Setting the Texas Table
"Texas does not, like any other region, simply have indigenous dishes. It proclaims them. It congratulates you, on your arrival, at having escaped from the slop pails of the other 49 states." – Alistair Cooke
Food is elemental. It feeds the body but also fuels culture, identity and our economy. The foods that define us as Texans are as diverse as the regions, ethnic traditions and industries that populate the 268,597 square miles of the state.
What we present on our table is not only a product of our own history and taste but the culmination of a vast and complex enterprise. From the farmer, rancher or fisherman to the industry promoter and state official, the people and organizations behind the scenes are all part of a thriving system of food production, transportation, marketing, sale, regulation and state support.
Setting the Texas Table serves up a hearty helping of favorite dishes and documents how state government influences the foodways of Texas. The exhibit features archival records from the Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas Tourist Development Agency, the Texas Legislature and governors.