Typically urban and staffed predominantly by white middle class men, the craft food boom in the US is perceived as a departure from tradition and mainstream lifestyles. But this image obscures the diverse communities that have supported artisanal foods for centuries. Using the oral histories of over 100 people, this book brings to light the voices, experiences and histories of marginalized groups who keep Southern foodways alive. The "larger than life" stories of these individuals reveal the complex reality behind the movement and show how they are the backbone of the so-called "new explosion" of craft food.