Afro Pacific Foodways Part 1

Courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory Project

This week I'm teaming up with Chef Rey Guerrero a native of the Pacific coast of Colombia a region historically inhabited by Afro Colombians. We are both traveling to Northwestern University to discuss Afro Pacific foodways using our respective expertise. In preparation for my part I did some research using travel accounts from the colonial period and research on the ingredients of the dishes that chef Guerrero will be preparing. This week I'm sharing my findings on the blog. As is my practice I have written what I found as it appears in historical documents with my additions and upgrades of the language to make the experience more understandable and therefore enjoyable for the reader. I'm using images and content from different parts of South America. It's my contention that they are representative of what one would find in sources on the Pacific coast of Columbia if they had been more readily available at the time of preparing for the event. As one would imagine typography as one of the greatest influence on a group's foodways (eating patterns). Chef Guerrero will be preparing two seafood dishes and a beverage popular and his home region: Arroz de Mariscos and Cazuela de Mariscos Here's a description South America in George Juan and Antonio De Ulloa, “A Voyage to South America,” in Pinkerton, A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages, volume 14, published in 1813.:

"The rivers, lakes, as well as a neighboring sea, furnished them with great stores of all sorts of wholesome crawfish, tortoise, shrimps, crabs, oysters, and divers of all of this kind, which are all very good food."

Plantains and Cilantro: From Africa to Latin America

Subscribe to our Podcasts  

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Youtube

About Fred Opie

Books