It’s hard to be aware of the impact that food has. For many people food is simply an essential part of living. most people eat multiple times a day and this causes us to take our meals for granted. Throughout the semester I have learned how food has had a major impact on cultures and economies in the US and abroad. I noticed a lot of people holds such a significant value with the types of food they grew up with without even realizing it. Many people are stuck in food patterns and never escape while others are constantly looking for a new foods to try. Luckily luckily for myself I was born into a family with a constantly evolving pallets. once you learn the History and origin behind certain foods it gives it a whole new meaning. Learning about different regions within Mexico and the different dishes they produce spawned curiosity within me.
I learned about the eating patterns of many Mexican people and how many dishes came to be about. Just like these people I grew up with the culture of my own. I reached out to my granparents, my favorite cooks, to learn the history and how to make some of my favorite childhood dishes. Most of my grandparents are from the south which means that I grew up with a lot of Cajun and Creole cuisine. Being able to handle spicy foods was critical in my household. Shrimp crawfish and catfish are essential parts of my family’s diet. Although, as a child I was never really a big fan of some of these sea creatures. Maybe even to this day. However, it is easy to see how that has become the staple in southern cultures. Cajun cuisine is a combination of Spanish, French and West African cooking techniques. In Louisiana, many of the ingredients are relatively simple in preparation style and locally available. Vegetables such as onions and bell peppers repeat in most recipes due to their abundance and affordable! The origins of Cajun and Creole food is based in the need to adapt. For the people who settled in areas such as Louisiana, it was an extreme shift in temperature throwing off the recipes for traditional dishes.
When I go home for thanksgiving I can always expect one of my favorite dishes; gumbo.
It wasn’t until this year that I realized how many people are unaware of gumbo. Gumbo is super popular with Louisianan’s and it’s transplants, it is actually the states official cuisine. Gumbo is a soup that can be made in several different ways but it usually requires a meat stock and certain vegetables. These vegetables are usually what Louisiana’s like to refer to as the “Holy Trinity of vegetables” celery, bell peppers, and onions as mentioned before. Other dishes include Jambalaya, Po’ boy, blackened fish, Crawfish Monica,and Etoufee.
My family loves soul food. Along with our jambalaya and gumbo soul food is very important in my home. The original recipes of soul fool can be traced back before slavery to west Africa and British food-ways. Once Africans arrive to the Americas these foodways were adapted to the environment of the region. These foods also came about by receiving less than desired food from slave masters and low wages (post slavery). during slavery work days were long and hard which caused slaves the need to consume more on a daily basis. In order to achieve a higher calorie intake breading meats and fish is with cornmeal and mixing meats and vegetables became an honored tradition. During slavery, slaves had a low life expectancy to begin with, as a result, healthy food was not a major concern. After slavery, these traditions were passed down, although the lifestyle of the African American had changed significantly. Since then it is widely known that these foods contain a high mount of calories in sodium linked to heart disease and blood pressure. due to the affordability of this food and the familiarity it may be hard to see a significant change in diet for the people stuck within this tradition. "Introduction of soul food to northern cities such as Washington D.C. also came from private chefs in the White House.[13] Many American Presidents have desired French cooking, and have sought after black chefs given their Creole background. The 23rd President of the United States Benjamin Harrison, and former first lady Caroline Harrison, took this same route when they terminated their French cooking staff for a black woman by the name of Dolly Johnson.' [14]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_food
Akosua Mtammbuzi
It’s hard to be aware of the impact that food has. For many people food is simply an essential part of living. Most people eat multiple times a day and this causes us to take our meals for granted. Throughout the semester I have learned how food has had a major impact on cultures and economies in the US and abroad. I noticed a lot of people holds such a significant value with the types of food they grew up with without even realizing it. Many people are stuck in food patterns and never escape while others are constantly looking for a new foods to try. Luckily luckily for myself I was born into a family with a constantly evolving taste. Once you learn the History and origin behind certain foods it gives it a whole new meaning. Learning about different regions within Mexico and the different dishes they produce spawned curiosity within me.
I learned about the eating patterns of many Mexican people and how many dishes came to be about. Just like these people I grew up with the culture of my own. I reached out to my grandma, one of my favorite cooks, to learn the history and how to make some of my favorite childhood dishes. Most of my grandparents are from the south which means that I grew up with a lot of Cajun and Creole cuisine. Being able to handle spicy foods was critical in my household. Shrimp crawfish and catfish are essential parts of my family’s diet. Although, as a child I was never really a big fan of some of these sea creatures. Maybe even to this day. However, it is easy to see how that has become the staple in southern cultures. Cajun cuisine is a combination of Spanish, French and West African cooking techniques. In Louisiana, many of the ingredients are relatively simple in preparation style and locally available. Vegetables such as onions and bell peppers repeat in most recipes due to their abundance and affordable! The origins of Cajun and Creole food is based in the need to adapt. For the people who settled in areas such as Louisiana, it was an extreme shift in temperature throwing off the recipes for traditional dishes.
When I go home for thanksgiving I can always expect one of my favorite dishes; gumbo.
It wasn’t until this year that I realized how many people are unaware of gumbo. Gumbo is super popular with Louisianan’s and it’s transplants, it is actually the states official cuisine. Gumbo is a soup that can be made in several different ways but it usually requires a meat stock and certain vegetables. These vegetables are usually what Louisiana’s like to refer to as the “Holy Trinity of vegetables” celery, bell peppers, and onions as mentioned before. Other dishes include Jambalaya, Po’ boy, blackened fish, Crawfish Monica,and Etouffee.
My family loves soul food. Along with our jambalaya and gumbo soul food is very important in my home. The original recipes of soul fool can be traced back before slavery to west Africa and British food-ways. Once Africans arrive to the Americas these foodways were adapted to the environment of the region. These foods also came about by receiving less than desired food from slave masters and low wages (post slavery). during slavery work days were long and hard which caused slaves the need to consume more on a daily basis. In order to achieve a higher calorie intake, breading meats and fish with cornmeal and mixing meats and vegetables became an honored tradition. During slavery, slaves had a low life expectancy to begin with, as a result, healthy food was not a major concern. After slavery, these traditions were passed down, although the lifestyle of the African American had changed significantly. Meals like this are now reserved for special occasions. For example, Sunday dinner or Thanksgiving.
Since then it is widely known that these foods contain a high amount of calories in sodium linked to heart disease and blood pressure. due to the affordability of this food and the familiarity it may be hard to see a significant change in diet for the people stuck within this tradition.
The only one of my grandparents who is not from the south is my grandmother, Elaine, who is from outside Southside Chicago. But, no matter which grandparent I picked it seems like I always end up with ties to the south because of this I know that a lot of my culture is rooted in European influence on African culture. Tracing my family back to France and east Africa explains how my family developed the pallet that they have and how food connects us as African-American people.
As my grandma mentioned before, food is very important for social gatherings and staying in touch with family members. no matter where you go people in each country celebrate each meal in a different way. The way that we share foods is what keeps us connected as a people.
it doesn’t matter if you’re in California, Louisiana, Silver Spring, Maryland or southside Chicago. A home cooked meal can easily transport you back to your roots.
Check out the interview I did with my grandmother!
Kosi Eats 