Gullah Gullah Cuisine
By habee
Gullah-Geechee foods
My family culinary roots are deeply embedded in Southern food and creole cuisine – more specifically, creole Gullah cuisine. I'm always preparing Gullah-Geechee recipes. Most people associate the term “Creole” only with Louisiana, but there was another important group in the southern U.S. who spoke a creole language. They inhabited the islands and coastal areas of northern Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and southernmost North Carolina.
What is a "creole"? According to the dictionary, there are several definitions. One entry defines the word this way:
"A black slave born in the Americas as opposed to one brought from Africa."
"Creole" is also a language. Encyclopedia Britannica describes "creole language" as:
"Any pidgin language that has become established as the native language of a speech community. A creole usually arises when speakers of one language become economically or politically dominant over speakers of another. A simplified or modified form of the dominant group's language (pidgin), used for communication between the two groups, may eventually become the native language of the less-powerful community. Examples include Gullah (derived from English), spoken in the Sea Islands of the southeastern U.S...."
This particular group of people, the Gullahs, began with Africans who were brought to America as slaves in the mid-1700s. Their language and most of their customs, traditions, and culture were heavily influenced by those of West and Central Africa, along with the West Indies. When these slaves were first brought to the U.S. coastal South, many Native Americans still occupied the region, so they also had an influence on the Gullahs, especially in the area of culinary arts. From the Native American presence, the Gullahs learned to cook dishes made of corn and cornmeal and to gather and use sassafras leaves.
The name "Gullah" probably originated from Gola, an ethnic group living near the borders of Liberia and Sierra Leone in West Africa, where many of the Gullahs' ancestors had lived.
Charleston and Savannah
Charleston and Savannah were two of the most important ports in North America for the slave trade. Some slaves were brought directly from Africa to one of these ports, while others came by way of the Caribbean or Brazil. The slaves who came from rice-growing regions in Africa were eagerly purchased for the rice plantations of Georgia and South Carolina because of their experience and knowledge.
Slaves from Africa's "Rice Coast" were experts at cultivating rice. In fact, the slaves were much more knowledgeable about rice growing than their masters were. Remarkably, many of the Gullah ancestors shared their knowledge willingly with their oppressors. The rice plantation owners became wealthy with the help, sweat, and suffering of the black slaves.
My great-great grandparents, the Hollemans (for whom I'm named - my middle name is Holleman; Holle for short), owned such a plantation in the Low County of South Carolina, along with many slaves. This isn’t something I’m proud of, but it is part of my family history. My great-great-grandmother Jane had a Gullah house servant who served as a cook, and my grandmother used to tell me stories about this cook and all the wonderful foods she prepared, which she had learned about from her mother. Needless to say, my grandmother’s childhood stories had an impact on her culinary skills, which have been passed down through our family.
My great-grandmother and my grandmother spent much of their lives in Charleston and Savannah. Both cities were heavily influenced by the local slave culture, which is generally referred to as “Gullah” or “Gullah Gullah” in South Carolina and “Geechee” in Georgia, named after the Ogeechee River near Savannah. To avoid confusion, I’ll try to stick to the term “Gullah.”
I recently found my great-grandmother’s collection of recipes, and I was overjoyed to find many Gullah dishes among them. I’ve spent countless hours pouring over the colorfully named dishes, and I’ve prepared many of them. The recipes, along with the stories my grandmother had shared, piqued my interest in the Gullah culture, so I began researching extensively.
A Note to Readers
I never intended for this article to be so long, but once I got started, I couldn't seem to stop. Every time I researched a part of this puzzle, I found something else that interested me, leading to further exploration. I ended up reading numerous first-person narratives told by the slaves themselves, which really made history come alive. I also made phone calls to people on the Georgia coast who were knowledgeable about the Gullah-Geechee culture. I phoned relatives and poured over my family history, too.
Grammatically, this was a difficult article to write. In several instances, I had a hard time deciding between past and present tense. Since I’m trying to explain the history of the Gullahs and their cuisine, I often use the past tense. Remember, however, that this rich culture still exists, and most of the same cooking techniques and foods can still be found in the South. Many have come down to us as “Low Country” cuisine, or as “soul food.”
Maintaining the Culture
Unlike most other groups of slaves, the Gullah people were somewhat isolated. For the most part, they lived on remote sea islands, where few whites ventured.
This separation from European settlers became even more pronounced when malaria and yellow fever ran rampant through the coastal regions. Black slaves had some natural immunity from the diseases, but whites did not. As a result, many plantation owners moved inland during the rainy season to avoid the onslaught of disease-carrying mosquitoes. The fields and the running of the plantations were left in the hands of the Gullah “rice drivers.”
Because many groups of the Gullahs were left alone for long periods of time, without direct influence from whites, there was a powerful sense of family and community, and sharing food and meals with others was prevalent. Their distinctive culture flourished, with their language, folklore, farming practices, cooking techniques, and traditions being handed down from generation to generation, largely unchanged.
Learn more about the first Gullahs:
After Emancipation
When the U.S. Civil War broke out, most of the coastal plantation owners fled their sprawling farms, and once again, the Gullahs were left to themselves - until a few Quaker missionaries from Pennsylvania came to the area to educate the slaves. The Gullahs were among the first slaves in the South to experience their freedom, and the missionaries built a school on South Carolina's St. Helena Island, the first in the nation for newly freed slaves.
Because of the war, labor issues, and devastating hurricanes, most of the coastal plantations remained abandoned by their owners. The former slaves, however, remained behind, cut off from the outside world more than ever. Most of the plantations were divided and sold to the former slaves. Since some of the islands inhabited by the Gullahs were without bridges until the 1930s, the culture flourished untouched for decades.
In general, the Gullahs handled emancipation better than most inland slaves. They were used to being left unsupervised and depending on each other, and they were adept at taking care of themselves and their close-knit community.
Instead of the outside world's influencing the Gullahs, the Gullahs had a major impact on Southern cuisine - and not just on the custom of eating rice. I didn't realize just how many of the dishes I cook, along with those prepared by my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother before me, are steeped in Gullah tradition until I was deep in my research.
Gullah Cuisine
The early Gullahs were masters of survival. They made good use of whatever foods were available, and they invented creative ways to cook and season dishes. If they lacked an ingredient for a dish, they substituted it with something else.
Recipes were, and still are, practically unheard of among authentic Gullahs. Each dish was very personal – the cook added his or her own individual preferences. Even today, if you chat with one of the lovely Gullah women you might see weaving a basket of sweetgrass in the Charleston market and ask her for a recipe, she’ll probably share ingredients with you. If you press her for exact amounts, however, she’ll likely respond with something like, “ ‘Cordin’ to taste.”
The original Gullah slaves each received an allowance of food periodically from the plantation. This usually included rice, cornmeal, flour, salt meat or fish, molasses, peas, grits, butter, buttermilk, and sweet potatoes. At specific times of the year, other foods were added.
Unlike the “gang” labor on other plantations, where slaves worked from dawn until dusk, most of the sea island plantations used a task system. Each slave was assigned a duty to complete every day, and once the job was done, the slave was free to pursue other activities. Most spent this time hunting, fishing, working in their own garden plots, or tending their own livestock. There were exceptions, however. Some of the sea island plantation owners worked their slaves all day and gave them little food. As a result, a few of the Gullahs almost starved to death. Fortunately, this was rare.
Because of all the foods available for most of the sea island slaves, Gullah cuisine was rich and varied. Many of the dishes were cooked in one big pot. Meat, poultry, or fish were often cooked together with vegetables, peppers, legumes, and rice or potatoes. The original Gullahs had few items of cookware, so big iron kettles were used to their full advantage. Some foods, especially sweet potatoes and white potatoes, were often cooked in the ashes of a fire. Meats, fish, game, and poultry were also smoked or cooked over an open flame.
Cooking and sharing food meant much more to the Gullahs than simply supplying the body with sustenance. It was often almost ritualistic in nature, feeding the soul as well as the body. As the Gullahs themselves describe their cuisine, it’s “food that speaks to ya.”
The French Connection
Like the Louisiana Creoles, the Gullahs were influenced by the French, albeit to a much lesser degree. In the late 1600s, Huguenots from France and Acadians from Nova Scotia began settling along the southeastern coast from northern Florida to North Carolina - the same areas that would be occupied by the Gullah people.
