The Mississippi Delta is a food lover’s paradise, a veritable melting pot of culinary traditions brought by the African-Americans, Italians, Chinese and Lebanese who along with northern European settlers populated this land. Adventures through the Delta can lead you to discover everything from fried catfish dishes to the region’s famous homemade hot tamales to some of the best fine dining to be had.

How did “red hot tamales” get to be a staple of the Mississippi Delta? Some say it happened a century ago, when migrant Mexican farm workers came to pick cotton side by side with African Americans in the Delta. Food lovers delight in following the “tamale trail” that leads the unsuspecting visitor through small towns and back alleys to sample and compare the delights of a well-made tamale. Log on to www.tamaletrail.com to read more about the legend and lore of tamales and plan your visit.

Entering some Delta restaurants is like traveling back in time where patrons dine in enclosed booths that date back to Prohibition. Dine on steaks and pompano in curtained booths at Giardina’s and Lusco’s in Greenwood. Doe’s in nearby Greenville is another famous Delta restaurant where Italian heritage is blended with distinctive Delta culture...and the result is the stuff of legends. You’ll find mile high pie at the Crystal Grill. For more information on the foodways of the Delta, visit Southern Foodways where you can read oral histories of the legendary restaurants of Greenwood.