Soul food cuisine consists of an selection of traditional afro-American dishes and originates from the traditional African kitchen.
Slave traders forced native Africans on slave ships to work in America during the 15th century. The slave traders were real cheap skates, feeding their workers at the lowest cost possible. They fed the slaves leftovers and vegetables such as cabbage. Most of these products were unknown to the oppressed hard workers, who made African style recipes with them. They developed recipes made with lard or pig feet. These recipes were passed on orally as slaves weren't allowed to read or write.
A fusion kitchen arose when the African kitchen was influenced by the kitchen of native Americans, who ate corn and wild berries as well.
The first soul food cookbook entitled "What Mrs. Fisher knows of old southern cooking" was written by Abby Fisher (1881).
The term soul food became popular in the sixties. .
The sharing of food, seated all together around a table, is one of the basic elements of soul food. Soul food is meant to be eaten with soul mates and friends in a cozy setting.
Collard, mustard or turnip greens, sweet potato pie, peach cobbler, gator meat balls, Memphis barbecue, southern buttermilk chicken, Brunswick stew, Creole chicken gumbo, oven barbecued baby beef ribs, uncle Raive's calve liver casserole, crab cakes, fried yams, green bean casserole, cole slaw, black eyed pea casserole, tamale pie, .... You name it, soul food has it!
Blacks and whites are now eating soul food together!
Article written by Geert Jan Van Laethem
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