Hey y'all, welcome to Biscuits and Jam from Southern Living.

I'm your host, Sid Evans.

And today I'm talking with an old friend and a fellow traveler in the world of Southern food.

John T. Edge grew up in Clinton, Georgia, raised in a Confederate General's house that introduced him early on

to the complicated legacy of the South. His childhood was complicated, too, and not always happy,

but his mother and father shared a curiosity about food and cooking that never left him. For more than

20 years, John T. headed up the Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi,

shining a light on the diverse food cultures of the South, and he's written as thoughtfully about the

people of this region as anyone I know. His 2017 book, The Potlicker Papers, A Food History of the Modern

South, is a must read. And for the last several

years, he's also hosted True South, a television series on the SEC Network that explores the

small towns, back roads, family restaurants, and unsung heroes who make the South such a

dynamic place. The seventh season of that show is set to premiere soon, so I caught up with John

T. about his own family history, some of his favorite moments from the show, and a South

Carolina connection that surprised both of us on this week's Biscuits and Jam.

Thank you. Jam. John T. Edge, welcome to Biscuits and Jam.

Happy to be here, Sid.

Where am I reaching you right now?

I'm in my office on campus at the University of Mississippi.

Back home in Oxford.

That must be nice.

I know you've been on the road a good bit.

...