LART-337: African American Chefs and Southern Food

In no other time has the conversation of southern food been more passionate. Major debates have been surrounded by the authenticity of dishes, how they are prepared and who can claim the tradition of southern food. Often the holders of these traditions are overlooked. In this course we will examine the stories of the enslaved and freed cooks from Charleston, who through their skill created the authentic cuisine still alive today. This course examines the food of the South as it related to the ingredients that make up the African Diaspora. We will examine these things not only through foodways but through, race relations, gender roles, power and privilege.