4AFR afrICAN AMERICAN
understood as dishes prepared
by Southern African Americans,
though these hearty foods are en-
joyed in communities throughout
the United States. This style of
cooking emphasizes innovation
and using available ingredients to
create meals. Soul food represents
the privations of enslavement,
where black families were allotted
the poorest cuts of meat and left
overs from owners’ tables, while
any supplements of fresh vegeta-
bles, fruits, or breads were pro-
vided by enslaved people’s own
stoves or gardens that they
worked after returning from
tasks. Richly seasoned dishes
such as collard greens or catfish
and cornbread cooked with corn-
meal and oil that are staples of
soul food restaurants and African
American kitchens were born out
of subsistence diets and were
originally derided as lower-class
forms of cooking. Today, how-
ever, soul food is a cherished form
of connection between individual
African Americans and black
communities. Not only do certain
foods recall a connection to the
unique legacy of enslavement, but other dishes that are African American hallmarks
represent the survival of African customs in North America. Vegetables such as sweet
potatoes and okra, certain grains of rice and sorghum, and fruits like watermelon
derived from Africa and became integral to Southern kitchens and regional cuisine
alike, including Creole and Low Country fare where dishes such as gumbo, hoppin’
john, and biscuits and cane syrup are standard items.
African American food is not merely eaten, but celebrated as a link to the past,
between people and communities. Therefore, table manners and general etiquette at
daily meals, formal gatherings, or milestones such as weddings and funerals demand
appreciation for meals that are actually cultural markers. Refusing dishes is often
viewed with suspicion or as an affront to the cook or community. Some foods, how-
ever, are generally considered taboo among African Americans and their culinary
traditions. For example, pastas served with tomato sauce are historically rejected as
masks for spells, a tradition born out of West African Voudon and Santeria practices
Young African American men in New York City exhib-
iting culturally appropriate fashion. A distinct urban
way of dressing is widely accepted in the African
American community. (sx70/iStockphoto.com)
