JASMINE P. TING
Culture

Celebrating Black History Through Food

A collection of SAVEUR’s best stories about the foods and culinary traditions of the African diaspora

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on February 21, 2019

In honor of Black History Month, we're paying tribute to the culinary traditions and accomplishments of Black chefs across the globe. Not limited to Americans, these stories dive deep into traditions beloved by a variety of cultures displaced during the African diaspora. In one, Dr. Jessica B. Harris describes a culinary road trip through Provence with American author James Baldwin. In another, African-Canadian writer Chantal Martineau explores the roots of her country's complicated history with Black Canadians through the foods of her native Nova Scotia. One describes a Nigerian-born chef's radical dinner series in Pittsburgh, which seeks to facilitate love marriages between immigrants and American citizens. These stories take us to the American South, to Brazil, to the Caribbean, Chicago, and beyond, shedding light on important perspectives that are too often overlooked.

At the Table with Jimmy
Dining with James Baldwin , Jessica B. Harris

Jessica B. Harris

last haitain cafe
Marriage Trumps All
Can A Blind Dinner Date Help Bring Down Border Walls?

Nigerian chef Tunde Wey’s latest dinner series hosts first dates as a commentary on American immigration policy. Read More »

2019 Saveur Blog Awards

At the Four Way, the bloggers made sure to capture a few choice shots of their soul food lunch before digging in.

Taueret Khepera, Owner of Khepera’s Kitchen
Taueret Khepera, owner of Khepera’s Kitchen

Taueret Khepera, owner of Khepera’s Kitchen

Jennifer Weekes bottles her eponymous pepper sauce in her kitchen.

73-year-old priestess Mãe Pel

Revelers lift 73-year-old priestess Mãe Pel from the water.

africa cookbook cabbage
Workin' Roots: On The Importance Of A Shared Oral History

Over a glass of wine, Dr. Jessica B. Harris discusses the sharing of agricultural knowledge and the complicated culinary implications of the African Diaspora. Read More »

The avalanche: A server at Dooky Chase restocks the fried chicken during the restaurant’s lunch buffet.

The Author Of 'The Cooking Gene' On The Black Soul Of American Eating

Historian Michael Twitty recreates the food of his enslaved ancestors to unravel the African American roots of Southern cuisine. Read More »

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