mom liked to eat as a kid: dirt. Not just any dirt, but Yazoo red clay. She said it smelled sooooo good after it rained. They used to find a hill of it and dig until they got to the "clean" dirt. They would get some, bake it in the oven and then eat it. However, she said that she would never eat it now because the dirt is not as clean as it used to be. These days, she prefers ice and burnt popcorn. In some cultures, eating dirt is common, but I can't see myself doing it.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-11T19:56:13-06:00

ID

112796

Comment

I didn't taste hot tamales until I was in college, and those were out of a can. I've eaten some from Tony's Hot Tamales, and those are pretty good. I must admit that I have eaten cheese with hot sauce on it like Speedy Gonzales. He made it look so good to me. Yes, I'm weird. :-)

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-11T20:00:40-06:00

ID

112797

Comment

How about popcorn and hot sauce, L.W.? Now, I can relate to putting hot sauce on anything: pizza, sandwiches, soup, hash browns, eggs and of course any dish that's even remotely Mexican (pretty much anything involving rice, beans, and/or corn). Cholula and Frank's Red Hot are my all-time favorites. I've nearly gone through a bottle of each, on my own, so far in Jackson.

Author

msaldana

Date

2007-05-11T21:51:45-06:00

ID

112798

Comment

Matt, I think I've eaten popcorn with hot sauce, but I'm not sure. Knowing me, I probably did. I know I've eaten it with the cheese in the spray can. I've also put hot sauce on my eggs. BTW, my family calls me "Mikey". My eight-year-old niece has her moments, too. She LOVES hot sauce. She even puts it on her broccoli. The tradition continues...

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-11T21:59:49-06:00

ID

112799

Comment

Oh yeah, I used to eat a lot of sliced cucumbers with vinegar, salt and pepper. When I finished eating the cucumbers, I drank the vinegar afterwards. I'm surprised I had any stomach lining left. Also, my sisters and I used to feast on lettuce leaves dipped in Worcestershire sauce. And when I was four, I used to eat saltines with mayonnaise on them. I should have tried out for Fear Factor.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-11T22:04:49-06:00

ID

112800

Comment

Did any of you ever freeze Kool-Aid or juice in a styrofoam cup and then eat it? We called them icebergs. Whoever was the "candy lady" on the street usually sold those in the summertime along with the penny candy. You're not black if you never had it. Granted, it wasn't too many times that I have had frozen Kool-Aid, but they are good. I could go for a snow cone right now, but I don't know where I would get one at 11:20pm.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2007-05-11T22:20:37-06:00

ID

112801

Comment

BTW, lettuce dipped in Worcestershire sauce doesn't sound too bad.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2007-05-11T22:21:29-06:00

ID

112802

Comment

You want southern cuisine, here ya go: Potlikker ingredients 1 bunch Collard greens 1 bunch Kale 1 (4-ounce) piece Canadian Bacon 3 cup water 1/4 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes 1 cup Vegetable broth 2 tsp. Granulated sugar 1 tbsp. cider or red wine vinegar Freshly ground black pepper -to taste (optional) 1/8 tsp. Salt Cooking Potlikker 1. Remove the thick ribs from the collard greens and kale; wash in several chnges of water. 2. Chop coarsely. 3. Cut the canadian bacon into chunks and put into a pot with the water and crushed red pepper flakes. 4. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. 5. Remove the bacon from the pot. Mince ¼ cup and set aside. 6. Stir the vegetable broth, sugar and vinegar into the pot. Add the greens, cover and let wilt, stirring. 7. Simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, about 50 minutes, until tender. 8. About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in the minced canadian bacon and pepper to taste. 9. Add the salt only if necessary and serve. 10. Note: potlikker is best served with cornbread to sop up the juices.

Author

Kingfish

Date

2007-05-12T10:14:38-06:00

ID

112803

Comment

Kingfish, that sounds sooooooo good. Do you think I could use smoked turkey necks instead of bacon?

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-12T10:59:33-06:00

ID

112804

Comment

have no idea. However, it was the Kingfish's favorite dish. Never made it. For a discussion that narrates the potlikker, see T. Harry Williams' biogrophy of Huey P Long.

Author

Kingfish

Date

2007-05-12T11:04:29-06:00

ID

112805

Comment

Hot sauce on popcorn or hot sauce on pork skins. Yeah, that's the best! Frozen peanut butter down the middle of a frozen banana. yum! Born and raised in Mississippi and never heard of kool-aid pickles. Tamales are good.. especially deer tamales from Byram (can't remember the place's name) and there's a shop on Pearson Road in Pearl that makes yummy tamales. Of course, the best tamale shop is no more thanks to Jackson's inept leadership and their refusal to work with Flowood in getting Old Brandon Road back open in a timely fashion when they replaced the bridge. I can't recall its name either but that's where I would always go for tamales. Several businesses there dies thanks to Jackson.. Savings Oil gas station, the bait shop, the tamale shop.. shame.

