Facts About Soul Food

When the Europeans explored the Americas, they were introduced to new plants, foods, and animals, as well as riches and land. Foods such as corn, white and sweet potatoes, beans, tomatoes, cacao, fruits,

The foods that were brought back to the Old World such as, potatoes and corn proved a vital and necessary resource to the Europeans. Another short-term effect of the Columbian exchange was the migration of African slaves to the Americas. The majority of the Africans that were enslaved were caught in village raids or were war captives. They were caught by other Africans and sold to the European slave traders for money and other prized possessions. For slaves, the voyage known as the Middle Passage was a terrifying and perilous journey, with a death rate potentially as high as 50%.

Livestock and agriculture grown in Europe became important as the Columbian Exchange slowly overtook the Americas. Water and wind were harnessed for power on farms, and domesticated animals were a crucial element of farm life also. Pigs and sheep were the main source of meat and leather. Mules pulled

The traditions of soul food depend on ones family and where ones family is from. For instance, my family is originally from Chicago, Illinois and we eat soul food on holidays, during family reunions, and Sunday dinners. Sunday dinners are common in most families and became that way because it was a time for families to get together. They can be compared to the “good times” meals of the old days. For Sunday dinners it was common for relatives to travel some distance just for a good home cooked meal. Relatives such as aunts, uncles, and cousins (both pretend and real) would come together to the house with the best-cooked food. In my family, holidays are the main event for soul food. Sometimes we would have a potluck because it is easier to feed fifty or more people that way. The food that is cooked also depends on where one is from. An old traditional dish that is in my family is called “monkey bread.” “Monkey bread” is homemade bread made in the shape of rolls and is stacked on each other in a cake pan.

Through the Columbian Exchange, the Indians brought potatoes to the Old World, which proved as a useful crop because you didn't have to take them out of the ground until you were ready to eat them. The Europeans brought over horses, pigs, sheep, and cattle to the New World. These animals flourished in the New World because they all were able to produce without having to worry about predators. The Europeans also brought sugar cane and bananas to the New World. These crops and livestock helped to make the New World a more diverse living space for the Europeans and the

Early people were hunter-gatherers. They ate large and small birds, fish, mice, grasshoppers, crabs, snails, mollusks, fruit, nuts, wild cereals, vegetables, fungi, and other plants.

With a massive transport of millions of enslaved African Americans across the Atlantic Ocean, Caucasians and African Americans were both performing tasks such as clearing of new land and tending to new crops so that colonization could continue to spread; and that it did indeed. In fact, colonization began to spread at such a rate that landowners began to become more dependant on the labor of African-Americans because it was more economically sound. Dependant on skill sets acquired before slavery, Slaves began to have variances in

Upon their arrival in America the Europeans brought with them, fruits and vegetables such as peaches, plums, pears, and bananas (Angel, 2012). In addition to these foods, the Europeans brought

However, the Spaniards brought things over such as Horses and cattle. By having cows and oxen the agriculture was able to boom. These animals made it easier to produce more crops, while at the same time helping the indigenous people save energy. These large animals were able to make the work easier while at the same time increase output. The Spaniards brought over wheat, barley, various fruits and vegetables, olive oil, and wine. The most overlooked thing brought, were slaves. Slaves brought a huge need for labor while at the same time provided diversity.

Agriculture and food is also a unique aspect of African American culture. The cultivation and use of many agricultural products, such as yams, peanuts, rice, okra, grits, and cotton, can be traced to African and African American influences. African American foods reflect creative

People were always growing fresh vegetables on their farms. The earlier settlers could only bring small livestock like chickens. However, the Native Americans taught the colonists how to hunt for food like birds and deer. With this knowledge, the colonists could make meals containing meat, and not have to rely on their livestock. People did, however, bring cows, sheep, and goats to the New World. They usually were not eaten, and were just used for their milk. Sheep, however, were used for their wool mostly, and were only eaten in an emergency. Later on, colonists began to catch fish (INTEXTHINDSKATHRYN). Seafood was also very popular in colonial times after the colonists learned to catch fish. Except during Winter, colonists could obtain berries and ate them as a snack. Later on, Spain and the West Indies imported sugar, fruits, vegetables, and other goods, which started to turn food into a source of enjoyment. After a long journey of importation, people would use vinegar or salt to preserve the food so that it wouldn’t go bad. Getting and preserving food might have seemed hard normally, but it was a whole different story when it came to

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill stated, “ If you want to wipe out an entire generation of people and engage in a 21st century genocide, all you have to do is keep doing what we are doing and deprive people of access to healthy food.” Bryon Hurt 's documentary Soul Food Junkies challenges and informs people 's way of thinking when it comes to soul food. Questioning if dishes such as fried chicken, buttery mac and cheese, smokey ribs and greens in pork fat are significant to the black culture or just a recipe for an early death. So, he used his father 's story, Jackie Hurt, about his ways of not giving up his artery-clogging classic soul food. At one point, Bryon Hurt wanted to be just like his father so he ate just like him. Especially on Sundays for the breakfast ritual which included grits, cheesy eggs, salt pork and bacon on toast. He felt that was a way to bond with his father. Jackie Hurt was not only consuming soul food dishes on a daily basis but he never exercised. This lead to serve weight gain, but he was not changing his eating habits even though his family did. He was later diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that took his life so young.

Crops were transported over from the New World, such as Potatoes, tomatoes, squashes, pumpkins, beans, and other vegetables that drastically changed the European diet. Before the arrival of said plants the European diet relied on grain, mostly wheat, even this was hard to come by as there was not land to farm on. Cargo ships coming from the New World brought other resources needed for the growing industrial Europe, ship timbers, hemp rope, tar, furs, dyes such as indigo and red Brazil wood, dried fish, flaxseed oil, hides, and a mass of other materials.

When flipping through the thousands of documentaries on the many streaming services there are three main criteria come to mind; one looks for the entertainment factor, credentials of the information the and lasting affect it leaves on the viewer. The documentary Soul Food Junkies directed and produced by the filmmaker Byron Hunt defiantly has an interesting take on these main criteria. The documentary holds ones attention with comedy and relatability with a family aspect, though interesting there’s plenty of experts and hard facts even though personal option is projected from the producer. The documentary does leave he viewer with questions about their own habits and that of the ones around them. Soul Food Junkies hits and misses the criteria

Disease and malnutrition led to a declining slave population. Malnutrition played a crucial role in preventing slave societies from continuously getting bigger. Coming from Africa, most of these slaves were exposed to the tsetse fly and therefore, seldom did they eat meats. Milk was consequently excluded from their daily diets and this might be why there is much lactose intolerance among African descendants. This left slaves with minimal options in what they ate. In addition, "not only did food availability fluctuate seasonally, but slaves experienced long periods of hunger during and after hurricanes, droughts and war" (Beckles, 172). One can conclude that because they could only eat maize and a few other foods, slaves were deficient in the necessary vitamins and minerals. These deficiencies would in turn