This year’s LBCC “Messay” contest prompted students to write essays about Black cuisine. The winners were announced in March.
Third place: Luna Uribe
1. In the article it states, “Culinary schools tend to be highly Eurocentric, so chefs who decide to explore the food of the African diaspora are often self-driven.” How do you encourage Black chefs to share their cuisines without fear of appropriation rather than appreciation?
One of my favorite sayings is, “Culture lives in the body.” People make culture through surrounding circumstances and available resources. This is where cuisine arises from, and with this thinking, we can easily trace many dishes’ origins through history.
This essay question asks, “How can Black chefs share their cuisines without fear of appropriation?” But if culture lives in the body, how can someone appropriate their own cuisines? Tanya Holland of Brown Sugar Kitchen says, “This is my heritage … But I have a very diverse repertoire.” Her history informs her cuisine, and she is sharing her culture.
Eduardo Jordan, chef at the Salare in Seattle, combines “the cucina povera of Italy, the Southern and Caribbean flavors that he picked up during his childhood in Florida and a growing interest in his African roots.” He authentically shares his history with those who eat at his restaurant. He is showing appreciation for his history by sharing his story through food.
When you look at the history of cuisines in certain areas, you’ll see a mishmash of different traditions and cultures. To use an example from my culture, the Dominican Republic has Kipes, which are almost identical to Kibbeh made in Lebanon and Syria. However, it is considered a Dominican dish because of the history of Middle Eastern immigration into the country.
This is the same for African American cuisine. Jambalaya and gumbo are two dishes that are adapted from African cuisine. So, if our cuisine evolves and changes with our circumstances, and it can still be considered authentic, why would a modern-day evolution not be considered the same? Brad Johnson, a restauranteur, says, “The objective is not to skirt tradition but to give it a tuneup, with dishes that “show that it can be contemporary without losing the authenticity.”
I stated earlier in this essay that people make culture through surrounding circumstances and available resources. In the modern world, food has become more available for people than in the past. There are resources for Black people to travel the globe and get an education from culinary institutes. The circumstances and resources have changed, and thus, culture and cuisine have changed with it. So, in order for Black chefs to share their cuisines without fear of appropriation rather than appreciation, I suggest just doing it authentically. When you tell your story, make sure it is without lies and with love.
Second place: Liliana Lopez
How do encourage Black chefs to share their cuisines without fear of appropriation rather than appreciation?
Black cuisine is a vibrant and essential part of American culinary history. How can we create a system that empowers Black chefs to share their traditions without the fear of appropriation? Black chefs have been finding new ways to explore the food of Africa in their ways and this exploration has not been supported enough in America, forcing these chefs to be independent but determined. I believe the start of encouraging Black chefs to share their cuisines without fear would be if we recognize they cook more than just soul food, appreciate how they blend different food styles and new cooking methods, and protect their recipes and the stories behind them. The two ways we could begin would be not assuming that all cooking from Black people is going to be soul food and accepting that techniques from other cultures and the modernization of cooking can be brought into a kitchen without diminishing the heritage of a dish.
When you assume that all cooking from Black people is going to be soul food, you damage a chef’s creativity and put constrictions on what they could or should do. Soul food is labeled as something only Black chefs can make with no deviation from the traditional method of cooking. There is a restrictive nature when assuming all Black cuisine is soul food. It limits creative expression. It denies them the freedom to express their individual creativity and culinary innovation. Soul food can be expanded upon such as Nicole A. Taylor who puts a Japanese spin on collard greens. Pigeonholing Black chefs into soul food limits their ability to explore other culinary traditions and techniques. This limitation stifles innovation and prevents the evolution of Black cuisine. The expectation that Black chefs will primarily cook soul food is itself a limitation. While soul food is a vital part of Black culinary heritage, it’s not the only part. This expectation can prevent chefs from exploring other regional cuisines, fusion concepts, or fine dining approaches. If Black chefs have to constantly worry about their cultural context being misrepresented, they are less likely to experiment, innovate, and share their culinary vision. Self-advocacy becomes crucial because it’s the tool they can use to push back against this limitation. By demanding recognition and ownership, they protect their creative space.
Lastly, we need societal acceptance of techniques from other cultures and how the modernization of cooking can be used without diminishing the heritage of a dish. There is a natural evolution of food. Food is dynamic. When you resist change to food it stifles creativity and prevents dishes from reaching wider audiences. Modern techniques and technologies can help preserve culinary heritage. While preserving the essence of traditional dishes, modern techniques and equipment can be used to improve efficiency, consistency, and food safety. This can make traditional food more appealing and accessible to a wider audience. Culinary heritage can be kept alive through creative adaptations and fusion dishes. Chefs can incorporate traditional flavors and ingredients into new and exciting creations, attracting new palates while honoring the past.
In conclusion, the beginning of appreciation over fear in African-American cooking begins with allowing chefs their creativity and understanding that food will change over time with the use of new techniques. So how can we create a system that empowers Black chefs to share their traditions without the fear of appropriation? We acknowledge the diversity of Black cuisine and go beyond soul food and respect the origins/influences that Black chefs cook from.
First place: Mar Lawley
The objective is not to skirt tradition but to give it a tune-up, with dishes that “show that it can be contemporary without losing the authenticity,” in thinking about Black chefs doing this, what parallels do you see in you or your family using traditional recipes with a modern twist:
“Risalamande Richness”
I have never met my Grandmother,
But I have encountered her in my kitchen.
Every Christmas Eve it occurs,
I watch my father’s hands turn into her’s.
I never felt fully grown
Until my father decided I had earned
The cherry liqueur drizzles on top.
My sister didn’t like it, but I ate every drop.
No almond has found me yet,
But I know that I have won.
Every tweak to Mormor’s recipe,
Leaves my mouth, my soul, in ecstasy.
To Black families and modern dinners,
To fragrant fondness and simmering smiles.
With the heat of a stove, chests heave.
I have seen your tenderness inside of me.
A heart as warm as akvavit,
And cheeks as red as rødkål,
I tell you, I see, I know,
The love folded into biscuit dough.
