Things To Do For Black History Month Day 13

Things To Do For Black History Month Day 13: Eat/Cook Some Soul Food

Food is a major part of many cultures, including Black culture. You can celebrate Black History Month by making (or eating) some delicious soul food. Soul food includes things like fried chicken, greens (mustard, collard, turnip, or kale), cornbread (regular, sweet, or "hot water" bread), black-eyed peas, fried catfish, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potato pie. A lot of soul food is taken from Southern cooking but there are differences between the two. Many black families have their own special recipes for cooking soul food dishes. For example, my family normally cooks a combination of different greens instead of just one variety. We normally cook them with smoked hamhocks, but to reduce the salt content, we have been using smoked turkey tails instead of the hamhocks. Sometimes, we cook chitterlings (or "chit'lins" as we say it), although I can't stand them. My grandmother Hattie used to make the best sweet potato pie, but now my aunt and my mom make them. Between the two, my mom's is the best.

You can find soul food recipes easily on the internet if you would like to try and make them yourself. Also, many cities (especially those with sizable black populations) have soul food restaurants. While a lot of soul food is high in fat and carbohydrates, there are healthier variations available. So, whether you just decide to try a soul food version of macaroni and cheese or just have a slice of sweet potato pie, there is probably a soul food dish out there that you will enjoy.