June is National Soul Food Month and we’re here for all the deliciousness it brings! Started 24 years ago, National Soul Food Month began as a way to recognize the food and foodways of African Americans and the African diaspora.
Not only does it honor the many hands that contributed to shaping what we call soul food today, but it also turns the spotlight on the ingredients that make soul food recipes on par with many of the world’s great cuisines.
When Soul Food Gets Its Own Month
“June was chosen as the month to celebrate because it brings in fresh, seasonal foods and coincides with family celebrations and Juneteenth. If you’re in the South, many of the foods that we don’t see till July [in other parts of the country] are already hitting peak growing season in the southern part of the United States,” shares Charla L. Draper, renowned culinary consultant and the founder of National Soul Food Month.
The Chicago-based food writer started the culinary celebration in 2001 as a way to honor soul food, which is uniquely American cuisine. “The contributions that our group has made to the culinary world has had an indelible impact on the American menu,” she points out.
This year’s celebration honors Edna Lewis, celebrated chef/teacher and author of several iconic cookbooks on southern cooking, with a June 11th screening of the Emmy-nominated documentary “Finding Edna Lewis” at the Reva and David Center for the Arts in Chicago.
What Is Soul Food?
“Soul food is really the food of our ancestors and elders, evolving from what was eaten during enslavement,” defines Draper about the cuisine. “Soul food—the food—was the original comfort food. It’s the food that evolved from what we were fed, or created when we were enslaved.”
As such, the ingredients that makeup soul food recipes are an undeniable part of its DNA, with the resulting traditional dishes finding a place of honor on the tables of many family celebrations.
10 Soul Food Dishes Always On the Menu
While soul food recipes vary, these ten iconic dishes will never fail to make an appearance at the celebratory table.
Mixed Cooked Greens—Collards, turnips, cabbage and kale are just some of the mixed greens that are seasoned and cooked in a number of ways in soul food recipes. “The type of greens folks tend to eat is based on the area of the country where their families grew up,” notes Draper. “For example, kale is more popular on the East Coast, whereas my grandmother who was originally from Alabama, always made turnip greens and mustard greens.” The food expert observes that collard greens may have gained in popularity not only for their taste but also because they are the easiest to clean.
Cornbread—Of course, you can’t have cooked mixed greens without cornbread. Whether traditionally made from scratch with yellow or white cornmeal, milk and eggs or cooked quickly with the help of a box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, cornbread can take on a sweet or savory flavor profile. “The recipe that I used was my grandmother’s cornbread recipe, and she always added a box of Jiffy mix to her cornmeal and other ingredients,” shares the culinary consultant. “Jiffy mix has more of a sweet profile. If people prepare cornbread using a different box mix, such as Martha White Buttermilk Cornmeal Mix, that’s a less sweet cornbread.”
By Jocelyn Amador
