african-american foodways

Sorrel, a festive drink made by steeping hibiscus flowers, is the taste of the holidays throughout the Caribbean. It is also a close cousin to the African-American red drink, described as "liquid soul." Andrea Y. Henderson/NPR hide caption

Sweet Potato Pie served at the Sweet Home Cafe inside the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. When the museum opened in October 2016, the pie contained a twist, ginger. But customers used to more traditional Southern African-American preparations of the dish weren't having it. It just shows how tricky "authentic" food can be. Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption

Freda DeKnight was Ebony's first food editor and author of a best-selling African-American cookbook in the 1940s. Her recipes presented a vision of black America that was often invisible in mainstream media. Sierra Nicole Rhoden/Chicago Tribune hide caption

On the north side of Detroit, a community farm teamed up with a local arts and culture nonprofit to put its summer harvest to best use — while also honoring the legacy of the city's black families. Their answer: Afro Jam, a line of preserves based on old family recipes. Martina Guzman for NPR hide caption