Collard greens, black-eyed peas and pulled pork constitute a Southern cooking style known since the 1960s as soul food. Soul food is closely associated with hearty and lovingly prepared African-American fare, but its ingredients have come from several world cultures. European traders brought foods from Asia, Europe and the Americas to Africa. Vegetables indigenous to Africa began to appear in America with the growth of slavery. And the crops that Native Americans mastered all contributed to the development of soul food.
Collard Greens
Collard greens originated in northern Europe. A relative of the cabbage family, the leaves are cooked "long, low and slow," according to food historian Jessica Harris, and traditionally served with cornbread. Fantasia Barrino celebrated the pairing in her song, "Collard Greens & Cornbread." Pork fat is frequently added for flavoring.
Pork
Unlike modern manifestations of soul food, classic Southern cooking that developed during the time of slavery rarely had meat. Meat was not readily available, and African cooking was largely vegetarian, according to the Southern Foodways Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to documenting and promoting foods in the American South. Today, barbecued pulled pork, ribs and fried chicken are common in soul-food cuisine.
Succatash and Black-Eyed Peas
Succotash is a Native American dish made with lima beans and corn that enslaved Africans adapted by adding okra and tomatoes. The black-eyed pea is a legume that originated in China. Arab traders transported it to Africa, and the seeds came to the United States on African slave ships during the 18th century. Often cooked with ham, black-eyed peas are a relatively low-fat source of fiber and protein in the soul-food diet.
Corn and Beverages
African slaves in the American South used Native American corn to make cornbread, or pone bread. They also ground hominy, corn without the bran and the germ, to make grits, a corn mush typically served at breakfast. Sweet milk, sassafras tea, coffee and buttermilk are beverages typically included in soul-food cuisine.
Soul Food Nutrition
Soul food is rich in nutrients. The variety of vegetables and grains, such as collard greens, cornbread, lima beans, black-eyed peas, tomatoes, okra and watermelon provide fiber, vitamins and minerals and protein. The anti-oxidant content in a vegetable-based diet is also high, which inhibits the development of age-related disease. The nutritional challenge with regard to soul food is the meat included in the cuisine in recent years. Pulled pork, ribs and other meat products provide important protein and iron but are also high in saturated fat and cholesterol. If the meat is an accompaniment and not the most important part of a soul-food meal, the overall nutrition will support your health.
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