Virginia’s food culture is equal parts beloved and diverse: oysters, fried fruit pies, pimento cheese, ham on sweet potato biscuits, peanuts, mac and cheese. These cherished food traditions provide us with a connection to family and history.
As our world becomes increasingly connected, what happens to those handwritten recipes passed down through generations? Or those extra additions and substitutions only spoken aloud and never written?
Three regional nonprofits are working together to preserve and share not only those dishes that mean the most to us but also the universal experience of coming together at a table.
Rappahannock Recipe Roots is a new project from the Fredericksburg Area Museum, Rappahannock Goodwill Industries and the Fredericksburg Free Press.
Guests can upload a family recipe along with a cherished memory or story behind the dish and a photo to a new digital archive called the Fredericksburg History Archive, built and maintained by the Fredericksburg Area Museum. As the collection grows, select recipes and stories will be shared in the Fredericksburg Free Press’s daily newsletter throughout November.
The Rappahannock Recipe Roots project began with a simple idea: bringing the community closer by reviving the culinary legacy that has shaped the region. Rappahannock Goodwill Industries, known locally for its commitment to community engagement, contributed the first ingredient in the recipe: inspiration, born in the mind of Sofia De Hoyos, senior director of marketing.
“I put together a proposal that Seth (Silber) graciously agreed to review,” De Hoyos said. “To my surprise and delight, he not only looked it over but also shared it with other key community leaders, such as Dr. Gaila Sims, Kylie Thomson and Sam McKelvey at FAM, and members of the board of the Fredericksburg Free Press.
“What began as a simple idea of fostering connections through food and stories grew into what we now proudly call the Rappahannock Recipe Roots project.”
More than just a celebration of food — it’s a journey back to the rich cultural and culinary heritage of our region, organizers said.
The project is about reconnecting people to their roots — whether through their grandmother’s handwritten recipe card, a traditional family dish, or a meal that brings back childhood memories. It’s an invitation for everyone in our region to share in the collective heritage that food brings to the table.
“At the Fredericksburg Area Museum, our mission is to build community and create experiences by preserving and sharing all our stories,” said Kylie Thomson, collections and exhibitions coordinator at FAM.
“This archive was designed to allow the community to contribute to preserving history without having to part with their photographs as most archives require you to do. When the Rappahannock Roots project came about, we knew this was the perfect opportunity to come together to explore family traditions and fun around the holidays in a grassroots community effort.”
Seth Silber, co-chair and board member for the Fredericksburg Free Press, said he hopes the community will enthusiastically participate in the program.
“Our goal at the Free Press is to bring the stories of our community forward. Celebrating the food traditions of the residents of our region is an exciting way to fulfill this mission,” he said. “We are thrilled to partner with Goodwill, FAM, and our other partners in this recipe project in what we hope will become an annual tradition.”
Submissions are accepted now through the end of October: www.fxbghistoryarchive.org/reciperoots.
