National Soul Food Month

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National Soul Food Month is officially observed in June Established by the culinary heritage organization Culinary Historians of Chicago, June was selected to deliberately align with Juneteenth (June 19th) and Black Music Month. This positioning frames soul food not just as a collection of recipes, but as a foundational pillar of African American freedom, resilience, and cultural expression.

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The Roots and Evolution of Soul Food

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The story of soul food is an epic narrative of survival, adaptation, and creativity. Its origins trace back to the transatlantic slave trade, where enslaved West Africans brought agricultural knowledge, indigenous seeds (such as okra, cowpeas, and sesame), and distinct cooking techniques to the American South (Young, 2018).

Enslaved people were typically given meager rations—discarded or less desirable cuts of meat (such as pig trotters, hog jowls, and chitlins) and limited starches (Young, 2018). By combining these rations with wild greens, foraging techniques, and West African culinary traditions—such as slow-braising, heavy seasoning, and one-pot stews—they transformed scraps into rich, deeply flavorful meals.

    The Great Migration and the Coining of "Soul"

During the Great Migration (1916–1970), over six million African Americans relocated from the rural South to the Northeast, Midwest, and West. They carried their culinary traditions with them, adapting southern recipes to urban grocery stores. In the 1960s, amidst the Black Power and Civil Rights Movements, the term "soul" was applied to music, literature, and food to define an authentic, distinctively Black identity. "Soul food" officially became the globally recognized term for this traditional southern African American cuisine.

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Key Elements and Cultural Symbolism

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True soul food relies on a core group of staple ingredients, each carrying deep historical weight:

•    Collard, Turnip, and Mustard Greens: Slowly simmered for hours with smoked meats. The leftover seasoned broth, known as "pot likker," was historically used as a vital source of nutrients and dipped into with cornbread.

•    Legumes (Black-Eyed Peas): Originally native to West Africa, these are a staple of soul food and are traditionally eaten for good luck and prosperity.

•    Sweet Potatoes: Used as a substitute for the African yam, sweet potatoes became central to both savory dishes and desserts, like the iconic sweet potato pie.

•    Cornmeal: A versatile staple used to make skillet cornbread, hoecakes, and hushpuppies, serving as the primary starch of the cuisine.

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The Modern Pivot: Soul Food and Wellness

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In recent decades, a vibrant movement has emerged to reclaim the health benefits of traditional heritage diets. While modern, commercialized "soul food" is often associated with heavy frying, sodium, and high-fat meats, the original, rural African American diet was largely plant-based, relying heavily on fresh garden vegetables, root crops, and legumes (Young, 2018).

Academic institutions and health organizations have championed the "Healthy Soul Food" movement. For example, studies like the Nutritious Eating With Soul (NEW Soul) Study have actively explored how transitioning to plant-based or vegan versions of traditional soul food can positively impact cardiovascular health, stress management, and general wellbeing within the African American community. Culinary educators today frequently celebrate National Soul Food Month by demonstrating historical techniques that utilize herbs, spices, and smoked turkey or smoked paprika as substitutes for animal fats (Young, 2018).

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Activities and Ways to Observe National Soul Food Month

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Celebrating National Soul Food Month is about interactive education, community gathering, and preservation. Here are ways to engage:

    Support Black-Owned Restaurants and Farms

Dedicate time in June to patronize local soul food eateries, heritage catering businesses, and Black-owned urban agricultural farms.

    Host a "Heritage Recipe" Exchange

Gather family or community members to cook traditional meals, focusing on tracing the lineage of a specific dish. Documenting oral histories—asking elders who taught them a recipe and how it was prepared—is a vital activity for preserving community identity (Young, 2018).

    Cook a "Low and Slow" Educational Meal

Engage in the historical process of slow-braising. Challenge yourself to cook a meal from scratch using raw collard greens, dry black-eyed peas, and stone-ground cornmeal to experience the patience and labor embedded in traditional African American cooking.

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Digital Resources and Learning Links

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To extend your educational journey beyond this report, explore these premier digital repositories, museums, and educational platforms:

    Digital Archives and Museums

•    The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC): Explore their digital exhibitions on African American foodways, detailing how food shaped the economic and social landscape of the United States.

•    The Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFAB)The Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFAB): Based in New Orleans, this institution preserves and documents the diverse regional and ethnic cuisines of the American South through virtual exhibits, oral history projects, and artifact catalogs.

Culinary Historians & Educational Literature

•    The Afroculinaria Blog by Michael TwittyThe Afroculinaria Blog by Michael Twitty: Maintained by culinary historian and James Beard Award-winning author Michael Twitty, this site is a masterclass in the intersection of African American foodways, genetics, and historical culinary justice.

•    Adrian Miller – The Soul Food ScholarAdrian Miller – The Soul Food Scholar: Adrian Miller, a prominent food writer and certified soul food scholar, offers extensive articles, book recommendations, and historical timelines tracking the evolution of soul food from the slave ship to the White House.

Community Nutrition & Sustainable Farming

•    The Black Church Food Security NetworkThe Black Church Food Security Network: An organization that co-creates sustainable food systems by partnering with Black churches to establish gardens, agricultural hubs, and farmers' markets in historically underserved communities.

•    Oldways African Heritage Diet PyramidOldways African Heritage Diet Pyramid: A physical and digital educational tool designed by nutritionists to help people connect with the healthy, plant-based culinary traditions of the African Diaspora.

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References

Young, P. (2018). Perceptions of Obese African American Women Regarding Altering Traditional Soul Food Preparation. Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences, 12(1), 85–102. https://doi.org/10.5590/jsbhs.2018.12.1.06