Black history culinary changemakers
February is upon us and with it comes the annual celebration of Black History Month. Born from it’s origins as “Negro History Week,” created by historian Carter G. Woodson, Black History Month has been officially recognized every year since 1976. Over time, the dedication of a month to acknowledge and celebrate Black history has been adopted by other countries like the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada.
It is no secret that the widespread education of Black history has been stifled over the years, with the historically significant achievements of many influential Black figures going largely unknown by each passing generation. The only way to counter this erasure is to take the responsibility of education upon ourselves. This series is our way of exploring some of the Black changemakers that have made a lasting impact on our world. Join us as we honor them and draw inspiration from their trailblazing accomplishments that paved the way for changemakers everywhere!
The category is…food!
George “Crum” Speck: In 1853, Chef George Crum worked at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York. A customer favorite on the menu was French-fried potatoes. One day one of his customers complained that his potatoes were cut too thick, so Chef Crum sliced them extremely thin and fried them up for the diner (unmatched petty energy!). To his surprise though, the customer loved the crisps, and that marked the birth place of Crum's "Saratoga Chips", later known and loved globally as potato chips.
Pinky Cole: “Getting fired was the best thing that ever happened to me,” explains Cole in a recent interview. She is the founder of Slutty Vegan, the successful plant-based restaurant chain. Losing her job in 2018 was the spark that pushed Cole to turn her side-hustle, making and selling vegan burgers from a shared commercial kitchen, into a full time gig. Today, Slutty Vegan is valued at $100 million and is an extremely popular and respected name in the restaurant industry.
Edna Lewis: the granddaughter of formerly enslaved people, Lewis had many other jobs before she became a professional chef, taking her first job as head chef in 1948. Through the span of her varied and impressive career, Lewis intentionally brought attention to Southern inspired cooking through her restaurant ventures, teaching, and even a stint as a pheasant farmer. In 1976 she authored the cookbook The Taste of Country Cooking that contained recipes as well as information about Southern and African-American cuisine.
James Hemings: as the enslaved chef of Thomas Jefferson, Hemings can be credited for bringing mac and cheese to American tables. Thomas Jefferson is often depicted as the President who enjoyed haute cuisine and brought mac and cheese to America. But while the two did indeed taste macaroni during time spent in Europe, and Jefferson did bring it back and serve it to many of his fellow politicians, Hemings was the long uncredited culinary creator behind the scenes. Hemings was the true mastermind behind many American favorites beyond macaroni and cheese, also innovating ice cream, whipped cream and more.
Check out the other stories in this series.
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