The French settlers undoubtedly had an influence on white European plantation owners. After the importation of slaves, cooking duties in the manors were assigned to the Gullahs, who followed orders from the mistress of the house, including her recipes. Needless to say, some of the French-inspired cuisine and culinary terms made their way into Gullah cooking. One example of this is "Huguenot torte," the most famous dessert of the Low Country. Another example is etouffe.
What Gullah cooking is all about:
The Importance of Rice
Rice was the most important staple for the original Gullah slaves. My mom told me that the first thing my great-grandmother did when she entered her kitchen to cook a meal was to put on a big pot of rice – evidence of the Gullah influence on Charlestonians and other inhabitants of the Low Country. Rice was usually eaten every day, sometimes even for breakfast, where it was often served with milk, raisins, and sweeteners like honey, cane syrup, or molasses.
At dinner and supper, other foods were usually spooned over a plate of rice or mixed with rice, as in red beans and rice or peas and rice. Rice was also made into bread and into a dessert, in the form of rice pudding.
How to make rice pudding:
Sweet Potatoes and White Potatoes
Sweet potatoes, often called “yams,” were another important crop of the Gullahs. Yams, which are actually a little different than sweet potatoes, had been a staple crop in Africa for over a thousand years prior to the slave trade. The Gullahs had no problem substituting sweet potatoes for their familiar yams, and they even began to use the names for the tubers interchangeably.
The sweet potatoes grew well in the long hot summers, and after they matured, they were “cured” for 10-14 days at high humidity and temperatures ranging from 80-85 degrees – perfect for Southern coastal summers. The curing process gave the tubers time for their starches to turn to sugar.
After curing, the sweet potatoes were usually placed in burlap bags and stored in barns, sheds, or closets. If cured properly, the potatoes would keep until May, and by that time, several other garden vegetables would be ready to harvest.
White potatoes were dug in the early summer and could be stored by packing them in dry rice or sand – both of which the Gullahs usually had a plentiful supply.
Both types of tubers were added to soups and stews or baked in the ashes of the fire. Sweet potatoes were made into pones, fufu, and pies.
Make a homemade sweet potato pie:
Bountiful Waters
Because the Gullahs lived along the coast and on barrier islands, seafood was plentiful and made up a large part of the diet. Dishes were often created from fish, shrimp, crab, mussels, clams, turtles, and oysters, and nothing was wasted. For example, a stew was made from the fish heads that were left over after the day’s catch had been cleaned.
Finned fishes inshore and near shore were available year round. Some of the species caught and eaten included flounder, redfish, weakfish, black drum, whiting, spots, sea trout, pompano, spadefish, sheepshead, bluefish, catfish, shark, and Spanish mackerel. In the fall months, mullet were caught at night with large nets, and in the early spring, shad were thick in the rivers. Most fresh fish were dredged in cornmeal and fried in hog lard; sometimes they were soaked in buttermilk first. Many species of fishes were salted down or smoked to preserve them. Eels, alligators, and turtle eggs were also consumed.
Crabs were usually caught in traps or lifted from the water with a dip net after being lured by a chicken neck tied to a string. The crabs were boiled, and the meat was "picked" and made into dishes like crab cakes, stews, and soups.
Fish were netted with cast nets woven in a West African pattern. Homemade poles and hooks were also used for finned fishes, but the Gullahs were artists with cast nets, and they could catch fish much more quickly in this manner, without having to use bait.
Cast nets with a small mesh were used to catch shrimp. The shrimp were eaten fried, boiled with corn and potatoes, or cooked with rice or grits.
Clams were dug from the shallows of coastal rivers and along the beaches. Oysters were “picked” at low tide from the numerous beds and were usually eaten only in the cooler months. The clams and oysters were usually dredged in cornmeal and fried in fat, made into a stew, or roasted in the shell over a fire. Oyster and clam shells were often cleaned and used as spoons.
Shrimp, clams, crabs, and mussels were sometimes boiled in a big pot with corn, potatoes, sausage, and spices, and the concoction was referred to as “Frogmore stew.” Today, a very similar dish is called “Low Country boil.”
Watch how a cast net is used to catch sheepshead:
How fish are caught with a cast net:
Wild Game
Most plantation Gullahs fished, trapped, or hunted in their spare time to supplement the family’s diet. The local woods held rabbits, wild turkeys, squirrels, opossums, raccoons, quail, doves, woodcock, and the occasional deer, while the marshes and wetlands were sources for ducks, geese, and other waterfowl. Some slaves were allowed to borrow firearms from the "big house," and a few marksmen owned their own guns as part of their job procuring game for the plantation. Gullahs who didn't have guns set snares and other kinds of traps.
Rabbits, squirrels, woodcock, dove, and quail were usually fried or cooked on a spit over the fire, while raccoons, ducks, and geese were usually baked or barbecued. To learn to fry quail, watch the video below.
Opossums were often trapped alive and kept penned for several weeks, during which time they were fed a diet of corn and clean water. Opossums are scavengers and largely survive from carrion in the wild, so feeding them corn vastly improves the taste of the meat. Dressed opossums were often baked with sweet potatoes.
Deer were butchered much the same as cattle and hogs. The loins were usually batter-fried and served with gravy, while the shoulders and hams were usually baked or smoked.
In the winter months, the woodland animals had thick coats, which were fairly valuable when cured. Even the meat of animals trapped for their fur was not wasted. Several accounts tell of the Gullahs' eating fox meat.
The Gullah males were proficient hunters and trappers, often trading surplus game and furs to plantation owners and other whites for molasses, sugar, flour, or other food items.
How to fry quail:
Pork
Much of the pork the Gullahs procured were the leftovers from pigs the plantation owners had slaughtered. These consisted largely of the feet, ears, liver, stomach, jowls, spare ribs, and the intestines, which are called “chitterlings,” or “chitlins.” The feet were often brined or pickled, and intestines were cleaned, stripped, and boiled or fried. Hog killing was usually done in the late fall or winter, when the weather was cold enough to prevent spoilage.
Some of the Gullah people had a few hogs of their own. The animals were cheap to feed, as they were able to turn food scraps, acorns, roots, and garden refuse into high-protein meat. Much of the pork was cured. Hams, shoulders, and hocks were salted down and smoked over a slow fire in smokehouses. Bacon was made from cured pig bellies and side meat. Salt-cured pork would keep a long time without refrigeration.
The neckbones, pork chops, and ribs were usually eaten fresh. Neckbones and rice was a popular dish, as was smothered pork chops. Ribs were grilled over a fire or dredged in flour and fried in a skillet.
The scraps from the hog carcasses were usually chopped finely or ground, mixed with spices, and stuffed into pig intestines for sausage. Most of the sausages were smoked, but some were eaten fresh.
Pigs had another important role, too. Lard was rendered from their fat and was an important ingredient for frying and baking.
The Old-Fashioned Method for Curing Fresh Pork:
Chickens
Many of the early Gullahs kept chickens. They were cheap to feed and were a constant source of eggs and meat. The birds would be ready to eat in less than three months after hatching. The females were often kept for laying eggs, while most of the young cockerels were grilled, baked, or fried. The practice of deep-frying chicken parts in hot oil was prevalent in West Africa, so this was nothing new for the Gullahs. The chicken feet were usually boiled with rice.
A hen might lay as many as 300 eggs a year. Once her egg production sharply decreased, after the age of about 12-18 months, the hen was slaughtered and eaten. Since the meat was tougher than that of a young chicken, the "spent layers" were often stewed, slow-cooked, or used in soups.
Below is a Geechee-Gullah recipe for chicken and rice soup:
Chicken and rice soup:
Fresh Summer Vegetables
With the long growing seasons in coastal Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, summer crops were readily available for several months. Yellow squash, tomatoes, butter beans, eggplant, green beans, peppers, and okra were popular in Gullah Gullah cuisine.
Summer squashes were often stewed with onions, while tomatoes were eaten raw, made into sauces, and cooked in stews and soups. Fresh beans were usually boiled with ham hocks, while eggplant was baked, fried, or stewed. Green tomatoes were sometimes sliced, battered with cornmeal, and fried in hot lard. Peppers added flavor to a wide variety of dishes.
Okra was one of the most important foods in the Gullah culinary culture. The West African name for okra is okingumbo, from which the popular dish "gumbo" gets its name. Some of the most popular okra dishes, in addition to gumbo, were fried okra, okra and tomatoes, and okra soup. Okra was also used as a thickening agent.
How to make fried okra:
Cool Weather Crops
Because of the South’s mild climate, several vegetables can be planted for spring and fall harvests. The most popular cool weather crops with the Gullahs were cabbage, onions, garden peas, carrots, celery, and different types of lettuces and greens.
