I do a little bit of volunteer work, trying to help out a few groups in ways where I am actually useful. Mostly I do social media and crafting, LOL! This year I had the idea that I would research and promote a small series of #juneteenth celebration recipes. My hopes were that nothing brings people together like food, if I could share some recipes from black chefs/bloggers, and those recipes had roots in the celebration of freedom for black Americans, then maybe just one person would make a dish and share it with their friends and family and explain its importance.
So I am going to try and hit the highlights and share with you what I found.
There is a lot of information about why red is an important color for celebrating Juneteenth. I’m not a historian or an expert on African American heritage but I do believe that there is some truth to all of the explanations I read.
One article reads “Red drinks are central to Juneteenth celebrations, as the color red represents the blood shed by enslaved people.” Another “Because many of the more common foods of the day were white, green, or brown, there was an excitement that came with the rarity of eating red-colored treats.” Further in that article they talk about where slaves brought to that area would have originated from, “Both people—the Yoruba of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo; and the Kongo of Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Congo, and Gabon—placed great philosophical and spiritual value in the color red. Twitty explains the hue took on many meanings. It could symbolize sacrifice, transition, and power.”Either way, many articles talk about food choice and the importance of red. No matter if it’s red velvet cake, red bbq sauce, or a red beverage there are many options to include in your next cookout. Shaunda Necole’s Southern Red Velvet Cake.
Amanda Mack of Crust by Mack, says the glaze isn’t just delicious — it’s meaningful, too. “The color red is really significant for a Juneteenth cake,” representing the red stripe of the pan-African flag, the blood that was shed in the slave trade, and, most of all, according to Mack, “the power and strength we have as African Americans.” Amanda’s recipe for Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake with red fruit glaze.
Foods that represent prosperity (think New Year’s Traditions) are also very popular for #Juneteeth like this collard greens salad. This looks like a fresh new take on greens. Chef JJ Johnson is a James Beard Award recipient and this is his recipe for Collard Greens Salad with Coconut Dressing.
Finally, the recipe that I dove into; Baked Chicken with Hibiscus Barbecue Sauce. I’ll be honest, I am not a huge fan of BBQ sauce because I really want the meat to stand on its own, and always felt like sauces drown out good grill work. But Millie Peartree‘s recipe came in my NYTimes Cooking email and I just had to try it. I am never able to follow a recipe, sorry not sorry. I omitted the ingredients that would add heat to this sauce; cayenne, habanero chili, and only 1/2 of the red pepper flakes. I know my limits! This was also grilled and not baked. We did use a whole chicken, but we left the sauce off of half for salads.
One reason I picked this recipe to make is that I already had the ingredients available. I have to say this was REALLY good and I hope to share it with friends and family.
Summary. Having watched High on the Hog it is easy to see that American cuisine is deeply rooted in Southern Soul Food and that black Americans should take a lot of credit for teaching us all the things that they have had handed down over centuries within their families. With each recipe, I learned about a new chef, and a new tradition, and gained even more respect for food and its representation over time.
I want to celebrate #Juneteenth out of respect, I want to rejoice with them, I want to acknowledge the wrong, I want to share, I want to help others learn and I just want the new normal to be that Juneteenth is the kick-off holiday for Freedom and that we just celebrate on through to the 4th.
