Soul food began during the tragic years of slavery in the South, when slaves would get cuts of meat and vegetables that were considered inedible by their white “masters.” Following the great migration of former slaves to other parts of the country after the Civil War, soul food spread across America.
Many former slaves remained in the South, though, and today, a food once considered rudimentary at its best is now found in almost every kind of place, from gas stations to diners to upper-crust eateries. Today, we celebrate that food and the Black Americans who put their heart and soul into every bite – the ingenuity, resilience and sustainability inherent in the traditions that began when two cultures intersected and created a truly American cuisine.
It’s 9:30 a.m. and the collard greens, crowder peas and butter beans are ready, the oxtails are roasting in the oven, and the pig feet and ham hocks are simmering on the stove. It’s Soul Food Wednesday at Herman’s Soul Food and Catering, a fixture on Brainerd Road since the 1990s.
Rodney Billups and his crew have been cooking since 6 a.m., and he’s prepared for a crowd. There are dozens upon dozens of corn muffins at the ready, and a big pan of cracklin’ cornbread, too.
“And we’ll probably have to make more,” Billups says. “Soul Food Wednesday is our busiest day of the week.”