During the slave trade, they brought with them their appreciation for okra, including it in stews that are signature to Soul food. For an overview, see Sidney Mintz, Caribbean Transformations (1974); Ira Berlin and Philip D. Morgan, eds., The Slaves Economy: Independent Production by Slaves in the Americas (1991). theamericanhistorian@oah.org, 2023 Organization of American Historians, Masters, Slaves, and Exchange: Power's Purchase in the Old South. Number of slaves in the Border States: 432,586 (13% of total population) 3,323 million. Most slaves were fed heavily on corn, and there were just a few areas in the new nation where rice was so plentiful that it supplanted corn in their diets. Enslaved cooks brought this cuisine its unique flavors, adding ingredients such as hot peppers, peanuts, okra, and greens. Such paradoxes troubled more than a few, but practical concerns and a desire for labors just reward pushed them to work extra hours, save cash, and put plans in motion to make freedom theirs. Africa and the Bitter History of Sugar Cane Slavery You can even change up the collards for other greens like Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, and cabbage. When the pot of greens was eaten, there would still be the flavorful broth, called potlicker. 2. In Slave culture, these big pots of stewed greens drew a direct resemblence to the stews of Western Africa. Once in the Americas, slaves then planted the rice for their own consumption. "They could have been gone 300 years ago, but to say my great-great-great-grandparents used to use this and cook this and plant this, that gives you a good feeling.". The Plantation System - National Geographic Society Jeff Forret and Christine Sears (2015). The Slave Experience: Living .Jul 8, 2019Weekly food rations -- usually corn . Would masters renege on sales or manipulate prices beyond reach? Much more than nutrition, cooking was a way to preserve their culture. Gibbs declares that there is no class of working people in the world better cared for than the Southern slave. He states that many medicines, as well as high quality Brandy or wine, are made available to sick slaves, and that the hygiene/cleanliness of plantation environments is held to a high standard.
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