Not from the South, friends would wonder why I would be fascinated by biscuits with sausage gravy, gumbo or a big slice of cake. As the child of working class immigrants I have few illusions about the complexities immigrants must navigate in the South or anywhere else. I know there will always be some who are threatened by other voices and traditions not their own and others who will welcome them. This podcast is a window into the South, it may not be a view everyone cares for, but I’m thankful it’s there.

Gravy explores the history and culture of the American South through the foods and eating establishments. Gravy takes the reader to the places themselves through interviews with locals, sometimes letting the person of interest tell their story in their own words. What I enjoy most often is in learning how immigration and therefore other cultures influenced and became assimilated into the region – one close to home was Dancing the Shrimp Dry, about Chinese immigrants in Louisiana. I know little about the American South apart from a handful of stereotypes, and this has really broadened my horizons. I also appreciate the delineation between the donor/sponsor section and the rest of the content. It makes unambiguous the relationship between the sponsor and the podcast producers, instead of disguising it as a personal recommendation and the innocuous phrase “this podcast is supported by…”.