Cabbage and green onions were often grown through the winter because they can withstand temperatures as low as 20 degrees, and in much of Gullah country, the temperature rarely dropped that low. Collards, mustard greens, and turnips, which were used for their roots as well as for their greens, will survive a light frost, so they were also popular fall crops.
Peas and carrots were often boiled together, and onions and celery were used to season a wide range of dishes. Greens and cabbage were seasoned with bacon grease or bits of cured pork and boiled in a large pot.
How to prepare and cook collard greens:
Legumes
Dry beans had been grown in Africa for hundreds of years before the first slave was forced onto a ship. Undoubtedly, the Gullahs already knew how to grow, store, and cook dried beans before they arrived in the New World.
According to my great-grandmother, many of the produce farmers and plantation owners would share their bounty with the local Gullahs. After beans had been harvested, those missed by the gleaners were left on the vines to mature and dry. The Gullahs and poor whites would be allowed to gather the dried beans, which could be successfully stored for months without need of refrigeration.
The legumes gave the Gullahs a protein source when meat was scarce. Lima beans were a favorite, and they were often cooked for hours in a wash pot outdoors while the women were doing their weekly laundry. The limas were flavored with chunks of cured pork, onions, and peppers, then cooked down until the starches in the beans made a thick gravy.
Other types of dried beans were often cooked with rice. The mixture was seasoned with sausage, ham, peppers, herbs, and spices, according to the cook’s personal preferences.
Peanuts were another legume that figured prominently in Gullah cuisine, as they had been grown in West Africa and were a favorite with the Gullah people. The food had been introduced to Africa in the 1500s by Portuguese traders. Peanuts were often boiled in large pots over the fire or made into a paste and mixed with chicken stock and tomatoes to create a sauce.
How to make boiled peanuts:
Grains
Although flour was available, it wasn’t usually locally grown, so most of the breads were made from cornmeal – dried corn that had been ground or chopped into a coarse powder. This could be done manually, but most often the corn was taken to a grist mill for processing. Many large plantations had their own grist mill.
Cornmeal was turned into cornmeal mush, muffins, corn pones, and cornbread. The cornbread could be baked in an iron skillet or fried by spoonfuls. Sometimes leftover cornbread was mixed with chicken stock, onions, and celery for "dressing." Another popular dish was crackling bread – cornbread that contained bits of pig skin and fat from rendering lard.
Grits were another important staple. Corn was dried, soaked in lye, and rinsed to make hominy. The hominy was then dried and ground into grits. Grits were eaten for breakfast and often accompanied shrimp or fish at other meals. This practice is still common in the Deep South.
Flour was usually reserved for biscuits, pie crusts, cobblers, and dumplings.
Fresh corn was often boiled on the cob. Sometimes the niblets were scraped from the cob and made into fritters or added to stews.
How corn was turned into meal:
Fruits
Locally grown fruits included watermelons, figs, pears, grapes, scuppernongs, cantaloupes, and peaches. Sometimes apples were purchased from inland orchards. In the woods, wild fruits could be found in the summer. These included blackberries, “hog” plums, persimmons, and blueberries. Muscadine grapes also grew wild and were often referred to as “bullis grapes” or “swamp grapes.”
The favorite among the fresh fruits with the Gullahs was the watermelon. Watermelons had been grown in Africa for almost 4,000 years, so they were familiar to the slaves.
Mayhaws, small fruits that grew along creeks and in marshy areas, were picked in May and made into jelly.
The peaches, blackberries, pears, apples, and blueberries were often baked into pies and cobblers, and sometimes the grapes were dried into raisins. Even the skins of the grapes were saved and made into pies.
As mentioned earlier, nothing was wasted. After the flesh of a watermelon was eaten, the rind was turned into preserves or pickles. See the pickling process below:
How to make watermelon rind pickles:
Dairy Products
Most plantations had their own "milk cows," so fresh milk and buttermilk were available in the winter but spoiled quickly in the warmer months. Any type of cheese was pretty rare. The most common dairy product was clabber, which was often eaten with breakfast, sweetened with molasses and flavored with nutmeg.
To make butter, the cream was skimmed from the top of a pail of milk and allowed to clabber. The clabber was then placed in a wooden or pottery churn and agitated with a "dasher" attached to a wooden handle. Slave children were often assigned this tedious task, and they would usually sing or chant to maintain a rhythm for churning. Butter would slowly accumulate into flecks. The mixture in the churn was then strained, and the solids were creamed together as butter, while the remaining liquid was referred to as "buttermilk."
How butter and buttermilk were made:
Beef
It was extremely rare for a slave to own cattle. Unlike pigs, cows are expensive to feed and are slow to mature. Also, they require a large amount of grazing land, which of course, the original Gullahs lacked.
Many plantations raised beef cattle, but the meat was largely reserved for the plantation owner and his family, or the live animals were sold to the beef market. Typically, when a steer was butchered, the only parts that might go to the slaves were the tongue and the tail, which was referred to as "oxtail."
The tongue was often smoked or boiled, and oxtails were usually sliced into small segments. Because they're tough, bony, and cartilagenous, they were usually braised or stewed for several hours in order to make them palatable. Sometimes they were made into a soup with rice, vegetables, and/or potatoes.
If you'd like to make your own oxtail stew, follow the instructions in the following video:
How to make oxtail stew:
Beverages
By far, the most common drink was water, which was sometimes sweetened with sugar, molasses, or honey. Sometimes a drink was made by adding roasted okra to water, along with a sweetener.
A few generous plantation owners might include a little coffee in the slave rations, but this was fairly rare.
On special occasions, especially Christmas, the plantation owner might dispense small amounts of rum, whiskey, or wine to the slaves.
Sassafras, which has a rootbeer-like flavor, could be found growing in the woods and was a popular ingredient for making teas. Both the roots and leaves of the wild plants were used.
How sassafras was harvested and used:
The Culinary Trinity
The Gullahs, like the Louisiana Creoles, held the “holy trinity” of cooking in high esteem. This trio consists of onion, celery, and bell pepper. Any color of bell pepper can be used, but green and red were the most common among the Gullahs.
The culinary trinity was used to season many dishes, giving food a distinctive Creole taste.
Seasonings and Sweeteners
The Gullahs used a wide range of herbs, spices, and other seasonings, in addition to the ever-present trinity. Among the most popular were sesame seeds, nutmeg, basil, savory, thyme, parsley, cayenne, garlic, and black pepper.
Another important seasoning was learned from Native Americans: file powder. To make file, sassafras leaves were dried and ground. In addition to adding flavor, file was also used to thicken soups, stews, and sauces.
Hot peppers were used widely to give foods a “bite.”
Many of the slaves produced their own salt from boiling down seawater. Salt was also usually included in the monthly food allowances from the plantation masters, but it was often in short supply.
Also included in the usual food allowances were sugar, molasses, and honey. Industrious Gullahs might find more honey from wild hives in nearby woods.
In the fall, cane syrup was made. Stalks of sugar cane were fed into a mule-powered "grinder" that squeezed the juice from the cane. The juice was then boiled down into a syrup.
To see the process, watch this old home movie:
A cane grinding on the Georgia coast:
Gullah Cooking-Related Terms
Aig - egg
Aipun - apron
Ash cake – cornbread wrapped in a damp towel and baked in the ashes of a fire
Ashish - ashes
Bakien – bacon
Barruh - a male hog that has been castrated before being slaughtered for its meat
Benne – sesame seeds. The seeds were made into cookies and candies and were believed to bring good luck. The seeds had arrived with the slaves in necklaces and were planted near the cabins or in the gardens.
Bile – to boil
Bittle – foods
Bryaberry - blackberry
Brekwus – breakfast
Brunswick stew – a mixture of corn, tomatoes, onions, rice, lima beans, potatoes, and chicken, pork, ground beef, and/or squirrel and other small game. The term “Brunswick stew” was not used widely in the Gullah region until the late nineteenth century. Food historians disagree as to the name’s origin, but most Georgians are convinced it originated in Brunswick, on the Georgia coast. A big iron wash pot and plaque in Brunswick, Georgia commemorate the first batch supposedly ever made.
