When did you first dip a spoon into a rich, soul-satisfying, flavor-bomb bowl of gumbo? If you grew up in a Black community, it probably was at your grandma’s or mama’s table. That taste you loved might have been a special gumbo served during Christmas or New Year’s holidays or maybe at a Super Bowl party.
No matter when or where, it is an unforgettable memory for gumbo lovers. “It was one of those things that always brought the family together. It was a great meal that people enjoyed around the table,” says Lambert Givens, executive chef at Hunter’s Kitchen & Bar in South Boston.
Although Givens grew up in Connecticut, he spent many Sundays making gumbo with his grandmother, Roberta Williams, who lived in Alabama and Utah before moving to the North.
“Making that Sunday gumbo together with her was always a fun experience and one of my favorite pastimes,” the chef reflects. “That was one of the things that really connected us back to the Southern roots. It was one of those recipes where you could taste the story and how things evolved over time in that dish.”
A Gumbo Black Heritage Story
The history of gumbo evolved over time into a story that highlights the Black heritage of the dish that is world famous. Food historians today trace some of the ingredients to Africa, as stated in an article on Cook Night:
“The answer lies in the stew’s complex composition. Gumbo’s base, a thick, flavorful roux made from flour and oil, bears striking similarities to the “fonio” sauce found in West African cuisine. Additionally, many of gumbo’s signature ingredients, such as okra, tomatoes, and chili peppers, are native to Africa.”
Gumbo’s evolution as Louisiana’s signature dish also has roots in a melting pot of French, Spanish and Native American culinary influences, including the rice from the French, cayenne from the Spanish and the Choctaw Indians’ filé powder made from sassafras leaves.
Its significance dates back centuries to a multicultural stew of people passing down gumbo traditions in their families and neighborhoods. In African American communities in New Orleans and elsewhere, a pot of gumbo became an occasion for celebration.
By Phyllis Armstrong
