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Black American Soul Food vs. African Food


Guest LKC1218

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Guest LKC1218

Hey people! I have decided to bring up another topic about Black culture and people. The topic I want to discuss is African American Soul Food vs. African Food. Soul food has been apart of American fabric for a very long time. Although, the remnants of soul food have come from our history here in the country. Fried chicken came from Europe, Corn Bread came from the Native Americans and chitterlings came from the scraps that the African slaves made a meal out of. On the other hand, African food is a mix of beans, plantains, chicken, goat, corn and yucca root amongst other things. Some may say that there is nothing wrong with Soul food since that is apart of who we are but due to the way that it's cook, it has made many of us sick (diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure). African food on the other hand tends to have more variety and nutritional value. So, the question is, should we continue to eat Soul food since it is our own or should we eat our ancestral food that tends to be more healthy for us? I've made a YouTube video about this topic as well and I would like to know what you all think of it.

 

My video: 

 

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I've thought of "soul food" as slave food for a long time. The only reason I EVER at chitlins ("chitterlings") was because I saw my dad, mom, grandma, and great grandma all eating that sh*t (literally). I also learned to like hot sauce at a very young age as a result to cover the taste of that mess.

 

There is nothing soul-ful about soul food. Chitlins were basically what white people threw on the ground after stripping the hog of the ham, bacon, chops, etc. and said "here niggers, eat this." We were desperate for any kind of sustenance. So we made the best of it and enjoyed it. Greens wouldn't be that bad without all the lard and ham hocks. But other than that, soul food will kill you faster than white cops. Interestingly I was hanging out with some Afrikan brothers from Kenya while in college. They had some unique cuisine themselves which I thought was horrific. The 80s rappers always talked about eating "herbs and fruits."

 

Soul food to me is more about our perseverance. We always made/make the best out of the worst conditions because that's all we've ever had. So there's definitely a place in history for soul food. There's no place for it in our 2019 diets though. No people's best food is healthy though. But I wish we had innately awesome dishes. Mexicans have enchiladas, burritos and tacos. Italians have spaghetti, lasagna, and braciole. Chinese have shrimp-fried rice and egg rolls. We have chitlins. But what's new with us. Black American folks are at the bottom of everything.

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Welcome to the site sis.

You are absolutely correct, what we call "soul food" is basically slave food and much of it and especially the way it's cooked is not healthy for our people. But it is very tastey compared to most Caucasian foods like hamburgers and hotdogs, especially when it's prepared the traditional way.

The worse thing about REAL Soulfood is the high fat/grease content.
Soulfood is loaded with fat and salt and a lot of calories because it was designed by and for people who were working all day from sun up to sun down so they needed those calories. Today most of our people aren't doing that type of grueling work for those long hours and don't need nearly that high of calorie content to sustain them.
But it's become a habit.

With that all said, as bad as it may be....until we can establish something better... I still promote traditional Soulfood and think we should have Soulfood restaurants all over this nation because it IS part of our culture and everyone needs something of their own for thier psychological esteem.


I like how you realize that we as AfroAmericans don't have an actual culture and that this is a major reason why our people continue to have conflicts with other ethnic groups including even other Africans who come into contact with us. I've come to the same conclusions. Many of these other ethnic groups don't understand why our people act the way we act and are in the shape we're in and unless this is EXPLAINED to them in a way they can understand it, these conflicts will continue.

But have you considered another reason why AfroAmericans often clash with other groups?

I believe that another problem we as AfroAmericans often class with other ethnic groups is because we are one of the few ethnic groups who are openly opposed to Caucasian domination (white supremacy)!
As strange as it may seem, it appears that most people around the world don't see Caucasians or their civilization as an enemy or even a problem but to the contrary, many see them as saviors and angels.
Abroad as well as in America they see Caucasians as their reason for having a good job, driving a car, eating pizza and other foods they enjoy and when they hear AfroAmericans complain about living with or under "White Supremacy" they often get confused and angry and see our people as "ungrateful" for our opportunities.

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  • 4 years later...

Although this thread is from four years ago, the discussion about African American Soul Food versus African cuisine remains relevant. Food is a crucial aspect of culture and heritage, and it's essential to consider its impact on health. If you ever decide to explore healthier cooking options, you might want to experiment with ingredients like organic mushroom powder. Even though it might not be directly related to this discussion, it can add an interesting twist to your dishes, offering a unique umami flavor. Food choices can evolve over time, and it's about finding a balance that suits both cultural traditions and individual health goals.

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Interesting old thread.

 

As a foodie and a self-proclaimed chef, I'll just add that any type of food is only as unhealthy as it is prepared and/or consumed. 

 

There are alternatives to using fat and  salt and high fructose corn syrup in dishes.

 

I don't eat pork in general.  D8mn sure not eating intestines, er, chitlins.  My family loves that sh8t though.🤣

 

African foods can be starch heavy.  Some Africans have to deal with high blood pressure and diabetes too.  

 

Buy quality ingredients to cook.  Control portion servings. 

 

Enjoy whatever goes down into your belly.  Exercise.  Rinse and repeat.  😎

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I was looking at some of the comments I made years ago and I find it satisfying and slightly amazing at how "consistent" I am in my perspectives and personal observations.

I agree with myself 100%...lol.