Buckruhbittle - food eaten by whites
Cawch - to scorch
Cawn – corn
Cawn puddin’ – a baked mixture of creamed corn, cornmeal, and eggs
Cawnmeal dumplins – cornmeal and water dropped by spoonfuls into boiling greens
Chiney - glass or china plates, cups, and saucers
Chitlins – pig intestines
Chitlins and maw – pig intestines and stomach boiled, cut into small pieces, and seasoned with the trinity and hot peppers
Chow chow – a sweet, hot relish made of vegetables, peppers, vinegar, and sugar. This was a way to use and preserve late-season vegetables that might remain in the garden. When there weren’t enough of one type for a “mess,” the odds and ends were harvested for chow chow. The first mention of “chow chow” relish was in an eighteenth-century South Carolina cookbook. It was often eaten with dried beans and cornbread.
Clabbuh – curdled milk with a yogurt-like taste and texture
Coota – a soft-shell turtle that was often made into a soup
Corn fritters – fresh corn, cornmeal, and egg, dropped by spoonfuls into hot fat
Cracklins – crisp bits of fried pork skin
Crackuh salad - stale crackers, tomatoes, onions, mayonnaise, and seasonings
Cyasnet - cast net
Dub - dove
Fannuh - a shallow basket woven of grass, used for winnowing rice
Fiyah - fire
Flaybuh - to add seasonings to a dish
Feeduhm - to serve a meal
Frogmore stew – shrimp, sausage, corn-on-the-cob, spices, and potatoes, all boiled together. Sometimes crabs and clams were included.
Frybakien - fried bacon
Fufu – pounded yams mixed with egg and onions, often served with stews or roasted meat
Gatuh etouffe - strips of alligator meat, butter, flour, the trinity, and stewed tomatoes
Goobers – peanuts
Greece - to add lard to a pan
Grunnuts - peanuts
Gullah rice – rice, sausage, chopped chicken livers, and the trinity
Gumbo – a thick stew of okra, the trinity, shrimp, sausage, chicken, and/or ham
Gyaadn - garden
Hahbis - harvest
Hibe - beehive
Hobo bread – flour, eggs, lard, raisins, nuts, sugar, and boiling water, baked in a loaf pan
Hoe cake – a bread made of salt, cornmeal, and water, traditionally cooked on a greased hoe over an open fire
Hog maw – the stomach of a pig
Hom’ny - hominy
Hongry - hungry
Hoppin’ John – rice, black-eyed peas, ham, onions, cayenne, and bacon grease
Hull pie – a pie made of grape skins
Hush puppies – a mixture of cornmeal, buttermilk, egg, and onions, fried in hot fat
Jumble cakes – small sweet cakes. The dough was rolled into small ropes and formed into circles, then baked.
Kush – cornbread cooked on a griddle and topped with raw onions and ham gravy
Lahd - lard
Lassis cake – cake sweetened with molasses instead of sugar
Limpin’ Susan – shrimp and rice flavored with bell peppers and onions
Muhlassis – molasses
Mustud grins - mustard greens
Mynaze - what the Gullah descendants call mayonnaise
Nyam – eats, eating, ate
Onion pie – onions, cheese, cream, and eggs baked in a pie crust
Osituh – oyster
Peanut chop – a chicken stew flavored with tomatoes, hot peppers, and peanuts
Pilau – rice with salted fish, pork, or wild game
Pinduh – peanuts
Possimmun - persimmon
Pot likker – the liquid left over from a pot of greens. This was “sopped” with cornbread.
Purloo – a mixture of bacon, onion, okra, ham, tomatoes, rice, and herbs
Rashin - rations
Red rice – rice cooked with bacon, onions, and tomatoes
Rice bread – a heavy bread made from ground rice
Rokkoon - raccoon
Roostah pie - the stewed flesh of an older chicken baked in a pie crust with vegetables
Seafood muddle – a stew of fish stock, onions, celery, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, fish, clams, shrimp, and mussels
Shahk - shark meat
She-crab soup – a rich mixture of blue crabmeat, crab roe, cream, butter, and spices
Shrimp bog – bacon, shrimp, rice, tomatoes, and chicken broth
Suppuh - the evening meal
Supshun – any food that is especially nutritional and tasty
Squirrel burgoo – a stew of squirrel meat, beans, okra, and cornmeal
Sweet bread – bread made from wheat flour
Sweetnin' - sugar, molasses, honey, and cane syrup
Sweet tada pone – sweet potatoes, cane syrup, eggs, butter, and nutmeg
Swimp ‘n’ grits – stewed shrimp, pork fat, and gravy, served over grits
Swit - delicious
Tadas - potatoes
Talluh - beef fat
Tase - taste
Tuckrey – turkey
Tuhnflour – cornmeal mush or porridge
Tunnup - turnip
Watermillion - watermelon
Wegitubble – vegetable
Wine - vine
Wineguh - vinegar
Yalluh yam - a sweet potato with yellow flesh
Yams – sweet potatoes
Learn more about the Gullah language and hear a sample:
Healthy Substitutions
The original Gullahs weren't too concerned with healthy cooking techniques. They were more concerned with survival and taste. Cooking and eating were among the few pleasures they had. They didn't really have to worry about calories, anyway, because they did so much manual labor.
Unfortunately, most of us do have to be concerned about such things because compared to the Gullah slaves, we follow a sedentary lifestyle. There are several ways, however, to make traditional Gullah foods healthier.
Instead of seasoning vegetables with cured pork, use smoked turkey. Chicken and beef bouillon also add a lot of flavor to vegetables. To get a "smoky" taste without adding meat, use a few drops of Liquid Smoke flavoring.
Use a light oil for frying and sauteing instead of lard or bacon grease. A reduced-fat margarine can be substituted for butter, and fat-free buttermilk can take the place of whole buttermilk.
Splenda can be used instead of sugar, and sugar-free syrup can be substituted for cane syrup and molasses.
Use low-fat seasonings to add flavor to rice: bouillon, stewed tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, and herbs. You won't miss the fat!
Fried chicken is a Gullah favorite, and it's traditionally fried in lard. For a healthier recipe that includes a crunchy high-fiber coating, check out the video recipe below.
Admittedly, some of the lower-calorie and reduced-fat results won't be as tasty as the original recipes, but you'll still get the basic flavors that are traditional Gullah. Every once in a while, however, indulge in some real Gullah grub!
High-fiber "oven fried" chicken:
The Modern Gullahs and Their Cuisine
Although the Gullahs once inhabited the Atlantic coast from Florida to North Carolina, most of the population is now limited to a few South Carolina and Georgia islands, including Sapelo, Daufuskie, and St. Helena. They’re struggling to keep their colorful heritage alive in the modern world. Developers have long had their eyes on the ancestral lands of the Gullahs on the beautiful isles, but most of the inhabitants refuse to sell, at any price.
Gullah Gullah cuisine has a dedicated following, and the number of fans is increasing. In fact, several restaurants along the Southern coast feature the distinctly flavored dishes, and a few of the eateries serve nothing but Gullah cuisine. Gullah cookbooks are also available.
Gullah heritage centers and festivals are also helping to educate people about this fascinating group of people. If you ever have the opportunity to attend one of the colorful events, come hungry. You’ll want to sample as many Gullah foods as you can!
