Just as Black cuisine is American cuisine, soul food will always be American food. Originating in the South, soul food emerged from the culinary traditions of enslaved peoples in the South, which were largely based on West African and indigenous cooking traditions.
Though the term soul food materialized in the 1960s alongside the Civil Rights movement, the legacy of soul food has come to define a lot of what’s considered the food of the American South — dishes like fried chicken, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, and sweet potato pie.
In Houston, where Black Americans make up nearly 23 percent of Houston’s population, these dishes shine. From music to art, and yes, to soul food, the impact of Black Americans on Texas’ Space City is palpable. Soul food highlights some of the culinary ingenuity and cultural history that defines Black America, all while providing the comfort and flavor so deeply desired by Southerners.
Use this map as a guide to the city’s essential Soul Food restaurants, from longstanding favorites to newcomers that are doing the classics up right.
Read More