American Soul: The Black History of Food in the United States - Including 40 Recipes

by Anela Malik

Delve into foodways of the United States, including testimonies from more than 30 Black chefs, restaurateurs, historians and luminaries, as well as 40 historically-rooted recipes.Equal parts historical exploration and cookbook, this rich narrative reveals the rich and indelible contributions of the Black diaspora in shaping the footprint of American cuisine.This illuminating narrative from Anela Malik, the voice behind the popular Feed the Malik, tracks the development of American cuisine from the days of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to modern history. This captivating journey through the culinary history of the United States includesDeep-rooted history from crop migration from West Africa to the chitlin' circuit of the Civil Rights Movement to the modern-day fried chicken sandwich craze.Voices in food, with reflections and profiles of more than 30 Black chefs and culinary luminaries including Jessica B. Harris, Cheryl Day, and BJ Dennis.Illustrated maps and more than 150 photographs illustrating the country's rich culinary past, regional foodways, historical rice growing regions, barbecue trends, and moreAnd 40 recipes from southern skillet cornbread and macaroni and cheese to jerk pork lumpia and blackberry cobbler.With nuance and empathy, Anela reveals the unrecognized Black roots of some of the most iconic American food traditions and provides a deeper understanding of the profound yet hidden contributions of the Black community to American cuisine.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, History, Cookbooks, African American, Culinary, Historical

497 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 9, 2025

Reviews

[Sadie E · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me feel smart and hungry.

The author has this wildly readable, conversational style that makes history feel approachable. I learned a ton without my brain ever going into “please stop” mode.

The recipes and stories add so much warmth and personality. It’s not just “here are historical facts,” it’s “here are real traditions, real people, real lived experiences,” and I love how it connects food to everything (identity, power, culture, survival, joy, exploitation). It’s thoughtful without being preachy or dry, which is a difficult line to walk. So many books try to do what this one does and fail spectacularly.

It connects everyday foods to bigger moments in history and gives proper credit to black cooks, farmers, and innovators who are usually either sidelined or completely erased. It genuinely changes how you think about everyday foods in a way that’s both fascinating and slightly rage-inducing.

My only tiny gripe is that I felt like some parts were a little broad, like occasionally the book wass covering a lot of ground without always slowing down to dig deep, and there were moments where I found myself going, "WAIT. Come back. I want more of this!" Some topics were so interesting that it was almost frustrating when the book moved on. Like excuse me, I wasn't done emotionally processing that.

But it’s thoughtful and engaging, and 100% worth picking up if you’re into food, culture, or history. You’ll definitely come away seeing food differently and you'll absolutely crave plenty of meals

[Beth Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this one from a list for Black History month because I love food. I recommend getting the physical book from the library or buying it because it is beautiful. It is filled with pictures of people and food. It’s broken into sections for historical perspective. The sections are in chunks that are notably broken up to read a few minutes at a time if that’s all you’ve got. I had a lot of time last weekend while sitting and waiting and in the car so this read really quickly for me and there are a number of recipes. It helped me make the connecting with southern food and black food and see how they shaped each other. I love a good biscuit (the best I’ve ever had was in Charleston SC. I think I’ll photo copy the biscuit, sweet potato biscuit and fried chicken recipes before I return the book to the library. Maybe a couple of others too.

[Dodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot reading American Soul, and I must admit, I might not have looked at it had it not been on a Goodreads' challenge list. Anela Malik discusses Black history and food traditions. The food is so familiar to me, having grown up in a small Southern town. One of the most surprising chapters for me was Black Veganism. According to Malik; Black Americans are almost three times as likely as white Americans to identify as vegan and are cutting meat out of their diets at a higher rate than other populations. When I think of Black food, I think of Southern food, and I don't think of vegans. It's a good surprise. I'm looking forward to trying the Vegan Chili recipe that's included. The section Voices in Black Food, the last section, especially appealed to me. I liked reading the individual stories of people succeeding in the culinary world. Several of the chefs share a favorite recipe. This is a big beautiful book published by National Geographic.