Author

Jo-D

Date

2007-05-12T19:38:14-06:00

ID

112806

Comment

What the heck is paprika? I couldn't believe that guy from California (which he seemed very proud of) didn't know what paprika was. That is definitely not just a southern seasoning. I was born in MS and have lived here nearly all of my life and have NEVER heard of Kool-Aid pickles. They sound gross to me, but I'm not a big pickle fan, anyway. I would be willing to bet that Tamales were introduced somewhere by a Mexican wayy back in the day, but the African-Americans made them popular. I can't remember the name of the place on Pearson Rd., either, that someone mentioned, but they are the BEST!! I'm craving some now after reading four pages about tamales!

Author

music chick

Date

2007-05-14T08:37:00-06:00

ID

112807

Comment

Kate Medley, one of JFP's star photographers and Southern Studies Master's candidate at Ole Miss, brought it to my attention that, while John T. Edge may write for a New York publication, he is very much involved in Mississippi culture. This is from her e-mail to me: John T got his masters in Southern Studies some years back and then founded Southern Foodways Alliance to study the culture and traditions of foodways throughout this region. He wrote his master's thesis on hot tamales in the MS Delta and now there is actually a "Hot Tamale Trail" that they have mapped out and they take people on tours.

Author

msaldana

Date

2007-05-15T12:21:27-06:00

ID

112808

Comment

I knew that, too. I shoulda read your post sooner, Yankee Boy. ;-)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-05-15T12:22:42-06:00

ID

112809

Comment

John T got his masters in Southern Studies some years back and then founded Southern Foodways Alliance to study the culture and traditions of foodways throughout this region. He wrote his master's thesis on hot tamales in the MS Delta and now there is actually a "Hot Tamale Trail" that they have mapped out and they take people on tours. Okay I have heard of those tours!! I want to go on one. But I still can't believe he didn't know what paprika was. Maybe he just explained it for the reader?

Author

music chick

Date

2007-05-15T12:27:49-06:00

ID

112810

Comment

It goes to show two things: 1) Everything is local. 2) I am not a local. Also, I totally could've googled "John T. Edge."

Author

msaldana

Date

2007-05-15T12:28:21-06:00

ID

112811

Comment

We like you anyway. Besides, a fresh perspective is valuable. Even when slightly erroneous. ;-)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-05-15T12:39:19-06:00

ID

112812

Comment

The infamous paprika line is from Colby Buzzell's article, not Edge's. It's in his sort of populist style of no pretenses. It's funny, but I thought some people might also consider it brash. Either way, it's a bold style choice, and that's bound to upset some people. Of course, I'm the one who decided to be snarky (to use a Southern friend's phrase) and write these two guys off merely as "New York reporters." I guess I secretly want to be referred to as a "Jackson reporter." "So we would come up on the weekends and help him make tamales, and I thought that maybe I'd like to continue doing this, thought why not give it a shot, so you know, that was twenty-five years ago. He taught me, he said, Use this -- don't use that." What's this and that? "Just certain ingredients." Like what? "Well, mine, it's pretty much close to everybody else's, except I don't use paprika. A lot of them use paprika." What the heck is paprika? "It's red, it's like chili powder but redder, and it helps some of them give it that red juice. We use kidney fat and get the grease off it, and that's what we use. Because that's the way he was taught, that's what he told me -- you use this -- and I've never changed anything, and I do it exactly like how he told me. He was like eighty-something years old when I started doing this, or older, and he's one of those old people that when they said do it, you didn't argue, you didn't ask questions, you just do what they told you to do." Then she told me that he was a hobo for a while. I got a bit excited at that because I think hobos are cool for some reason.

Author

msaldana

Date

2007-05-15T12:40:38-06:00

ID

112813

Comment

Matt-I think the politically correct term these days is 'homeless'. Hobos wear kercheifs and chase trains. Okay, you're right...that's totally cool. ;)

Author

Lori G

Date

2007-05-15T12:57:50-06:00

ID

112814

Comment

oh, i was mixed up, sorry. :) i still want to go on one of those tamale tours. but they can keep the kool-aid pickles!

Author

music chick

Date

2007-05-15T13:15:38-06:00

ID

112815

Comment

Just in case you're interested in watching a grown man squirm, famous foodie Alton Brown will be in Memphis tasting a Kool-Aid pickle in this Saturday's episode of Feasting on Asphalt 2 on Food Network at 8 PM. He was in Mississippi in a prior episode, and they'll be showing that again at 3 PM Saturday.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-08-16T20:22:14-06:00