American Soul: The Black History of Food in the United States

by Anela Malik, Renae Wilson

The history of American cuisine is deeply tied to African American roots. In this beautifully illustrated journey through the rich, indelible, and often unrecognized contributions of African American culinary traditions, Anela Malik uncovers the remarkable history of many of America's most iconic dishes, and shares fascinating stories from some of America's top chefs, restaurateurs, and food workers, along with 75 mouthwatering recipes.

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

320 pages, Hardcover

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

[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 in the book 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 no 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.

[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.

[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 · 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 🙄