If you'd like to learn more about this historical culture, view the beautiful videos below:
Gullah cuisine products:
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Books about the Gullah/Geechee people:
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Gullah cookbooks:
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Some of my Gullah-inspired recipes:
- Southern Culinary Arts: Holle's Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce
Welcome to my online cooking school! Today's online cooking classes are all about a delicious Southern favorite - crab cakes. I love crab meat! One of my favorite ways to eat it is in the form of crab... - Culinary Arts: Easy Oyster Recipes, with My Secret Sauce Recipe
Hello, online cooking school students! Welsome to my online cooking classes. Today's culinary arts revolve around that delicious bivalve, the oyster. Having an oyster roast? If so, you might want to... - Southern Culinary Arts: Buttermilk Fried Shrimp
I was thinking this morning...what do I know a lot about? What kind of hubs can I produce from my life experiences - ones I can write without doing any research, and ones that I think people will enjoy? Well,... - Southern Culinary Arts: Dried Lima Beans and Ham
Welcome to my online cooking school. Today we'll be preparing a favorite of Southern culinary arts, dried beans and ham. But first, a little story. My dad owned a grocery store and a gun shop, and... - Southern Cuisine: Fried Squirrel
When I was married to me ex-husband, we lived on the familys cattle ranch. They had acres and acres of woods, streams, lakes, fields, pecan orchards, and pastures. The woods were full of all kinds of... - How to Kill, Clean, and Cook Blue Crabs, with Videos
Blue crabs are a real delicacy. They can be easily caught with just a little patience and a little know-how. You can learn how to catch these delicacies by clicking on the link below this article. Before... - Southern Culinary Arts: Old-Fashioned Southern Cornbread Dressing: Step by Step
Welcome to my online cooking school! Today's online cooking classes involve Southern cornbread and Southern cornbread dressing. This recipe is an integral part of Southern culinary arts. You don't have to... - Southern Culinary Arts: How to Prepare and Cook Shark Meat
Welcome to my online cooking school! I imagine that we have many men present in today's online cooking classes. Hopefully, we have lots of women, too, since shark fishing is not limited to males. If you've... - Southern Cuisine: Holle's Crab Stew
There are few dishes more satisfying on a cold winter night than a big bowl of crab stew. Its creamy goodness is more than just your average soup - it's hearty enough for a stand-on-its own meal. Serve with... - Easy Entertaining Tips: Low Country Boil
Super casual, super fun and easy! The cooker: a must-have for easy entertaining! Youve probably attended a Low Country boil. Youve at least heard of them. Theyre very popular here in the south ... - Southern Cuisine: Holle's Country Fried Deer Steaks
In another life (or so it seems), I married into a family of cattle farmers. They had a huge farm, with lots of wildlife, including white-tailed deer. My ex and I were both hunters, and we ate venison often.... - Southern Cuisine: Crispy Fried Chicken, with How-To Video
If the South and soul food had a signature dish, surely it would have to be fried chicken! It's definitely one of my all-time favorites, although I try not to eat it too often because of the fat content. But... - Holle's Red Beans, Sausage, and Rice
Yesterday afternoon, I was busy on the computer when Johnny came in the office to ask what we were doing for lunchor for dinner. It was between the two meal times, and neither of us had eaten anything... - Southern Cuisine: Brunswick Stew
The story is told of a tantalizing stew first made on St. Simons Island, just across the marsh and river from Brunswick, Georgia. In fact, a pot still found in Brunswick today bears a plaque that claims the... - Southern Cuisine: Tomato Gravy
What's that? You've never heard of tomato gravy? Maybe it's one of those Southern secrets. Rut-roh! Does that mean I'll get into trouble for sharing it with you, dear readers? Just don't tell anyone else,... - Southern Cuisine: Holle's Fried Fried Okra
Okra holds a special place in the hearts of most Southerners. I always grew a long row of it my garden for use in gumbos and winter soups, but the best way to eat it is fresh, right from the stalk - battered... - Southern Cuisine: Holle's Greens and Ham
Greens are a staple of Southern cuisine and soul food! In the Deep South, greens means turnip greens, collard greens, or mustard greens. Though all three are similar in taste and appearance, there are... - Southern Cuisine: Holle's Oyster Stew
If youre an oyster aficionado, you might think the best oysters in the world come from the Chesapeake Bay. Not so, according to famous American chefs. Many top chefs at restaurants in New Orleans,... - Southern Cuisine: Okra and Tomatoes
This dish is a great part of country cooking, and it combines two Southern favorites - okra and tomatoes. Hence the name. If you enjoy Southern recipes, try this one. It's actually one of the few healthy... - Southern Cuisine: Holle's Cracker Salad
My grandmother and great-grandmother were from Charleston and Savannah, and both were wonderful cooks. They specialized in Low Country dishes, even though they didn't call them that at the time. Most were... - Southern Cuisine: Easy Blackberry Cobbler
I grew up in a suburban neighborhood, but there was a wooded area across the street that we referred to as simply the woods. Actually, Im living in the same house I grew up in, and the woods... - Southern Culinary Arts: Grilled Rabbit
Welcome to my online cooking school and online cooking classes! Today's culinary art is grilled rabbit. Heres a wild game recipe that I actually like! Well, at least theres one piece of the rabbit I... - Southern Cuisine: Barbecued Coon
This is another recipe that many Southerners enjoy. I have actually tasted this one, and I have to admit, it was pretty good, but I never could get around the idea of it being a raccoon I was eating. Im... - Southern Culinary Arts: Holle's Crackling Bread
Welcome to my online cooking school! Today's culinary art is bread - a very special Southern bread. This is a recipe for a traditional Old South favorite Crackling bread, or cracking corn bread. Its... - Southern Cuisine: Baked Possum with Apples and Sweet Potatoes
Ive never eaten possum, but my ex-husband liked it baked, with sweet potatoes and apples. The biggest problem with possums is that you dont know what theyve been eating when you kill one.... - Southern Culinary Arts: Boiled Peanuts
Welcome to my online cooking school and online cooking classes! Today's culinary art is boiled peanuts. I bet you already know that Georgia is famous for its peanuts, huh? After all, the U.S. had Jimma... - Southern Cuisine: Smoked Venison Roast
Some people dont care for venison because they say it was a wild or gamey taste. I say they havent had it cooked right! When prepared properly, deer meat tastes like good lean beef.... - Pastry School: Buttermilk Biscuit Secrets
Welcome to my pastry school and online cooking school! Today's pastry is buttermilk biscuits. I attended one of those formal pastry schools, where I learned many basics, but I've largely expanded my... - Pastry School: Holle's Georgia Peach Pie
Welcome to my pastry school and online cooking classes! You don't have to attend one of those fancy pastry schools to learn to cook like a pastry chef. Today's pastry is delicious peach pie. If you live in... - Southern Culinary Arts: Holle's Buttermilk Fried Fish
Welcome to my online cooking school! Today's lesson is the culinary art of frying fresh fish. Folks in the South love fishing. Well, allow me to narrow that down: folks in South Georgia love fishing! We...
Comments
Awww, thanks, Elf! I really put my heart and soul into this!
I am interested in the Gullahs, too. This is the most information that I have been able to find in one place. Thank you so much for writing this wonderful article! The food looks awesome! What time is dinner?lol
Wow, Moe, that was quick! Thanks a bunch for the compliment! You're welcome to share "supper" with us anytime!
You really should submit this a book query! Excellent history, photos, and videos.( I haven't watched all of the videos yet...)
...just wanted to add that I am from Georgia too! Go DAWGS!
Those catfish and hush-puppies look delish! I really enjoyed reading this. Excellent work!
It looks good!!!! well, very good!!! I am only associated with Louisiana creole, though I have deep roots in Northern Florida and Georgia, part Muskogee too... You know its amazing how creole came from all the outcasts of society in that day...Native Americans, slaves, Scotch-Irish, etc.... and today it is one of the most respected cultures in American cuisine!!!
I think master piece might be an understatement! Great job habee!
Wow habee- I loved the history here, very interesting! The food looks pretty good too! Thanks.......... K
I was fascinated all the way through.
thanks for reading, Bayou Lady!
Moe, "Go Dawgs" back at ya!
Thanks, Wendy. My hushpuppies are really good!
thanks, Angel. You're right about the creole people. They've come a long way!
Nifty, you are too kind. Thanks!
Let's just hope we keep the tradition going.... YW
Glad you liked it, K! I honestly think it's the best hub I've ever written!
Thanks, Sheila! That means a lot to me!
Angel, I agree. I hope this hub will enlighten at least a few more people about this wonderful culture!
I lived there a long time Habee. This is a great hub! You covered a lot here! Good memories!
Mick, where did you live?
Wow, this is an incredible hub. Loved it! Way to go Habee, it is incredibly fascinating history and information and pictures.
This is the best food article I have ever seen!!!!! Gorgeous!!!!!
wow.... limpin susan, and a great hub Habee!!!
Hi, Sunny! I was hoping you'd stop for a read!
I love it, great illustration, video, photos and informative.
Wow! Thanks, Gayle!
Chris, are you partial to limpin' Susan?
Thanks, Research! So glad you stopped by!
This is an amazing lecture on a part of history that I imagine not many people are familiar with and you should seriously consider offering it to your local school board for consideration.
After a brief interest in cooking, I have come to realise that knowing three recipes is two too many for me, but you made this historical journey so interesting that it captivated me. And not only the history, but useful information which to me is essential for my future retirement plans.
KEEPING CHICKENS
“A hen might lay as many as 300 eggs a year. Once her egg production sharply decreased, after the age of about 12-18 months, the hen was slaughtered and eaten. Since the meat was tougher than that of a young chicken, the "spent layers" were often stewed, slow-cooked, or used in soups”.
GROWING VEGETABLES
“Cabbage and green onions were often grown through the winter because they can withstand temperatures as low as 20 degrees, and in much of Gullah country, the temperature rarely dropped that low. Collards, mustard greens, and turnips, which were used for their roots as well as for their greens, will survive a light frost, so they were also popular fall crops”.
