Chomping for an A

Four Birmingham-Southern College boys ~ Art "Captain" Richey, Will "Billy the Kid" Foster, Jeff "Blinky" Vaughan, and Matt "Bus Driver" Lee ~ have gotten themselves into a plum class assignment, traversing 5 states on an odyssey in search of the perfect barbecued ribs.

(You can read about their adventures in the AP article by Jay Reeves. Or better yet, check out the boys' website, 'Southern BBQ Boys.)

For a foodie who happens to go nuts over ribs (though I prefer beef ribs as opposed to the pork ribs that are very popular in the south), that would be my kind of assignment.

There's more to good food than just the food itself.

Food is not just fuel and nutrition. It's also a sensuous enjoyment as well as a balm for the ravaged soul. Just think about why we call certain foods "comfort foods."

Not only that, there's a rich culture that surrounds and permeates each dish.

Nations and cultures invest a great emotional attachment towards their specialty dishes. After all, certain foods serve as gastronomic ambassadors and are representatives of a specific country or culture.

Each dish carries the weight of cultural pride.

When you think of France, you think of fine wine. Italy has its mind-boggling variety of pastas. Russia has its borst. And the South has its special barbecued ribs.

So the boys weren't just sampling great ribs and fixings, they were also getting a taste of the various southern cultures that they encountered on their not-so-typical college boy road trip.

These boys were also getting a education, and having fun in the process.

Just reading about the boys' adventures makes me want to adjust our potential route to Lubbock so that I could sample the fare at some of the places that the boys visited, like Neely's Bar-B-Que in Memphis.

Why, I may even be tempted in trying their barbecued spaghetti, which supposedly tastes far better than it looks. (Click on the link for the recipe.)