How Black Women Smuggled Fufu into the South

How Black Women Smuggled Fufu into the South

From One Mic Black History by Michael Motley jr

June 1, 2026 · 12 min · Season 9

About this episode

The episode explores the role of enslaved Black women in the creation of Southern cornbread using West African culinary techniques.

For centuries, the world has been sold a myth that Southern cornbread was born out of European hospitality and plantation romance.In reality, the true architects were enslaved Black women. They used the culinary engineering of West African fufu to transform a cheap ration of raw cornmeal into a survival fuel that outsmarted the South.Sources:High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris,Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time by Adrian Miller"The African Roots of Southern Cooking" by Toni Tipton-MartinAudio Onemichistory.comFollow me on Instagram: @onemic_historyFollow me on Substack: https://onemicblackhistorypodcast.substack.com/Follow me on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@onemic_historyPlease support our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=25697914Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Countryboi2m

People in this episode

Host: Michael Motley jr

Topics covered

  • Black women
  • Southern cooking
  • Fufu
  • Culinary history
  • Enslaved people
  • Cornbread

Keywords

  • Black women
  • Southern cornbread
  • Fufu
  • Culinary engineering
  • Enslaved cooking
  • Cornmeal
  • Culinary history

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time, The African Roots of Southern Cooking

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