The Complicated Stories of Soul Food

Down home cooking, also known as soul food, is African American cuisine stemming from the days of enslavement, spread throughout the country through the Great Migration, and enjoyed everywhere as comfort food. This episode explores the complicated relationship between Black chefs and soul food. Chef & culinary historian Therese Nelson shares her thoughts on soul food as a concept, and then chefs Chris Scott and Mashama Bailey share their individual experiences with making soul food.

Setting the Table is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Setting the Table here.

Find show notes here.

And transcript here.

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About the Podcast

Setting the Table

Hosted by Deb Freeman, Setting the Table is a podcast that explores the stories and histories of African American cuisine and foodways. From Sunday barbeques to the spirits in your cocktails, African Americans have created the foundation of modern American cuisine, yet African American food is one of the least explored food genres. Setting the Table illuminates the ways that African Americans have shaped how this country eats and drinks by exploring the historical events that have influenced the formation of Black foodways in America while also drawing a direct line to the people who are moving the Black culinary narrative forward.

Setting the Table is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Whetstone Radio Collective creates storytelling dedicated to food origins and culture, with original content centering the perspectives of global majority populations and diasporas.

You can learn more about this podcast at whetstoneradio.com, on Twitter @whetstoneradio, on TikTok and Instagram @whetstonemedia and subscribe to our Spotify and YouTube channel, Whetstone Media, for more podcast content. You can learn more about all things happening at Whetstone at WhetstoneMedia.com.

About your host

Whetstone Radio

A distinctive series of original podcasts focused on global foodways. We’re bringing you narrative-based audio stories shared through the lens of food anthropology. Empathetic in origin, with cinematic sound, and intimate, curiosity-minded conversation, WRC is like nothing you’ve heard before.