Introduction
Food is an essential part of our life, and it is hard to imagine the world without a variety of cuisines. Nowadays, it is not only a basic need for a human but also a source of pleasure and a good reason to spend time together with your relatives and friends. We are all used to a wide choice of national cuisines and always try something new and unusual. Food has an important function: it brings cultures together and allows people to learn more about other nations and their gastronomic habits. Soul food and barbeque are some of the most favorite meals among Americans. But do you know where they first appeared and how they gained popularity in the US? This article will take you on a gastronomic journey across the US to find out the origins of the famous soul food and barbeque.
The Origins of Soul Food
Just imagine: golden macaroni and melted cheese, fried chicken with a crispy crust, okra, and collard greens that add contrast to the dish – your mouth is watering already? These are the traditional components of a soul dinner. As you can see, the ingredients, as well as the preparation process, are not complicated, but there is a long history behind this cuisine that makes it a subject of heated discussions. Not all of us know that soul food first originated in the Southern United States and was eaten by African slaves first (Penn, 2015). It took the food many years to become popular in all states of America, and it has made a long journey.
This cuisine dates back to the times when the American South still had slavery. During the American colonial period, soul food was what West Africans who worked on southern plantations were given to eat (Penn, 2015). Enslaved people worked hard and needed many calories, which they could find in soul food. The demand for high-energy food led to certain cooking traditions such as frying and breading meat with cornmeal. Then, these cooking techniques became widespread in larger Southern cultures. The cuisine that we have now was not the same at the time, and it has been modified throughout history. Impoverished people in the south of the US prepared the same dishes but with variations. Later, the cuisine spread to the north, where it was a part of black migrants’ daily meals and became famous in certain civil rights circles (Penn, 2015). For many years, soul food was a necessity, but it has transformed into a part of traditional American cuisine. When black Americans started cooking for presidents, the cuisine received increasing popularity. From that point on, soul food has been treated as a good meal for all Americans.
Barbecue
Who does not like the smoky taste of the meat prepared over a fire? Our ancestors knew how to cook, and invented this simple but so delicious way to roast meat. These days, the word “barbeque” has several meanings: it is a grilling device, a cooking method, and an occasion where people gather to prepare a meal and spend time together. A simple act of cooking meat has evolved into an event. For many people, barbeque is an inherent part of their lifestyle: they make barbeque each weekend or celebrate weddings, birthdays, and other events. Americans treat barbeque not only as a delicious meal but as a cultural phenomenon. For years of making barbeque, this process has become more complicated. There are various techniques of preparation: smoking, grilling, and roasting. Different countries and regions have their styles of doing it. So, what are the roots of this cooking method, and how did it gain the affection of Americans?
Like soul food, barbecue originated in the South. Its history began in colonial times and is connected with enslaved Africans and Native Americans (Auchmutey, 2019). This food became popular among slaves because pork was cheap and easy to maintain. Moreover, it took less time to prepare pork compared to beef or other meat. Interestingly, barbecue positively influenced the economy in the South as pigs were raised and sold by the residents of the region. So, Southerners started cooking pigs over the fire, adding it to their food culture. Later, they moved west into new territories and brought the tradition of cooking pork on the barbecue with them (Auchmutey, 2019). This is how this way of preparing meat became a favorite all over the US. Independence Day also contributed to the popularity of barbeque. Americans started used to make barbecue on this day, which soon became a custom. For example, Auchmutey (2019) writes that “in Kansas City itself, barbecues were usually big events celebrating Independence Day” (p. 91). This tradition continues, and one can hardly imagine this event without pork and the smell of smoke.
All in all, everything that is brilliant is simple. This expression describes soul food and barbeque in the best possible way. The history of more than a hundred years makes soul food and barbeque not as simple as they may seem and contributes to their cultural significance for Americans. Next time you gather with your family and friends for a barbeque or to eat soul food, think about their origins and importance for the US. This can make your meal even more enjoyable!
References
Auchmutey, J. (2019). Smokelore: A short history of barbecue in America. University of Georgia Press.
Penn, S. B. (2015). Soul food: An interpretation of the history, significance and southern roots of the American cuisine [Doctoral dissertation]. The University of Mississippi.