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June is Soul Food Month Pt. 2


PEOPLE SIMPLE LOVE SOUL FOOD

There are very few people out there that have tried soul food and didn't love it. The rich combination of veggies, chicken, sweet potatoes and so much more make soul food an American Tradition. Soul food, popularly known as African-American cuisine or Black People Food, is typically found in the South, but large cities around the nation has their own elements of Soul Food that has been passed down or shared for more than a century. In essence, there is much more to it.

Soul food is a delicious fusion of the culinary traditions of West Africa, France, Spain, and the Americas. While it is typically Southern, not all Southern food is considered soul food Soul food recipes are popular in the South due to the accessibility and affordability of the ingredients.

 


 

WHERE DID SOUL FOOD COME FROM?

The chronology of the journey to the development of soul food is painful and discusting but it's American history just the same. Enslaved people were typically given a pack of cornmeal and 3-4 pounds of pork per week, and from those rations come soul food staples such as cornbread, fried catfish, barbecued ribs, chitterlings, and neckbones.



Weekly food rations like corn meal, lard, some meat, molasses, peas, greens, and flour were distributed each Saturday. Vegetable patches or gardens, if permitted by the owner, supplied fresh produce to add to the rations.


Many slaves formed a good relationship with the American Indians and learned to cook new dishes. As the years went by, soul food became more and more commercially avalable; in restaurants and small private home-based dinnig establishments.

BUT IT IS HEALTY?

Unfortunately, soul food is not generally considered a healthy type of food, and African-Americans have some of the highest rates of obesity and heart disease because of eating this type of food. But chefs and foodies are choosing vegan soul food and other similar options. Also try "Braised collard greens, stewed black-eyed peas, and Oxtail for a healthy soul food meal," says Buckley. Not only are these dishes packed with immense flavor, but they also have a pretty dense nutrient profile too. The term was first used in print in 1964 during the rise of “Black pride,” when many aspects of African American culture—including soul music—were celebrated for their contribution to the American way of life.

Today Soul Food are branded as the foods and techniques associated with the African American cuisine of the United States.


NEXT: Our teram highlights some of the top Soul Food Restaurants in eh U.S. and even vistis a few legendary "neighborhood" establishments that help define communities and cultural landmarks.

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