Opie believes that the tradition of “soul” in the United States began in Africa in the 15^th century, when natives had already become familiarized with European cuisine and adopted many of its elements into their own style.  Pigs, Guinea hens, corn, Asian rice and other livestock were introduced by Portuguese and Spanish traders, and all were received by the Africans with fervor. Fried chicken and pork-infused stews became delicacies long before their mass production in American homes and restaurants; however, with the exception of special occasions and religious events, native African dishes used meat as a garnish rather than a centerpiece. Though the Europeans introduced new elements to African cuisine, the African mastery of spices and cooking technique had already been rooted in native tradition. The ability to truly make something from nothing, to survive during the “lean times,” was ingrained in the African mentality before slavery. 

During the period of their enslavement, African cooks received menu requests from their masters with equanimity, and their ability to improvise, intuit and execute foreign dishes with unfamiliar ingredients required what Opie calls “soul.”  “Without timing and skill,” he writes, “a cook had no soul worth talking about.  Soul food was nitty-gritty food that tasted good and helped African Americans survive during difficult times (137).”  It is an intangible quality, inherent to African Americans by virtue of their unique experience.  Many debates have been waged over the ownership of “soul food” cuisine, now enjoyed by all in America.  Southern and soul necessarily influenced one another, though each cuisine is the product of radically different cultural environments.  It is difficult to conjure a visualization of soul food without the obligatory sweet potato pie, though the origins of the dish are rooted in the English pie-making tradition. Meat as a garnish quickly fell victim to the carnivorous voracity of the English masters, and pork, as well as copious amounts of salt, quickly made their way into slaves’ cuisine. 

African American religion was influenced by plantation owners in America, though the product, much like that of “soul food,” was something unique to the race that adopted it.  A plethora of African American churches emerged after emancipation, and the religion that began quietly on the plantations became the centerpiece of African American freedom.  Services were the sites for community building events and friendly cooking competitions.  Chitlins, sweet potato pie, macaroni and cheese, hogs head and pork-infused collard greens became the symbol of a rich tradition that survived slavery and continued in the free world.  As blacks migrated north to escape lingering Southern hostility in the 1950’s and 60’s, black-owned restaurants and clubs became places of respite, and soul food played a major role in community building and proliferation of ideas. All of this cultural exchange occurred with little, if any, white influence. Black power movements, such as The Nation of Islam and the Black Panthers, emerged in response to minority unrest in the major cities and the collective need for identity and political recognition.  In an effort to break with the past, black radicals called for dietary reform. Medical studies proved that the unhealthy “soul” dishes were killing blacks at an alarming rate. The most interesting aspect of this movement is the small impact it had on the black community as a whole.  To many, it meant giving up an important part of their African American identity, and forgetting the past.

“Hog and Hominy” is a condensed history of African American culture, and Opie tells his story with a refreshing coherence and academic insight.   His discussion on soul food’s transformation over centuries reflects the similarly mutative quality of black identity, from Africa to America.  Though political and social definitions of blacks have consistently changed with the times, the ancient idea of the African soul remains intact.  It is this idea that rallies blacks from across the nation to support a similar cause of freedom and equality.  Community events dating back to slavery encouraged a broader idea of family than perhaps white masters were accustomed to. The term “family” encompasses the pastor as guest at the dinner table, the women cooking pies and the men smoking meat in pits at their church sponsored picnics.  The African ability to survive the “lean times,” or the periods of slavery, racism and oppression in America is reflected in the story of soul food, and Opie leaves a reader conscious not of a history greater than himself, but of one that he is a direct result of.  Such magnanimous thoughts are not easily instilled in a varied public, but Opie appears to have done it, and with great success. 

-Natalie Fasano

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Natalie Fasano