The Delta
I went to Cleveland, MS today to judge barbecue. Cleveland is in the Mississippi Delta. I’m sure most of you have heard of the Delta, but I’ll give you a brief history and some fun facts! The Delta is an alluvial plain which runs from Memphis, TN to Vicksburg, MS. One author wrote that, “The Delta begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and ends at Catfish Row in Vicksburg.” It lies between the Mississippi River to the west, and the Talahatchie/Yazoo Rivers to the east. It is the home of some of the richest farm land in the world, made up of sediment deposited by floods over millions of years. Cotton used to be king in the Delta, but due to high production costs and low market price for cotton, soybeans and corn have become the predominant crops. Catfish and rice are also grown there The Delta is rich in cultural diversity. The area is made up of whites, African Americans who descended from slaves, Italians and Chinese who came her...