Soul Food

In honor of Black History month, I decided to focus on Soul Food. I know that when you think of soul food, the word appetizer isn't what first comes to mind. Most folks think of soul food as great heaping plates of greens, fried chicken, smothered chops, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, and pies: big bubbling pots of food doled out in huge portions. Well, that is true, but the history of the cuisine is as rich and varied as the African American culture, and appetizers have a role.

While the general belief is that soul food came into existence during the slave days when the Africans had to make do with with the leftovers that their white owners didn't want to eat, this is not the whole truth. Many of the distinctive ingredients of soul food have been common for centuries in Africa, such as yams, okra, chicken and fish, leafy greens.

In the traditional African diet, meat was used sparingly, although fish was abundant. It was a healthy way of eating, utilizing mostly fresh vegetables and grains. Meals were eaten as a community, thus giving rise to the tradition of story-telling and the recitation of oral history.

Once forced from their homeland and sold into slavery, some of the same foods indigenous to Africa began growing in the southern parts of the United States. Some historians believe that the European traders brought these foods with them to grow; while others believe that the seeds were brought over by the African slaves themselves.

During the cruel period of slavery, Africans did have to make do with the leftovers the white slave holders didn't want. The tops of turnips and beets and dandelions replaced the leafy greens of home, and were cooked in lard to give them flavor. Each week, the slave owners gave out a few pounds of meat, molasses and corn meal, and the African women became very creative in making flavorful meals out of these paltry ingredients.

Once the Africans became cooks in the plantation houses and were given the best ingredients to work with, Southern cooking became alive. The traditional African ways of cooking melded with the American ingredients the slave holders were used to, and a truly delicious style of cooking was created.

Yet, this still wasn't the heart of soul food. After a long, difficult day in the homes or the fields of their masters, the African men and women would gather in the old traditional way and create a meal together. They would re-tell old stories and visit the family and friends who were still available. The pots simmering on the stove and the thought of a minute of peace and rest became a meal for both the body and the soul.

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