[Barbara Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

"American Soul: The Black History of Food in the United States" is a perfect book to celebrate food and family, not just during Black History Month, but also to get a fresh perspective of American history from Colonial times to today. Stories behind ingredients and innovators, historical illustrations and photos, and mouth-watering classic recipes all add to the narrative in this enticing and thought-provoking book.

From now on, whenever I savor a bowl of macaroni & cheese, I will remember not just my mother and grandmothers. I will think of James Hemings, the enslaved chef of President Thomas Jefferson, who brought macaroni & cheese from France back to America, making it a dish beloved at the most elite of events to the humblest of homes.

[Hannah Trower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful and thought-provoking history of Black Cuisine in the US, covering stories of joy and resistance amidst hardship. Does not cover "Black Cuisine" in a vacuum, as Indigenous, West African, Caribbean, and yes, European, influences all play their interconnected roles in the story. Slavery and Jim Crow certainly are not shied away from, but neither are they the full story. Very readable and interesting analysis of the history of food and how it relates to the US Black experience, and the recipes enhance and complement the text.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book with so much info about the history of food in the US and how it is influenced in the best ways, through and through by black people. I only had to knock a star off because I wanted more- more info, more sources, more recipes- next time she needs to make and encyclopedia of American Soul!

[Jessica Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was caught somewhere between a cookbook and a food history. It didn’t hit either quiet at 100% but was an interesting read. I found the different text fonts through the book made it difficult to know where to look. I liked that it featured a lot of chefs but felt more like a picture book than a book book.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less of a cookbook, more of a history, this was fascinating. There aren’t many recipes in here, but I learned a tremendous amount. The photos, historical records, and art presented are a lovely balance to the text, and the juxtaposition of food and culture are intricately woven. The author does an excellent job of giving full credit to the BIPOC diaspora.

[ALEYA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that this book connects culture, food, and history perfectly. I finished this a while ago but I wanted to try at least a couple of recipes before putting in my review… that BBQ sauce is amazing!!! I’m super excited to try the mac and cheese recipe too:)

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book on Goodreads Giveaways. Absolutely beautiful. It would make a wonderful gift. It's filled with fascinating history, facts and recipes.

[Maudaevee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a beautiful book, so many great photos, interesting history and wonderful recipes. I think this would be a book that would appeal to many people so would make an excellent gift.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Canadian I'm always happy to try some soul food. But not a fan of fish or ox tail .....

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed that there weren't more recipes included, and that they weren't given context.

This is more a cultural history than a cookbook, but it's well-written, thorough and nicely laid out.

[Elly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a cookbook 🙄

[Lydia Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, this was very repetitive. In between recipes was commentary and historical notes which just kept repeating the same info.

[Bree Sotirovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much history! The photography was great and, of course, the recipes are waiting to be made.

[Fede · Rating 3 out of 5]

interessante ma le informazioni sono un po' disordinate

[Lily Clinesmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and I learned a lot! I wish it held my attention a bit more but I do appreciate that it was broken up throughout the long chapters to leave good places to pause.

[Angelina V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great and illustrated book that follows the people who carried the traditions through the years and also focuses on the present and the future.

[Claudia Majetich · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like to cook, and I like to read American history. So, I was very excited when I saw this book on the new arrival shelf in my library.

I was disappointed in the book. There are little nuggets of interesting info, but overall it does't contain much in the way of new information.

The recipes were not particularly interesting either. One of my pet peeves is that more than one recipe has "Cajun seasoning" as an ingredient, but no recipe for Cajun seasoning is given for this of us who prefer to make their own mixes. (There are lots of recipes for it and its cousin, Creole seasoning, online though.) And given the size and weight (3.5 lbs!!), it contains only 40 recipes, most of which I've already come across.

The design of the book was not very readable. The pages looked pretty until you tried to read them. The chosen typeface (light weight, sans serif) and the wide columns made it hard to read. It's a book to look at, not one to be read.