Sometimes when someone digs up an old thread and I read something I said years ago before reading  "who" posted it.....I start nodding and agreeing with it and wondering WHO that brother is dropping science like that.
Then look over and discover it was one of MY old posts 🤗

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@Steinsman and @ModestoGarr I'm watching you 😶

 

I guess technically I'm a foodie too.   I've been to all the Zagat's top 10 restaurants in NYC back in the day and enjoy cooking myself.  I eat pork, typically sage sausage and bacon. I modified a recipe from E-40's cookbook this morning and made a "breakfast lumpia," stuffed with egg, cheese, bacon, sausage, and onion.  The lumpia wrapper is great, light and crispy not like an egg roll, more like a spring roll.

 

 

Goon with a Spoon

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Troy said:

Just the crab meat anything else?


I’m thinking minced shrimp next. with scallions, garlic, a little old bay,  maybe a little aioli on the side.

Onion, green pepper, garlic, Mayo, Dijon mustard, Old Bay and other seasonings.

 

Your adding shrimp and aioli on the side will be nice too. 

 

I'm doing stuffed salmon as one of my christmas dinner dishes.

 

If I don't do crabcakes I might do those rolls instead.😎

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5 hours ago, Troy said:

You ever have a crab bomb? It is a Maryland thing.

Yep. It's just another crabcake made specifically with jumbo lump crabmeat.

 

In general, steamed crabs is a DMV thing. Folks here love them.

 

My sister can't afford to fall into the Chesapeake Bay. The crabs will not be kind to her since she is single-handedly trying to eat them into extinction.🤣😎

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Soul food gets a bad rap.  it has  ascended into the ranks of gourmet food and as such it is maybe not something that should comprise your daily menu.  It's a treat to be partaken of on special occasions, and should be savored and relished with all of its unhealthy ingredients in tact. 

 

 

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21 hours ago, Cynique said:

Soul food...should be savored and relished with all of its unhealthy ingredients in tact. 

Personally, I do not subscribe to the B. Smith version of soul food.🤣

 

I prefer to cook my food with the *unhealthy*  ingredients that gives it soul.

 

Smoked turkey in collard greens is an alternative to pork for folks like myself.

 

The difference is that I'm still going to add everything that makes the greens soulful and tender.

 

I don't know what that seaweed consistency sh8t is they're serving as greens in those *gourmet* soul food restaurants. 🤣😎 

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@ProfD are you Muslim?  If not, what is the problem with pork? As someone who self-professes to prefer to cook food with the unhealthy ingredients, why turn your nose up at a ham hock? 🙂

 

I pick my poisons too.  Like I would never drink a glass of sweet tea.  That refined sugar is just so bad and is an easy thing to eliminate from a diet.

 

I see far too many fat people gorging on cakes and sweet tea and proclaiming how now use turkey in the collards.

 

It is sugar that has everyone so fat, not the bacon.

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1 hour ago, Troy said:

@ProfD are you Muslim?

As the resident agnostic around here that would be a negative.😁

1 hour ago, Troy said:

If not, what is the problem with pork?

I stopped eating pork as a teenager. Thought it gave me a headache which I haven't had since I went cold turkey.

 

No worries...I've doubled down on poultry predominantly the barn yard pimp aka chicken.

 

I don't drink carbonated beverages either. Less high fructose corn syrup. 

 

1 hour ago, Troy said:

As someone who self-professes to prefer to cook food with the unhealthy ingredients, why turn your nose up at a ham hock? 🙂

I don't turn up my nose to those who choose to use and eat pork. 

 

Live and let live or in this case...eat whatever tickles the palate.😎

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15 hours ago, ProfD said:

Live and let live or in this case...eat whatever tickles the palate.😎


that is the way I feel. A lot of time non-pork eaters get judgmental. Meanwhile, they eat all other kind of crap themselves.

 

i’ve heard someone recently say that in 100 years people will look back at this time and think we were savages for eating animals.

 

by that time will be able to grow all the meat we need an laboratory.
 

 

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10 hours ago, Troy said:

that is the way I feel. A lot of time non-pork eaters get judgmental. Meanwhile, they eat all other kind of crap themselves.

That never made sense to me. Then again, some folks just like to judge others for one reason or five as they're not flawed. Ridiculous. 

10 hours ago, Troy said:

i’ve heard someone recently say that in 100 years people will look back at this time and think we were savages for eating animals.

I believe that if most folks knew how meat got to their dinner tables, a lot more folks would be vegetarian or vegan.🤣

 

This past weekend I went to a poultry place that allows customers to pick their birds. They slaughter and prep them on the spot.

 

One minute that chicken was clucking and making a racket and shortly thereafter it was cut up and bagged and ready to refrigerate or cook.😁

 

10 hours ago, Troy said:

by that time will be able to grow all the meat we need an laboratory.

It's already happening with plant-based burgers and tofu and soybean substitutes.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if there are GMOs ( Genetically Modified  Organisms) being created in labs to replace animals.😎

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On 12/11/2023 at 8:19 PM, ProfD said:

It's already happening with plant-based burgers and tofu and soybean substitutes


no, I mean meat literally grown in a lab not a meat substitute, like  that heavily processed “impossible” meat.
 

They have begun selling it in some fancy NYC restaurant.

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8 hours ago, Troy said:

no, I mean meat literally grown in a lab not a meat substitute...

Understood. That's what I was referring to with GMOs. A blob of meat that doesn't have to be killed. 

 

At one time, KFC was being accused of using a mystery meat, something organic in place of chicken.

 

I never believed it. I just figured KFC gave Edward Scissorhands the butcher contract.🤣😎 

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