Allaine Mark

Southern Cookbook Allaine Mark

Soul food is one of the most popular and recognizable types of cooking coming out of the United States. For centuries, Black Americans have passed on hearty, sumptuous recipes that have marked many a special occasion. If you're like me, you're a sucker for soul food. The mere idea of fried chicken, collard greens, and cornbread is enough to make my mouth water. But most of us spend more time drooling over soul food than thinking about it. Soul food takes its origins mostly from Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama, a collection of states commonly referred to as the Deep South. During the Transatlantic Slave Trade, enslaved African people were given meager food rations that were low in quality and nutritional value. With these rations, enslaved people preserved African food traditions and adapted traditional recipes with the resources available.