Soul Food as Cultural Creation

Abstract

This article argues that cuisine is one form of “culture” and that therefore, Soul Food is creating a new culture.

The fusion cuisine created by African American slaves synthesized spicy ingredients and ways of cooking from a variety of west-African cultures. As the area most respected by the white slave owners, slaves were encouraged to make artistic and creative use of native and imported ingredients.

There resulted a Southern cultural cuisine which was a source of pride to both whites and African Americans.

The melting pot that worked in America was, in fact, the cooking pot.