Gives interesting historical vignettes of metro influences on food - such as a reason why possum is associated with Southern diet (they could be hunted at night to supplement food rations after slave chores were completed.) Also such as - caterers evolved from public butlers in Philadelphia for whites who could not afford slaves. Ocra, an African vegetable, is still a staple in Southern diet. There are also many interesting facts about slavery in general, unrelated to any food influences.

On the other hand, one wonders if some explanations are assumptions, more than facts. Cf., are kitchens in out-buildings only to prevent house fires? It is common elsewhere to keep cooking smells out of the main house.

All the name-dropping-personal-anecdotes read like personal aggrandizement. Descriptions of the author’s love for New Orleans (113-115) are protracted and only marginally germane to the continuity of the book. I find the cadence of the narrative of the early chapters awkward.

The book does not seem to intend to give exact connections between specific diets and African or African/American influences (except less noble parts of pig in Harlem p. 180). Rather, it traces migrations and tendencies of black populations and personages to affirm the cross-pollination of influences between black diets and European/American diets. For example, famous black cooks in the burgeoning West were more likely to serve elegant European meals to the newly-minted elite than Southern or African cooking. For example, internationalism after WWII diversified the diet of African Americans, as it did for the world.

In summary, let the author take credit for acknowledging “the integral part that we (blacks, I suppose) have played in the formation of the American culinary ethos.” (244) ( )

A student handed this to me- he'd only read it 1/2 way through but thought it was great. The best parts were in the first half, so I told him that was the case. Harris traces the foodways of the Africans that were shipped to and later emigrated to the United States. Many chefs were African American and influenced Southern food to a large degree. The stories are interesting and chilling and a compelling look back over the country's history. ( )

A culinary Journey from Africa to America

Harris's detailed history traces the influence of African cuisine to the United States. When African slaves were brought to America, they brought with them their own foods, cooking techniques, and food rituals, which have become a part of American cuisine, specifically in the south. Harris focuses on several foods that have become an important part of African American culture and identity, such as okra, watermelon, black-eyed peas, chitlins, and fried chicken. A number of talented African American cooks, from slaves of large plantations to cooks for the presidents, are profiled. Readers interested in this topic may also want to check out Soul Food by Adrian Miller. (From my book, Food Lit: A Readers' Guide to Epicurean Nonfiction by Melissa Brackney Stoeger) ( )

http://bibliophibian.blogspot.com/2012/10/cbr4-50-high-on-hog-by-jessica-harris.... ( )