VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — As slave ships crossed the Atlantic with their tragic cargo of bodies, they also carried okra, black-eyed peas, yams and rice. Africans who survived the journey planted their staples and eventually mixed them with maize and oysters from Indigenous people and sugar cane and swine from the colonizers.
The stew of ingredients and cultures produced different types of cuisine, one often referred to as “Southern food” (fried chicken, hoppin’ John, pecan pie) and the other “soul food” (chitterlings, ham hocks, collard greens) — and a delicious debate: Is there a difference between Southern food and soul food?
I was born and raised in Indiana and have lived all across the country — from the District of Columbia to New Orleans to Las Vegas — and have always wondered. I’ve consulted with some of the most respected culinary historians, chefs and eaters who say they aren’t sure of the difference — but they can taste it.
