American Cuisine: Soul Food

How does Soul Food compare to other cultural foods from around the world?

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
How does Soul Food compare to other cultural foods from around the world?

In what respect? Perceived quality, popularity, nutrition, availability, difficulty/ease of preparation, eclecticism, authenticity, etc...?

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
How does Soul Food compare to other cultural foods from around the world?

It's not all that different from Angolan food.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feijoada

They also eat feijoada in Brazil.

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
It's not all that different from Angolan food.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feijoada

They also eat feijoada in Brazil.

Yeah, it has roots from there, but with an American twist. Of course that twist is due to a tragic history, but that's gone now...

feijoada sin feijoas

A lot of the food I found on the "American soul food" list http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/soul.html is no different from what whites of the area ate and passed down to their children. I grew up in northern cities and towns but also grew up eating fried bacon (and noodles) and cabbage, black-eyed peas and ham hocks, skillet corn bread, candied yams, and in fact at least half the food on the list. Both races at the same foods.

I think it's disengenuous to state that: "Soul Food" This term originated from the cuisine developed by the African slaves mainly from the American South. A dark and despicable period in the history of the United States resulted in a cuisine fashioned from the meager ingredients available to the slave and sharecropper black families. The meat used was the least desireable cuts and the vegetables, some bordering on weeds, were all that was available for the black slaves to prepare nutritious meals for their families. From these meager ingredients evolved a cuisine that is simple yet hearty and delicious. I wish to thank those who contributed their recipes for this page!

I think they need to be more clear that it wasn't just slaves and freed slaves who ate this food. I don't disagree that it's an important part of a culture and a cultural identity, just the implication that this was all that was available for one group to eat while the other obviously had enough and never ate these same foods.

Originally posted by pawnhandler
A lot of the food I found on the "American soul food" list http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/soul.html is no different from what whites of the area ate and passed down to their children. I grew up in northern cities and towns but also grew up eating fried bacon (and noodles) and cabbage, black-eyed peas and ham hocks, skillet corn bread, candied yams, and ...[text shortened]... or one group to eat while the other obviously had enough and never ate these same foods.

Well, foods like this were not eaten by whites I don't think:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitterlings

Soul food is great. WE have a soul food pot luck during black history month at my office. Quite varied and interesting. Even though a lot of it is not that popular outside of the specific ethnic group it is quite similar to other southern cuisine. Enjoyable, delicious and tasty. Even chitterlings, not even liked by most blacks, I find quite interesting and tasty.