Description
Book SynopsisMoving beyond catfish and collard greens to the soul of African American cooking
Trade Review“A quick and enjoyable read that is informative about the relationships between food, culture, and defining moments in world, southern, and African American history.”--
The Journal of Southern History"This fascinating book reveals a little-known history and ties it to present-day values. It is well written and accessible to a general audience, for whom it is highly recommended."--
Multicultural Review "Anne L. Bower has compiled a very tasty collection of essays into which the historian or food lover can really sink his teeth. . . . The essays provide an expansive and interdisciplinary view of African American culinary history as well as insight into the current trends in what is more generally known as 'soul food.' "--
Southern Historian"
African American Foodways: Exploration of History & Culture is a must read for anyone interested in the influence of history and culture on how foods are produced, collected, stored, prepared, and consumed. It is an excellent resource for those interested in food and its connection to identity and will be an absolute delight for anyone who may have thought the tern 'soul food' was inclusive of the many meanings attached to food by African Americans and others."--
Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences"An exquisite mélange of American and black history; famous black Americans and people they served; allusions to jazz, poetry, rap, stories, and literature; and food traditions make up this credible, readable book. . . . Recommended."--
Choice"Bower's reputation in the study of African American foodways is already very significant, and this achievement will only add to it. With subjects ranging from soul food to cookbooks, the writers in this volume will change our thinking about African American food and culture."--Sherrie A. Inness, author of
Secret Ingredients: Race, Gender, and Class at the Dinner TableTable of ContentsAcknowledgments / ix
Introduction: Watching
Soul Food Anne L. Bower / 1
PART ONE: THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN FOOD
1. Food Crops, Medicinal Plants, and the Atlantic Slave Trade
Robert L. Hall / 17
2. Soul Food as Cultural Creation
William C. Whit / 45
3. Excavating the South's African American Food History
Anne Yentsch / 59
PART TWO: REPRESENTATIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN FOOD
4. From Fiction to Foodways: Working at the Intersections of African American Literary and Culinary Studies
Doris Witt / 101
5. Chickens and Chains: Using African American Foodways to Understand Black Identities
Psyche Williams-Forson / 126
6. Recipes for Respect: Black Hospitality Entrepreneurs before World War 1
Rafia Zafar / 139
7. Recipes for History: The National Council of Negro Women's Five Historical Cookbooks
Anne L. Bower / 153
Contributors / 175
Index / 177
