FOOD NEWS
Doodle Soup Is So Adored In Tennessee That It Has Its Own Festival
BY MICHELLE WELSCH
Each year in September, a festival known as Doodle Soup Days is held in Bradford, Tennessee, where the small town buzzes with excitement to honor its unique soup recipe.
The soup is made up of chicken drippings, vinegar, cayenne pepper, and flour, but the ingredient amounts are up to the chefs. Locals often eat it with crackers or fresh biscuits.
The Tennessean, a Tennessee news site, describes the dish as a "Southern version of Chinese hot and sour soup." It’s usually made with chicken, but other meats have been used.
The origins of the soup are uncertain, but the festival’s are not. In the 1970s, a resident began cooking vats of the soup to sell at the town park, and the event became popular.
This popularity prompted the establishment of the festival, and in 1980, over 30 gallons of soup were ladled out to attendees, who would also participate in various fun activities.