![]() ![]() Sorry, haha! And you can omit the smoked meat if you want, but honestly, the smokiness is top notch when it comes to developing extra flavor. ![]() ![]() Okra chips? Sign me up! My love of okra runs deep so no, this dish can’t be made without okra: it’s stewed okra. And when they’re roasted until they’re golden and crisp? Oh my goodness. I don’t mind the sliminess, it’s what makes bomb-ass stews and gumbos. Okra is definitely on the scale of love it or hate it with most people, but I definitely love okra. After I sent some photos to my Dad he mentioned that she was with me in the kitchen that day. Making this dish was definitely a special experience for me because it reminded me of my late paternal grandmother when I was cooking everything down and serving the bowls. Learning more about dishes that are shared between Puerto Rican and Gullah Geechee cuisines of Charleston (and the surrounding coastal areas) really cemented my love for exploring the cultural aspect and impact of food, how important foodways are to maintaining a sense of identity, and appreciating my heritage and its varied background. Otherwise? It’s the same: tomatoes, okra, and smoked meat spooned over white rice. What’s most interesting about this particular dish is just how eerily similar it is to the okra soup I grew up eating, with just a slight change in the ingredients used, like sofrito, annatto oil, and other spices. In Puerto Rico, the word for okra in Spanish is quimbombó. Living here in Charleston and staying as an adult has definitely molded my outlook and appreciation for humble foods in both Puerto Rican and Gullah Geechee cuisines something which I take pride in making and sharing with others. You can read more about okra soup and try out the recipe in the linked New York Times Magazine column by Amethyst Ganaway and Samin Nosrat (which I am so excited and proud about! So dope to see fellow Charleston lady chef friends like Amethyst making moves!). Okra soup is special to Charleston, its people, and to me. Thinking about how important okra is to the South, its foodways, and its connection to the African diaspora, stewed okra and tomatoes spooned over white rice is a quintessential Charleston and Gullah Geechee dish (more-so than shrimp and grits in my opinion). Growing up on James Island, there were many days of hanging out at friends’ houses when I would be sent home with a plate of food for my mom, most notably okra soup and rice. This particular recipe is a dish that shares many similarities between both my birthplace and my hometown and the cultures that make them special. Learning more about each of these influences has inherently shaped and strengthened my connection to my ancestors in and out of the kitchen. Puerto Rican cuisine is interwoven with West African, Spanish, and indigenous Taíno foods and cooking methods. ![]()
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