The Peppers, Cracklings, and Knots of Wool Cookbook: The Global Migration of African Cuisine

486 Pages·2000·1.84 MB·English

by  Diane M. Spivey

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title : The Peppers, Cracklings, and Knots of Wool Cookbook :
The Global Migration of African Cuisine
author : Spivey, Diane M.
publisher : State University of New York Press
isbn10 | asin : 0791443752
print isbn13 : 9780791443750
ebook isbn13 : 9780585363684
language : English
subject Cookery, African.
publication date : 1999
lcc : TX725.A4S68 2000eb
ddc : 641.59/29073
subject : Cookery, African.
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The Peppers, Cracklings, and Knots of Wool Cookbook
The Global Migration of African Cuisine
Diane M. Spivey

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Page iv
Production by Ruth Fisher
Marketing by Fran Keneston
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
© 1999 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of
this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic,
electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in
writing of the publisher.
For information, address the State University of New York Press,
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Spivey, Diane M., 1949
The peppers, cracklings, and knots of wool cookbook : the global
migration of African cuisine / Diane M. Spivey.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7914-4375-2
1. Cookery, African. I. Title.
TX725.A4S68 1999
641.59'29073dc21 99-26846
CIP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Dedication

To my husband, Donald, who gave only one response to my constant
complaint that Africa had never been given its culinary
due: "Don't say it, dear. Write it!" His neverending help and encouragement
have been a beacon in my life as I sought to bring this
project to completion.

I must also dedicate this work to the millions of African cooks at
home and in the diaspora who deserve a culinary pedestal, the
place where culinary artists belong who have helped to teach the
world how to cook.

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Racism, or as they say now, tradition, is passed down like recipes. The trick is, you got to know what to eat, and
what to leave on the plate.
From Mississippi Masala

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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
Chapter One 7
Feasting among the "Eastern Ethiopians": The African Element in Dravidian Cuisine
Chapter Two 57
Catfish, Harvest, and Celebration among the Sons and Daughters of Kambu
Chapter Three 87
Peppers, Cracklings, and Knots of Wool: African Foods and Culinary Heritage in Mexico and Central America
Chapter Four 137
Zancu, Sweet Potatoes, and Beer: African Merchants and Peruvian Kitchens, from the Coast to the Highlands
Chapter Five 169
Body and Soul: The Miscegenation of Cuisine and Culture in Brazil and Cuba

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Chapter Six 213
Without Rival, Anywhere: The Cultural Impact of the African Cook in the Americas
Chapter Seven 263
Economics, War, and the Northern Migration of the Southern Black Cook
Chapter Eight 299
Flapjacks and Blue Notes
Glossary 327
Sources for Specialty Foods 341
Bibliographical Notes 345
Index 391

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Acknowledgments
The completion of this manuscript was made possible by a number of friends and colleagues who contributed hours,
and in some cases days, out of their schedules to read and provide critical comment on the material, and to whom I
owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude: the late Sylvia Boone, professor in the department of Art History and
African-American Studies program at Yale University, who offered strong support and encouragement at the outset;
Amii Omara-Otunnu, Director of the Center for Contemporary African Studies and professor in the department of
history at the University of Connecticut; Vincent Bakpetu Thompson, professor in the department of history at
Connecticut College; Robert M. Levine, Director of Latin American Studies and professor in the department of
history at the University of Miami; and Donald Spivey, professor and chair of the department of history at the
University of Miami. I would also like to thank Karen Kupperman, professor in the department of history at New
York University, Professor Roger Buckley, Director of the Asian American Studies Institute at the University of
Connecticut, and Edmund Abaka, a professor in the department of history at the University of Miami, for their
guidance in helping me to locate particular sources. Additional thanks go to Whittington B. Johnson, professor in the
department of history at the University of Miami, who has also been very supportive of my work.
I am indeed indebted to Mr. Thavro Phim of the Cambodian Genocide Project at Yale University, who provided me
with translations of recipe titles in beautiful Cambodian script; Dr. Abigail

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Kaun, a professor in the department of linguistics at Yale University, and her husband Mr. Shrikanth S. Narayanan,
who found time in their schedules to translate some of my recipe titles into Tamil; Mrs. Betsy Criswell, proprietor of
Guyana Market Place in Miami, Florida, who assisted me with information on the use of various Indian and
Caribbean ingredients; Mrs. Lenny del Granado, secretary in the department of history at the University of Miami,
who never hesitates to give her time and energy on behalf of myself and others; my artist-daughter Sahar Spivey,
who provided sketches of Olmec heads and colonial cooks for this book; and especially to my editor, Ms. Zina
Lawrence, and the staff at SUNY Press.
Invaluable to my research on this project are the vast and rich holdings of university, public, and private libraries,
including the Library of Congress (with special thanks to reference librarian Judith Mistichelli); Yale Divinity
School Library; Newberry Library in Chicago; Harvard University's Harvard-Yenching Library (with special thanks
to Dr. Raymond Lum); University of Chicago Library's Department of Special Collections; Georgetown University
Libraries; University of Miami's Richter Library; University of Maine libraries; University of Connecticut's Homer
Babbidge Library; Connecticut State Library; University of Hartford's Mortensen Library; Trinity College library in
Hartford; Tulane University's Amistad Research Collection; University of Baltimore library; University of
Missouri's Elmer Ellis Library; Wright State University's library in Dayton, Ohio; Suffolk University's Mildred F.
Sawyer Library in Boston, Massachusetts; the library of Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia;
Norwalk, Connecticut, Community College's Everett Baker Learning Resources Center; Mohegan Community
College Library in Norwich, Connecticut; National College of Education, Mrs. John N. Crouse Library in Evanston,
Illinois; Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City; The State Historical Society of
Missouri; Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum in Connecticut; Saint Joseph Museum in Missouri; Mystic Seaport
Museum in Mystic, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut, Public Library; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Public Library;
Windsor, Connecticut, Public Library; Dayton, Ohio, Public Library; Bridgeport, Connecticut, Public Library and
the Harold Washington Branch of the Chicago, Illinois, Public Library.

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Special thanks are also extended to the following embassies in Washington, D.C., all of which worked diligently to
provide me with information on the customs and culinary backgrounds of their homelands: The Embassy of the
Republic of Uganda, the Cultural Department of The Embassy of Peru, The Embassy of Madagascar, The Embassy
of India and its Information Service, The Embassy of Guatemala, The Embassy of the Republic of Honduras, The
Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, The Embassy of Ecuador, The Embassy of Mexico, The
Embassy of Nigeria, and The Embassy of Malawi.
Lastly, my travels to Africa, especially Ghana, to Mexico, and to Caribbean ports of call such as Jamaica and the
Bahamas, were turned into culinary adventures by the people I met with, talked with, ate with. The wonderful new
acquaintances made during my stay at all of these places helped me hone my own culinary skills as well as gain a
greater understanding of their cultures, past and present. For these precious gifts I am truly grateful.

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