Today was all about Soul Food, it’s importance, it’s history, and the impact it’s had on American Southern cooking. Being a helping part in the community and using food to connect people from all cultures and backgrounds are key parts in the purpose of making Soul Food. That same message of being part of a community is spread in a authentic, award winning Southern Food Restaurant called Mama Dips.
Soul food is an African American cuisine that originated in the southern US. First, we watched an episode of “High on the Hog” (a documentary series the explores the origins of African American cuisine, that dropped on Netflix just yesterday!), hosted by chef and writer Stephen Satterfield, titled “The Rice Kingdom”. We learned about how rice farming in South Carolina saw great success when African American slaves were brought to the US. We also learned about many traditions in the south, like roasting an entire pig for family gatherings. In the episode, we also saw some traditional meals made, such as okra soup (also known as okra gumbo), containing vegetables, crab meat and rice. Next, we learned about the history of Mama Dip, and the legacy she left behind in her restaurant, and the people she interacted with. Her restaurant’s menu is full of her own recipes, and they range from Chicken and Waffles to Brunswick Stew; all Southern Soul Food Classics. Collectively, I can say that everyone loved their meals, and was stuffed for the bus ride back to campus. President George Bush and President Obama have both personally visited this restaurant. At Mama Dip’s, we tried everything from chicken and waffles, a classic, to Mama Dip’s specialty, smothered pork chops in gravy. We also got the chance to try some fantastic southern classic sides, such as fried okra and yams. Lastly, we gorged ourselves on dessert, trying classic and chocolate pecan pie, chocolate layer cake, pound cake, and cobblers.
After we took naps on the bus ride back, we turned on another episode of High on the Hog. This time, learning about Texas and the impact of Black Americans on the types of food and Barbecue served. And while the meat is mostly from cows, like brisket, cows were used for more than their meat. The episode touches on how some of the first (1 in 4) Cowboys in America were black, and how as generations have gone by, the amount of people who know the history of cowboys, and specially Black Cowboys is diminishing. To close the episode, Stephen Statterfield joins cookbook author Toni Tipton-Martin for a dinner to celebrate how far Black Americans have come since they we were enslaved, and while we as a country have a long way to go in making sure that Black Americans are treated with the equality, respect, and fairness that they deserve; as a country we have come a long way from the first Juneteenth over 150 years ago celebrating the emancipation of those who were enslaved.
We finished the day by learning some truly interesting facts. For example, did you know, despite the word “yam” and “sweet potato” being used interchangeably in the US, they’re actually two different root vegetables? African Americans, when they first got to the US south, found sweet potatoes similar to the yams they had in Africa, and prepared them in similar ways. Also, did you know that brisket is the cut from the breast of a cow? Today for this discovery term, we learned a lot about soul food, and had the opportunity to try for ourselves how delicious it was!
By Jasmine and Louisa
