- By John Jacobs

Reflecting on the cooking traditions found in African-American communities, it is hard not to see all the circumstantial influences that have created the food on the table. From history to geography to genetics, the meal that appears nightly on the table of an African-American family has been through a cultural wringer.

Many African-American cooking traditions are folded in with the traditions of other groups, such as Latinos or Southerners, such that many consider African-American cooking to encompass Caribbean, Creole, Low Country, and Southern cuisine as well as Soul Food. However, African-American cooking traditions deserve their own in-depth consideration, especially since they are often much healthier than the “Deep South” stereotypes of BBQ and deep frying everything would imply.

Breaking through stereotypes about African-American cuisine is especially important as chefs striving to be culturally loyal also strive to embrace healthier and more organic cooking habits. Though census studies showed that African-Americans were twice as likely as whites to be eating a healthy diet in 1965, by 1992, only 28 percent of African-American were reported to be eating a poor quality diet. This trend has not abated, and many community leaders are rightly concerned. Given the health challenges faced by many African-American Americans, particularly obesity, anemia, and diabetes, reclaiming their healthy dietary heritage is more important than ever.

Historically Prevalent Organic Food Choices

African-American food choices were historically dictated by circumstances. Though most African-Americans arriving in America had common food traditions coming out of West Africa, many of those staple food items were not readily available in the New World. As a result, new foods became dietary staples until common West African vegetables could be imported and grown. Despite these challenges, healthy diets were created.

Most of the staple foods in the traditional African-American diet were either root or leafy vegetables that could be grown in small gardens. Imported vegetables included sorghum and okra, while popular New World dietary staple plants included cassava, turnips, sweet potatoes, cabbage, collard, kale, cress, mustard, and pokeweed. These greens contained trace minerals, folic acid, and other phytonutrients that provided pronounced health benefits, especially for families that lacked the disposable income for preventative care. Though both soul food and Southern cooking traditions dictated that these greens be cooked in pork fat or seasoned with bacon, there were still other dishes that captured community flavors without adding to community waistlines.

The Double Benefit Of The Hoppin’ John

One example of a healthy organic dish prevalent in African-American communities both in the early days of America’s history and now is a vegetable based specialty known as the Hoppin’ John. Most prevalent in the coastal south as a New Year’s good-luck dish, it is also eaten at other times of the year throughout the rest of the country. Variants of the dish appear in the Caribbean and Cuban cooking traditions, though the dish traces its roots back to a West African dish with similar ingredients.

The main ingredients in Hoppin’ John are humble garden staples. Black-eyed peas, chopped onion, and rice are the essential core items of the entree. These are seasoned with salt and bacon or fatback to complete a basic dish.

Popular variations on the dish add new ingredients and seasonings for robustness and flavor. Green peppers are a common addition, and Low Country chefs prefer to use field peas over the original Black-eyed peas. Vinegar is a popular seasoning variant, added along with the salt. Pure vegetarians leave out the bacon.

The dish is packed with nutrients such as calcium, folate, and Vitamin A from the vegetables, but that is not the only benefit. The Black-eyed peas are considered to be a symbol of good luck and good fortune due to their resemblance to small coins. When eaten as a “Lucky Dish” it is traditional to serve kale, collard, or other large leafy greens alongside the main entree to symbolize additional wealth for the diner.

Spreading the Benefit

As “Soul Food” and other regional dishes have become popular menu items nationwide, the Hoppin’ John has become an easy entry point food for restaurateurs. With roots in the back gardens of African-American families, the ingredients are easy to find and inexpensive to purchase in bulk. There is also the added benefit of being able to give American diners from other ethnic backgrounds a taste of traditional African-American cuisine that is removed from a deep-fried Southern stereotype.

This freedom from being fried is a major vote in favor of eating more Hoppin’ John. American diners of all backgrounds are turning up their noses at deep fried foods, banning anything hinting at trans fats and insisting on knowing the ingredients of their foods. As even the variants on the traditional Hoppin’ John recipe remain obvious to the naked eye, it allows diners to feel as though they can readily understand what is in their meal.

Hoppin’ John can also be used by those who need to live on restricted diets. The natural organic base contains limited amounts of simple carbohydrate sugars, and there is no gluten, peanut dust, or strange preservative to worry about in the dish. This makes Hoppin’ John easy to market to diners and home chefs worried about the effects of the content of their meals on their family’s health.

Opening the Way for More Traditional African-American Foods

As dishes like the Hoppin’ John become more common, it opens the door for other traditional African-American cuisine offerings. Many of these dishes are simple, with just a few basic ingredients. The taste comes from the presence of spices rather than from a deep frying or a drowning in marinade sauce such as stereotypes might imply.

This lack of stereotypical cooking methodology allows the Hoppin’ John to be a springboard dish in American kitchens as well as in restaurants. Most American dinner makers don’t have a lot of time to devote to a complicated dish, so they want foods that are healthy but that can be prepared quickly. In the present economy, expensive foods are also out.

Produce based dishes like the Hoppin’ John fit perfectly into the modern quandary of “What’s for dinner?”, since they require minimal processing before being ready to serve and don’t cost much to prepare. As American palates from all backgrounds become more accustomed to Hoppin’ John, promoters of African-American Cuisine and African-American cooking traditions will find it easier to break free of stereotypes about their food and reclaim their place as contributors to healthy diets through traditional menu items.

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