Though when we think of “Southern food,” things like fried chicken, mac-and-cheese and cornbread may come first to mind, there’s a whole section of the cuisine that comes from the flavor-blessed hands of enslaved Africans brought to America by way of South Carolina.
As with everything that becomes “hip” when outsiders start giving it greater attention, the cuisine of the Gullah-Geechee people is experiencing a revival. And because this newly credited cuisine comes from one of the oldest institutions in America and from the people who shaped this country, I wrote a piece about it. And let’s face it, eating for research isn’t too bad at all.
Here’s an excerpt from the piece in Afar magazine:
In South Carolina’s Lowcountry, descendants of the Gullah-Geechee, Africans brought to the state during slavery, are reviving the cuisine that defined the city.
Celebrated Gullah chef Benjamin Dennis is certain about two things: Culture is the defining characteristic of a cuisine, and the roots of Southern fare run deeper than chicken fried to a perfect crisp accompanied with mac-and-cheese. “Charleston would be nothing without the Gullah-Geechee culture—period,” Dennis says.
Read the rest at Afar!