Southern Food Vs Soul Food Essay

If there is one category of food that the Southern black chef should excel it would be Southern or soul. However, the gentrification of food is now commonplace and ‘soul food’ is not exempt, “Collard greens were suddenly the “new kale,” according to a Whole Foods marketing ploy last year. Sweet potatoes, once an economical source of rich nutrients, have made their way into cupcakes, pancakes, and even quesadillas. A bevy of food bloggers has “discovered” sweet potato pie” (Taylor, 2015). The Southern food versus ‘soul food’ argument, although essentially irreverent here, can be heated. The takeaway, however, is that food from the South (Southern or Soul) rely on staples that were brought from Africa and implemented into American cuisine, yet black chefs are not given the same recognition for working with these ingredients as their peers. Making ‘soul food’ commercial and more attainable is hurting the Southern black chef. “It’s clear that racialized and coded language has made the distinction an important one – one that leads to high-profile celebrity cooking gigs in restaurants and on cooking shows like …show more content…
The African-American Chefs Hall of Fame was a start, it helped in drawing attention to Southern black chefs, but the hall of fame was founded in 1993, and today Southern black chefs are still essentially invisible. A viable way to bring attention to Southern black chefs is by having the conversation and not being afraid to say that southern black chefs are missing. Throughout many southern cities the discussions are happening: In May 2017 there will be a panel talk on why in New Orleans, where African-Americans are central to the food culture, there are relatively few prominent black chefs (Price & Wey, [ca. 2017]). In Baltimore, the current chef community is offering mentorships and training to up and coming black chefs operating, but it is mostly through a grassroots like movement (Meehan,