Are you sure about green onions being suitable for winter? There is no facility for it here, otherwise I would send you a photo of my vegetable garden patch where, for the first time in my life I have planted green onions and cabbage! The onions have sprouted and I sit and admire them like watching TV :-)))
Good job! :D
Oh, Dimitris, it means a lot to me that a great writer like you gives me such compliments! I am forever grateful!
I think even you outdone yourself. Thank you for all you hard work of researching. This is a masterpiece and you gave me a birthday reading it. As you know, I jsut love reading and learning about history and people. Especially, when it comes from somebody like you with first hand experiences, so to speak. Thank you so much, habee, for this pleasure. Anyone told today you are lovely?
That's OK, but you can thank me by answering my question, though:
"Are you sure about green onions being suitable for winter"? :-)))))
This is an wesome Hub! I just loved the history and the cultural and culinary aspects. The pix and the vids are just wonderful!
The food of course looks truly magnificent. I'm coming over to lunch on Sunday! Well, I can dream, can't I?
Its amazing to see stuff here that I recognise as African because they are still done here in South Africa!
Thanks so much for sharing this amazing Hub.
Love and peace
Tony
Holle, this was a well-written hub! It really is a masterpiece! Always be proud of your heritage. This was a wonderful read!
Looks great!
I can't get over this hub. It is well-written and so chock full of information. You are amazing and I am voting this up all the way.
Wow, Habee what an awesome hub. Thanks for sharing this great info. I loved learning about the Gullahs heritage. I love Creole food and have a few favorite dishes that I make regularly. I'm going to check to see if any of them belong to the Gullah style.
Thanks for all this great information
hope you and the family are well
kindest regards
Zsuzsy
Hi, HH! YOU are lovely for saying such nice things about me and about my hub!
De Greek, we have grown green onions throughout the year, but we usually have mild winters here. We also have a porous soil - a sandy loam - that drains well.
Wow, that's neat, Tony! It's amazing how much history is in foods. And as for dinner, you're always welcome at my house!
Judy, thanks so much! I consider it my masterpiece, also!
Hi, Buckie! Whattup? Haven't heard from you. You okay?
Bpop, your kind words have me grinning from ear to ear! Thank you, my friend!
Zsuzsy, I'm honored that you enjoyed my hub! I really appreciate the fact that you took the time to read and comment.
The fam is okay - 2 sick grands. How 'bout you?
Oh you have brilliantly covered everything habee. What I like so much about your hub is that I can use it with my students when I sub. Few people know how much history goes with food. Imagine - teaching history lessons through food. It will work, brilliantly.
Although a native NYer my folks are from coastal Carolina and have been there forever so I am familiar with the food (even the fact that peanuts as we call them in NYC are called goobers in the South). How well I remember visiting my grandmothers farm 50 years ago and my mother going out to pick wild blueberries. All food was fresh and local and I tell you - my Southern folks used to live to be 100-200 years old (or there abouts) with no ailments!
I had the pleasure of reading Sally Ann Robinson's cookbook too - great information. One thing I want to try is the pickled watermelon rind - folks never threw away any part of the food (or the animal) - many Asian cultures know the high nutritional value of watermelon seeds. While we as American throw away the rinds and look for seedless melons.
I will surely bookmark this so I can share it - especially will my students - they will love the approach to American history.
Rated up of course and more. Super awesome hub!
Carolyn
Carolyn, I truly loved creating this hub! I felt as if I were taking a trip back in time. Kids love learning about other cultures through food. I taught Brit Lit, and when we were on the middle ages, we always had a medieval banquet. The kids had to research foods from the period, and everyone signed up to bring a dish. The principal let us use the private teacher's dining room, and we sent out parchment-scroll invitations to all the administrators. As we ate, a group of students performed acts from Macbeth. It was great!
Have you ever tried watermelon rind preserves? They were my dad's favorite. As I was writing this, I realized how sinfully wasteful we are as a society. We could learn a lot from the Gullahs!
I really appreciate your thoughts!
Holle
Holy Crap Holle! what a splendid work you have put here, it's easy the most thorough work I've yet to read! I hit all your buttons up! I had opportunity to feast at a Gulla restaurant often in Irvine California and I hope it's still there when/if I go back. A Gulla family bought a barn just of a road there when the Irvine family sold the farm to developers. They converted it to a restaurant and I heard the word and went there. The menu was a chalk board because the food was different each time you went. The one constant was "dirty rice" that I've tried to mimic a hundred times and failed! It had all sorts of bones from chicken, pork, and fish parts and I always doubled down on it as well as a pone of cornbread to sop the plate clean. As time went on I had to hit the place at 3pm 'cuz lunch and supper times it was standing room only as folks found and tried it. It was funny 'cuz some folks would give me a cussing after going there and chowing down on the rice and finding a fish eyeball or head buried in it. I used to laugh my ass off at them saying "was the best rice you ever ate till it winked at you wasn't it?" People are funny that way I don't get it. If this nation falls to monetary crisis, folks will learn to live this way or starve! To use every thing from the harvest. Visitors here don't eat twice most the time after they find out they just ate snake or some other critter I shoot. This is "2010 the year of the well" and I've got a good garden that is now irrigated daily, so chow time is changing as I get things from it. I really liked the insight into things to try, got a sack of catfish heads in the freezer so I'm fixing to thaw them smoke a couple chickens and make another go at dirty rice ala fish head and chicken carcass boiling in the water before tossing the rice in, maybe a lot of garlic and other hot spices and see how it turns out.
Thanks I'm bookmarking this page. I wish I could get my hands on a pile of those Sheeps Head fish! We used to get those in lobster waters off Catalina Island when spear fishing, easy the best next to lobster of all the sea food I was able to get in California. Damn!, I'm hungry!, 50
50, I'm elated to discover that there's a Gullah restaurant in Cali! Wow! I hope they get to be everywhere - I would hate to see this culture and cuisine die.
As for the dirty rice, called "Gullah rice" or "Geechee rice" here, have you tried putting ground chicken livers in it? That might be what you're missing.
I applaud you for "living off the land." I did a lot of that when I was married to my ex and we lived on a huge farm/cattle ranch. I spent all spring and summer freezing and canning: veggies, fruits, nuts, jams, jellies, pickles, relishes, etc. I even made my own butter sometimes with cream from our milk cow. We grew our own cows, pigs, and chickens and also hunted and fished. We grew our own cane and made our own syrup. Hubby would even make the 40-mile drive to the coast to "pick" oysters. We seined for shrimp and crabs, too. I live in town, now, and I miss all that!
Thanks for reading and for your kind comments, 50!
Holle, had to come back and bump all the buttons again! My family is from the South after immigrating from Holland and much of the terminology used by them is now clear where it came from. No slave owners in my tree, but I suppose in that era there exists a lot of family trees that turn up as yours. This is by far the best statement to culture that I have read on any topic during "Black History Month" it is something you need to add to a site that participates in that history, I know it would be great! My family was dirt poor into my fathers growing up so visiting some of the 12 brothers and 4 sisters he had I've ate plenty of stuff folks would run from like possum and coon. He had one sister I stayed a summer with as a kid that could cook a rock and you'd love it. Going out hunting with my Uncle John we'd bring back the critters of the night as well as day, run trot lines every night and even cut down and split a hollow tree and smoked the bees out then put the honey and comb into 5 gallon igloo coolers I think we got 2 and a half out of one tree. The color was from dark black to the light honey you see in the store but unstrained and uncooked it was the best I ever had and crunchy too. It was a great experience living with the exposure to the "waste not want not" way of life. This exposure to the Gulla made me realize where much of it came from. I don't want to say I support what was done but I'm glad they were able to educate a few of us crackers in the way of good vittles! 50
Cool, 50 - you know the term "crackers"! My ex and I weren't poor, we just liked the idea of being self-sufficient. Plus, the fresh foods tasted so much better and were healthier. My ex liked coon and possum, and if you noticed the links below this hub, you'll see my recipes for possum, coon, squirrel, rabbit, and deer. My favorite wild game is quail - hands down! I used to love quail hunting, too. We trained most of our own dogs, and watching them work was a real pleasure. I also love venison and grilled wild rabbit!
I agree - slavery was a terrible evil - but America is much richer, culturally speaking, because of all we learned from African slaves and their descendants. Not to mention that they made the plantation owners rich through their blood, sweat, and tears. They made a HUGE contribution!
habee, The history of the Gullah's is very interesting. What a lot of research and hard work you have done. I don't think you left out a thing. Rated up!
