![]() Chicken and Andouille sausage gumbo: Made with chicken, chicken broth, and spicy Andouille sausage.Seafood gumbo: Made with seafood such as shrimp, crab, and/or oysters.Okra gumbo is a popular version of gumbo that uses okra as a thickener. It was one of a few key crops that was brought to the Americas by enslaved Africans and has since become a staple in Southern cuisine. Okra is a plant believed to have originated in Africa eventually making its way to West Africa where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. The popularity of roux-based gumbos has led to the iconic status of this style of gumbo which has also contributed to the appropriation of African gumbo. Both are thickening agents which adds to the many different variations of gumbo in the region and beyond. The use of sassafras (leaves ground down to create filé powder) was a Native American contribution and the use of a roux we owe to the French. Okra was used as the primary thickener in the dish which looks very familiar with Louisiana gumbo. In West Africa where okra soup originated and became popular, the word for okra is ki ngombo which often is shortened and written or spoken as gombo. Okra soup's core ingredients were/are okra and tomatoes stewed slowly likely with chicken or shellfish as its chief protein. The reality is the popular current form, with the exception of the roux, is a derivative of West Africa's okra soup which predates the Atlantic slave trade. However, this denies and whitewashes the history of this glorious stew that has its origins in Mother Africa. Gumbo has become synonymous with Louisiana cooking particularly European cajun. Thickening agents, or not, are used to create the desired consistency of the cook. In its most basic form, gumbo is simply a stew that brings together a bunch of different ingredients including vegetables, a variety of meats, herbs, and a stock whether chicken broth, seafood stock, or vegetable stock. Though prisoners of an unjust system black folks continue to fight for not only their freedom but also for the freedom of others. Under the worst conditions and situations, black people have risen above and produced sustenance, beauty, and excellence. When you understand the story of how okra made it from Africa to the Americas you begin to see and comprehend how resilient a people black folks are. Beats and Eats (music to pair with Okra Gumbo) ![]() Colonization in all its glory is the vessel responsible for all of this. Gumbo in its most popular form is simply fusion food representing influences of Africans first and foremost as well as Native Americans and Europeans. More importantly, if you break down gumbo to its essence, then you begin to understand a lot about Southern foodways. ![]() When I think of gumbo, I think of a lot of ingredients being slowly simmered in a big pot and coming together to create that magical dish where all those ingredients somehow blend together perfectly. You can grab the full list of recipes from this year’s collaboration on the Eat the Culture website. Share these recipes with your friends and loved ones and follow each participant by using the hashtag #BHMVP2023 on Instagram. Today, I’m teaching you how to make Okra Gumbo from the Deep South - Louisiana and encourage you to follow the story through Caruru Baiano from the Bahaian region of Brazil and its origin recipe, Okra Soup from Nigeria. It has traveled with our ancestors from Nigeria to be adopted in South America and the American South. It is a savory main dish that combines okra, meat, fish, and spices cooked in palm oil. Okro soup is one such dish that birth many other derivative recipes across the diaspora from gumbo to callaloo and several dishes in between. ![]()
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