Culinary Legacies at Texas Plantations
The staff who manage our 38 State Historic Sites work hard to ensure that our visitors can experience a version of Texas history that is informative, authentic, and engaging. But with the help of culinary programs that spotlight cultural foodways, site educators are providing new (and delicious) ways of accessing the stories of Texans past.
Assistant Site Manager, Kennedy Wallace, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at their approach to foodways programming at two plantations in Brazoria County.
Food for Thought
Having worked at both the Varner-Hogg Plantation and Levi Jordan Plantation for almost 3 years, I've learned that travelers are drawn to plantations for many reasons. Some visit to see antebellum furniture and interior designs; others want to experience Southern hospitality; and some come for a more personal experience that can be harder to find or comprehend. Plantations are unique and complex. So too are the people that once lived and worked on them. As we research, preserve, and interpret sites like Varner-Hogg and Levi Jordan, we begin to learn more about these individuals and their experiences. And as we uncover their stories, which are wide-ranging and sometimes unexpected, we often land on difficult truths about the conditions enslaved persons once endured here. As educators, it is our goal to provide safe spaces where visitors can thrive and learn the history associated with these sites, and one way we've done this is by using foodways to broach stories that can be challenging to our visitors, for a variety of reasons.
Defining Foodways
If you're a seasoned heritage traveler (no pun intended), you've likely encountered the connection between history and foodways, but for those new to the concept, it can be defined as "all of the traditional activities, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors associated with the food in your daily life. Foodways include customs of food production, preservation, preparation, presentation, gathering, marketing (both buying and selling), uses of food products other than for eating, and food folklore.” Source.
Red Food
Though Juneteenth has been celebrated for over 150 years, the culinary traditions associated with the occasion once known as "Emancipation Day" are only just becoming mainstream as more Americans join in the festivities. This is in part thanks to its recent designation as a federal holiday, but also because of the efforts of culinary historians, journalists, and chefs who are reminding us that when it comes to African American celebrations, food is front and center. In fact, most newspaper accounts of emancipation celebrations in Texas during the nineteenth century mention a barbecue of some kind. You can read about more about the connection between Juneteenth and barbecue here, written by Texas Monthly BBQ Editor, Daniel Vaughn. Vaughn also points us to food historian Michael Twitty, who enlightened us to the fact that the "practice of eating red foods—red cake, barbecue, punch and fruit—may owe its existence to the enslaved Yoruba and Kongo brought to Texas in the 19th century. Now, who said history can't taste good?
Scenes from A Day of Remembrance 2023.
When we host foodways programs at Varner-Hogg and Levi Jordan Plantations, we capture the history of the site in ways that are authentic to the actual experiences of the enslaved, first and foremost. But foodways has also allowed us to engage with our surrounding community and learn about Black history and culture from the perspective of those directly connected to the site who have remained in the area over a century later. When we empower our visitors to add interpretation to the site by telling their own stories, we feel like we're offering a new experience of Texas History, a history that is diverse, beautiful, and genuinely American.
Recipe for Barbeque Sauce
Recipe edited by Elmer Turnage (WPA) and adapted by Michael Twitty, from the testimony of Mr. Wesley Jones. Source: "Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves."
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1 large yellow or white onion, well chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of water
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 pod of long red cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves or 1 tablespoon of minced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon of crushed coriander seed
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar or 4 tablespoons of molasses (not blackstrap)
Optionals: Carolina Mustard Sauce–add 1/2 cup of brown mustard or more to taste, and a bit more sugar.
“Red Sauce”—add two cans of tomato paste or four very ripe red or purple heirloom tomatoes (Large Red, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Amish Paste, cooked down for several hours on low heat into a comparable consistency; and two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce)
Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onion and garlic and sauté on a medium heat until translucent. Turn heat down slightly and add vinegar, water, the optional ingredients, and the salt and spices. Allow to cook gently for about thirty minutes to an hour. To be used as a light mop sauce or glaze during the last 15-30 minutes over the pit of coals and as a dip for cooked meat.