Thanks so much, Pam. Your readership means a lot to me!
This is very detailed habee. What a great contribution the Gullahs provided. I appreciate all the research you put into this.
Wow, habee, I can see why this is nominated. This hub is totally interesting--you have managed to tie personal history in such a seamless way. I love all your pictures and can definitely identified with your grandmother's need to make rice for every meal. I do that too. Good luck. It's a winning hub already, at least to me.
Oh, thank you, V! Do you ever attend any of the Gulluh festivals held in your area?
Anglnwu, you're too kind! I wish I could open a Gullah restaurant here, or maybe get in touch with some of the people on our coast to help us with a Gullah festival. I live in south GA and am surprised that so few know about these wonderful people!
Holle what a labor of love! I have such fond memories of Charleston, having gone to OT school at MUSC. I could eat myself silly on your feast in the first photo! This one could take the grand prize!
Oh, RM, it was truly a labor of love! I almost felt like I was in the kitchen cooking with my mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother as I was preparing all the Gulluh dishes! My family has sure enjoyed my writing this hub, since so much cooking went along with it. I'd have to call them over to help us eat it all! Thanks for the kind comment!
This is an awesome hub, habee. You really have a Creole ancestry. No doubt, you should win this contest. Congratulations!!! LOL:D
Damn, Girl! You really went to town. Fantastic hub - totally voting for this in the weekly competition. I'll be back. :)
I have never seen anything like this before Habee!
Please remember that I knew you before you wrote this hub, it is totally awesome!
What a massive amount of culture and food I have been missing in my ignorance. I will keep this hub and cook at least some of this food if it takes me forever.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful hub.
Did I say wonderful? I am def knocking up the fried chicken!
Awesome! Another great hub from one of my favorite writers here. It always amazes me to read something about food with a touch of its history. Congrats on the nomination Habee and I'm rating this up! Keep up the good work! :-)
I felt as though I were traveling with you, through the history and through your memories, spending the day experiencing another way of life. There are many historical re-enactment centers and venues in the US (three that come to mind are Colonial Williamsburg, Bedford PA, and Salem WV) that provide a living experience of colonial life; is there a similar Gullah experience?
The Skin Quilt Project video and vocabulary list are welcomed additions to grasping a sense of the many influences that shape this cuisine.
I recognize the challenge of tense you faced, which you resolved into a seamless writing, which became a seamless reading.
Should you turn this beautiful study into a book, I'll be buying several copies!
Ditto what Sally's Trove said. You write the book and I'll definitely buy it. Great hub!
Hi Habee! After seeing your topic among my list, I knew I had to read it. I first got interest in the Gullah people and culture when I read Justice Thomas Clarence's memoir, My Grandfather's Son. I thought what a strong people. Then when I visited Charleston, I found out how strong the connection is between traditional lowcountry cooking and the Gullah cooking, I was even more hooked. Southern food is so amazingly good. I plan to take a trip to Savannah soon and indulge and even learn more. Reading your hub made me want to take another trip to Charleston. Thank you!
Travel man, thanks so much for your vote of confidence! Glad you enjoyed the hub!
Holle, what where and how? on the voting? I guess it's a feature I haven't seen, 50
Terrific hub, habee! Where's that "vote up" button? Oh yeah, right above the comments! Going there now.
Gullah Cuisine... mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm great!!!
Mark Knowles?! Damn! This must be a good hub! lol. I just called Randy Godwin to tell him that Mark Knowles visited and commented positively on my hub, and he said that was the HP "Mark of approval." I have arrived! Thanks, Mark, for taking the time to read and comment!
Hollie, I saw this title and had to come in and read! what an amazing piece of work you have compiled. I can tell your heart is in this hub. I haven't watched all of the videos yet, but am bookmarking for later. I lived in New Orleans for one year during a college internship and fell in love with the entire area and culture. one of my friends cooked like this and was a true Cajun showing us the 'off the beaten path' restaurants to find this food. the history you have compiled is certainly book or major magazine article worthy!! clicked everything!
Ernest, I'm honored that you came for a visit! You'd love the Gullah "soul food." If you ever make it over this way, please come have dinner with us!
Loren, I love history AND food, so this hub was right up my proverbial alley! Thanks for reading!
Sally, your kind words are much appreciated! Glad you understood my "tense" predicament - the English teacher in me coming out. lol. I'm actually working on a book based on my family history, and much of the Gullah history is included.
You weren't kidding when you said it was a long hub! That doesn't matter though, because it's chock full of fascinating information and terrific videos and pictures. Great hub, Holle! Voting for it!
Irohner, so nice of you to take the time to read this lengthy article and comment. Thanks!
Flight, I almost mentioned Justice Thomas in the hub. Glad you made the connection! You'll love Savannah! I used to live near there, and I went often. Thanks for visiting!
50, I'm sending you an email!
W, so kind of you to vote my hub up! Thanks a bunch!
Bekah, those are the best kinds of restaurants! I'm glad you got to experience that culture and food. The Acadians (Cajuns) also had an influence on the Gullahs - or maybe it was the other way around! lol. Thanks!
Hi, Lily! I definitely appreciate your support. As to the length, I kinda got carried away! I just couldn't seem to stop. lol
Oh my word, habee ! You've really gone all out on this one. GREAT content and fascinating. Can I come to your house for dinner?
Lovely, you are always welcome at my table! I love cooking for people. What would you like? Rabbit, deer, squirrel, or perhaps some shrimp or crab? Just let me know in plenty of time! lol
Wow! I mean....WOW!!! There's a huge amount of interesting information in this well-written hub. Also, it has made me very hungry. Thumbs up!
it was an amazing year I spent there Hollie. One of the guys took us to this shack type restaurant near the swamps. I remember there was a bridge near-by and we sat out on the wooden deck. the cajun spices are a little different from creole, but it was the most amazing food I've ever tasted. the people were so heart-warming. it's sad to think their way of life is now in jeopardy.
driving on the road through the swamps was an image and experience I'll never forget!! we even camped out one weekend north of Lake Pontchartrain and brewed real cajun coffee! I left that place with a slight French Acadian accent!! great memories, maybe I should hub about it. you've stirred up some warm memories with your work here. thanks!! I think I'll cook creole style tonight!
Om, I'm glad the hub interested you and piqued your appetite! I love your food hubs, as well. Thanks for reading!
Bekah, I hate what the oil is doing to their way of life. It breaks my heart when I hear that the marshes might never recover. Now we're hearing it might go all the way around the tip of FL and invade GA and SC. If so, the Gullah people will be greatly affected, also.
I love tidal marshes. They're delicate ecosystems, home to a huge number of critters. Many fish species use them as "nurseries." I hope Earth can eventually heal herself because mankind isn't doing a very good job of it.
This is my favorite of your articles, Holle! Not that I've read all 600+ of them, but I think it is the best. If the judges do not like this one, then their ability to choose correctly is in doubt. I'm ready to go cast netting for sheephead, so let's go before long!
Great hub!
Wow, RD - that's high praise coming from you! I agree with you; I think this is the best hub I've EVER written.
I'm ready for some castnetting, too! Maybe we can plan a trip for Sept or Oct? You and Beth would LOVE Anna Maria!
Sounds good to me! We can go on your contest winnings!
This is an amazing article, and I have only skimmed it so far.
I learned a bit about the Gullahs when I took a history of the English language class in college, and it was fascinating. I really need to dig in to your hub. Just incredible.
RD, when are you guys going to Jamaica??
Lakeerie, The Gulluh people are really fascinating. Here in the Deep South, we still use many African/Gullah/Geechee words. One of the most popular is "tote" - as a verb. Thanks for reading!
Hey Habee, that's one heck of a long hub. Damn woman, make me come back to read over and over again, just to get the gist. LOL! Great hub though. I have bookmarked it to come back to. Thank you very much for the effort in sharing it. :)
Hi, Ray! Yeah, it's amonst a novella, huh? lol. I'm just in love with the subject! Glad you stopped by!
Congratulations on the nomination. This is a terrific history lesson combined with all of the recipes. Your heart and soul went into this hub. Tell you what...I am ready and willing to eat at your home anytime!!!
Don't know when we are going to Jamaica yet! Waiting on Josh and Brook to arrange their work leave!
Awesome !
Kewl, Peggy! Come on over - I'll set an extra place at the table!
I learn much from this hub. You always totally to create a beautiful hub. That's why your passion in writing was never end. I really enjoy this information. It open my eyes about various cuisine from over the world. Good work, my friend. I rate this Up.
