PÂTÉ DU SUD: A BRIEF HISTORY OF PIMIENTO CHEESE

A FOOD & THE SOUL OF AMERICA Exhibtion

In honor of the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s Declaration of Independence, we invite you to OUR table to honor and celebrate our history, our heritage, and our culture via the power of cuisine.

Ah, the Pate of the South as it’s been called. This humorous exhibit will look at this mystical concoction that Southerners will serve with anything. Essentially just a combination of shredded cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and chopped pimiento peppers, the culturally legacy and the controversy over what is or isn’t allowed in the dish, or even what’s the correct spelling of the pepper – pimiento or pimento – fuels arguments and amusement to this day. Indeed, Southern Living magazine has 12 distinct recipes for the delicacy. What is true is that Georgia was one of the leading producers of the pepper in the mid-20th century and is ground zero for the dish becoming a regional staple. The exhibit will trace the history back to the Northeast in the late 1800s and will cover some of the most interesting stories including the lawsuits about the cheese served at the Masters Golf tournament. We’ll also display recipes from the famous Georgians and from library staff.

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