Charleston, home to a singularly rich food tradition, was once known for growing the “king of southern asparagus,” called the Palmetto, and its famous Carolina Gold rice. The area’s cuisine combines ingredients and cooking techniques of three greatly divergent cultural traditions: Native Americans (hominy grits, squashes, and beans), the Gullah Geechee (field peas, okra, guinea squash, rice, and sorghum), and European settlers (garden vegetables, grains, pigs, and cattle). This rich mixture of ingredients and techniques would become Charleston cooking.

Chef Kevin Mitchell, a faculty member of the Culinary Institute of Charleston and a South Carolina Chef Ambassador, and historian David S. Shields, author of Southern Provisions: The Creation and Revival of a Cuisine, take a delicious dive into the culinary specialties of the Charleston region, which include the famous rice and seafood dishes of the Low Country.

Join Chef Mitchell as he demonstrates a recipe featuring the one ingredient that sets Charleston apart from any other food city in the country: rice. He makes the dish that makes Charleston the place you want to come eat, Hoppin’ John. (The recipe and ingredients list is provided to registrants in advance.)

Mitchell’s and Shields’ forthcoming book, Taste the State: South Carolina's Signature Foods, Recipes, and Their Stories (University of South Carolina Press), is set for release in August 2021 and is available for pre-purchase here.

The program is made possible with the generous support of the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Patron Information

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