Blackberry sorbet made with blackberries from Burkart Organics. For a former New Yorker there's a lot to get used to about Southern California life. For the first eight years I lived here I felt like a winter kale wilting in the summer sun. It took leaving and moving all over the country before I figured out that there's something truly special about Southern California. Rest assured it's not Lindsay Lohan. While to most people California is a postcard of beaches and palms trees, much of the Golden State is actually farmland, a fact that is reflected by the more than 50 certified farmers' markets in Los Angeles County alone. Perhaps the most famous of these markets is the one... More

California is a date mecca, especially in the southern half near Palm Springs. The prune-resembling pellets are packed with natural sugars, which makes them a great—yet shocking to outsiders—ingredient for milkshakes. More

In December, we brought you a Serious Eats Fish Taco crawl, but played special favoritism to Orange County. Commenters squealed when San Diego got no love. Herewith, a second chapter of the crawl, focusing on the San Diego county. This one especially goes out to observant Catholics, looking for more than just the local parish's fish fry on tomorrow's last Lenten Friday.... More

Can fro-yo dialogue ever exist without a reference to Pinkberry anymore? There's more to swirly creaminess than the controversial Korean chain, especially in the fro-yo motherland of So-Cali. Here are my five top fro-yo shops without a Pinkberry in sight. More

Scattered near Southern Cali college campuses like UCI and UCLA, Asian-style bubble teahouses stay open late, serving the student community. They go through boxes of extra-fat straws, wide enough to fit tapioca balls or "boba" as it's often called, about the size of marbles. Stab their fluorescent-colored straws into cellophane-wrapped plastic cups which is filled with traditional flavors (green or black milk tea) or fruitier options (lychee, honeydew, mango). Gummy and gelatinous, the tapioca boba bubbles sitting at the bottom of each cup symbolize a cultural staple for young Asians in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and all over California. For only about two bucks, the drink (hot or cold) is just as important as the scene—brightly-lit with comfy couches, usually... More

When in Rome, eat spaghetti, and when in SoCal, inhale the fish tacos. Outsiders may find the beachside tradition gross or confusing, but it’s home between two corn tortillas for locals. Whether kitschy Mexican restaurant or mini-mall taco chain, the drill is the same. Wrap 'em with foil and love. More

Southern Foodways appears on Fridays as part of our collaboration with the Southern Foodways Alliance, an organization based in Oxford, Mississippi, that "documents and celebrates the diverse food cultures of the American South." Dig in! Culinary Tourism is a thing—a big thing. So big, it has its own industry group: the International Culinary Tourism Association. Municipalities work to sell their local food scene as tourist-worthy. The National Trust for Historic Preservation names a Dozen Distinctive Destinations each year, cities chosen in part for their culinary diversity and draw. All in all, this probably is a bandwagon worth jumping on because when culinary tourism thrives, it’s local restaurants, artisans, and farmers who benefit. Engaging in culinary tourism is actually pretty easy.... More