The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South

During a trip to Europe, Twitty struggles with The fact that his white ancestors violated his Black ancestors. He must also confront a complex and often cruel discourse about race. In Ireland, Twitty is met with suspicion or mild curiosity. In London, some foods seem familiar, but Twitty feels disconnected from his British ancestors. A hotel in Liverpool, which was formerly a warehouse that supported ships traveling throughout the British Empire, including enslavement ships to the Americas, is eerie. Nothing feels like home.

In the 1980s, many Black Americans both embraced and grappled with their African heritage. As Black people rejoined their families in the South, a new food culture emerged and was coopted by white Southerners, who manufactured a new Southern heritage that ignored the sins of the past. Twitty embraces the emerging discussion about Southern and African American food. He recognizes food as a complex reflection of history, culture, and economics. Food represents people.

Twitty examines the failure of African food to find its voice in American cuisine. He suggests that this is due to its failure to find a white savior who will translate the cuisine for the masses.