Have you ever really thought about the foods you eat? And, why you eat them?

Several years ago, the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution traveled an exhibition called "Key Ingredients: America by Food." It examined the evolution of the American diet and the nation's changing food industries. "Key Ingredients" also looked beyond the home to restaurants and diners, food festivals, farming practices, table manners, kitchen gadgets, and more.

As the exhibition traveled, the Smithsonian gathered stories about local recipes and food traditions. Some of those personal anecdotes are included in this tour.

This story collecting initiative later became part of the "Stories from Main Street" project--an effort to gather stories about small-town life across the United States.

The initial project was the brainchild of the Smithsonian's "Museum on Main Street" program, which brings traveling exhibitions about subjects of national importance to small towns across America. This content is also included in the "Be Here: Main Street" initiative. "Be Here: Main Street" is a program created by the MuseWeb Foundation, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), and powered by izi.TRAVEL. #bHereMainSt

The tour covers the following locations: Charleston, South Carolina; Fremont, Utah; Dobb's Ferry, New York; Jamestown, Tennessee; Sylva, North Carolina; Lewiston, Maine; Tucson, Arizona; Trenton, Ohio; and Alpena, Michigan.