2 chapters across the catalog
Culinary historian Michael Twitty explores the history of Southern cuisine through his book "The Cooking Gene" and his residency at Colonial Williamsburg. Twitty argues that enslaved Africans laid the foundation for American food by cultivating small, self-sustaining garden plots. Because they were often prohibited from owning large livestock, chickens and guinea fowl became symbols of empowerment and status within the enslaved community.
Michael Twitty's work at Colonial Williamsburg demonstrates how enslaved people practiced organic, local, and sustainable agriculture through "plot" gardening. These ancestors utilized permaculture and composting long before the terms were modernized. The segment reflects on the personal value of these traditions, noting how previous generations relied on home-grown vegetables and fruit trees for their primary nutrition.