Prasetio
RD, maybe you guys can go this summer so we can hit the sheepshead in the fall.
Ingenira, thanks a heap!!
Amazing Habee!
I'll be over for suppuh for some swimp ‘n’ grits!
Prasetio, you know me well - I do have a passion for writing. I also have a passion for food and history, so this hub was the perfect fit for me. Thanks!
Doc, I'ma thinkin' iffin you drive that fer from Canady, you all will be a wantin' more than jist swimp n grits. How bout some crab stew, biled goobers, watermillion, and sweet tada pie, too?
Glad you stopped by. This food is really awesome!
I love this hub, specially yams and fishes and the history, thanks for the share and the knowledge, awesome habee, Congrats by the way, you deserve it! Beautiful and awesome like us, Maita
Maita, you are beautiful and awesome! I appreciate your kind comment!
Wow what a wonderful tribute to the Gullahs. Found it very interesting reading especially because many of the techniques of curing and storing potatoes, ham, etc. are the same techniques that were used when I grew up on a farm in Tennessee.
Don't believe there were any Gullah relatives that I know of; most of my heritage is from the native American Indians however, I definitely can see similarities in the ways of food storage and preparation. Habee, you really out done yourself on this one. Great Job and congrats for being selected as a nominee!:)
Money Glitch, I imagine many of the same customs were observed by all slaves from West and Central Africa, and TN had slaves. Of course, as I mentioned, the original Gullahs also learned some techniques from Native Americans.
Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for visiting!
Congratulations of course on the nomination but congrats on being the featured hub!!
Awesome hu - the videos, writing, pictures, descriptions, everything. I agree with bayoulady, you really should use this as a book query. I bookmarked so I could use the information for my class, this information will be perfect for them to use for a project coming up in January.
Audrey, I just saw that.
Thanks a bunch for your continued support and for being my pal!
KoffeeKlatch, I very much appreciate your kind comments! And feel free to use the hub with your classes. Did the hub sound like it was written by a retired teacher?? lol. That's me!
Hi habee:
Just finished this wonderful hub. After reading thru the comments I see you've already started on (what I thought was going to be an original idea)..turning this hub into a book! Great idea, girl!
Please be sure to include as many stories about family recollections as possible. The first-person stuff really makes it come to life.
This is such an admirable piece of writing...I just know you'll fill your book with all the heart and joy we've experienced here. Thanks so much for sharing this slice of Americana with us!
HubCrafter, your comments have made my day! I really spent a lot of time and effort with this hub, and I'm so glad to know that it's so appreciated and enjoyed by others here. Thank you!
Habee, WOW! Wonderful thorough job! You have a multiplicity of things to learn and enjoy here!!! Cooking, videos & history what a wonderful job you have done! Great assortment one must camp here more than a few moments to reap the benefits! I know without tasting you are a Great cook! You certainly are a Wonderful person!
I told you before you could do a "Cooking Show" and yes a Cookbook too! As they say "You go girl!"
No doubt that you put a great deal of love, sentiment and work into this hub! You certainly are gifted in this area! Great Job!
Thank you for sharing, In His Love, Peace & Blessings!
Wow! I learned a lot about the Gullahs! I got nostalgic 'coz I recalled our cow when we're still living in the country. Thank you for sharing sumptuous information about a colorful culture and cuisine from a different world. Congratulations, too!
Congrats, though I knew already, just from reading your hub. So in awe of u!
Deb, I sometimes dream of having a cooking show, or maybe a restaurant. Sometimes I feel like my home is a restaurant! Glad you enjoyed the read, and thanks for visiting!
Thanks, Queen! Glad you stopped by!
See! Toldjaso! Nuh, nuh, nuh!
Hey Congrats, on best hub! You definitely deserve it! Now I'm waiting for an autographed copy of the book. :)
Congrats habee, truly deserving and enjoy some more hehe! Maita
Anglnwu, maybe you have ESP?? lol
Randy, remind me to tell you what Mel said about you and me!
Thanks a bunch, MG! I'll save you a copy. lol
Thank you so much, Maita. You're always such a sweetie!
Congratulations, girl, on winning the best Hub of the week. You really deserved it on this one!
I enjoyed reading this hub thanks.
Thanks, Judy! Glad you stopped by!
Wow Habee, this is an absolutely awesome hub! I learned so much from reading it, and it's so very fascinating. You should write a book. It would be great because the reader can tell your heart and soul is in it, not just information. Your heritage connection really makes it all come alive. Fabulous job!
Rose, glad you enjoyed my labor of love!
Anne, I'm so glad you enjoyed learning more about the Gullah culture!
Well Done habee all your hard work on Hubpages has paid off...
Wow - that was amazing and congrats on your winning hub. You deserved it. Very interesting and informative.
Thanks, Barry - yes, it did! lol
Elayne, many thanks! I'm sure it was a tough decison for the judges.
This Hub contains more information than the documentary I viewed about Gullahs on an island off South Carolina's coast! I especially enjoy the vid about boiled peanuts, because now I know that I did not have to shell them all before eating them a few years ago. The tableware you use is also as attractive as the food you serve.
Wanted to come back and congratulate you on winning, but this hub is so outstanding and far above what I would have expected from a hub that you deserve every penny.
Just had a conversation with a friend about Gullahs after I read the hub for the first time. :)
Wow! Thanks, Patty! I love my red and white splatterware, but it's hard to find.
Lareerie, that's great! The more people who learn about the Gullahs, the better!
Interesting hub on the history and cuisine of special group of the slave trade. I am of caribbean heritage and a lot of the foods you mention I recognise as they were a part of my culinary childhood from my mother and grandmother.
it was not a hub. it was a great mega serial with guidelines, photos and videos. oh, terrific. I will need half an hour more to finish it.
Editor, I'm so happy that you read and commented!
Saleheen, thanks for stopping by, and for your kind words!
Dear Habee,
This hub is truly unique and shows how the use of videos and practical hands on information can greatly enhance a reader's experience! I have bookmarked it as a favorite and will definitely be coming back to it.
My husband and I first learned about the Gullah culture when we visited Charleston and the surrounding plantations. Since then we've been able to attend a Gullah Festival on Hilton Head Island, visit Daufuskie Island, Beaufort, SC and some of the Georgia coast islands. But I've never seen so much information presented in such a helpful, interesting way as you've done here. Thanks for sharing your extensive knowledge and some of your family history. This hub is a cultural treasure!
Boomernurse, your kind comment really means a lot to me! Writing this was a real labor of love!
habee, this is indeed a real labor of love hub if there ever was one. I thought it was just going to be on Gullah-Geechee food. You write on your families long roots in the low-country area of Charleston with heart and honesty along with the accompanying great pics. You've explained who the Gullah people were and their wonderful recipes. The Gullah related terms- and vids complete this extraordinary article. Congratulations on a quintessential Hub!
What an amazing Hub! So much more than just food, but the stories and history behind it.
Alastar, thanks so much! I'm glad it was evident to you that my heart really went into this hub.
Dr. Rock, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Definitely worth a second..or third read and look-see habee. You really did put your heart and skills to work on the Gullah foods, recipes and history here. Out-standing Hub.
WOW!
THANK YOU for such a wonderful history lesson, and the sharing of your family history!
The photos are great~
Thanks, Alastar. I was really honored when I found out this hub won hub of the week in the contest, and when it won the grand prize, I was elated!! I put that $1,000 to good use! lol
Jean, I'm so glad you enjoyed the read! Thanks!
Great information here. I'll be sure to refer the page to my students. Well done--engaging, informative, and quite visually gripping. ---U of Maryland College Park
Habee:
Thanks for a wonderful and informative site. I came to it by looking for a Hoppin John recipe, but came away with a wealth of understanding about the culture in early days in the South. I am from Georgia, but other family was from South Carolina. I'm sorry to say that some kept slaves, but have no control over what they did. Your description of how they lived was an eye-opener for me. Thank you so much for caring enough to go the extra mile with your research.
I looked up Huguenot torte and found an article about it that contradicts your version as to its origins. Here's the link http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/magazine/13food-
What a wonderfully informative article! I was raised in Texas til about the age of 15. My mother's family was from Georgia and it was not uncommon to have leftover rice served as hot cereal with brown sugar for breakfast.
The parts about the language were very interesting.
I feel the page part very interesting. thanks!!
that was lots of hard work......well written, awesome clicks.
elf_cash 23 months ago
This is a terrific hub! Well written, descriptive, beautiful photos, helpful videos, and a great personal touch. Looks like a winner to me!