| Soul food is a term that became popular in the 1960's, | | | | into edible delicacies through creative seasonings and |
| popularized by the African American youth culture. | | | | cooking techniques. Because strict laws didn't allow |
| However, the history of this cuisine goes all the way | | | | slaves to read or write, the slaves quietly handed the |
| back to the African continent. Popular menu items | | | | valuable recipes down from generation to generation |
| such as rice, black eye peas, okra sorghum, | | | | by word-of-mouth. Today soul food has grown into a |
| watermelon and more. These are examples of the | | | | muti-million billion dollar industry with restaurants, food |
| history of soul food and its extensive cultural | | | | manufacturing, cookbooks and even cooking shows |
| background. | | | | flourishing by representing this famous southern cuisine. |
| In America this comfort food evolved from items the | | | | It's grown into one of the most famous comfort foods |
| slave owners didn't want to eat. The goal of the slave | | | | in America, especially among African Americans and |
| owner? Feed their slaves as cheaply as possible, but | | | | populations in southern states. Free soul food recipe |
| feed them foods that provided enough energy to | | | | websites have flourished by offering these traditional |
| supply hard work. These foods often represented the | | | | southern recipes conveniently to the public. The recipes |
| tops of turnips, greens and other wild and tasteless | | | | have blossomed into dozens of dishes popularized |
| vegetables. For example, slaves also had to eat | | | | through by time and tradition. This historically popular, |
| berries, pokeweed and the parts and organs of | | | | American originated food continues to grow in scope |
| livestock the slave owners didn't want as a steady | | | | and influence. Soul food recipes have the distinction as |
| diet. | | | | one of the foods that literally helped build America. |
| Out of necessity, slaves turned the tasteless foods | | | | |