“I’ve long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we’re talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime ‘associates,’ food, for me, has always been an adventure.”
Anthony Bourdain
Food is something I believe I took for granted at one point in life. I often ask myself why. Well, growing up in Zimbabwe, the culture of food was Zimbabwean. And Zimbabwean food is sadza, ground nuts, madhumbe, mazhanje, roasted winged termites (ishwa), and chicken… lots of chicken. It is also cooked with love. Not in the way people think. It is quite literally community-based cooking. Everyone eats out of the same plate, surrounding the food and talking, getting to know how each other’s days have been. At least, that’s the traditional way. With colonization and imperialism Zimbabwean cultures have shifted, as have many others.
So, the focus of my blog is going to be on food and culture, specifically African cultures. A lot of Caribbean and African American dishes have originated and developed as results of (mainly) West and North African cuisine. Foods like coffee, sugar and rice all originated in Africa, along with so much more. Our flavors are just as rich and as varied as our culture, and this is something I am looking forward to exploring in my blog!
So… what makes a food cultural? Is it the people who prepare the food? The spices that are used? The way it is eaten? I think it is all of this, and so much more. Food is colorful. It is flavorful. It is nourishing and promotes health. But more than all of that, it unites. It heals. Think of it. When you were a kid, wasn’t there always some dish your caregiver would make for you when you felt sick? Maybe chicken noodle soup, or oatmeal. Or, when you had achieved something at school, sometimes you’d eat your favorite meal for dinner. Food is as much a form of expression as is laughter, or music. It is integral to humanity, and something that certainly holds a special place in my heart.
